(28 January, 2020)

University Standards and its Rationale

University Standards and its Rationale
Preamble
1 As an institution of higher education and pivotal organization in academic research that
respects academic freedom, the mission of the university is to advance science andcontribute to social development by fostering capable human resources possessing astrong sense of humanity, enhancing the creation and application of knowledge andtechnology, and preserving and passing on the arts and sciences. Each university is
mindful of this mission, maintains standards appropriate to an institution of higher
education and strives to realize its own mission and purpose by continual selfregulation of its organization and activities to improve and enhance its organizational
potential.
2 The University Standards serve as criteria for university accreditation conducted by theJapan University Accreditation Association. They also serve as a guideline for theuniversity to maintain appropriate standards and enhance its potential.

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Standards[Mission and Purpose]
1 The university has appropriate purposes in education, research and human resource
development based on its mission, which are made public in an appropriate manner.
The university has clearly defined mid- to long-term plans or other strategies to realize
this mission.
[Internal Quality Assurance]
2 The university has a clearly defined internal quality assurance system to realize its
mission and purpose, with which the university continues to regularly maintain andimprove the quality of education it offers.
[Education and Research Organizations]
3 The university provides appropriate education and research organizations to realize its
mission and purpose.
[Educational Program and Learning Outcomes]
4 The university has degree award, curriculum design and implementation policies torealize its mission and purpose, which are made public in an appropriate manner.
Following its curriculum design and implementation policies, the university establishes
a coherent curriculum that produces appropriate educational outcome, implements
measures for effective education and grants degrees appropriately. The university
assesses and evaluates learning outcomes against those identified in the degree
award policies.
[Student Enrollment]
5 The university has admission policies to realize its mission and purpose that are
publicized appropriately. The university conducts an orderly and ethical screening
process based on these policies.
[Faculty and Faculty Organization]
6 The university has clearly defined qualifications and qualities it seeks in its faculty andthe policies for the formation of its faculty organization, to realize its mission andpurpose. The university implements this policy appropriately and constantly enhances
faculty potential.

3[Student Support]
7 The university has a clearly defined policy for student support to realize its mission andpurpose. Based on this policy, the university provides support to enable students todevote their time to study in a stable environment, with appropriate support for
students learning and campus life, as well as guidance in placement.
[Education and Research Environment]
8 The university has a clear policy for maintaining its environment for education, researchand other purposes to realize its mission and purpose that allows students to learn
adequately and faculty to conduct substantive education and research activities. The
university appropriately establishes, manages and maintains its education andresearch environment following this policy.
[Social Cooperation and Contribution]
9 The university has an appropriate social cooperation and contribution policy to realize
its mission and purpose. The university partners with the regional or global community
to advance the public good with its educational and academic resources.
[University Management and Finance]
10 The university defines its management policy to realize its mission and purpose andadministers the school in accordance with this policy to fulfill its role effectively. There
are appropriate offices to support, maintain and improve the university’s education
and research activities, while faculty members and staffers are constantly trained to
expand their potential with regard to university administration duties. The necessaryfinancial resources are secured for appropriate management.

4University Standards Rationale
PreambleThis section will clarify the expected role of universities and the rationale for the
University Standards.
1 Expected Role of Universities
As a pivotal institution of higher education and research, the university nurtures a richsense of humanity in pursuing the truth and cultivates human resources. It constantly
verifies its activities and that of society, maintains and improves its education andresearch standards befitting its role and enhances the well-being of the communities it
serves.
Present-day progress in academic research, structural changes in society and theeconomy and rapid globalization, has demanded universities to be more diverse, engage
in cutting-edge research and fulfill their distinctive mission. Society expects universities,
with their expertise, to make proposals based on constructive, critical verification oftrends in society to provide for its betterment. The university must constantly assess
whether it meets these expectations, as well as substantiate and improve its education
and research activities.
2 University Standards Rationale
The Japan University Accreditation Association accredits universities based on the
University Standards, which also serve as a guideline for universities to maintainappropriate standards and improve their potential in accordance with their mission andpurpose.
Universities use the Standards as criteria for conducting thorough self-study. For
universities aspiring to full JUAA membership, the standards direct their endeavors to
improving their organization. Full members verify their day-to-day operations against thestandards to enhance their development.
Each item in the University Standards has been designed to respect the autonomy of
the institution in accordance with its mission and standing, while pointing out mattersrequiring attention for universities to fulfill their role.

