Institutional Certified Evaluation andAccreditation of Universities
Standards for Evaluation andAccreditation of Universities:
2012-2019

NIAD-UE
National Institution for Academic Degrees and University Evaluation© National Institution for Academic Degrees and University Evaluation 2011
(Last revised: March 2015)

1-29-1 Gakuen-Nishimachi, Kodaira, Tokyo 187-8587 Japan
www.niad.ac.jp

Disclaimer:This document has been translated from the Japanese original drawn up by NIAD-UE tocontribute to a deeper understanding of the certified evaluation and accreditation system. In the casewhere any discrepancy between this English version and the Japanese original is found, the Japaneseoriginal will prevail.

Foreword
The Standards for Evaluation and Accreditation of Universities (hereafter referred to as “theStandards”) is established to evaluate the general conditions of education, research and otheractivities of national, municipal/prefectural and private universities (hereafter referred to as“the institutional certified evaluation and accreditation of universities”) conducted by the
National Institution for Academic Degrees and University Evaluation (NIAD-UE) pursuant to
Article 109, paragraph 2 of the School Education Law.

The Standards comprise ten criteria.

The Standards serve as criteria for evaluating universities concerning the general conditions ofeducation, research and other activities, particularly educational activities in regular programs(i.e., bachelor’s, master’s, doctoral and professional degree programs, special courses, andadvanced courses). The ten standards cover the various requirements that NIAD-UE considers
universities should satisfy, including conformity with the School Education Law, the Standards
for the Establishment of Universities, and other related laws pertaining to universities.
NIAD-UE’s certified evaluation and accreditation focuses on judging whether universities meeteach standard at an institutional level, and, where appropriate, the conditions at faculty,
graduate school and institute levels are also analyzed and summarized before judgment ismade. A university judged to meet all ten standards is given the status of an evaluated andaccredited institution.
The standards are generally described further by one or more explanatory clauses, and an
outline with an explanation of the aims, background, etc., of setting the standards.
Each standard is accompanied by viewpoints created to assist the analysis of the conditions of
the university’s education and other activities in line with the explanatory clauses.

In

principle, the university is required to analyze and summarize the conditions concerning all
viewpoints, and may, where appropriate, create original viewpoints better suited to its
purposes and analyze the conditions.

Judgment on whether the university meets theStandards is made for each criterion based on a comprehensive analysis of its conditions fromthe viewpoints set by NIAD-UE and the university concerned.
The institutional certified evaluation and accreditation of universities requires each university
to provide a description of the purposes of its education and research activities.

This

description, which clearly defines its individual character and distinctive features, must
include its mission, basic policies on education and research activities, and intended basic
outcomes, including human resources it aims to develop. Self-assessment by the university
and evaluation by NIAD-UE are conducted with the university’s mission taken into account.

Contents
ForewordStandard 1

Mission of the University · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · ·2· · · · · · · · · yStandard 2

Teaching and Research Structure · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · ·3· · · · · · · · ·Standard 3

Academic Staff and Teaching Supporting Staff · · · · · · · · · · · · · · ·4· · · · · · · · ·Standard 4

Student Admissions · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · ·6· · · · · · · · ·Standard 5

Academic Programs · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · ·8· · · · · · · · ·- Undergraduate Programs- Graduate Programs (including Professional Degree Programs)

Standard 6

Learning Outcomes · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · ·12·········

Standard 7

Facilities and Student Supports

Standard 8

Internal Quality Assurance System of Teaching and Learning · · · ·16·········

Standard 9

Finance and Management · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · ·18·········

Standard 10

Public Information on Teaching and Learning · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · ·20·········

Glossary· · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · ·14·········· · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · 221

Standard 1

Mission of the University

1-1 The mission of the university (its basic policies for its education and research activities,
the basic outcomes it aims to achieve, etc.) is to be clearly stipulated and be in accordance withthe aim generally expected of university as stipulated in the School Education Law.

