University Accreditation Results(Results for Certified Evaluation and Accreditation for university)

Wayo Women's University

Basic Information of the Institution
Ownership: Private

Location: Chiba, Japan

Accreditation Status
Year of the Review: 2021
Accreditation Status: accredited （Accreditation Period: April.1.2022 – March 31, 2029）

Wayo Women’s University

Certified Evaluation and Accreditation Resultsfor Wayo Women’s University

Overview
Adapting the founding philosophy of “Japanese Spirit with Western Techniques” and“Live Cheerfully and Peacefully” to suit the times, Wayo Women’s University has
as its educational objective to “nurture women who can actively participate in theworld with sincerity and skills to support others,” which it presents in its mediumterm plan. Soon to celebrate its 125th anniversary, the University aims to redefine
the importance of female education as part of a rebranding project and is making
efforts to improve educational and research activities.
The University’s internal quality assurance efforts are directed at educational
activities with a focus on achieving its educational objective by assessing the mattersdefined in the three policies in an appropriate manner. The University Council,
Graduate School Council, and Educational Management Evaluation Committee areresponsible for promoting internal quality assurance on a university-wide level, thelast also possessing external evaluation functions. Faculties, departments, graduateschools, majors, and divisions conduct self-study based on a specific goal and planin cooperation with the University Council and Graduate School Council, and thetwo councils provide support for implementing the improvement plans developed
from examination of the results.
Regarding education, the University has developed and announced a degree
award policy (diploma policy) and curriculum design and implementation policy(curriculum policy) for each degree to be awarded. Although the consistency between
the two policies is not apparent, the University ensures that students can study in asystematic fashion by providing a curriculum map that presents the order of subjects
in association with the skills to be acquired according to the degree award policy.
However, the University needs to improve the indicators for measuring the learning
outcomes presented in the degree award policy. This is because even though the areasof evaluation, such as graduate research and acquisition of qualifications, completionof practical training and skill practice subjects, and thesis examination have been
established, measurements are not conducted in accordance with the indicators forindividual degrees to be awarded.
The Learning Station was launched for the purpose of remedial education for
freshmen. It offers a variety of educational programs and courses, such as pre1

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enrollment learning programs and learning programs for students to improve theirbasic skills after enrollment, and has introduced a point system to encourage students
to use the services, thereby contributing to an increase in students’ learningmotivation. The Universal Support Promotion Office (hereinafter “US PromotionOffice”), which was established when the University began to admit students withdisabilities, and the existing Student Counseling Office are staffed by dedicatedwelfare and counseling faculty members, respectively, providing students withsupport for mental health and everyday issues. These initiatives for providing
learning support and support for health and everyday issues are remarkable. In thearea of social cooperation, the Community Cooperation Center actively engages incooperation activities with multiple local governments and a range of local
companies with which the University has partnered. In addition, the University haslaunched the Community Cooperation Council to gather local requests and opinions
directly from people from the local governments and companies. In this way theUniversity is making efforts to contribute to the community and improve its
educational and research activities, which is highly commendable.
However, there are some issues. The Graduate School’s Division ofHumanities Master's Programs, Division of Human Ecology Master's Programs, andDivision of Human Ecology Doctoral Programs do not present a research supervision
plan. Even though an explanation based on the Course Registration Guide, which
presents a rough schedule of the process leading to thesis examination, is provided
and information is announced through the Learning Management System (LMS) tosubstitute for the lack of a research supervision plan, the graduate programs should
provide students with a clear research supervision plan. Additionally, regarding
graduate student recruitment, the ratio of student enrollment to the student enrollment
cap is low for the Division of Humanities Master's Programs. This should beimproved.
Going forward, the JUAA hopes the University solves these issues throughinternal quality assurance efforts, and accelerates its distinctive initiatives for furtherdevelopment of its program.
Notable Strengths
Student Support
 The University has established the Learning Station, which offers a variety ofcourses, as well as providing a range of support programs for remedial education(for improvement of basic academic skills), qualification acquisition, etc.
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Students are awarded points according to how many times they participate in thecourses, and students who have earned a certain number of points can get benefits
such as taking language proficiency tests for free. In this way the University
encourages students to use the service and learn. In addition, the University has
multiple counseling offices for students: the Student Counseling Office, in whichclinical psychologists provide counseling services, and the Universal Support
Promotion Office, in which social workers assist students seeking reasonableaccommodation. The student sections of the respective divisions hold regularmeetings to ensure that they can work together to provide support to students at
any office. It is commendable that the University offers learning support andsupport for health and everyday issues in a multi-tiered, comprehensive manner.
Social Cooperation and Contribution
 The University established the Community Cooperation Center in 2014. Serving
as a hub for industry-academia cooperation and local contribution activities, theCommunity Cooperation Center conducts activities based on requests from local
governments, such as the Ichikawa Municipal Government with which theUniversity has entered into a comprehensive local cooperation partnership, andlocal companies. The center holds the Ichikawa Citizens’ Academy Course,
participates in various consortiums of neighboring universities and high schools,
and develops recipes, among many other projects. The center also offers theWorking Adult Re-Education Program as a recurrent education program toencourage women’s independence. This program offers women aspiring to play
an active role in society opportunities to develop their career through attending
courses for learning knowledge and skills that are useful for working at localcompanies. The University reviews these programs on the basis of opinions
gathered from external parties in the Community Cooperation Council and has
made improvements to them each year, promoting social cooperation and social
contribution while listening to the voices of local people, which is commendable.
Suggestions for Improvement
Educational Program and Learning Outcomes The Division of Human Ecology Master's Programs and Division of HumanEcology Doctoral Programs do not present their ideas on curriculumorganization in the curriculum design and implementation policy. This should beimproved.
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

Although each faculty, department, and graduate school develops and uses anassessment tool that matches its specific characteristics, the correlation between
the assessment tools and the learning outcomes indicated in the degree award
policies of the faculties, departments, graduate schools, and majors is unclear.
The University measures the “5 capabilities” to be developed through classes byconducting university-wide questionnaires for graduates and interviews withcompanies that have employed Wayo graduates. However, the University should
clarify the correlation between the 5 capabilities with the learning outcomesindicated in individual degree award policies to ensure that they can serve asindicators for achievement evaluation.

Student Enrollment
 The ratio of student enrollment to the student enrollment cap in the Division of
Humanities Master's Programs is low at 0.15. This should be improved to ensure
proper graduate student quota management.
University Management and Finance The ratio of the excessive amount of carried over expenditures for next year to
the income from business operations has been increasing, while the ratio of thefinancial assets to the required reserve fund is decreasing. Therefore, theUniversity has not secured an adequate financial base necessary for
implementing educational and research activities in a stable manner. TheUniversity should review the achievement status of its financial goals, revise
its medium- and long-term financial plans, and consistently implement therevised plans in order to secure an adequate financial base.
Recommendation
Educational Program and Learning Outcomes A schedule for research supervision is not defined as part of the researchsupervision plan for the Division of Humanities Master's Programs, Division ofHuman Ecology Master's Programs and Division of Human Ecology Doctoral
Programs. This should be corrected so that such schedule is defined and madeclear to students in advance.
In the Division of Humanities Master's Programs and Division of Human4

Wayo Women’s UniversityEcology Master's Programs, the examination criteria for research findings in
specific subjects have neither been published in print nor on its homepage. Thisshould be corrected.

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