Results for Certified Evaluation and Accreditation for Junior CollegeIwate Prefectural University Miyako College

Basic Information of the Institution
Ownership: PublicLocation: Iwate, Japan

Accreditation Status
Year of the Review: 2015
Accreditation Status: accredited（Accreditation Period: April.01.2016– March.31.2023）

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Certified Evaluation and Accreditation Resultsfor Iwate Prefectural University Miyako CollegeOverview
Iwate Prefectural University Miyako Junior College (hereafter, the College) was founded
in 1990 as Miyako Junior College in Miyako City, Iwate Prefecture, as a single-subject
junior college consisting of the Department of Business Management Information
Sciences. It was formed to respond to the strong demand for enriching the environment ofhigher education in the coastal area of Iwate Prefecture. Later, in 1998, it became theaffiliate of Iwate Prefectural University, and changed its name to Iwate Prefectural
University Miyako Junior College. In 2005, due to the reorganization of Iwate Prefectural
University as a university corporation, it became a junior college division of theuniversity.
After its accreditation review by Japan University Accreditation Association(JUAA) in 2008, the College has made notable efforts for improvements and reform. Itestablished a system for improvement led by the Self-Evaluation Committee, consistingof the members of the Operating Committee of Miyako Junior College under thesupervision of the University Evaluation Committee of Iwate Prefectural University. The
goal of the committee was to achieve six key points, including strategically securing
applicants who have clear goals and high learning motivation, based on the second
midterm plan stipulated by Iwate Prefectural University. Also, in accordance with theuniversity-wide effort of Iwate Prefectural University, by organically coordinating theuniversity evaluation with the corporate evaluation based on the Local Independent
Administrative Agency Act, it has set up the Self-Evaluation Management System, anddeveloped objective indicators to improve operational efficiency.
In this accreditation review, it is found that a notable strength of the College is its
fine-tuned support of students, including the establishment of an educational system inwhich the College grasps the particular situation of each student, responds to individualcareer needs and interests, and instructs the student accordingly, as well as the building ofa dormitory where students manage by themselves. Also, the College is actively engaged
in local cooperation and makes local contributions according to the purpose of theCollege. For example, the College promotes joint research with outside organizations,forming of policies through a comprehensive cooperation agreement with the local
government, and engages in activities concerning rebuilding after a disaster.
With the adoption of the project funded by MEXT, the scheme of systemdevelopment for educational improvements and enhancement in response to the needs ofindustries, the College has made distinctive efforts, including enhancement of career
education, offering a regional integrated studies course concerning regional development
and rebuilding after a disaster, enhancement of a junior college internship program, andimplementation of study tours and workshops of businesses, in cooperation with otherinstitutions in the same university corporation and fourteen other higher education
institutions in the Hokkaido and Tohoku regions. Activities such as career education incooperation with local businesses and study tours and workshops in businesses cultivate
students’ experiences of job sites, give them motivation for employment, and increases
their business understanding and interests. This leads to an increase in the number ofparticipants in internships and a resultant increase in the number of students being
employed by local businesses. These efforts are expected to continue even after thecompletion of this system development scheme, and to be improved in their content andtheir implementation.

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Notable Strengths
Student Support

It is commendable that the College cultivates students’ spirit of cooperation and theirsense of autonomy through community living in the dormitory, and offers enhanced
living support so that students may continue their study without distraction. Inparticular, the students’ self-managed dormitory, where the residents decide thebudget at a general meeting attended by all student residents, is established on
campus and serves as housing support for students living away from home or those
whose homes were lost in the tsunami.

Social Cooperation and Contribution
It is commendable that the College’s efforts to foster local cooperation and makelocal contributions not only match the purpose of the College, but they also
contribute to problem solving in and revitalization of the local community. In
particular, the College is actively engaged in promoting joint research with outsideorganizations and the formation of policies, supporting projects, and taking part in
activities concerning the rebuilding after a disaster through a comprehensive
cooperation agreement with the local government.

It is commendable that the Japan Red Cross Circle, a group launched by students, hasdeveloped into the Miyako College Red Cross Service Volunteers, one of the largest
groups of this kind in the Tohoku region and made contributions to the revitalizationof the local community. In particular after the Great East Japan Earthquake, it
initially engaged in support activities for victims, but also supported activities torebuild the local community, such as preventing isolation of elderly individuals andworking with residents to rebuild their lives.