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

Keiwa College

Basic Information of the Institution
Ownership: Private

Location: Niigata, Japan

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

Keiwa College

Certified Evaluation and Accreditation Resultsfor Keiwa CollegeOverview
Keiwa College opened in 1991 with the generous support of Niigata PrefecturalOffice, Shibata City, and Seiro Town as a college with the Faculty of Humanities.
Initially, there were two departments, the Department of English and the Department
of Intercultural Studies, but a reorganization was carried out in response to changing
social needs, and now there are three departments in the Faculty of Humanities: theDepartment of English and Communication, the Department of Intercultural Studies,and the Department of Community and Social Welfare. The University’s educationaland research activities are based on the founding spirit of “Love God and serveothers.” To realize this, the school has three educational doctrines: Christianity,Internationalism and Localism. As such, it is committed to educational practices
aimed at achieving community-focused education based on the liberal arts. Based on
the “Keiwa College Mission Statement and Vision” stipulated in the University
regulations, a medium- to long-term plan (roadmap) consisting of a “master plan,”“action plan,” and “specific plan” was drawn up in 2008, and has been updated every
three years since then. As of 2021, activities are being carried out in accordance with
“Roadmap 5” and the “Medium-term Plan,” which was drawn up in 2020 inaccordance with the revision of the Private School Act.
In 2019, the internal quality assurance system was reviewed, and the existingSelf-Assessment Regulations were changed to the Regulations for Internal QualityAssurance. The Keiwa College Academic Management Committee (hereinafter the“Academic Management Committee”) was positioned as a body with power over andresponsibility for internal quality assurance, taking on university-wide operations.
The “Self-Assessment Committee,” which operates under the AcademicManagement Committee summarizes and verifies the results of self-study carried out
by individual organizations based on the “Medium- to Long-term Plan (Road Map)
Outcomes and Achievements Assessment Report” (hereinafter the “Medium- toLong-term Plan Outcomes and Achievements Assessment Report” and each faculty
member’s “Report on Educational, Research, and Social Contribution Activities,”
then reports to the Academic Management Committee. After discussion there, thePresident again gives instructions for improvement to individual organizations. Also,
concerning self-study, the school is subject to evaluation by the corporate auditors
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Keiwa Collegeand third-party evaluation by external committee members, and is attempting to make
improvements based on diverse perspectives from within and outside the University.
However, despite the fact the part of the work of the Self-Assessment Committee isentrusted to the “Keiwa Liberal Arts Research Institute,” the powers and roles of theLaboratory in internal quality assurance are not defined. Moreover, despite the factthat the “Keiwa College Academic Management Committee Regulations (hereinafter
the Academic Management Committee Regulations)” stipulate that the Committee isto play a wide range of roles, in reality, the Committee’s role is basically limited toapproving reports from the Self-Assessment Committee. Improvement is required sothat the powers, roles and of each body and the relationships between them arereviewed, and the planning and direction functions of the Academic Management
Committee within the internal quality assurance system are enhanced.
Regarding education, all departments in the Faculty of Humanities haveappropriately established degree award policies (diploma policies) and curriculum
design and implementation policies (curriculum policies), and the curricula havebeen organized in consideration of systematicity and sequentiality using curriculum
maps and numbering. Measures to make students’ learning activities more effective
by providing information through the syllabus and setting a limit on the number ofcredits students can take are also implemented appropriately.
Outstanding initiatives by the University include the establishment of anadvisor system to support students’ academic and student life through in-depth
consultation and guidance, the establishment of a system in which variousorganizations within the University cooperate to deal with various problems faced bystudents, and the implementation of BiblioBattle, a book review oral presentationcompetition, in cooperation with university club activities, the university library, thecity library, and citizens, which has further led to a national competition. In addition,in order to realize the University’s educational policy of contributing to the localcommunity, the University is engaged in various types of fieldwork-based active
learning, and has linked social contribution and social cooperation with activities
involving learning through the local community. These include supporting the local
revitalization of Awashimaura Village and developing classes through cooperation
with the Orange Social Welfare Corporation, in which local companies participate.
In addition, the university administration also holds corporate training sessions(twice a year) where faculty and staff from the high school and the University meetto exchange and discuss issues, which is highly commendable from the perspectiveof advancing high school-university collaboration.
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However, improvements are required in the following areas: the Departmentof Community and Social Welfare of the Faculty of Humanities is not meeting its
capacity, and although an assessment policy has been established for identifying andassessing learning outcomes, the relationship between the learning outcomesindicated in the degree award policy and the direct evaluation methods used toidentify and assess these learning outcomes is not yet clear.
Going forward, it is necessary to ensure that the internal quality assurance
system centered on the Academic Management Committee is functioning properly
and to make improvements regarding the various problems mentioned above. TheJUAA hopes that, based on these improvements, Keiwa College will make steadyprogress by further developing its distinctive initiatives and producing more students
who will acquire the philosophy of “love God and serve others” and contribute to thelocal community.
Notable Strengths
Student Support An advisor system has been established in which all full-time faculty members
share the responsibility of providing consultations to all students on variousmatters, and a system has been set up to hand over students to the Student
Support Center for specialized consultations afterwards. The Student Support
Center holds conferences with counselors and other professionals, andencourages various committees and other bodies to carry out activities necessary
to support students, thereby establishing a system that accommodates each andevery student who needs support. This is a commendable effort to make use of
the characteristics of small-group education in line with the realization of theUniversity’s philosophy and purpose.
Education and Research Environment
 The BiblioBattle book review competition, held in collaboration with on-campus
club activities, the university library, the city library, and citizens, has not only
raised awareness of reading by having students give presentations on books, but
has also produced educational results, such as improved communication abilities
as a result of running the battles jointly with volunteers from the city library. In
addition, students played a leading role in organizing the 6th National HighSchool BiblioBattle in Niigata Prefecture, and high school students from Niigata
Prefecture participated in the national competition. This shows the commendable3

