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

Sophia 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）

Sophia University

Certified Evaluation and Accreditation Resultsfor Sophia University

Overview
Sophia University defines its educational spirit as “For Others, With Others” and its
founding philosophy as follows: “Following the tradition of Catholicism, founded onChristian humanism and as a center of academic excellence, the University shall pursue
fundamental truths, impart broad knowledge and advanced expertise in the arts andsciences, and build character through the development of intellectual, moral, and appliedcapabilities, with the objectives of cultivating talented leaders for society and contributing
to the advancement of culture and the welfare of humankind.” To achieve these principles
and objectives, the Sophia School Corporation Grand Layout was formulated as an
medium- to long-term plan with the five main goals of “Promotion of educational,research and academic exchange,” “Enhancement of Support for Student and Pupil Life,”“Strengthening ofManagement and Operational Foundations,” “Promotion ofmanagement reform of Sophia University Junior College Division and Sophia School ofSocial Welfare,” and “Further Development of Educational Foundations of Four Juniorand Senior High Schools.” Under this plan, the University strives to enhance its
educational and research activities.
Regarding internal quality assurance, the University has established an internal
quality assurance system consisting of five meeting bodies working together to operate
the university-wide PDCA (Plan-Do-Check-Act) cycle. Meeting sets out the educationaland research activities, and the Deans’ Meeting and the Graduate School Committee
examine the plans before the faculties, graduate schools, and centers carry out theactivities. The Self-Assessment Committee reviews the initiatives, and the Quality
Assurance Steering Committee verifies the results and discusses improvement measures.
This PDCA cycle has been in operation since AY2021, and the system is overseen by thepresident, who chairs the University Planning Meeting. As for the faculties and graduateschools, the Individual Self-Assessment Organization conducts inspections andassessments based on the Sophia University Self-Assessment Implementation Outlinde(hereafter "Self-Assessment Implementation Outline") drawn up by the Self Assessment
Basic Plan Formulating Subcommittee (hereafter “Formulating Subcommittee”) formed
under the Self-Assessment Committee. The committee verifies the results, and presents
proposals for improvement and other comments to each division after checks by the1Sophia University

Quality Assurance Steering Committee and the University Planning Meeting. TheUniversity makes efforts for university-wide internal quality assurance as eachorganization works to conduct a self-study based on unified evaluation standards, andcross-sectional inspections are conducted among the faculties, graduate schools, and otherorganizations, with the inspection and assessment results evaluated externally to enhancethe objectivity and validity of the self-studies.
In terms of education, the University has established the university-wide
diploma policy that specifies its principles and goals. Based on this policy, each degree
program has formulated diploma and curriculum policies and designed its curriculum ina systematic way. As part of the efforts to monitor and evaluate the student learning
outcomes stated in the diploma policy, the University created the Assessment List thatoutlines university-wide common items as well as assessment items specified by eachdepartment and graduate program. Various approaches are adopted to monitor andevaluate the learning outcomes according to the characteristics of each degree program.
The Self Learning Portfolio System has also been introduced for students to reflect on
their learning outcomes. It is highly commendable that the University measures student
learning outcomes in a multifaceted way.
There are other commendable distinctive features in addition to monitoring andvisualizing student learning outcomes as mentioned above. First, the University haslaunched the departmental collaborative Sophia Program for Sustainable Futures (SPSF)
and the Graduate Degree Program of Applied Data Sciences. The University has also
newly established the Institute of Inclusive Community and other research organizations
to conduct educational and research activities responsive to the next-generation society,and is continuously working to restructure its organizations with future prospects in mind.
Second, the Health and Wellbeing Center was established as an organization overseeing
multilingual student counseling services, and provides more systematic and specificresponses to the needs of students with disabilities or other mental and physical healthissues. The Office of Sophia Sustainability Promotion, in charge of promoting theUniversity’s efforts to fulfill its social responsibility, recruits students as staff. It is highly
commendable that these initiatives help create new values. Moreover, the University haslaunched the Collaborative Research on Innovation by Faculty and Staff to reform its
education and research projects beyond the existing framework. Faculty and staff
members who share the same problem awareness conduct collaborative research, andpresent proposals for improvement and other comments regarding university
management based on the research results. These efforts have led to concrete
improvements and reforms, such as establishing university startups and reviewing the2Sophia University

staff’s work style, and are notable as distinctive initiatives contributing to enhancing theUniversity’s organizational capabilities beyond sections and job types.
There are several areas of improvement the University should address,
however. First, some graduate schools do not specify the research guidance methods as
research guidance plans, and their research guidance schedules are inadequate as well.
These issues must be corrected with the items specified and clarified to students
beforehand. Certain faculties and graduate schools do not state the basic concepts ofcurriculum implementation, including lesson formats and specific teaching methods, intheir curriculum policies. Some graduate schools have low ratios of student enrollment tothe student enrollment cap, and the graduate schools’ student quotas should be thoroughlymanaged.
The University has implemented numerous pioneering initiatives swiftly andactively, and also plans to verify the effectiveness of its internal quality assurance system.
The University is expected to progress further by making more specifically designed
efforts for internal quality assurance to overcome various challenges, while creating andenhancing many more distinctive initiatives.