OutlineThe institutional certified evaluation and accreditation of universities requires each university
to articulate the purposes of its education and research activities to fully reflect its individual
character and distinctive features in the evaluation. The evaluation is conducted against eachof the standards with these goals taken into account. The mission of the university refers to,among others, its basic policies on education and research activities, and intended basic
outcomes, including human resources it aims to develop.
Evaluated against this standard is whether the mission of the university is explicitly stated andconforms to the purposes generally expected of universities.
The university is required to specify its institutional aim after clarifying its roles and functions
in society and its individual character and distinctive features based on its founding
philosophy, vision, history, circumstantial requirements, and so on. It is also required to set
and state in its charter or equivalent documents the purposes of its education and research
activities, including the development of skills and knowledge of its students at the levels of
faculties, departments and academic programs, and at the level of graduate programs if theuniversity has one or more graduate schools.

These purposes must conform to those

expected of universities and/or graduate schools as prescribed in the School Education Law.

Viewpoints
1-1-i The mission of the university (including the aim of the faculties, departments, program,etc.) is to be clearly stipulated in the bylaws in accordance with the generally expected aim
stipulated in the Article 83 of the School Education Law.
1-1-ii In the case where the university has one or more graduate schools, the mission of thegraduate schools (including the mission of the graduate schools and programs) are to be clearlystipulated in the bylaws in accordance with the generally expected purposes stipulated in the
Article 99 of the School Education Law.

2

Standard 2
2-1

Teaching and Research Structure

The basic organization for education and research (faculties and their departments,

graduate schools and their programs and other organizations as well as the system for liberal
education) is to be appropriate in terms of the mission of the university.
2-2 Management system for educational activities is to be appropriately implemented andeffectively functioning.

Outline
The conditions of the university’s basic organizational structure for education and research
activities, committees, and other administrative structures required for conducting education
and research activities are evaluated against this standard.
In order to conduct education and research activities with the aim of achieving its purposes,
the university must install basic teaching and research organizations and an implementation
system for liberal education in an effective and appropriate manner.

These organizations

include faculties, departments, graduate programs (or equivalent units, if any), special courses,
advanced courses, and affiliated teaching and research organizations (including affiliatedschools, hospitals, etc., that certain particular faculties or departments are required toestablish).
In addition, for both the university as a whole and each basic teaching organization to function
effectively and provide sound educational programs, internal committees, such as faculty
councils and the academic affairs committee, and other administrative structures must be
appropriately in place and function effectively.

Viewpoints
2-1-i The organization of faculties and departments (plus other basic academic units, if any) is
to be appropriate for achieving the education and research purposes of the undergraduate
programs.
2-1-ii A system for liberal education is to be appropriately implemented and maintained.
2-1-iii The organization of graduate schools and programs (plus other basic academic units, ifany) is to be appropriate for achieving the education and research purposes of the graduate
schools.
2-1-iv

The organization of advanced courses or special courses is to be appropriate forachieving their education and research purposes.
2-1-v Affiliated organizations, education and research centers, etc. are to be appropriate forachieving their education and research purposes of the university.
2-2-i

The faculty councils and other relevant committees are to function properly indeliberating important issues on educational activities.

The committees in charge of

discussing curricula and other educational issues are to be appropriately organized andconduct necessary activities.

3

Standard 3

Academic Staff and Teaching Supporting Staff

3-1 Sufficient academic staff for educational activities are to be appropriately appointed.
3-2 Criteria for the employment, promotion, etc. of academic staff are to be clearly set forthand appropriately applied. The evaluation of academic staff in terms of their teaching,research and other activities is to be conducted on a regular basis for the purpose of ensuringthat the quality of the staff is appropriately maintained.
3-3

The appointment of necessary education supporting staff and the deployment of

academic assistants are to be appropriately carried out for educational activities.

OutlineEvaluated against this standard is whether the assignment of academic staff, education
supporting staff and academic assistants is appropriate for fulfilling the university’s mission.
There is no doubt that both individual academic staff members and their organizations play
important roles in providing university education. The university is required to have in place
academic staff organizations whose responsibilities for education and research are clearly
defined, whose members properly share the roles they play and systematically cooperate witheach other, and whose quality and scale are adequate to conduct educational activities. These
organizations must fulfill the requirements of the Standards for the Establishment of
Universities (and the Standards for the Establishment of Distance Learning Programs at
Universities in the case where distance learning programs are offered), Graduate Schools, andProfessional Graduate Schools.
To this end, criteria for the employment, promotion, etc., of academic staff must be clearly
established and appropriately applied. The evaluation of academic staff in terms of theireducation, research and other activities must also be conducted on a regular basis to ensurethat the quality of the staff is appropriately maintained.
In addition, it is essential that in conducting educational activities, not only academic staff but
also education supporting staff, such as administrative and technical staff, be appropriately
assigned, and academic assistants, such as teaching assistants (TAs), be effectively provided.

