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

Kanagawa University

Basic Information of the Institution
Ownership: Private

Location: Kanagawa, Japan

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

Kanagawa University

Certified Evaluation and Accreditation Resultsfor Kanagawa UniversityOverview
The founding spirits of Kanagawa University are “Sincere and Resilient,”“Forward-thinking,” and “Balanced and Steady.” Its purpose is defined as “todevelop individuals who have the judgment and practical ability of independent andresponsible citizens, an international outlook and communication skills, andspecialized knowledge and expertise, and who are able to grow through their ownefforts” In addition, the University has established a long-term vision, the “Action
Plan for the Kanagawa University Vision for the Future [2018–2028] (hereinafter the“Future Vision Action Plan”), to fulfill its mission and objectives, as well as the goalsof each faculty and graduate school. Under this plan, specific items to beimplemented ahead of the University’s 100th anniversary in 2028 have been drawn
up as a five-year medium-term plan, and projects are being implemented accordingly.
In 2012, a university-wide policy on internal quality assurance was put in place,and in 2019, in order to strengthen the internal quality assurance system, a system
was established centered on the “Kanagawa University University-Wide SelfAssessment and Evaluation Committee” (hereinafter the “University-Wide SelfAssessment and Evaluation Committee”) as the university-wide organization
responsible for the promotion of internal quality assurance. Initiatives to enhance
education and improve learning outcomes, etc., as well as the systematic
implementation of improvements and enhancements based on the self-study results,
are now underway. However, systematic implementation of self-study in each faculty
and graduate school has not yet taken place, and support for improvements based on
the results of self-study has not yet been fully established. Going forward, inaccordance with the “Internal Quality Assurance Policy,” improvements are required
to ensure systematic implementation of self-study, support for improvements in eachorganization, and close collaboration among organizations, with an appropriate
internal quality assurance system in place to enable each faculty and graduate school
to steadily make improvements and enhancements based on the self-study results.
Regarding education, all faculties and graduate schools have organized theircurricula appropriately based on the University’s mission and purpose and inaccordance with the degree award policy (diploma policy) and curriculum design andimplementation policy (curriculum policy). Furthermore, in the undergraduate
1

Kanagawa University

program, efforts are being made to energize student learning, such as offering theFirst Year Seminar (FYS) in the first year of study and introducing a minor system.
On the other hand, although the school has begun examining methods of measuring
the learning outcomes specified in the degree award policy, it is difficult at present
to say that learning outcomes are being ascertained in a manner that relates clearly tothe degree award policy. This should be improved.
One outstanding initiative is the active development of a variety of social
cooperation and social contribution activities throughout the University. In particular,
it is commendable that the University has established and is actively engaged in avariety of social cooperation and social contribution activities closely connected tothe community, such as the “Machi [Locality] x Student Project,” in cooperation withKanagawa Ward, where the University’s main Yokohama Campus is located.
Furthermore, at the newly established Minato Mirai Campus, the Social Commonsand the Center for Cooperation with Society within it were established to unify thevarious initiatives that the University has launched to date, already embarking onspecific activities. As an organization designed to further bolster the University’s
distinctive initiatives, it is expected to deliver results to that end.
However, there are several issues that should be improved. Some departments
have a low ratio of student enrollment to the student enrollment cap. At the graduatelevel, while some graduate schools have extremely high ratios of students to theenrollment cap, there are many others with extremely low ratios. Accordingly, thisshould be improved to ensure proper student quota management. Also required is thesteady implementation of staff development (hereinafter “SD”) regarding university
administration for faculty members.
Going forward, the JUAA hopes to see the University make further progressby substantiating the system that has been put in place to promote internal quality
assurance, connecting the PDCA cycle of the institution as a whole to those
conducted by faculties, graduate schools, etc., and promoting initiatives forimprovement and enhancement.
Notable Strengths
Social Cooperation and Contribution
 Various social cooperation and contribution activities have been undertaken,
taking advantage of the characteristics as an integrated university in the Tokyo
metropolitan area. In particular, the “Machi [Locality] x Student Project,” inwhich students take the initiative in participating in the local community, has2

Kanagawa University

been engaged in various activities on the basis of two-way exchanges of opinions
between students and the local community. The initiatives underway include
having students negotiate with local businesses and open a marché (market) on
campus to exhibit and sell local products, as well as having students learn about
dementia and conduct dementia supporter training courses. These arecommendable not only for helping to bring together the University and thecommunity, but also for promoting independent learning on the part of students.
In conjunction with the opening of the Minato Mirai Campus in 2021, the Centerfor Cooperation with Society has been established on that campus to promotestrategies for social cooperation, and the Social Commons has been created as aspace for co-creation through the exchange of knowledge. The Social Commons
offers products and other items linked to the students’ educational programs, aswell as access to the knowledge of Kanagawa University and its partnercompanies. In addition to promising partnerships with a wide variety ofcompanies, etc., that take advantage of the University’s location, this initiative iscommendable as an effort to strengthen systems of social cooperation andcontribution systems while making the most of the strengths of the campus
development plan.

Suggestions for Improvement
Internal Quality Assurance The relationship between the Committee for Academic Reform and theUniversity-Wide Self-Assessment and Evaluation Committee, as well as therelationships between the Committee for Academic Reform and individualorganizations and divisions are not systematically organized, and the allocationof powers and roles has not been made sufficiently clear. Since management bythe University-Wide Self-Assessment and Evaluation Committee is not
functional, and actual internal quality assurance is based on individual measuresat each institution and division, improvements are required to ensure that theinternal quality assurance system is properly established and functions
effectively. Additionally, a system for periodic checks and reviews of theadequacy of the internal quality assurance system should be systematicallyestablished, and the check and review results should be used to improve andenhance the internal quality assurance system.

3Kanagawa University

Educational Program and Learning Outcomes In all faculties and graduate schools except the Faculty of Business
Administration, the relationship between the learning outcomes stipulated in thedegree award policies and the methods used to ascertain learning outcomes isnot clear. This should be improved.
Student Enrollment
 The ratio of student enrollment to the student enrollment cap is low at 0.86 forthe Faculty of Engineering’s Department of Material and Life Chemistry. Thisshould be improved to ensure proper undergraduate student quota management.
The ratio of student enrollment to the student enrollment cap is high at 4.56 forthe Doctoral Program for the Graduate School of History and Folklore Studies,and low at 0.25 for the Master’s Program for the Graduate School of Law, 0.11
for the Doctoral Program for the Graduate School of Law, 0.15 for the Master’s
Program for the Graduate School of Economics, 0.08 for the Doctoral Program
for the Graduate School of Economics, 0.11 for the Doctoral Program for theGraduate School of Business Administration, and 0.36 for the Doctoral Program
for the Graduate School of Human Sciences. This should be improved to ensure
proper graduate student quota management.

University Management and Finance SD regarding university administration for faculty members is not conducted.
This should be improved.

4