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

The International University of Kagoshima
Basic Information of the Institution
Ownership: Private

Location: Kagoshima, Japan

Accreditation Status
Year of the Review: 2012
Accreditation Status: accredited (Accreditation Period: April 1, 2013 – March 31, 2020)

Related Links
The International University of Kagoshima: http://www.iuk.ac.jp/english/
Full Text of the Accreditation Results (in Japanese):
http://www.juaa.or.jp/accreditation/university/result_2012.html
Accreditation Standards, Process and other related information (in English):http://www.juaa.or.jp/en/accreditation/university.html

2

Certified Evaluation and Accreditation Results
for the International University of Kagoshima
Notable Strengths
Educational content, methods, and outcome

It is commendable that the International University of Kagoshima has made efforts
to improve instructional methods. For example, the Educational Development
Center plays a core role in organizing open classes by all faculty members(including those who serve concurrent positions) and recommends that facultyattend such classes more than once. After attending the open classes, faculty
members write “Class Participation Records,” which serve as the basis for lively
discussion on teaching. In addition, end-of-term questionnaires on classes arefilled out by students and compiled. The results are published in the Faculty
Development (FD) Activity Report published every year to give appropriate
feedback to faculty on how to improve instruction. These measures help the faculty,staff, and students review instruction and learning experience based on thesyllabus, as they jointly engage in the endeavor to improve teaching effectiveness,through feedback via multilateral course evaluations.

Student supportIt is commendable that the university supports student learning. In particular, theuniversity has established two student information systems to monitor classattendance and study progress: the Live Campus and the Web Career Portfolio.
Faculty members monitor student attendance and progress by using these systems
and personalize guidance for individual students. In addition, these systems help
students reflect on their academic performance and set academic goals(“benchmarks”) based on their online portfolio. These measures allow students tomanage and work through their learning plans on their own.

It is commendable that the university actively engages in raising student awarenessregarding employment from the beginning of their college career. For example,
through projects such as the University Education and Student Support Project andthe Nurturing Employability of University Students Project, the university has
made efforts to develop faculty and staff members’ knowledge and skills incounseling students and to nurture career counselors, who are able to listen to,communicate with, and think things through with students. Of special mention areprograms such as the Internship, the Fieldwork, and the Three-day Mock CEO
Secretary Experience programs, and distribution of a publication entitled theCareer Note. Students’ use of the Community Room, a study room for students,
has also been productive, suggesting that students are motivated and have become
more active.

Administration and financeIt is commendable that the university offers training sessions outside the university
to develop the basic abilities of the university staff to cope with the demand forincreasing complexity in higher education administration. For example, theuniversity has established an off-campus training system that partially funds
off-campus training courses for core staffers. It has also implemented overseas
language training opportunities for staff. Positive results have included eightstaffers obtaining qualifications as career counselors and another three acquiring
master’s degrees in professional graduate schools.

3Suggestions for Improvement
Educational content, methods, and outcome

In undergraduate education, the policies for awarding bachelor’s degrees and forthe content and ideas behind organizing and implementing the curricula differ
according to each Faculty and Department. A consensus should be formed
throughout the university and appropriate policies should be established.

The maximum number of credits students can register for is high at 52 for thirdand fourth year students in the Faculty of Economics. In the Faculty of Welfare
Society, the number is high at 52 for fourth year students in the Department ofSocial Studies, and 52 for second, third, and fourth year students in theDepartments of Social Welfare and the Department of Child Studies. This number
is also set high at 52 for fourth year students in the Faculty of Intercultural Studies.
These numbers should be improved in accordance with the purpose of the creditsystem. The number is also high for transfer students in these Faculties andDepartments, and should be improved.

In the Graduate School programs, the syllabi vary in terms of specifics in course
content description, course schedule, and grading policies and criteria. Thissituation should be improved.

The Graduate School programs—excepting the doctoral programs in the Graduate
School of Economics and the Graduate School of Social Welfare—do not indicate
the criteria for examining degree-seeking dissertations, and so the students are notinformed about them. This should be clarified in the Student Handbook (and otherhandbooks).

In the doctoral programs, some students complete all the requirements except thedissertation, and leave the university before completing the dissertation
requirement within the time limit set by the university. Later, when these students
submit their dissertations, even though they do not have enrollment status, they aregranted doctoral degrees in the same manner as students continuously enrolled.
This is an inappropriate use of the system and should be corrected. The university
should modify the ways it has addressed this problem, and, in accordance with thepurpose of having course-based doctoral programs, should create measures toencourage degree completion within the required time frame.

Enrollment
In the Department of Child Studies in the Faculty of Welfare Society, the ratio ofenrolled students to the student enrollment cap is high at 1.20, which should beimproved.

Administration and financeThe powers and authorities of the President, Chairs of each Faculty, and Chairs ofeach Graduate School should be clarified in the University Regulations. Graduate
School Chairs are selected according to customary practices without a succinct
policy that stipulates the procedures and processes of appointment. This should beimproved.

The university has formed the Committee for Examining Total Personnel

4Expenditures and decided to decrease personnel expenditure by lowering theretirement age. It has also formed the Committee to Deliberate University Reforms,
which has made plans for the system of education and research as well as reforms
in personnel cost cutting. Even so, the future offers dire prospects. Thus, theseplans should be steadily enforced. New students should be aggressively recruitedand swift financial reform implemented by reviewing the mid- to long-term fiscalplans on a yearly basis.
Area of Serious Concern
Enrollment
In the last five years in the Faculty of Intercultural Studies, the average of theratios of enrolled freshmen to the freshman admission cap is low at 0.67, and theratio of enrolled students and the student enrollment cap is low at 0.69. In theDepartment of Intercultural Studies, established in 2011, the ratio of enrolled
freshmen to the freshman admission cap is low at 0.74 in the first year ofestablishment. These numbers must be improved.