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Standards
This section states standards that universities should adhere to as institutions ofhigher education while honoring their distinctive mission and purpose.
1 Mission and Purpose
The university clarifies its purpose based on its mission. Each undergraduate andgraduate division states its objectives in human resource development, education andresearch. These objectives clarify the distinctive character of each educational division,
assure academic freedom and meet the expected role of the university, as stated in the
School Education Act, Article 83 Clause 1: “To provide broad knowledge, teach andconduct research in specialized fields as well as develop intellectual and ethical potential
and the capability to apply knowledge gained,” and in the case of professional
universities in particular, Article 83 Clause 2 (1): “To teach and conduct research in
specialized fields and develop the capability required in specialized occupations, namely
the capability to use and apply knowledge gained.” The objectives are appropriate to
institutions of higher education and academic research organizations.
The university provides the necessary entities, systems and other means for its
education and research to fulfill its mission and purpose. It engages in self-study to
substantiate and improve its research and education activities by examining that its
activities are coherent with its mission and purpose. The university states its mission andpurpose in the university regulations, which are informed to relevant university
personnel and the public through printed and digital institutional publications.
The university compiles mid- to long-term plans or other strategies to realize its
mission and purpose, with consideration for changes in society and prospects for the
future. These plans are revised as necessary. They ensure the autonomy of the university
in accordance with its organizational and financial foundation.
2 Internal Quality Assurance
The university bears primary responsibility in ensuring the quality of education it offers.
To realize its mission and purpose, the university establishes a system of internal quality
assurance which functions appropriately for consistent and continual assurance andimprovement of the quality of education the university offers. Internal quality assurance
refers to a consistent and continual internal process including a plan-do-check-act cycle,

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in maintaining appropriate standards in the quality of education and learning thatenables the university to be accountable for the education it offers.
The university establishes an entity responsible for implementing internal quality
assurance for the whole institution in accordance with its mission, purpose and otherrelevant policies (hereinafter referred to as internal quality assurance entity) for smooth
operations within the university to assure quality, and clarifies policy and procedures for
implementation (hereinafter referred to as the internal quality assurance policy andprocedure). This includes the university’s philosophy for internal quality assurance,
extent of authority and role of the internal quality assurance entity and distribution ofroles among that entity, undergraduate and graduate divisions and other organs, as wellas guidelines for planning and designing educational programs, their implementation,verification, improvement and advancement.
For the internal quality assurance system to function effectively and assure the qualityof education the university offers in realizing its mission and purpose, it defines basic
principles in degree award policies, curriculum design and implementation policies andadmission policies for each program. Each program implements educational activities
following these three policies with evaluation of the effectiveness of the program to
implement consistent and continual improvements based on the results of theevaluation. The internal quality assurance entity ensures that the three policies havebeen stipulated in accordance with the basic principles of the university and that
educational activities based on the three policies, their verification, and improvementand development based on the results are consistently and continually carried out, tofulfill its role appropriately in managing the process.
Undergraduate and graduate divisions and other organs verify the effectiveness ofeducational activities and regularly carry out self-study for improvement anddevelopment based on internal quality assurance policy and procedures, in accordancewith the university’s mission and purpose as well as the three policies. The validity andobjectivity of this self-study are enhanced by incorporating measures such as an external
perspective. The university considers how to respond to recommendations fromgovernment authorities and certified evaluation and accreditation agencies. The selfstudy carried out by undergraduate and graduate divisions or other organs work in
conjunction with a clear plan to enforce improvement. The internal quality assurance
entity, while constantly monitoring the status of quality maintenance within theuniversity, plays a central role in the improvement endeavor by giving the necessary
instructions or support to organs within the institution to coordinate implementation of
the plan.

7As an independent institution entrusted by society, the university is committed toaccountability for its education and research, self-study and the result, financial andother operations, by publishing the status of each in printed and digital form.
The university regularly inspects and evaluates the appropriateness of its internal
quality insurance system and makes use of the results for improvement anddevelopment of the system.
3 Education and Research Organizations
The university establishes the necessary undergraduate and graduate divisions andother organizations to realize its mission and purpose, as well as maintain and manage
them appropriately. These education and research organizations function as units ofactivity within each university and appropriately reflect mission as well as other factors
such as recent trends in academia, society and the international environment.
The university regularly inspects and evaluates the appropriateness of its education
and research organizations, and makes use of the result for improvement andenhancement.
4 Educational Program and Learning Outcomes
The university stipulates and publicizes expected learning outcome in the degree
award policies for each degree program to realize its mission and purpose, including
knowledge, skill and proper attitude. Based on the degree award policy, the university
defines and publicizes its curriculum design and implementation policies, which include
the structure of the curriculum, content of courses, classification of courses in the
curriculum, and teaching style.
The university adheres to the legal requirements in offering appropriate courses in theundergraduate, master’s, doctorate and professional graduate programs based on its
curriculum design and implementation policies. The curriculum is organized coherently.
Social changes such as trends in academia, globalization, and diversification of ways
information is used, as well as social needs and other factors, are considered in offering
appropriate courses to achieve the educational and research objectives and learning
outcomes in each program. The university offers an orderly learning process for effective
study with consideration given to the academic framework and an adequate
combination of courses.
The university activates student learning in and out of the classroom based on

