President’s Position Statement for 2012
To All Faculty, Staff and Students at Nanzan University
I. Basic Position
Following the example of previous editions, the outline of the projects and activities
planned for 2012 school year begins again with a statement about the basic position
taken by the president. It proposes no radical departure from the tradition of Nanzan as a
Catholic university as expressed by the key phrases my predecessor and I have used in
the past. Maintaining and promoting the “Nanzan Difference” still depends on“unceasing self-reform” in order to ensure that we can “empower our students tobecome a power in and for the world,” to ensure that Nanzan University becomes a“learning place without borders” where – in the spirit of “Prophetic Dialogue,” which
was mentioned here last year – openness to dialogue and active promotion of humanvalues can be practiced in a creative tension.
Emphasizing the importance of continuity, however, is not the same as continuing on
the same path as in the past and it is important to keep this in mind when reaffirming thebasic position that provides the basis for the various activities of a Catholic university. It
is not sufficient to reiterate that the old message is still valid for modern times. Rather,
we have to ask ourselves how to re-formulate and promote what is really importantwhen so many things are changing. We must also consider how to keep the coremessage of Christianity in general and how to keep two thousand years of the teaching
tradition of the Catholic Church alive and relevant in the setting of a university intoday’s globalized society.
This year marks the 50th anniversary of opening of the Second Vatican Council, an
event that has had a deep and lasting impact on the self-understanding of the Catholic
Church. The official opening of the council, presided over by Pope John XXIII, was on
October 11, 1962. To describe the program of the council, the Pope used a key phrase –“aggiornamento.” Subsequently, aggiornamento has become a technical term that
describes how the Church defines her role in and her relation to the modern world.
I believe that John XXIII’s “aggiornamento” provides valuable insights that help toarticulate the mission and role of a Catholic university. On a superficial level,1

“aggiornamento” is nothing more than a translation of the English phrase “bringing up
to date.” But the continued use of this Italian key word, “aggiornamento” by the
Catholic Church shows that the Italian term implies not just the adjusting of procedures
but also implies self-understanding with a spirit of change and an open-mindedness aswell as an ongoing critical appraisal of one’s own mission. Therefore, the thrust of“aggiornamento” is neither just the condemning of new views that disrupt traditional
ways of acting and thinking nor merely “going with the flow” and adjusting to changing
circumstances. The challenge of aggiornamento is to keep balance while moving
forward in a rapidly changing environment.
One major aspect of the changing environment for higher education in Japan is theupcoming steep decline in the number of high school graduates, our traditional sourceof new students, in the very near future. Careful consideration of this inevitabledevelopment leads us to recognize the need for a radical review of all planning for the
future of Nanzan University. Yet, new approaches to increase the number of applicants
are in themselves not a sufficient basis for maintaining Nanzan’s educational mission asa Catholic university.
The Nanzan curriculum includes required courses across many disciplines for all
students in all departments. What I would like to see is a broader scope of choices. I
request that each Faculty consider adding more courses to the newly establishedInternational Course Category that would encourage interdisciplinary learning in
English.
At the same time, we must challenge our students to actively put themselves in “alearning place without borders” where students from many countries and backgrounds
are interacting in class. In the process we need to proceed with the discussion about
moving the beginning of the academic year to the fall semester.
If there is one word that expresses my vision for this year’s Position Statement, it would
be “choice.” Specifically, it includes providing both students and faculty with morechoice as a university. More choice also entails more responsibility for those who offer
the choice as well as those who make the choice, as expressed succinctly in the Nanzanmotto “Hominis Dignitati.” I request that each Faculty actively engage in preparing
such choice. The final standard of success is not to follow whatever happens to be theprevailing trend at the moment but to succeed in accomplishing an academic version of2

