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

Kyoai Gakuen University

Basic Information of the Institution
Ownership: Private

Location: Gunma, Japan

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

Kyoai Gakuen University

Certified Evaluation and Accreditation Resultsfor Kyoai Gakuen University

Overview
Kyoai Gakuen University defines its basic principle as “Love and Live Together,” which
is a modern interpretation of its founding spirit of “Kyoai (Love Each Other).” To thisend, the University promotes “student-centered learning” and “harmony with thecommunity” as its action guidelines (mottos). The school corporation’s medium-termplan is formulated every three years to realize the founding spirit. The medium-term plan
starting in AY2021 lays out the University’s vision of “becoming a university operating
under an advanced educational quality assurance system with the pillar of its curricula
aimed at establishing cutting-edge learning and human resource development.” Based on
this vision, the University conducts educational and research activities with specificachievement targets using key goal indicators (KGI) for the domains and items in
educational content, organization, environment, and management as well as the key
performance indicators (KPI) for the outcomes of its three-year plan and the activities ofeach academic year.
The University undertakes educational activities to achieve the purpose of“promoting the visualization of student learning outcomes and evaluating the outcomesof the curriculum policy” (laid out in the educational content section of the medium-termplan. Specifically, the University has drawn up three diploma, curriculum, and admission
policies, established “12 Kyoai Abilities” to be acquired through study in accordance withthe diploma policy, and clarified these abilities as the learning outcomes based on theUniversity’s basic principle. To achieve this objective, curriculum maps and charts aredesigned to systematically organize the curricula. The University utilizes the e-portfolio“Kyoai Career Gate (KCG)” for students to update their achievement status eachacademic year and share their skills learning progress in interviews with faculty members.
The publicly accessible resume data system called “Kyoai Career Gate+Showcase(KCG+S)” has also been introduced to provide employers and others with evidence-based
information on students’ learning activities and experiences. These are highly
commendable initiatives that contribute to the visualization of student learning outcomes
and the verification of learning activities. The University uses these initiatives to improve
its educational programs, for example, by designing a new curriculum for AY2023 basedon the issues identified after visualizing the learning outcomes. The University is1Kyoai Gakuen University

expected to accumulate student learning outcomes for further utilization.
The University also conducts regional contribution activities in cooperation
with government agencies, municipalities, and local businesses to promote learning
through community engagement. Through regular subjects, students participate in a wide
variety of projects to address various issues in Gunma Prefecture, where the University
is located. This initiative enables the University to effectively realize the action guideline(motto) of “harmony with the community” by training and developing human resources
who will play an active role in the community, encouraging student independence, andupgrading lesson subjects aimed at cultivating “glocal” talents.
While promoting students’ independent learning and actively measuring
student learning outcomes under the systematic curricula, as above mentioned, there areseveral areas of improvement the University should address related to the internal quality
assurance system. The University conducted a self-study in AY2021 and an educational
program review of a seven-year cycle in AY2022. However, after the inspection andassessment results are reported to the Internal Quality Assurance Committee serving as a
responsible internal quality assurance organization, improvement efforts are made byother committees, centers, and bodies with no support provided by the Internal Quality
Assurance Committee. The Self-Inspection and Evaluation Committee and theEducational Program Review Meeting are also in place, but both are convened in tandemby the Internal Quality Assurance Committee. This situation indicates that only theInternal Quality Assurance Committee is actually operating. It is understandable given
the faculty size that each meeting body inevitably consists of overlapping members, withinformation accessible to all faculty members. However, the University should address
this issue with the meeting bodies in charge of internal quality assurance organized basedon their actual status and improvement measures taken by each organization through thesupport of the promotion body. Also, the maximum number of credits students canregister for in a year is specified, but subjects related to qualifications are excluded. The
syllabuses describe the contents of study outside the class and other information to
encourage students to secure study time, but students who take courses to acquire
qualifications tend to have a high number of registered credits. This issue should beaddressed to ensure credit validity. In terms of student enrollment, certain majors haveinsufficient quota fulfillment. The University is well aware of the need to review its
student recruitment methods, and is expected to continue to step up its recruitment efforts.
As for finance, the University is expected to formulate a financial plan that includes
measures to achieve the financial targets in order to establish a solid financial base tosustainably carry out its educational and research activities.