Notable Strengths
Educational and Research Structure Based on Grand Layout 2.1, the University has established the SPSF English-taught
program themed on sustainable futures, and the Graduate Degree Program of Applied
Data Sciences, designed to train professionals to apply and deploy data sciences inbusiness settings and acquire practical skills for returning the outcomes to society.
The University has also newly established the Institute of Inclusive Community,Sophia Institute for Human Security, and Sophia Island Sustainability Institute toconduct educational and research activities responsive to the next-generation society.
It is commendable that the University is continuously working to restructure its
organizations with future prospects in mind, and that these initiatives are contributing
to the University’s development.
Educational Program and Learning Outcomes The Assessment List designed to monitor and evaluate student learning outcomes3Sophia Universityfeatures the university-wide common measurement methods as well as assessment
items created by the departments and graduate programs based on their curricula.
After monitoring and evaluating the learning outcomes for degree programs, thefaculties and graduate programs use the assessment results to make concrete
improvements, such as reviewing lesson design and management plans. The SelfStudy Portfolio has also been introduced for students to reflect on their learning
outcomes. It is commendable that the University measures student learning outcomesin a multifaceted way.
Student Support
 To upgrade campus life support set forth in Grand Layout 2.1, the University
established the Health and Wellbeing Center as an organization that integrates andoversees student counseling and other services. The center has organized a systemfor counselors, physicians, other medical professionals, faculty, and staff members
to collaboratively work to provide individual students with consultation andassistance according to their circumstances, with services also available in Englishand Chinese. In addition, the Student Information Service was set up in the center toserve as the first point of contact to connect students seeking help with theappropriate counseling offices according to their needs. It is commendable that theestablishment of the Wellness Center enables the University to meet the specificneeds of students with disabilities or other mental and physical health issues in amore systematic way.
Social Cooperation and Contribution
The Office of Sophia Sustainability Promotion has been established topromote the University’s efforts to fulfill its social responsibility, and adopts theStudent Staff System with students working in three teams: the Campus Team incharge of promoting campus renovations and facility improvements; thePlanning Team responsible for promoting awareness-raising, training, andcommunity contribution of students, faculty, and staff members; and theCommunications Team tasked with disseminating information on theheadquarters’ initiatives. Student staff members engage in various activities,
such as participating in the campus environment improvement project, withstudents creating an image map of a new campus and soliciting a name for the4Sophia University

plaza, co-hosting sustainability promotion events with businesses and otherorganizations, and establishing the Sophia University SDGs & Sustainability
website. It is commendable that not only faculty and staff members but students
as well are involved in these activities, with ideas exchanged across various
fields leading to the creation of new values.
University Management


The Collaborative Research on Innovation by Faculty and Staff aims to reformthe University’s education and research projects beyond the existing framework.
Faculty and staff members sharing the same problem awareness conduct joint
research on themes they develop, and present to the Office Directors’ Meeting
proposals and other comments based on the results to improve university
management. In response, a project team has been set up within the University
to resolve the issues, resulting in concrete improvements and reforms, such as
launching university startups and reviewing the work styles of staff. It iscommendable that these initiatives contribute to enhancing the University’sorganizational capabilities beyond sections and job types.

Suggestions for Improvement
Educational Program and Learning Outcomes The basic concepts of curriculum implementation, including lesson formats andspecific teaching methods, are not specified in the curriculum policies of the Facultyof Theology; Faculty of Liberal Arts; Master’s Program in the Graduate School ofTheology; Doctoral Program in Japanese Literature in the Graduate School ofHumanities; Master’s Program in Cultural Interaction in the Graduate School ofHumanities; Master’s Program in Law in the Graduate School of Law; Doctoral
Program in Law in the Graduate School of Law; Master’s Program in Linguistics inthe Graduate School of Languages and Linguistics; and Master’s Program in Area
Studies in the Graduate School of Global Studies. This issue should be addressed.
Student Enrollment
 The ratios of student enrollment to the student enrollment cap are high at 2.07 in the5

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Doctoral Program in the Graduate School of Languages and Linguistics, and low at0.35 in the Master’s Program in the Graduate School of Theology, 0.48 in theMaster’s Program in the Graduate School of Humanities, 0.40 in the Master’s
Program in the Graduate School of Law, and 0.08 in the Doctoral Program in theGraduate School of Law. This ratio imbalance should be addressed with the graduate
schools’ student quotas thoroughly managed.
Recommendation
Educational Program and Learning Outcomes

The Doctoral Program in Cultural Interaction in the Graduate School of Humanities
does not specify the research guidance methods as research guidance plans, and its
research guidance schedules are inadequate. These issues must be corrected withthese items specified and clarified to students beforehand.

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