aggiornamento – to bring our education and academic structure up-to-date without
losing the heart of the matter.
II. Top Priorities
1. Promoting Internationalization from the Viewpoint of Students
In an effort to realize the goal of “a learning place without borders,” which we set lastyear, the International Course Category and the Summer Japanese Program by theCenter for Japanese Studies (CJS) will be implemented this year.
A total of 43 courses (32 courses at Nagoya Campus and 11 courses at Seto Campus)
will be offered as the International Course Category (ICC) courses. Students who haveacquired 24 or more ICC credits will receive the “Nanzan International Certificate.” We
hope to expand ICC offerings. Unlike regular language courses, the ICC courses offer
students opportunities to gain new understanding through learning in English. In
addition to providing recognition of students’ high linguistic abilities, the inclusion andexpansion of ICC courses of a high academic standard will make the “Nanzan
International Certificate” truly valuable.
Along with the implementation of the Summer Japanese Program, a new curriculumthat will be introduced at the Center for Japanese Studies (CJS) starting in September
2012 will allow students more flexibility in tailoring their studies. These initiatives will
increase collaborative possibilities for CJS and the Faculties and Graduate Schools.
These curriculum changes as well as the CJS courses included in the ICC are expected
to offer more opportunities for CJS, undergraduate and graduate students to attend
classes together.
In addition to the above, it is our responsibility to reconsider what internationalizationmeans to students. Our efforts to create “a learning place without borders” should beaimed toward fostering the “power of the individual” who has a deep understanding ofothers and an international capability, as implied in the key phrase in the Grand Design:“empowering the individual to become a power in and for the world.” The ICC courses
will serve as a choice toward achieving this goal. At the same time as providing abroader scope of choices such as these, we need to educate and advise students so thatthey can make their own choices responsibly. I request that each Faculty department andGraduate School major review their curriculum, keeping in mind internationalization3

from the students’ perspective. The General Education curricula should also be
reviewed from the same standpoint.
2. Further Developing “a Learning Place without Borders”
Since last year, moving the beginning of the academic year to the fall has become anational topic. It is true that the impact of implementing the shift remains unknown andthat there are a number of issues and challenges that need to be resolved, but I believethat the change is very likely to bring about more active exchange with overseas
universities for both students and faculty. The Faculty of Policy Studies has always hada system of admitting international students in September. The advantages anddisadvantages of this system will be reviewed in detail as we study the possibility ofshifting the university-wide enrollment to the fall. This is not just a matter of replacing
the cherry blossoms of the entrance ceremony with autumn leaves, or continuing thesame activities under a different time schedule. As I see it, while this change may look
simple, it may become something like what Clayton Christensen has called “disruptive
innovation,” i.e., an opportunity to use the changing of the Japanese academic calendar
as a way to think about how we can provide choices that are wider in scope and morechallenging for all our students, both Japanese and non-Japanese, as well as for ourfaculty.
With or without the introduction of a modified academic calendar, we will continue ourefforts for promoting international exchange. Although Nanzan University has overseas
study programs that allow students to graduate in four years even when one of those
years was spent studying abroad, only a limited number of students are utilizing the
programs. I request that efforts in this regard be continued this year as well.
Realizing “a place of learning without borders” requires accepting more international
students not only to the CJS program but also to undergraduate and graduate courses aswell as increasing faculty member exchanges with overseas universities. We willconsider a new system for graduate schools to promote international exchange of
graduate students and faculty members. Housing is another important issue in accepting
many students from abroad. Therefore, we will study comprehensively what types of
housing facilities can be provided for international students, including private
apartments. As for international exchange of faculty members, we are expecting towelcome one faculty member from the University of San Carlos in the Philippines this4year. Initiatives such as this will be expanded in the future. The University as a wholewill promote internationalization in various ways, including participation in the United
Nations Academic Impact Initiative. At the same time, I request each Faculty
department and Graduate School major to make more active efforts toward promotinginternationalization.
III. Future Planning
1. Nanzan University as an Appealing Institution
In order to establish Nanzan University as an appealing research institution, individual
faculty members need to actively engage in research activities and academic andresearch standards at Faculties and Graduate Schools need to be urgently improved. To
this end, the Graduate School of Mathematical Sciences and Information Engineering
will be renamed and reorganized to be consistent with the Faculty of Information
Science and Engineering. We will also be discussing how to establish more appealingsocial science Graduate Schools, including the possibility of reorganization and/or
merger of the following Graduate Schools: Economics, Business Administration, andPolicy Studies.
This year, Nanzan Junior College Faculty celebrates its second year and will see theinaugural class graduate. Its predecessor, Nanzan Junior College, practiced a variety ofmethods in English language education. We should be continuously discussing how to
improve its appeal as a faculty, including the possibility of its collaboration with other
Faculties and Graduate Schools.
2. Nanzan’s Integrated Education
This year, the first Nanzan Primary School graduates entered Nanzan Junior HighSchool. Nanzan Gakuen as a whole is starting to function under its Integrated Education
system from elementary school through graduate school.
The University has played a leadership role in Nanzan Gakuen’s integrated educationand is responsible for sending into society students who have been educated under the
integrated education system. We will seek an education system that enhances thestrengths of students who have received the integrated education. Based on last year’schange in admission procedure for students recommended by schools within Nanzan
Gakuen, we will look for possibilities to collaborate more closely with the Gakuen