4Viewpoints
3-1-i

The academic staff are to be organized so that organizational coordination may besecured, with necessary duties appropriately assigned as well as with responsibilities foreducation and research explicitly ascribed to academic staff members.
3-1-ii In undergraduate programs, sufficient academic staff are to be secured for educational
activities. Additionally, classes which are considered essential are to be taught by full-time
professors or associate professors.
3-1-iii

In graduate programs, sufficient academic staff are to be secured for educational

activities.
3-1-ivAppropriate actions are to be taken to improve the activities of academic staff inaccordance with the mission and the condition of the university.
3-2-i Criteria for the employment, promotion, etc. of academic staff are to be clearly set forthand appropriately applied. Additionally, their professional competencies for teaching in thecase of undergraduate program and those for both teaching and supervising research in thecase of graduate program are to be assessed.
3-2-ii

The evaluation of academic staff in terms of their education, research and otheractivities is to be conducted on a regular basis. Appropriate actions are to be made based on theevaluation.
3-3-i The appointment of necessary education supporting staff, such as administrative andtechnical staff, are to be appropriately carried out for educational activities. Additionally,
academic assistants, such as teaching assistants (TAs), are to be effectively deployed.

5

Standard 4

Student Admissions

4-1 The admission policy is to be clearly defined. Student admissions procedures are to beappropriately conducted in accordance with the policy.

4-2 The number of entrants is to be appropriate relative to the admissions capacity.

Outline
The admission policy of the university, the situation of student admissions, and other related
issues are evaluated against this standard.

With the significant impact that university admissions has on high school education andsociety in general, it is admitted that student admissions need to be conducted in a fair andreasonable manner under an appropriate system. But it is important for the university to be
conscious that the purpose of the admissions process is to appropriately select the prospective
students who are equipped with the talents and qualities befitting educational purposes of theuniversity.

The university is, therefore, required to clearly stipulate the policy for admissions that
describes the talents and aptitudes of prospective students which the institution regards as
befitting the educational purposes as well as the principles for selection procedures.

Since the educational system of universities are put in place according to the number ofstudents, the number of entrants should be the same as or as close as possible to theadmissions capacity of the university in order to ensure the effectiveness of education.

Viewpoints
4-1-i The admission policy is to be clearly defined.

4-1-ii The student admissions procedures are to be appropriately conducted in accordancewith the admission policy.

4-1-iii The admissions procedures are to be fairly conducted by way of an appropriate system.

4-1-iv The university is to implement procedures to verify conformance of the admissions
procedures to the admission policy.

64-2-iThe number of entrants is not substantially to exceed or fall below the admission

capacity. Were it the case, the university were to take action to narrow the gap between thenumber of entrants and the capacity so as to achieve an appropriate balance.

7

Standard 5

Academic Programs

Undergraduate Programs
5-1 The policy for designing and implementing curricula is to be clearly defined and actuallyfollowed. The content and the quality of curricula are to be appropriate with respect to thetype and field of degrees conferred.
5-2 Appropriate class methods, teaching methods, etc. are to be employed for curricula.
5-3 The degree awarding policy is to be clearly defined and put in effective practice with theassessment of academic achievements, recognition of credits, and graduation approval
conducted in accordance with the policy.

Graduate Programs (including Professional Degree Programs)
5-4 The policy for designing and implementing curricula is to be clearly defined and actuallyfollowed. The content and the quality of curricula are to be appropriate with respect to the typeand field of degrees conferred.
5-5 Appropriate class methods, teaching methods, etc., including those of research and thesis
supervision, are to be employed for curricula.
5-6 The degree awarding policy is to be clearly defined and put in effective practice with theassessment of academic achievements, recognition of credits, and completion approval
conducted in accordance with the policy.

