Accreditation Results(Accreditation Results for School of Veterinary Medicine)

Department of Veterinary Sciences, Faculty of Agriculture,
University of Miyazaki

Basic Information of the Institution
Ownership: National

Location: Miyazaki, Japan

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

Department of Veterinary Sciences, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Miyazaki

Accreditation Results
for the Department of Veterinary Sciences, Faculty of Agriculture,
University of Miyazaki

The Department of Veterinary Sciences, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Miyazaki(bachelor program), “aims to foster veterinarians with basic knowledge on agriculture;expertise and ethical perspectives of veterinary sciences; skills to apply, practice anddevelop veterinary knowledge; and the ability to contribute to regional and internationalsocieties” based on the educational philosophies of the University and the Faculty.
As for the curriculum, the Department makes effective use of Miyazaki
Prefecture’s position as one of the leading livestock production areas in Japan and invites
to classes the prefecture’s front-line producers as guest speakers; it also offers advanced
courses that provide students with opportunities to study the latest cases of production
medicine, thereby enhancing their problem-solving and communication skills withproducers. These are commendable efforts. In addition, the proactive use of rubric tables
for Graduation Thesis (Veterinary) lecture course is a commendable way to ensure fair
grading by faculty members.
Regarding the faculty members and organization, the Department conducts anannual survey of its alumni who graduated the previous year and the companies who hired
them, and shares the survey findings at the faculty development (FD) seminaro enhance
its education. This is a noteworthy initiative.
With respect to the educational and research environment, the Center for Animal
Disease Control (CADIC), the only research and education facility in Japan specializing
in industrial animal disease control, conducts commissioned tests for animal infectious
diseases, provides training for veterinarians working for local governments and otherorganizations, carries out clinical testing for livestock disease control, manages domestic
and international consortia, provides clinical testing for zoonosis, and engages in
educational activities through open lectures and press releases. These are distinctive
features of the Department.
In terms of social cooperation and contribution, the Department holds numerous
seminars for local veterinarians and the general public every year. It has also offered formany years the workshop of the Department of Veterinary Sciences, an exchange forum
for faculty members, students, and local veterinarians. These are also distinctive effortsof the Department.
As for the self-study system, the Department has established its own Self1

Department of Veterinary Sciences, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Miyazaki

Assessment Committee on Veterinary Education and Research System, which conducts
self-studies of its education and research activities twice a month, and connects the resultsof the self-studies to specific improvement activities. Such efforts to improve the qualityof its education are commendable.
There are several areas of improvement identified in the current accreditation
process, however.
As for areas of serious concern, the Faculty of Agriculture has not establishedthe requirements for students to advance to the next level. These requirements arenecessary for students to confirm the level of skills necessary for advancement and toplan their course of study for the next academic year. The Faculty should take corrective
actions to define and communicate these requirements to all students. In addition, thecurrent number of all faculty members is far below the required number of full-time
faculty members stipulated in the Standards for Veterinary Education, making it necessary
to raise the number of faculty members.
As for other issues to be considered, it is pointed out that the Department has notestablished its educational purposes, and that its educational aims are stated only in theadmission policy’s preamble. In addition, the ratio of women to all faculty members islow; some faculty members bear an excessive educational burden; both the number ofanimal cadavers and the variety of animal species used in practical training are
insufficient; the admission system is standardized and provides only a general entrance
examination and examination for privately-funded international students; and the resultsof the evaluation by the Self-Assessment Committee on Veterinary Education andResearch System are not disclosed to the public. The Department is required to addressthese issues.
Going forward, the Department should adopt the results of this accreditation forschools of veterinary medicine, continue its self-study activities for further improvementof veterinary medicine education, and assure and improve the quality of its education tofurther enhance its distinctive features.

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