2Kyoai Gakuen University

The University encourages student-led activities inside and outside the class,and offers support to foster student independence. In addition, the University stresses theimportance placed on education through collaboration with the community, and thepresident, vice presidents, and faculty and staff members are working together to takecreative and innovative steps to provide students with opportunities for new experiences.
With the new curriculum aimed at addressing local issues from a global perspective, theUniversity is expected to streamline its internal quality assurance system and structure tomaintain and enhance these unique initiatives.
Notable Strengths
Educational Program and Learning Outcomes
The University defines the learning outcomes based on its basic principle as “12Kyoai Abilities,” and enhances students’ learning motivation with the e-portfolio
Kyoai Career Gate (KCG), in which students input their achievement status on anannual basis and share their skills learning progress with faculty members ininterviews. Radar charts are also used to visualize the students’ four years of learning
outcomes. As a further step, the publicly accessible resume data system called Kyoai
Career Gate+Showcase (KCG+S) has been introduced to provide employers andothers with evidence-based information on students’ learning activities andexperiences. Based on issues identified after visualizing the learning outcomes, theUniversity has designed a new curriculum. It is commendable that these initiatives
are being utilized to improve educational programs as well.

Social Cooperation and Contribution
To realize “harmony with the community,” one of the action guidelines (mottos)
established to implement the University’s principles, the University collaborates withgovernment agencies, municipalities, and local businesses to carry out a variety ofprojects, such as promoting food education through farming and addressing
challenges in areas with a declining and aging population. The Regional Project Work(RPW) subjects have also been introduced to encourage students’ learning throughcommunity engagement. It is commendable that the University’s years of regional
contribution activities have helped improve employment rates in Gunma Prefectureand surrounding areas, and train and develop human resources who will play an3

Kyoai Gakuen University

active role in the community. Starting in AY2023, these subjects have been upgradedto lesson subjects aimed at cultivating “glocal” talents, with positive outcomesexpected.
Suggestions for Improvement
Internal Quality Assurance The Internal Quality Assurance Committee is positioned as a responsible quality
assurance body, with the Self-Inspection and Evaluation Committee set up toimplement self-studies and the Educational Program Review Meeting formed toconduct inspections and assessments from a comprehensive perspective every sevenyears in principle. However, the Self-Inspection and Evaluation Committee and theEducational Program Review Meeting are convened in tandem by the Internal
Quality Assurance Committee. In addition, the results of inspections and assessments
conducted by other committees, centers, and bodies are reported to the Internal
Quality Assurance Committee, but improvement efforts made by these organizations
receive no support from the Internal Quality Assurance Committee. To address theseissues, the meeting bodies tasked with internal quality assurance should bereorganized based on their actual status, with the organizations’ improvement efforts
supported by the body responsible for internal quality assurance.
Educational Program and Learning Outcomes The University sets an upper limit on the number of credits students can register forin a year, but as subjects related to qualifications are excluded, the number ofregistered credits remains high for students studying in the Regional ChildhoodEducation Major or taking the teacher training course. The syllabuses explain thatthese students need to secure study time outside of class hours, but the measure
inadequately ensures credit validity. This issue should be addressed in light of thepurpose of the credit system.
University Management
 The ratio of next fiscal year’s excess of carry-over expenditures to operating income
remains high, and the ratio of financial assets to the required reserve fund continues

4

Kyoai Gakuen University

to trend downward. This situation indicates that the University is far fromestablishing the solid financial base necessary to sustainably conduct its educationaland research activities. The University should address this issue by reviewing theexisting medium-term plan based on its financial status and formulating andimplementing a medium- to long-term plan, including specific measures, to establish
a sound financial base.

5