Outline
The content and methods of the university’s academic programs are evaluated against thisstandard.
Academic programs should not only meet the standards required of all universities as set forthin the School Education Law and the Standards for the Establishment of Universities, Graduate
Schools, and Professional Graduate Schools, but should also embody the educational goals of
the university.
To this end, the curriculum policy of the university must be clearly defined, its academic
programs must be systematically designed based on the policy, and their content andstandards must be appropriate to the academic degrees awarded.
In addition, class methods, teaching methods, etc., including those of research and thesis
supervision in graduate programs, employed must be appropriate for providing academic
programs.

8

The university is required to clearly define its degree awarding policy, and appropriately award
credits and academic degrees to students in accordance with the policy. It is also expected tosecure the validity of the credits and academic degrees that it awards as an educational
institution. From these points of view, the university must appropriately assess its students,
award credits, and approve graduation (or completion), and ensure that students can fully
benefit from their learning outcomes.
In this standard, evaluations of the undergraduate programs and graduate programs (including
professional degree programs) of the university are made separately.

Viewpoints
Undergraduate Programs
5-1-i The policy for designing and implementing curricula is to be clearly defined.
5-1-ii

The content and the quality of curricula are to follow policy for designing andimplementing curricula and to be appropriate with respect to the type and field of degrees
conferred.
5-1-iii In terms of designing curricula and the content of classes, considerations are to begiven to various demands from the students, advancements in arts and sciences, requests fromsociety, etc.
5-2-i

The combination and proportion of class methods, including lecture, seminar,

experiment, practical training, skills practice, etc. are to be appropriate in terms of educational
purposes.

Appropriate teaching methods are to be employed for respective educational

content.
5-2-ii Considerations are to be given to credit substantiation.
5-2-iii Appropriate syllabuses are to be prepared and made use of.
5-2-iv Considerations are to be organizationally given to students with insufficient
fundamental academic ability.
5-2-v In the courses, where the classes are conducted in the evening, considerations are to begiven to the enrolled students as regards the class schedule so that appropriate teaching may
be given.
5-2-vi In the case of correspondence education, the class methods including printed and othermaterials (followed by corrections and comments by the teacher), broadcasts, face-to-faceclasses (on-campus learning), or the other media are to be employed so that appropriate
teaching may be conducted.

95-3-i The degree awarding policy is to be clearly defined.
5-3-ii The standards for assessment of academic achievements are to be organizationally
stipulated, made known to all students, and followed appropriately in assessing students’achievements and recognizing credits.
5-3-iii

Organizational measures are to be taken in order to ensure the objectivity andrigorousness of the assessment of academic achievements and the recognition of credits.
5-3-iv

The standards for graduation approval are to be organizationally stipulated inaccordance of the degree awarding policy, made known to students and appropriately followed
in approving graduation.

Graduate Programs (including Professional Degree Programs)
5-4-i The policy for designing and implementing curricula is to be clearly defined.
5-4-ii The content and the quality of curricula are to follow policy for designing andimplementing curricula and to be appropriate with respect to the type and field of degrees
conferred.
5-4-iii In terms of designing curricula and the content of classes, considerations are to begiven to various demands from the students, advancements in arts and sciences, requests fromsociety, etc.
5-5-i The combination and proportion of class methods, including lecture, seminar, etc. are tobe appropriate in terms of educational purposes. Appropriate teaching methods are to be
employed for respective educational content.
5-5-ii Considerations are to be given to credit substantiation.
5-5-iii Appropriate syllabuses are to be prepared and made use of.
5-5-iv In the course where the classes are conducted in the evening, considerations are to begiven to the enrolled students as regards the class schedule so that appropriate teaching may
be given.
5-5-v In the case of correspondence education, the class methods including printed and othermaterials (followed by corrections and comments by the teacher), broadcasts, face-to-faceclasses (on-campus learning), or the other media are to be employed so that appropriate
teaching may be conducted.

