TOMAKOMAI KOMAZAWA UNIVERSITY（苫小牧駒澤大学）
Evaluation summary
Standard 1. Mission and Objectives, etc.
The University’s places its individuality and distinctive quality in the shaping of people according
to its founding principles of Buddhist thought and a Zen ethos. That basic ethos is clearly expressedin the terms of “fusion of study and practice” and “trust, sincerity, respect, and love,” all of which are
made known on-campus and outside of the University through the University Life Guidebook and its
website etc.
The mission, goals and educational objectives of the University reflect its founding principles andbasic ethos, comply with the School Education Act and Standards for Establishment of Universities,
and are clearly stipulated in the University Regulations and reflected in the three policies of diploma
policy, curriculum policy and admission policy. Moreover, since the 2015 academic year thereinforcing of education etc. has been incorporated into the medium-term business plan. The
education curriculum has been reconfigured to response to the changing environment surrounding
universities, and initiatives are being carried out in quality assurance.
Standard 2. Learning and Teaching
The three policies are clearly stipulated based on the University’s educational objectives, and madeknown on-campus and outside of the University through its website and other media. The selectionof entrants is implemented in an appropriate manner by fair and reasonable methods in line with theadmission policy. However, the number of students attending the University has consistently fallen
short of its total capacity for a long time, and it is essential that fundamental reform measures areconsidered in order to secure more students.
Consistency is achieved between the diploma policy and curriculum policy, a systematiccurriculum based on the curriculum policy has been designed, and innovation is displayed in thecontent and methods of tuition such as the establishment of courses that bear in mind community
collaboration. Moreover, the evaluation of academic achievement, requirements for awarding credits,promotion to the next school year, and certifying graduation are stipulated and all stringently operated
in line with the University Regulations. The University strives to ascertain the state of learning
through academic achievement evaluations based on the introduction of the Grade Point Average(GPA) system.
The Student Support Center and the Student Committee collaborate on behalf of students to provide
support in the form of guidance in daily life, welfare, extra-curricular activities and job placement.
The educational environment including the University grounds, buildings, and facilities are all incompliance with the Standards for Establishment of Universities, and are all satisfactorily prepared,managed and operated.
Standard 3. Management, Administration and Finance
The administration of the University's incorporated entity and the University is conducted strictly
in compliance with relevant laws such as the School Education Act, Private Schools Act, andStandards for Establishment of Universities, and both educational and financial information ispublished on the University website.
The Board of Directors operates appropriately and in line with the articles of endowment, inaddition to which its auxiliary body, the Executive Director Meeting, handles coordination with therelevant organizations involved in basic policy decisions made by the Board of Directors, and asystem for strategic decision-making aimed at attaining missions and goals is in place. As adeliberative and decision-making body regarding the University’s management, administration andoperation, a Management Committee consisting of the President, Dean, Secretary General, and Headof Management and Planning Department has been established. It should be noted that the President
also takes charge in the capacity of Chairperson of the Faculty Council, the Management Committee,
and the Expanded Management Committee, which is in charge of the self-inspections and evaluations
and Faculty Development (FD) and Staff Development (SD), and a system is in place enabling thePresident to exercise leadership.
With regard to finances, although the University is trying to improve its finances by measures suchas trying to cut spending and increase its income by capturing external funding, in a situation where
it faces such a chronic shortfall in enrollment quotas the fiscal balance of the University itself is not
being maintained, and the University's incorporated entity as a whole requires fiscal support.
Accounting procedures are appropriately conducted in line with the accounting-related regulations,accounting audits are implemented by auditors, CPAs, an external audit firm, and the Internal Audit
Office, thereby creating an audit system implemented from multiple perspectives.
Standard 4. Self-Inspection and Evaluation
Self-inspections and evaluations are implemented by the Expanded Management Committee that
integrates the Education and Research Improvement Committee and the SD Promotion Committee,
and center mainly on faculty’s education and research activities. Tuition reform questionnaires asevidence of educational activities, the faculty’s teaching records, and research reports over the past
five years are all compiled into the Educational Activity Report and Research Achievements Report,
and made public on the University’s website. Furthermore, comprehensive self-inspections andevaluations including those of the University’s organizational operation were conducted at the timeof both the previous and the latest evaluation and accreditation, and the results published on theUniversity’s website. The faculty is working on initiatives to reform tuition using the results of thetuition reform questionnaire, and attempting to establish a PDCS cycle regarding tuition activities.
In summary, the University was opened in April 1998 under a so-called public-private partnershipformat, has developed educational and research activities in meticulous collaboration with the local
community, and continued to make a contribution to that local community. From April 2018 theIncorporated Educational Institution Komazawa University intends to transfer operations of theUniversity to a third party, and as of the date of this on-site evaluation and accreditation it is currently
lodging an application for change of school provider. Even when the school provider changes, it is tobe hoped that the University will continue, as it has done hitherto, to steadily develop high-quality
education meeting local needs. However, the issues of the insufficient total capacity-to-student ratio
and financial base concerns remain, both of which require urgent reform.
Note that with regard to the University’s unique initiatives regarding its mission and goals, thegeneral comments on “Standard A. Support systems for international students” should be referredto.