8curriculum design and implementation policies, to carry out effective education
measures. An appropriate syllabus is compiled, and appropriate guidance in taking
courses is also provided, faculty given training in innovative methods and styles basedon plans to enhance effectiveness in teaching.
The university awards credits in accordance with the credit system by considering thelearning goals, content and teaching style of courses in each program. To assure
educational quality, degrees are awarded based on clear standards with an appropriate
and rigid grading and credit-awarding scheme, of which students are informed with the
responsible entity, before they begin the program.
The university assesses and evaluates whether students have acquired the learning
outcomes including knowledge, skills and proper attitude in accordance with degree
award policies. Methods and indicators for evaluating learning outcomes frommultilateral perspectives are developed and applied.
The university regularly inspects and evaluates the appropriateness of the content
and methodology of its educational programs and uses the results for improvement anddevelopment. It strives to appropriately use the assessed and evaluated learning
outcomes in that process.
5 Student Enrollment
To realize its mission and purpose, the university stipulates and publicizes its
admission policies based on degree award policies as well as curriculum design andimplementation policies. This clarifies what the institution seeks in students including
education up to high school and scholastic aptitude, as well as how it screens applicants.
Student quota and capacity are also appropriately stipulated and publicized.
The university establishes and implements an orderly and ethical student screening
system by an appropriate entity, based on its admission policies. Screening must be
implemented with consideration for global social needs such as the relation between
higher and secondary education, accepting students with working experience and thosefrom the international community including Japanese returnees, early enrollment,
transfers from other universities, and transfers from other educational programs within
the university.
To secure appropriate educational outcomes, the university appropriately controls theactual number of freshmen enrolled in relation to the freshman quota, as well as its
student population in relation to capacity.
The university regularly inspects and evaluates the appropriateness of the screening

9system and makes use of the results for improvement and development.
6 Faculty and Faculty Organization
To realize its mission and purpose, the university defines the qualifications andqualities it seeks in its faculty members, and the policies for compositing the facultyorganization of each undergraduate, graduate and other organizations, taking inconsideration its degree award policies as well as its curriculum design andimplementation policies. Faculty members are organized in accordance with theeducational programs and the student population in the undergraduate and graduate
courses in line with these policies. A balanced distribution of characteristics such as age,nationality, and gender, along with the optimum faculty staffing levels, is considered inrelation to the needs in specific fields of study for effective research and education. The
university assures that faculty members cooperate closely with an appropriate
distribution of roles with a clear indication of responsibility in education and research.
The university has clear provisions for recruiting, appointing and promoting faculty
members through an open and ethical process, with consideration for stability in theirstatus. In searching for and appointing them, the university values diversity for flexible
human resource management. As an institution of higher education and center ofacademic research, the university looks for faculty candidates with the appropriate
personality, achievements in education, research, academia, and contribution to society.
The university engages in organizational and multilateral faculty development (FD)
activities to enhance faculty potential. Through FD, faculty members improve skills suchas in teaching, developing and enhancing the curriculum based on an analysis of learning
outcomes, and making classroom instruction more effective. Measures to activate
activities required of faculty such as in education and research and those in social
contribution, are carried out to enhance their potential. The university evaluates faculty
achievements including that in education, research, and social work to enhance activity
in these areas.
The university inspects and evaluates the appropriateness of the faculty organization
and uses the result for improvement and development.
7 Student Support
The university cultivates human resources deeply cultured in a wide range of subjects
with specialized knowledge. It provides an appropriate environment for students to10