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schools this year.
3. Campus Physical Property Management
As part of the large-scale property management project at Nagoya Campus, theUniversity Hall was torn down in 2009 and R Building was completed on the site in
March 2011. We will continue discussions about the following two issues from theviewpoint of student solicitation at the Future Planning Committee this year: thereorganization of faculties and departments including the Graduate Schools mentioned
above and the two-campus system. At the same time, we will aim to create a new,greener campus that is both eco-friendly and full of greenery.
IV. Education and Research
1. University Assessment and Accreditation in 2013
Universities in Japan are required by law to undergo an assessment for accreditation by
external organizations once every seven years or less (once every five years or less for
professional graduate schools). Since last year we have been preparing ourselves for theaccreditation assessment in 2013. This year we must complete our Self-Study Reportand submit it to an external assessment and accreditation organization.
The accreditation assessment we will be subjected to in 2013 emphasizes the concept ofan “internal quality assurance” system whereby a university assures its own quality. It
also examines whether the university’s PDCA (Plan Do Check Action) cycle, required
as a mechanism for self-assessment and improvement, is functioning organically. In
other words, the Self-Study Report is required to serve not merely as a report that covers
the university’s activities but more importantly as an action plan for improvements. Thatis, the university is expected to compare the goals and plans set by the University as awhole, and by Faculties, Departments, Graduate Schools, and administrative divisions,with actual outcomes to determine how much has been achieved and what efforts need
to be made in order to continue to improve.
The university’s “internal quality assurance” system will be assessed in all aspects ofeducational content, research performance, and administration and management. While
the University has already been actively promoting student course evaluations, facultyevaluations, and FD/SD (Faculty Development/Staff Development) activities, I requestthat each Faculty member deepen their understanding that these efforts are intended to6benefit the improvement of our “internal quality assurance” system in line with the
PDCA cycle.
2. Improvement of Class Content
Last year saw the implementation of a new semester system with 15 class weeks andone final exam week per semester. Although we developed a new academic calendar forthe system, there was insufficient discussion of class content. To make the most of the
15 classes, I request that each Faculty and Graduate School consider ways to improveclass quality.
Ten years has passed since the major reorganization and restructuring of Faculties andDepartments. Over these years, issues that cannot be solved within the existing
curriculums have surfaced. The International Course Category implemented this year isan effective curriculum for promoting internationalization. I request that each Faculty
develop curriculums such as this that reflect Nanzan’s uniqueness and improve theirclass quality.
3. Promotion of Student Support
With the completion of R Building, the Center for International Education, Nanzan
English Education Center, and the World Plaza (Nagoya) moved into the building,strengthening language education and the study-abroad support system for students.
While the Student Support GP (Good Practice) subsidies from the government received
in 2009 concluded last year, Centrum Communitatis on Nagoya Campus and Aulularia
on Seto Campus, set up under the program, will be maintained to continually provide
student support.
It is also important to improve the information education environment for students. With
the rapid development of book digitization technology in recent years, our library has
greater possibilities to share access to digitized publications with other libraries byutilizing online networks. Meanwhile, the development of social media has added to theimportance of information literacy. With these developments in mind, I would likediscussions to be resumed for establishing an Academic Information Center. I expect theCenter to be realized in the near future as an organization to accumulate digitizedmaterials and to make possible university-wide information education and information
sharing.

