Results for Certified Evaluation and Accreditation for Junior CollegeKagoshima Prefectural College

Basic Information of the Institution
Ownership: PublicLocation: Kagoshima, JapanAccreditation Status
Year of the Review: 2017
Accreditation Status: accredited （Accreditation Period: April.01.2018 – March.31.2025）

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Certified Evaluation and Accreditation Results
for the Kagoshima Prefectural CollegeOverview
The Kagoshima Prefectural College (hereafter, the College), which originated as an advancedcourse (3-year course) attached to the Prefectural First Higher Girls School in 1922, wasfounded as the Kagoshima Prefectural College, Junior College Division in 1950. Following thedepartmental reorganization in 1995, the college currently has the Department of Literature,
the Department of Life and Environmental Science, the Department of Economics andBusiness Administration, and the Department of Economics and Business Administration,
Night Course in Kagoshima City, Kagoshima Prefecture.
With respect to the issues indicated in the previous accreditation review by Japan
University Accreditation Association (JUAA) in 2010, the College has generally made efforts
for improvements and produced results, while it is still making efforts towards the promotionof barrier-free facilities and equipment and other improvements.
This accreditation review confirmed that the College is carrying out various activities
to achieve its new basic policy, which it set under the leadership of the President based on its
missions and goals. The results of those activities can be seen in a high employment rate,qualification acquisition rate, and actual achievement of transfer to four-year universities.
Further, based on its basic policy of contributing to regional promotion and vitalization as thesole prefectural junior college in the prefecture, the College not only continuously provides
open lectures but also promotes cooperation with regional companies to promote research
project initiatives with the “dried bonito flakes” industry and the “tea” industry. These
activities are highly commendable. Moreover, the College provides overseas training
programs in areas of various cultures and languages in the U.S., Europe and Asia, and it isdiligently working to dispatch exchange students abroad under agreements. As the College
actively and continuously promotes the acceptance of exchange students, and the students andfaculty members work together to promote international exchanges, significant international
initiatives are being undertaken such as exchanges with a university in Hawaii, and student
exchanges with universities in the U.S. and Germany.
However, according to the number of professors required under the Standards for
Establishment of Junior Colleges, the Major in Food and Nutrition of the Department of Lifeand Environmental Science is short by one professor, which is a violation of law and must be
rectified as soon as possible. The College also needs to improve issues such as the system for3checking descriptive content in syllabuses, and measures to substantiate credits at theDepartment of Literature and the Major in Life and Environmental Science of the Departmentof Life and Environmental Science, and to work towards assuring and improving educational
quality.
In order to undertake these efforts, it is important to activate the internal quality
assurance system, which is a mechanism for improvements based on self-study and evaluation.
However, although the College established the Assessment Committee and there are several
committees that are responsible for solving current college-wide issues, it cannot be said thatan internal quality assurance system that leads to improvements from an organizational
perspective is adequately functioning. The College is expected to clarify the process leading toimprovements, endeavor to improve various issues, and lead to the development of the college.
Notable Strengths
Social Cooperation and Contribution
The Center for Regional Studies promotes a variety of research projects including joint
projects and individual projects related to area studies. Specifically, it has promotedcooperation with local companies engaged in the local “dried bonito flakes” industry andpublished literature as one of the achievements of that project. The Institute also promotes
cooperative and joint research with companies and groups involved in research related to
the local tea industry, and gives results back to the community at large by, for example,developing and commercializing tea. Moreover, the institute actively gives lectures on
remote islands and in remote places such as the Amami Satellite Program. These
initiatives are commendable for being in line with the College’s philosophy of“contributing to regional development.”

In addition to the regional activities, students write an internet blog set up with a Chinese
University and introduce areas in Kagoshima focusing on tourist areas in both Japaneseand Chinese languages. The blog is visited by many people in China as well and has
contributed to regional tourism. The College also has a long history of research exchanges
with a German university and has produced joint research results in the form of thepublication of foreign and Japanese books. These activities are highly commendable.

4Suggestions for Improvement
Educational Content, Methods, and Outcome

The Department of Literature and the Major in Life and Environmental Science of theDepartment of Life and Environmental Science have no measures to substantiate credits
by, for example, limiting the maximum number of credits for which students can register.
This issue should be rectified in light of the purpose of the credit system.

The system to check the descriptive content of syllabuses needs to be improved to promoteadequate learning by students.

Education and Research Environment

The College should promote making all college buildings barrier-free in a planned way.

Internal Quality Assurance

Although the Assessment Committee has been established with respect to the internal
quality assurance, there are several committees that are responsible for solving current
college-wide issues, and there is no adequate system to activate the internal quality
assurance system, which constantly studies and evaluates activities of each committee ina panoramic manner and makes use of the results of studies and evaluations to make
improvements from an organizational perspective, so the College needs to build a system
to appropriately activate the internal quality assurance system and ensure that that system
functions properly.

Area of Serious Concern
Faculty and Faculty Organization
According to the number of professors required under the Standards for Establishment ofJunior Colleges, the Major in Food and Nutrition of the Department of Life andEnvironmental Science is, in principle, short by one professor, which is a violation of law
and must be rectified as soon as possible.