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

Kitasato University

Basic Information of the Institution
Ownership: Private

Location: Tokyo, Japan

Accreditation Status
Year of the Review: 2023
Accreditation Status: accredited （Accreditation Period: April 1, 2024 – March 31, 2031）

Kitasato University

Certified Evaluation and Accreditation Resultsfor Kitasato University

Overview
Kitasato University, founded on the guiding principles of “the spirit of pioneering,” “thespirit of thankfulness,” “the spirit of wisdom and practice,” and “the spirit of tenacity,”
defines the philosophy of the University and the Kitasato Institute as follows: “Withprofound respect for the sanctity of life, our purpose is to contribute to society bydedicating ourselves to the quest for truth through the application of practical science.”
The University sets forth the purpose of “broadly contributing to the advancement ofsociety through academic research and human resource development in the fields of lifeand medical sciences.” The University describes its principles as well as the vision of theUniversity and the school corporation as “nurturing internationally talented humanresources and returning the outcomes of education, research, and medical care to society
as a pioneer in the life sciences.” Based on its principles and vision, the University has
established its missions to “resolutely carry out management reforms and cultivate nextgeneration human resources.” To this end, the University has formulated the Kitasato
Institute Medium-Term Plan to enhance its educational and research activities.
Regarding the University’s internal quality assurance, the Dean’s Council and
the Graduate School Committee) serve as the organizations in charge. A university-wide
self-study is conducted with the PDCA (Plan-Do-Check-Act) cycle appropriately
operated, as the results of assessments conducted by each division’s self-study committee
are compiled by the Kitasato University Self-Assessment Committee (hereafter“University-Wide Self-Assessment Committee”) and reviewed at the President and Vice
President Meeting, before being discussed and approved, along with the Current Issues
and Improvement Plans, by the Dean’s Council and the Graduate School Committee. Inaddition, the appropriateness of the internal quality assurance system is objectively
evaluated through internal, teaching, and learning audits conducted by the auditing office.
However, the evaluation results are discussed and approved only by the Dean’s Council
with no procedures undertaken by the Graduate School Committee. This situation should
be addressed.
In terms of student support, the University implements effective educational
measures by establishing various support systems, such as providing individual guidance
for basic education subjects. Other distinctive initiatives include creating an educational

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Kitasato University

and research environment based on the vision of the University and the school corporation.
Notably, the University has constructed a facility that physically and functionallyconnects three medical-related faculties and an affiliated hospital with the existing
Interprofessional Education Building (IPE Building) serving as a core base. Thisestablishment, designed to provide an effective interprofessional education, is expected
to play a key role in training medical professionals who can contribute to team medicine.
As for education, the undergraduate school organization has designed curricula
systematically and appropriately based on the diploma and curriculum policies for each
degree to be awarded in line with the University’s principles and purpose. However, thecontents of both policies are inadequate in some graduate schools, and this situation
should be addressed. With respect to monitoring student learning outcomes in thegraduate schools, the learning outcomes stated in the diploma policy are not clearly linked
to the measurement methods. This issue should be addressed. Moreover, researchguidance plans are not specified for some graduate schools, and this situation should becorrected with the plans laid out and clarified to students beforehand.
There are other areas of improvement the University should address. The
faculties should improve the management of their student quotas to deal with insufficientor excessive quota fulfillment in student enrollment. Some graduate schools do not
conduct faculty development (FD) activities related to educational improvements, andshould appropriately implement these activities.
In the years ahead, the University is expected to resolve these issues throughinternal quality assurance efforts, and to progress further by enhancing its educational,
research, and social contribution activities as a university for life sciences and medicalstudies.

Notable Strengths
Education and Research Environment
 The newly constructed Interprofessional Education Building (IPE Building) on theSagamihara Campus provides team medicine education across medical-related
faculties (pharmacy, medicine, nursing, and allied health sciences). The facility
features the Skills Lab, where students perform simulated medical examinations andoperations, and the Team Medicine Practice Room to be used for clinical and othereducational activities. The new building also includes a library, study room, and2

Kitasato University

cafeteria to create opportunities for students in various professional fields to interact
with one another inside and outside the class, thereby enhancing cross-disciplinary
education and research involving the four medical-related faculties. Its establishment
is expected to serve as a key training base for medical professionals who cancontribute to team medicine, and the IPE Building is expected to be positioned by2024 as the center of the University’s affiliated hospital and School of Nursing andSchool of Medicine buildings with their facilities connected. It is commendable that
the University utilizes its faculty structure to create a campus able to provide effective
education.
Suggestions for Improvement
Educational Program and Learning Outcomes The diploma policy is not established for each degree to be awarded in the Master’s
Program and Doctoral Program in the Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences,
the Master’s Program and Doctoral Program in the Graduate School of Science, andthe Master’s Program in the Graduate School of Medical Sciences. This item shouldbe specified and made known to the public.
 The curriculum policy is not established for each degree to be awarded in the Master’s
Program and Doctoral Program in the Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences,
the Master’s Program and Doctoral Program in the Graduate School of Science, andthe Master’s Program in the Graduate School of Medical Sciences. The Master’s
Program and Doctoral Program in the Graduate School of Marine Biosciences do notstate the basic concepts of curriculum design and implementation, and the Doctoral
Program in the Graduate School of Nursing does not specify the basic concept ofcurriculum implementation. These issues should be addressed.
 The graduate schools monitor student learning outcomes based on the screening ofdissertations and class evaluation surveys, but the connection between the learning
outcomes stated in the diploma policy and each method is unclear. This situation
should be addressed.
Student Enrollment

3Kitasato University The average ratios of freshman enrollment to the freshman enrollment cap over thepast five years are high at 1.01 in the Faculty of Medicine, School of Medicine, andlow at 0.89 in the Department of Environmental Bioscience, School of VeterinaryMedicine. The ratios of student enrollment to the student enrollment cap are high at
1.04 in the Faculty of Medicine, School of Medicine, and low at 0.80 in theDepartment of Environmental Bioscience, School of Veterinary Medicine. Theseratios should be corrected with the faculties’ student quotas thoroughly managed.
Faculty and Faculty Organization
 The graduate schools excluding the Graduate School of Medical Sciences do not
conduct their own FD activities related to educational improvements. This issue
should be addressed with the master’s and doctoral programs as a whole or eachgraduate school appropriately conducting these activities.
Recommendation
Educational Program and Learning Outcomes The research guidance methods and schedules as research guidance plans are notspecified for the Master’s Program, Doctoral Program of the Division of Animal
Science, and Doctoral Program in the Graduate School of Veterinary Sciences, theMaster’s Program and Doctoral Program in the Graduate School of Marine
Biosciences, and the Master’s Program in the Graduate School of Nursing. The
situation must be corrected with these items specified and clarified to students
beforehand.

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