105-5-vi

In graduate programs except for those where professional degrees are awarded,

systematic supervision on research and thesis preparation (including assigned research
project) is to be provided in accordance with an appropriate plan.
5-6-i The degree awarding policy is to be clearly defined.
5-6-ii The standards for assessment of academic achievements are to be organizationally
stipulated, made known to all students, and followed appropriately in assessing students’achievements and recognizing credits.
5-6-iii

Organizational measures are to be taken in order to ensure the objectivity andrigorousness of the assessment of academic achievements and the recognition of credits.
5-6-iv In graduate programs except for those where professional degrees are awarded, thestandards for evaluation of thesis are to be defined by the degree awarding units in accordancewith the degree awarding policy, made known to students and appropriately followed inapproving the completion.
In graduate programs where professional degrees are awarded, the standards forcompletion approval are to be organizationally defined by the degree awarding units inaccordance with the degree awarding policy, made known to students and appropriately
followed in approving the completion.

11

Standard 6
6-1

Learning Outcomes

Expected learning outcomes are to be achieved in terms of the knowledge, skills,

attitudes, etc. which the students are prescribed to acquire by the educational purposes andvisions for the development of human resources.
6-2

Expected learning outcomes are to be achieved judging from the destinations after

graduations or completion, etc.

OutlineLearning outcomes achieved by students through university education are evaluated against
this standard.
While it is important that educational and other activities of the university are conducted asplanned, students should be the primary beneficiaries of the outcomes of these activities.
Thus, the university must collect appropriate data, grasp the learning outcomes that its
students have achieved or will achieve in the future, and carry out a self-assessment of theseoutcomes.
The intended learning outcomes need to be produced in terms of the knowledge, skills,
attitudes, etc., that students are expected to acquire, in line with the educational goals of theuniversity and human resources it aims to develop. Achievement in these learning outcomesmust be evidenced by the situation of credits earned and graduation (or completion) and theresults of student surveys.
Achievement in the learning outcomes must also be evidenced by the situation of student
destinations after graduation (or completion), for example, further education or careers, theresults of surveys among graduates themselves and academic staff, employers and otherpeople involved in their current activities, and other facts.
The university and its faculties, graduate schools and institutes should grasp the learning
outcomes produced and carry out a self-assessment by collecting the mentioned or any otherappropriate data according to the educational goals of the organizations and thecharacteristics of the study fields.

Viewpoints
6-1-i

Expected learning outcomes are to be achieved in terms of the knowledge, skills,

attitudes, etc. judging from the conditions of acquired credits, progression, graduation(completion), acquired qualifications and licenses at the end of academic year or graduation(completion).

126-1-ii

Expected learning outcomes are to be achieved judging from responses from thestudents regarding achievements and success in learning.
6-2-i

Expected learning outcomes are to be achieved judging from the destinations after thegraduation (completion), including employment and continued education.
6-2-ii

Expected learning outcomes are to be achieved judging from responses of the

stakeholders including graduates (recipients of degrees) and employers.

13

Standard 7
7-1

Facilities and Student Supports

Facilities and equipment for education and research organizations and those for

implementing curricula are to be provided and made effective use of.
7-2 Guidance for the students on learning is to be appropriately provided. Opportunities for
consultation, counseling, and supports with respects of learning, extracurricular activities,
campus life, career planning and placement, financial aids, etc. are to be appropriately
provided.

OutlineFirst, the facilities and equipment of the university are evaluated against this standard. If
lecture rooms, laboratories, and learning facilities for information processing and languages
are used for lectures or any other forms of lesson, they must be sufficiently capable for the
purposes and effectively used. Their capacity and functions should depend on the number ofstudents attending the lesson, the content and methods of academic programs, etc.

Inaddition, the university is expected to have a library in place where books and other resources
necessary for study are systematically collected, classified and organized, and available for use.
It is also important to put in place facilities for self-study and extracurricular activities. Thesefacilities need to be appropriately maintained and managed as the university’s assets, andsystems for ensuring security and preventing crimes must be installed.
Second, the student support services of the university are evaluated against this standard.
Students may face various problems during the course of their university life, but can hardly
solve all of these problems alone. Thus, the university must grasp what problems they have
and what support they need, and provide them with proper assistance. Their problems andneeds may be related to course/major selection, learning, student life, career and employment,harassment, etc. The university needs to arrange appropriate systems and services to provide
consultation and advice on these issues. Clubs, student councils and other extracurricular
activities are an important part of university education in a broader sense. The university
must provide support aimed at helping students conduct these extracurricular activities
smoothly. Support and assistance also need to be given to students barely able to pay tuition.
In addition, the university must appropriately assist students who need special support, suchas international students, working students and disabled students.