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4. Acquisition of External Competitive Funds
In 2011, for two years in a row, none of our new proposals were accepted for grants andsubsidies for research and education initiatives including the 21st Century COE
Program offered by the Ministry of Education and Science. This serves as a tremendous
alert. In recent years, the number of initiatives accepted for external competitive funds
and the amount of monies received have been seen as critical indicators of a university’s
standing in terms of education and research. In that sense, it is imperative that we
actively make efforts to be accepted for funds such as above as well as Grants-in-Aid
for Scientific Research, among others. Improving the University’s support system to thisend is also on my agenda.
V. Contributing to Society and Collaborating with Businesses
Last year Japan was hit by a number of natural disasters, including the Great East Japan
Earthquake and the flooding of the Shonai River. Determining the roles the University
should play in the community in an emergency is an important matter, particularly as acomprehensive university rooted in the local community, since we can serve them insignificant ways. Risk management efforts such as this are also an issue that needs to be
dealt with by the Gakuen as a whole. The University, in addition, will seek further ways
to strengthen collaboration with the community.
As part of the collaboration project between Nanzan University’s AnthropologicalMuseum and the Meiji University Museum that started in March 2010, we havecontinued to offer joint workshops and symposiums. In January 2012, a project was
implemented to exhibit materials of the University’s Anthropological Museum at the
Meiji University Museum. A joint exhibition at Nagoya City Museum is scheduled forthis academic year, starting from the end of February 2013. Through these initiatives,
we will contribute to the community by showing our University assets to the public andcontinue to enhance public recognition of the Anthropological Museum, which will be
moved to R Building and expanded in 2013.
The University has been encouraging collaboration with other universities, including the
National University Corporations, and the business world. In our collaboration efforts
with businesses, a business-academia collaboration agreement was signed last year
between the Bank of Nagoya and the Graduate School of Mathematical Sciences andInformation Engineering, Nanzan School of Law, and the Graduate School of Business

8Administration, with the prospect of joint research and product development by thebank’s clients and our Graduate Schools. I request that each Graduate School makeefforts to further strengthen collaboration this year.
VI. Entrance Exams and Post-Graduation Employment
1. Entrance Exams
This year, the total number of applications, combining the General, Center 50 andCenter 100 Entrance Examinations (first application term A & B and second applicationterm) was 20,157, a decrease of 172 compared to last year’s 20,329. Compared to lastyear, the decrease was smaller thanks to the introduction of Center 100 Entrance
Examination (first application term B), but the number of applications dropped for two
consecutive years. The decline in the 18-year-old population and the economic situationin Japanese society indicate that student solicitation will continue to be a challenge. To
attract more applicants, we will diversify our Entrance Examination systems, including
the introduction of a unified examination covering multiple faculties, and review thequotas for recommendation-based admissions.
2. Post-Graduation Employment
We expect that the employment situation will continue to be very severe this year.
Under the circumstances, we are receiving increasing requests from not only students
but also parents to improve our job placement support, which is becoming more andmore important every year.
The Japan Economic Federation has issued an advisory to corporations to move backthe starting date of their publicity activities and of their selection processes by twomonths compared to previous years, i.e., as of 2011, job-hunting has started in
December of the third (or junior) year.
This change will necessitate the reorganization and restructuring of the job placement
support programs and career support programs, which may in turn lead to the merger of
the Job Placement Committee and the Career Support Committee. I request the Career
Support Office to ascertain the job placement situation in greater detail in order to offer
even more thorough placement support to students. At the same time, I request
individual faculty members and Faculties to actively cooperate in career and placement
support efforts and also to help students develop abilities to take initiatives,9communicate competently, and think critically, i.e. qualities expected of college
graduates.
VII. Publicity
The role of University publicity becomes increasingly important particularly whenapplication numbers are falling. Last year, as a new initiative, “Nanzan Web Live,” anonline University explanation session for high school students, was carried out. The
continued projects, including joint University explanation sessions with Sophia
University, were also held as planned and yielded some positive results. This year we
will develop a smartphone application for University publicity, using our past entrance
exam questions of foreign languages. In addition, we will publicize programs that may
be appealing to our potential applicants, such as the Disney International College
Program.
We will consider more effective publicity measures and strategies including the reformof the Entrance Examination systems and the development of new Nanzan merchandise
items. It is also necessary to cleverly include job placement capabilities in our publicity
efforts. The Working Group for publicizing our job placement capabilities organized lastyear comprised of the chairpersons of the Job Placement, Career, and Public Relations
Committees among others will be expanded in order to consider more active publicity.
Furthermore, from the perspective of international publicity, our English web pages will
be expanded and improved to match our Japanese web pages.
I request individual faculty and staff members to recognize that their respective researchand education activities play an important role in the University’s publicity efforts andto help enhance Nanzan University’s appeal.

Michael CALMANO
President
Nanzan University

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