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

Musashino Art University

Basic Information of the Institution
Ownership: Private

Location: Tokyo, Japan

Accreditation Status
Year of the Review: 2022
Accreditation Status: accredited（Accreditation Period: April 1, 2023 – March 31, 2030）

Musashino Art University

Certified Evaluation and Accreditation Resultsfor Musashino Art University
Overview
Musashino Art University sets forth the founding spirit of “providing art educationthat allows students to function with true freedom as human beings,” and “producingartists of well-rounded erudition” and the educational philosophy of “training
professionals equipped with a good general education and of superlative characterfor careers in various fields of the formative arts, focusing primarily on the realms offine arts and design.” Based on its founding spirit and educational philosophy, theUniversity defines its purpose as “imparting a broad range of knowledge with a focus
on the academic fields of fine arts, design, and architecture; teaching and researching
in-depth specialized techniques, theory, and practice; cultivating human resources
with unique character traits and high educational attainments with the aim of fully
developing individual character; and contributing to the creation and development ofculture as well as the welfare of the nation and society.” Under the First Medium- toLong-term Plan from AY2014 to AY2021, the University strived to enhance its
future-oriented educational and research activities through strategic and projectvisions. In the following Second Medium- to Long-term Plan starting in AY2022, theUniversity is expected to progress further in art education in the lead-up to the 100th
anniversary of its founding in 1929.
The University has worked to develop a more effective internal quality
assurance system in response to JUAA’s previous certified evaluation andaccreditation results. The Academic Management Committee was established as anorganization responsible for promoting internal quality assurance, and has operated
the university-wide PDCA (Plan-Do-Check-Act) cycle with the Heads of All
Departments and Faculties Meeting tasked with coordinating across the university,Self-Evaluation and Assessment Committee, Institutional Research Committee,
Faculty Development Committee, and other bodies. However, the Musashino Art
University Internal Quality Assurance Promotion Structure stipulates that theAcademic Management Committee deliberates and decides on policies, improvement
measures, and other items to provide feedback. In fact, the Academic Directors
Subcommittee compiles the deliberations of the President Staff Meeting andAdministrative Directors Meeting and feedback is provided through the Heads of All
Departments and Faculties Meeting. The University should address this issue by1

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organizing the meeting bodies involved in internal quality assurance, clarifying theirroles and coordination, and operating the university-wide PDCA cycle managed
appropriately by the Academic Management Committee.
As for the University’s education, the colleges, departments, and graduateschools have organized the lesson subjects necessary to achieve their educational
objectives, and designed and properly managed their curricula in a systematic andsequential way. Grading, credit approval, and degree awarding are properly
implemented in general. In terms of student learning outcomes, surveys of students,graduates, and employers, and other means are used to monitor and evaluate thelearning outcomes stated in the diploma policies. However, the graduate schools
monitor their students’ learning outcomes to a certain extent based on the screeningof master’s projects and theses or doctoral theses, in addition to graduate surveys, but
the schools are far from adequately monitoring and evaluating the learning outcomesstated in the diploma policies. This issue should be addressed.
The University has undertaken highly notable initiatives in promoting awide variety of social cooperation and contribution activities. Specifically, theDepartment of Creative Innovation, College of Creative Thinking for Social
Innovation, and the Graduate School of Creative Thinking for Social Innovation haveintroduced the Hokkaido Mori Town Project as a regular course. It is highlycommendable that the project not only produces positive outcomes in regionalrevitalization, but also brings educational benefits to students, such as developing
creative thinking and communication skills. In addition, the University is improving
the accessibility of its materials for users both on campus and off by establishing theImage Library to promote the materials owned by the Museum & Library and otherfacilities, and digitally archiving these materials as well.
There are several issues the University needs to address, however, inaddition to internal quality assurance and the graduate schools’ monitoring andevaluating student learning outcomes. First, the Graduate School of Art and Design
and the Graduate School of Creative Thinking for Social Innovation Master’s Degree
Program require master’s theses or projects for course completion, but the screening
criteria are not specified. This situation must be corrected with each screening
criterion clarified in detail for theses and projects. Moreover, the educational andresearch objectives of the colleges and graduate schools are not defined in the schoolor equivalent regulations. Some graduate schools have not specified the learning
outcomes appropriate for their degrees, including the knowledge, skills, and abilitiesstudents are expected to acquire, in the diploma policies. The content of the2Musashino Art University

