University Accreditation Results(Results for Certified Evaluation and Accreditation for university)

Seisen University

Basic Information of the Institution
Ownership: Private

Location: Tokyo, Japan

Accreditation Status
Year of the Review: 2018
Accreditation Status: accredited （Accreditation Period: April.01.2019 – March.31.2026）

2

Certified Evaluation and Accreditation Resultsfor Seisen University
Overview
Seisen University (hereafter, the University) was established based on Christianhumanism, with “Veritas et Caritas (Truth and Love)” as its founding philosophy. The
University consists of the Faculty of Arts and the Graduate School of Humanities, andaims to cultivate global citizens who understand diverse cultures and can independently
think, judge, and make decisions through personal communication in small-groupeducation.
The University is recognized for making university-wide efforts to steadily
advance its educational and research activities based on the single fiscal-year plansoutlined in the “Seisen University Grand Design,” the medium- to long-term plan
formulated by the school in 2016.
As for the University’s education, the degree award policy is established in thefaculty and graduate school, and the curricula are organized appropriately for each degree
conferred in the five faculty departments and four graduate school programs. All course
subjects are identified by numbers (numbering) and each department designs a curriculum
map with related subjects diagrammed for students to make systematic course plans forstudying in a sequential way. In addition, to realize the educational principle of teachingeach student to develop an enduring zest for life, the University established the Wellness
Center, Catholic Center, Volunteer Learning Center, Lifelong Learning Center, andInternational Center, with each center offering full support for practical learning outsideof classes to meet students’ diverse individual interests. For example, the Wellness Center
appoints female doctors, including a physician, gynecologist, and psychiatrist, and adietician to establish a comprehensive support system that helps students manage theiroverall health on campus. The Learning Commons, used by students for study and grouplearning, as well as by faculty members, serves as a facility promoting education andresearch activities. The University also makes systematic efforts to participate in regional
cooperation activities by co-sponsoring the “Saturday Liberal Arts College” with Tokyo’s
Shinagawa Ward, where the University is located, and offering the lecture course series“Seisen Rafaela Academia,” where many adults and students participate in a variety ofopen lectures. It is highly commendable that the University is actively returning its
educational and research outcomes to society.
There are several issues the University needs to address, however. The ratios of3student enrollment to the student enrollment cap are high in many departments of theFaculty of Arts, and the University’s student quotas need to be thoroughly managed. TheUniversity should also review the use of grade point averages (GPA) as a benchmark forevaluating the learning outcomes and the maximum number of credits fourth-year
students can register for in a year to ensure credit validity.
As for the internal quality assurance system aimed at addressing these challenges
and enhancing and verifying the quality of education and research, the University
established the Internal Quality Assurance Committee in fiscal 2016. The committee
provides instructions and support for improvements based on the inspection andassessment results of related committees and meetings, and has developed a mechanism
to regularly inspect and assess the appropriateness of the internal quality assurance system.
In the years ahead, the University is expected to effectively and consistently operate thissystem led by the Internal Quality Assurance Committee.
Notable Strengths
Student Support
 Under the student support (student service) policy, the University assigns a female
psychiatrist, gynecologist, dietician, and other healthcare professionals to theWellness Center, where a consultation and support system is established to meet theneeds of individual students concerned about various aspects of their nutritional,
physical and mental well-being. This approach to help students live a safe and healthy
campus life is commendable as part of the University’s efforts to realize its principles
through the support of small-group education.
Education and Research Environment
 The Learning Commons provides a suitable environment for students’ independent
study by designing group study rooms and common spaces, appointing administrative
staff assistants from each faculty department to support study and group learning, andgathering a basic collection of reading materials. The common spaces are also usedfor in-class and out of class events as well as regular extracurricular courses. It iscommendable that these approaches are expected to increase students’ self-directed
learning outside of class hours and enhance their educational and research activities.

4Social Cooperation and Contribution
 In line with the school’s social cooperation and contribution policy, the Regional
Collaboration Promotion Head Office utilizes the University’s educational andresearch functions to design lifelong learning courses to organize the University’s
original lecture course series, “Seisen Rafaela Academia,” and to co-sponsor thelearning course “Saturday Liberal Arts College” with Tokyo’s Shinagawa Ward,
where the University is located. It is commendable that the University is actively
returning its academic knowledge to society as a community-based higher institution,and receives high marks in the third-party evaluations from Shinagawa Ward.
Suggestions for Improvement
Student Enrollment
 The ratios of student enrollment to the student enrollment cap in fiscal 2018 are highat 1.29 and 1.27, respectively, in the Department of English Language and Literatureand the Department of Global Citizenship Studies, Faculty of Arts. These ratios
should be lowered by having the faculty thoroughly manage student quotas.