Viewpoints
7-1-i

Facilities and equipment for education and research organizations and those for

implementing curricula are to be provided and made effective use of. Considerations are to begiven to the conditions of facilities and equipment in terms of earthquake disaster mitigation,
universal design, safety, and security.

147-1-ii Learning environments in which ICT is employed for education and research activities
are to be provided and made effective use of.
7-1-iii Libraries are to be established and made effective use of, with books, scholarly journals,
audio-visual materials and other materials which are necessary for education and researchsystematically collected and organized.
7-1-iv

Environments for independent learning are to be sufficiently provided and madeeffective use of.
7-2-i

Guidance for students in selecting classes, specializations, or majors is to beappropriately provided.
7-2-iiStudents demands for supports in learning are to be appropriately understood.

Opportunities for consultation, counseling, and supports in learning are to be provided.
Students with special needs in learning are to be appropriately supported.
7-2-iii

In the case of correspondence education courses, supports and consultation forlearning are to be appropriately provided.
7-2-iv Supports for the facilitation of school clubs, students unions, and other extracurricular
activities are to be appropriately provided.
7-2-v

Students demands for supports in living are to be appropriately understood.

Opportunities for consultation and counseling concerning living, health, career planning andharassment of different kinds are to be provided. Students with special needs in living are tobe appropriately supported.
7-2-vi Financial aids are to be appropriately provided.

15

Standard 8

Internal Quality Assurance System of Teaching and

Learning
8-1 A system is to be provided and effectively functioning which improves and enhances thequality of education of the institution, based on the results of self-evaluation.
8-2 Professional development for academic staff, education supporting staff and academic
assistants for improvement and enhancement of education is to take place and be effectivelyfunctioning.

Outline
The university’s internal quality assurance system for education is evaluated against thisstandard.
To achieve its educational purposes, the university is expected to make constant efforts toassure and enhance the quality of its teaching and learning by continuously evaluating theconditions of its educational provision. To this end, appropriate systems must be in place andfunction properly for evaluating the university’s educational activities and the learning
outcomes achieved by students through its academic programs and enhancing the quality of its
education based on the findings. It is also important to reflect the views and advice of internaland external stakeholders in the self-evaluation process.
Programs to improve the quality of the university’s staff must be appropriately provided andfunction properly. These programs include faculty development (FD) programs (i.e., training
for academic staff and mutual class observations between them), and training and otherprograms for education supporting staff and academic assistants.

Viewpoints
8-1-i A system is to be provided and effectively functioning which improves and enhances aswell as assures the quality of teaching and learning of the institution, based on the results ofself-evaluation on the conductions of educational activities and the learning outcomes
students have acquired through education.
8-1-ii Opinions from the university community consisting of students, academic andadministrative staff are to be heard, and continuously play an effective part in appropriate way
in the improvement and enhancement of the quality of teaching and learning.
8-1-iii Opinions from stakeholders in society are to continuously play an effective part inappropriate way in the improvement and enhancement of the quality of teaching and learning.

16

8-2-i Faculty development is to take place appropriately and contribute systematically to theenhancement of the quality of teaching and learning and to the improvement of teaching.
8-2-ii Professional development for education supporting staff and academic assistants is totake place appropriately in the form of training programs for the enhancement of the quality ofteaching and other programs for the improvement of the quality of the staff.

17

Standard 9

Finance and Management

9-1 The institution is to have an appropriate and stable financial basis, make and execute theplan for revenues and expenses appropriately and to have its finance audited appropriately.
9-2 A management and administrative system is to be appropriately in place and effectivelyfunctioning.
9-3 Self-evaluation of the general condition of the institution is to take place. A system forcontinuous improvement is to be organized and effectively functioning.

OutlineFirst, the university’s financial basis and financial management are evaluated against thisstandard. A university cannot function without sufficient financial resources. To facilitate
its education and research activities in an appropriate and stable manner over the long term,
the university is required to have a stable financial basis. If the university’s revenue largely
depends on tuition fees, it must secure a sufficient number of students. The university mustalso preserve adequate capital (funds and assets) as a means of crisis and risk management in
the case of unexpected changes in the external environment and other contingencies.

A

university earns revenue from various sources, manages and invests this revenue, andallocates its budget according to its purpose.