curriculum policy is inadequate in some colleges and graduate schools as well. The
maximum number of credits allowed in a year is specified, but fourth-year students
tend to overload their credits. These issues should be addressed.
In the coming years, the University is expected to progress further byoperating its internal quality assurance system more organically to resolve various
issues while enhancing its notable activities.
Notable Strengths
Social Cooperation and Contribution
Specializing in fine arts and design, the University takes advantage of its
resources to undertake a variety of community contribution activities, such as
releasing its digital archives to the public, carrying out programs in cooperation
with local municipalities, and providing educational support for elementary andjunior high schools. Many university students participate in these activities,
applying the creative thinking skills developed during their studies. Specifically,
the Department of Creative Innovation, College of Creative Thinking for Social
Innovation, and the Graduate School of Creative Thinking for Social Innovation
sustainably engage in the Hokkaido Mori Town Project as a regular course todevelop industries and human resources using forest resources in the town. It iscommendable that this project is significantly contributing to regional
revitalization, as well as helping students grow with improved creative thinking
and communication skills.

Suggestions for Improvement
Mission and Purpose
The College of Art and Design, College of Creative Thinking for Social
Innovation, Graduate School of Art and Design, and Graduate School of Creative
Thinking for Social Innovation have not defined their educational and research
purposes in the school or equivalent regulations. This issue should be addressed.

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Internal Quality Assurance
The Academic Management Committee was established as an organization
responsible for promoting university-wide internal quality assurance, and theMusashino Art University Internal Quality Assurance Promotion Structure
stipulates that the meeting deliberates and decides on policies, improvement
measures, and other items to provide feedback. However, the Academic Directors
Subcommittee actually compiles the deliberations of the President Staff Meetingand Administrative Directors Meeting and feedback is provided through theHeads of All Departments and Faculties Meeting. This issue should be addressedwith the meeting bodies involved in internal quality assurance clarifying theirroles and coordination, and the university-wide PDCA cycle appropriately
overseen by the Academic Management Committee.

Educational Program and Learning Outcomes
The Graduate School of Art and Design Master’s Degree Program has not
specified the learning outcomes appropriate for its degrees, including theknowledge, skills, and abilities students are expected to acquire, in the diploma
policy of each course, excluding Japanese Painting and Painting in the Fine Arts
Course. In addition, the Graduate School of Art and Design Doctoral Degree
Program has not specified the learning outcomes appropriate for its degrees,
including the knowledge, skills, and abilities students are expected to acquire, inthe diploma policy. These issues should be addressed.

In terms of curriculum policy, the College of Art and Design (including theCorrespondence Course, College of Art and Design) has not specified the basic
concept of curriculum implementation. The Department of Imaging Arts andSciences, College of Creative Thinking for Social Innovation, and the Design
Course of Scenography, Display and Fashion Design, Graduate School of Artand Design Master’s Degree Program, have not specified the basic concept ofcurriculum design. The Graduate School of Creative Thinking for Social
Innovation Master’s Degree Program and the Graduate School of CreativeThinking for Social Innovation Doctoral Degree Program have not stated thebasic concepts of curriculum design and implementation. These issues should beaddressed.

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The University has specified the maximum number of credits allowed in a yearto ensure credit validity, but certain subjects, including those related toqualifications, are excluded. In addition, a credit cap has not been set for finalyear students unlikely to graduate, resulting in fourth-year students tending tooverload their credits. These issues should be addressed in light of the quality ofeducation.

The graduate schools monitor their students’ learning outcomes to a certain
extent based on the screening of master’s projects and theses or doctoral theses,
in addition to graduate surveys, but the schools are far from adequately
monitoring and evaluating the learning outcomes stated in their diploma policies.
This issue should be addressed.

Faculty and Faculty Organization


The Graduate School of Creative Thinking for Social Innovation has not
implemented its own FD activities. This issue should be addressed with all
master’s and doctoral programs or graduate schools conducting FD activities.

Recommendation
Educational Program and Learning Outcomes

The Graduate School of Art and Design and the Graduate School of Creative
Thinking for Social Innovation Master’s Degree Program require master’s theses
or projects for course completion, but the screening criteria are not specified.
This situation must be corrected with each screening criterion clarified in detailfor theses and projects.

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