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development of these activities.
Social Cooperation and Contribution
 The University conducts a wide range of social cooperation activities that
contribute to the revitalization of local communities, but in particular, theAwashimaura Village Revitalization Project has contributed to the regenerationof a remote island by revitalizing local industry through the commercializationof amadokoro, an edible wild vegetable that grows in Awashimaura Village. In
addition to contributing to the revitalization of local industries on the remoteisland, students learn how to prepare local Awashima cuisine from local residents
engaged in the processing of Awashima seafood, hold an “Awashima Fair” solelyfor students in Shibata City, and donate a portion of the proceeds to a food bank,thereby helping to operate a local children’s cafeteria and to provide support for
the underprivileged. These activities are in line with the University’s educational
policy of “education that contributes to the local community.” At the same time,they help participating students acquire basic social skills such as a cooperative
spirit and a sense of responsibility, as well as the practical skills to identify andsolve problems, which cannot be acquired through classroom learning. Inaddition, the school has been implementing initiatives such as developing classes
based on cooperative relationships with local governments and companies,
including the Orange-kai," an association in support of the college. These
activities are highly commendable as initiatives based on the educational policyof developing individuals who are grounded and active in the community.
University Management and Finance Under the banner of “seven-year integrated education,” joint training sessions
for faculty and staff are held with the main objective of promoting educational
collaboration between the high school and University that belong to the sameschool corporation. By holding group discussions by faculty and staff from thetwo institutions, these sessions encourage cooperation between the high school
and the University and between faculty and staff. These training sessions are held
twice a year (June and November), with almost all faculty and staff at the highschool and the University, as well as the corporation’s officers, participating oneach occasion. As a result of these meetings, a system for sharing detailed
information about students and collaboration on study programs has beendeveloped. This is a commendable effort that contributes to sharing the4Keiwa College

University’s founding spirit and educational philosophy.
Suggestions for Improvement
Internal Quality Assurance Despite the fact that the Self-Assessment Committee entrusts the inspection andassessment of Educational Activity, Research Activity and Social Contribution
Activity Reports, which is a major part of its duties, to the Keiwa Liberal Arts
Research Institute, the powers and roles of the Laboratory in internal quality
assurance are not defined. In addition, although the Academic Management
Committee Regulations stipulate that the Academic Management Committee hasa wide range of roles, in reality, the Committee’s role is basically limited toapproving reports from the Self-Assessment Committee. Improvement isrequired so that the powers, roles and of each body and the relationships between
them are reviewed, and the planning and direction functions of the Academic
Management Committee within the internal quality assurance system areenhanced.
Educational Program and Learning Outcomes The relationship between the learning outcomes indicated in the degree award
policy and the direct evaluation methods used to identify and assess them is notclear, and it is difficult to say that the learning outcomes indicated in the degree
award policy are identified and assessed in a multifaceted and appropriatemanner. Improvement is required accordingly.
Student Enrollment
 In AY2021, the average ratio of freshman enrollment to the freshman enrollment
cap over the past five years for the Faculty of Humanities’ Department ofCommunity and Social Welfare was low at 0.81, while the ratio of studentenrollment to the student enrollment cap is also low at 0.80. This should be
improved to ensure proper undergraduate student quota management.
University Management and Finance Both the corporation as a whole and the university division have low ratios ofoperating revenues to expenses. In particular, the corporation as a whole waspositive in AY2015, but turned negative in AY2016, affected by a worsening
balance of payments due to a decrease in the number of students at the University.
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Similarly, the ratio of financial assets to the required reserve fund is low anddeclining, making it difficult to say that there is an adequate financial footing.
Going forward, it will be necessary to secure an adequate financial base byreviewing the financial plan currently in place and steadily implementing it.

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