Thus, the university must draw up andimplement clear budget plans and allocation policies. The university also needs to produce
financial statements and other relevant documents to clarify its financial status and conduct
appropriate financial audits to confirm its financial soundness.
Second, the university’s management systems and administrative organizations are evaluatedagainst this standard. For the university to achieve the purposes of its education and research
activities, it is important that its management and administrative organizations function in acoordinated way to assist and facilitate its education, research and other activities. It is alsoessential to have crisis and risk management systems in place in order to respond to
unexpected events and changes in the external environment and other critical situations, andensure staff development, including compliance with relevant laws and ethics for researchers.
To ensure smooth and effective management, the university should clearly define the authority
and responsibilities of each of its members. It also should grasp the views and needs of its
internal and external stakeholders before making swift and accurate organizational decisions.
Whereas evaluated against Standard 8 “Internal Quality Assurance System for Teaching and
Learning” are systems for conducting the self-evaluation of the university’s educational
activities, evaluated against this standard is whether systems for conducting theself-evaluation of the general conditions of its activities and making constant improvements
are in place and functioning properly.

18Viewpoints
9-1-i The institution is to possess sufficient assets for the development of appropriate andstable educational activities. The institution’s debts are not to be excessive.
9-1-ii The institution is to have continuous regular revenue for its education and research
activities in accordance with the institutional mission.
9-1-iii

The institution is to appropriately formulate and make explicitly accessible tostakeholders the plan for revenues and expenses as the financial basis for achieving theinstitutional mission.
9-1-iv The size of expenses is not to be excessive in terms of balance between revenue andexpense.
9-1-v The institution is to appropriately allocate the resources for educational and research
activities in achieving the institutional mission.
9-1-vi Financial statements are to be reported and audited appropriately.

9-2-i

The management and administration is to be of an appropriate size and functionality.

A system for risk management is to be put in place.
9-2-ii

Opinions of the community consisting of academic and administrative staff andstudents as well as stakeholders in society concerning the management of the institution are to
be understood and appropriately reflected in practice.
9-2-iii Auditors are to take part in an appropriate manner.
9-2-iv Systematic professional development, including training programs, for enhancing thequality of administrative staff is to take place so that management and administration fulfill its
responsibility adequately.
9-3-i Self-evaluation of the general condition of the institution is to take place on the basis ofevidence and data.
9-3-ii Evaluation of the condition of the institution by the third party is to take place.
9-3-iii The results of evaluation are to be reflected in actions for improvement.

19

Standard 10

Public Information on Teaching and Learning

10-1 The institution is to take accountability by making publicly available the information of
the details of its education and research activities in an appropriate way.

OutlineAs public education and research institutions, universities are expected to fulfill theiraccountability to their stakeholders by actively publishing information on the conditions of
their education, research and other activities. Different stakeholders, including prospective
and enrolled students, parents, employers of graduates, taxpayers, and other members ofsociety, look for many different kinds of information.

Evaluated against this standard iswhether the university fulfills its accountability by publishing such information appropriately.
The mission of the university and the purposes of its faculties, graduate schools, etc. are
required to be published and be understood by the whole community.
By publishing its basic policies on education, i.e. admission policy, the policy for designing andimplementing curricula and degree awarding policy, the university is expected to provide its
stakeholders with information, among others, on what abilities, aptitudes and other qualities it
expects prospective students to have, what kind of education it provides for students, andwhat knowledge, skills and attitudes it expects its graduates to acquire.
The university also needs to appropriately publish such information on the conditions of its
education, research and other activities as includes not only the basic information on theconditions of its educational activities, e.g. the basic organizations for education and research,systems for implementing curricula and the general conditions of students experience but also
the results of self-evaluation.

Viewpoints
10-1-i The mission of the institution, and/or of the faculties, departments, etc. in the case ofundergraduate programs, and of schools or majors in the case of graduate programs, is to bemade publicly available appropriately and made internally fully aware of.
10-1-ii The admission policy, the policy for designing and implementing curricula and thedegree awarding policy are to be made publicly available appropriately and made internally
fully aware of.
10-1-iii The information on the institution's education and research activities, including thedetails specified by Clause 172-2 1) of the Implementation Ordinance of School Education Law, isto be made publicly available appropriately.

