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

Saitama Institute of Technology
Basic Information of the Institution
Ownership: Private

Location: Saitama, Japan

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

Related Links
Saitama Institute of Technology: http://www.sit.ac.jp (in Japanese)
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

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Certified Evaluation and Accreditation Results
for the Saitama Institute of Technology
Notable Strengths
Student support

It is commendable that the Saitama Institute of Technology has devised measures topromote research activities at the institute. In particular, in order to enhance themotivation of graduate students to conduct research in particular, the Saitama
Institute of Technology awards special monetary prizes to those graduate students
whose papers are published in peer-reviewed academic journals while they areenrolled.

It is commendable that the institute has made significant efforts to prevent students
from withdrawal. In particular, the institute has established a system of academic
and social support for students, in which a faculty advisor and a staff deputy advisor
are assigned to each student. By creating a carte for each student to share records ofweekly student attendance for compulsory classes and information about students’
lives, faculty and staff advisors cooperate in advising students who miss classes.

Suggestions for Improvement
Educational content, methods, and outcomeIn the doctoral program of the Graduate School of Engineering, research-basedclasses such as “Special Research” and “Special Study” are offered, but lectures arenot. The institute should improve its education by offering a coursework thatappropriately combines lecture and research classes.

In all of the Faculties, the maximum number of credits students can register for ishigh, at 50 a year. This should be improved in accordance with the purpose of thecredit system.

In all the Graduate Schools, criteria for examining degree-seeking dissertations
have not been clearly stated for the students. This situation should be improved, byclearly stating them in the student handbook (and other handbooks).

In the doctoral program in the Graduate School of Engineering, some students
complete all the requirements except the dissertation, and leave the institute 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 havethe enrollment status, they are granted doctoral degrees in the same manner as thosestudents continuously enrolled. This is an inappropriate use of the system thatshould be corrected. In accordance with the purpose of having doctoral programs,
the institute should create measures to enhance the degree completion within therequired time frame.

Enrollment
The ratio of enrolled students to the student enrollment cap is high at 1.21 in theDepartment of Information Systems in the Faculty of Engineering. Conversely, it is
low at 0.87 in the Department of Psychology in the Faculty of Human and SocialStudies. These numbers should be improved.

3Education and research environment
Regulations for research ethics and criteria for internal review have not been
established. The institute has not articulated and disseminated its policies forresearch ethics. This situation should be improved.

Internal quality assurance
Although committees for self-study have been set up across the institute and exist
in each department, their activities are not sufficient to ensure the quality ofeducation. In addition, although external evaluations have been implemented for allFaculties, their relation to self-studies has not been clarified. In the future,
self-study activities should be substantially developed to construct an internal
quality assurance system, so that the concerns and problems raised can lead toinstitutional improvements.

Area of Serious Concern
Administration and financeIt is not easy to find a solution in the short term for the problem of expenditureexceeding revenue by more than 200%. Concrete mid- to long-term plans must be
set and implemented to improve the financial situation. The plans must be
examined, using data, and revised every year.