foster true humanity and maximize their potential. Support and advice are tailored toindividual needs. The university stipulates policy for student support to realize its mission
and purpose and offers a system that enables students to devote their time to study
and live a stable life.
Supplementary, remedial and other forms of extracurricular education are provided
to support learning based on student needs, as well as the support to enhance
independent study. Individual support is provided to special-needs students and thosefrom the international community, as well as those who have difficulty continuing theirstudies such as those repeating courses and those wishing to drop out. Financial support
is offered through reduction or exemption of tuition and/or a university scholarship forstudents to study without financial worry.
Campus life support includes a system of appropriate counseling in mental andphysical health with meticulous concern for the student living environment. To ensure
comfort and safety in campus life, harassment of any sort is prevented to assure respectfor human rights.
Guidance in placement is provided to help students establish careers after they
graduate. A special entity established for career guidance provides students support andguidance in choosing their path after graduation.
The university strives to provide appropriate support for extracurricular activities
which includes those to do with student clubs and volunteer groups.
The university regularly inspects and evaluates the appropriateness of student
support and uses the results for improvement and development.
8 Education and Research Environment
The university stipulates a policy for establishing its education and research
environment and provides each entity with the necessary and sufficient grounds andbuildings appropriate to the scale and nature of its role in education and research inaccordance with this policy. It provides an environment for students to engage inindependent study and for faculty to offer substantial instruction and conduct
meaningful research. Highest priority is placed on safety and health, students provided
with an optimum network environment with appropriate and enhanced use ofInformation and Communication Technology apparatus. In view of recent advances in
information technology, faculty, staff and students are provided with a strong
foundation in information ethics. The university also strives to provide other appropriate
means to enhance student comfort on campus.

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The university provides an optimum-sized library, with systematic acquisition of
appropriate academic resources. It promotes effective use of these resources for the
library to enhance student learning and research and education activities of faculty. It
also strives to build a network with education and research institutions in Japan andabroad to share academic information.
The university clarifies its basic policy for research and provides appropriate researchfunds and labs, secures faculty research time to support education and research
activities. It also provides an active education and research environment byappropriately distributing staff such as teaching assistants (TA) and research assistants(RA).
The university clearly stipulates regulations in research ethics to prevent fraud inresearch and establishes an appropriate organ to ensure compliance.
The university regularly inspects and evaluates the appropriateness of its education
and research environment and uses the result for improvement and development.
9 Social Cooperation and Contribution
The university makes use of its intellectual resources to cooperate with education andresearch institutions, corporations and other organizations, and the local community it
serves. It builds a system to effectively provide the knowledge and technology it createsto contribute to society.
The university stipulates policy for social cooperation and contribution with theseconcerns in mind to respond to needs including those from the local community througheducation and research organizations.
The university, whose mission and purpose include proactive participation in the
globalization process, is expected to contribute to the international community byengaging in such activities as cooperation with international organizations and thoseoverseas, international exchange among students, faculty, staff and the local
community, as well as publish research and provide knowledge and skills abroad.
The university regularly inspects and evaluates the appropriateness of its social
cooperation and contribution and uses the results for improvement and development.
10 University Management and Finance(1) University Management
The university stipulates policy to realize its mission and purpose and implement mid-12

to long-term plans or other strategies with consideration for future prospects, that it
informs to faculty, staff and the administration. That policy establishes a system for the
President to make responsible decisions with appropriate management by heeding toopinion from relevant university personnel. In Japan, many universities are composed ofan academic organization and administrative organization established by the juridical
person. The authority and responsibility of both entities are clearly defined for an
appropriate system of cooperation.
Decisions are made and authority enforced appropriately and ethically, complying
with related laws and regulations and the university’s policy for management. The
authority and responsibility of positions such as the President, Vice President, Dean, as
well as the Chairman of the Board and other board members, are clarified withappropriate procedures for appointment and dismissal. The university compiles andimplements the budget with consideration for mid- to long-term financial plans.
The university establishes a secretariat to manage university operations efficiently andeffectively, which functions thoroughly. It appoints staffers with a deep understandingof the purpose of the university’s education and research activities, especially the needfor student support. It cultivates staff with specialized knowledge and distributes themappropriately. They make full use of their planning ability and assume an independentrole in the administration of the university. The university stipulates regulations for staff
appointment and promotion and strives to recruit excellent staff. It enhances staffers’
incentives by rewarding them with improved benefits following appropriate evaluationof their work.
As an education and research institution, the university is managed throughcooperation between faculty and staff. Faculty and staff receive training to realize
appropriate and effective university management. The university collectively provides
for staff development to cultivate and enhance abilities necessary for university
management.
The university establishes an audit system to assure that it is managed according to
its management policy. It regularly inspects and evaluates the appropriateness of
university management and uses the results for improvement and development.
(2）FinanceFor stable implementation of research and education, the university secures a firm
financial foundation based on mid- to long-term plans, which is managed effectively andwith fairness. The university has a firm foundation for stable management to fulfil its
mission in cultivating capable human resources for the good of the nation and enhance13the level of research and education. For this reason, the university lays emphasis on
stable financial management.
The university avoids excessive reliance on tuition for revenue and secures othersources of income for maintaining and enhancing the level of education and research.
The university strives to acquire external funds through a system established for the
purpose and engages in proactive application.

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