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-------------------1)

Clause 172-2 of the Implementation Ordinance of School Education Law.
(1) The universities, junior colleges and graduate schools are required to make the following
items of information publicly available:[1] the mission and purposes of the university;[2] basic organizations for education and research;[3] the structure of academic staff organization, the number of teaching staff members,
and their degrees and achievements;[4] the admission policy, the number of entrants, capacity and its fulfillment in terms ofthe number of students, the number of those who graduated or awarded degrees,
the condition of immediate destination including employment and continued study
for higher degrees with the number of graduated students broken down by the kindof destination;[5] class subjects, methods and content of teaching and the annual plans for conductingclasses;[6] assessment of learning outcomes and qualification for graduation and completionof programs;[7] land, buildings and other facilities and equipment together with the environments
for students' learning;[8] tuition fees, one-time restoration fees and other charges made by the institution;
and[9] Support for students in respect of their learning, career planning and physical andmental health, etc.
(2) The universities and other higher education institutions are encouraged to proactively
make publicly available the information on the knowledge and skills students are
required to acquire in accordance with the purposes of education. Considerations forthe enhancement of the educational effectiveness of university should be given bymaking clear what students can learn based on what kind of curriculum.

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Glossary
Admission Policy
A set of guidelines that each institution/faculty sets out regarding the features of its
educational activities, the type of students it wishes to enroll, the methods of student selection,etc., based on its own missions, features and the like. This policy serves as a reference forapplicants when choosing a suitable university from a number of candidate schools.

The policy for designing and implementing curricula or Curriculum Policy
A set of basic principles regarding the compilation and implementation methods of academic
programs.

In drawing up this policy, the systematization of academic programs, credit

substantiation, enhancement of the methods of academic programs, stricter student
assessment, etc., need to be taken into account.

The degree awarding policy or Diploma Policy
A set of basic principles that each institution sets out regarding the awarding of degrees basedon its individual character and distinctive features.

This policy outlines what abilities theinstitution expects its graduates to acquire, and serves as a reference for applicants whenchoosing a university, and for employers.

Credit Substantiation
A general term referring to any approach to promote the self-directed studies of students andensure adequate study time. Under the credit system in Japan, universities are required toensure that one credit is composed of content requiring an average of 45 hours of study,
combining time for lessons and time for preparation and review. Credit substantiation iscarried out through instructing students to use syllabuses in preparing for lessons, having
students submit reports, giving students quizzes, limiting the number of class registrations,etc.

Syllabus
A detailed plan of each subject. Since it generally contains the name of the subject, the nameof the lecturer, the aims of the lectures, the topics of each lesson, grading policies, specificinstructions for preparation, information on textbooks and reference books, course
requirements, etc., a syllabus serves as a reference for students when choosing courses andpreparing for lessons. It is also used for academic staff to revise subject content and forstudents to evaluate teaching.

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Assigned Research Project
As prescribed in Article 16 of the Standards for the Establishment of Graduate Schools, anoutcome of a certain particular research project that can serve as an alternative to a master’s
thesis (i.e., a research paper or piece of artwork).

Learning Outcomes
Knowledge, skills, mindsets, etc., that learners are expected to acquire at the end of a certain
period of study such as an education program or education course. Based on the idea thatemphasis must be placed on “what abilities students will attain” rather than “what academic
staff teach students,” or a shift from “teacher-centered education” toward “student-centerededucation,” this term is being used more often in discussions on university education,
replacing the phrase “effectiveness of institutional performance.”

Faculty Development (FD)This term is used for the systematic approach by academic staff to enhance and improve thecontent and methods of lessons. It includes an extensive range of approaches, such as mutualclass observations for academic staff, holding workshops on teaching methods, and providing
training opportunities for newly employed staff.

Note: For other terms, you may find it in Glossary for Japanese Higher Education and Quality
Assurance (the third edition, 2012) which NIAD-UE publishes.

23Institutional Certified Evaluation and Accreditation of Universities
Standards for Evaluation and Accreditation of Universities: 2012-2019

National Institution for Academic Degrees and University Evaluation
1-29-1 Gakuen-Nishimachi, Kodaira, Tokyo 187-8587 Japan
Tel: +81-42-307-1642
http://www.niad.ac.jp/