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

Tokyo Keizai University
Basic Information of the Institution
Ownership: Private

Location: Tokyo, Japan

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

Related Links
Tokyo Keizai University: http://www.tku.ac.jp/english
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2

Certified Evaluation and Accreditation Resultsfor Tokyo Keizai University
Notable Strengths
Educational content, methods, and outcome

It is commendable that Tokyo Keizai University has developed a university wide
systematic educational program. In particular, the Tokyo Keizai University (TKU)
Challenge System, an educational structure with three levels from basic toadvanced, has an advanced program consisting of six programs aimed at developing
linguistic abilities and acquiring professional qualifications. These programs
include the Financial Career Program, the Accounting Professional Program, thePublic Relations (PR) Professional Program, the Legal Professional Program, theGlobal Career Program, and Tokyo Keizai University (TKU) Berlitz Program. Eachprogram makes the most of what is featured in its respective Faculty, while theuniversity implements each program throughout the university with positive results
such as a good number of students passing professional qualification exams.

It is commendable that the Department of Marketing and Distribution in the Facultyof Business Management has created a measure to reflect the educational research
mission of the Faculty. In particular, the Department of Marketing and Distribution
requires that third-year students take an innovative course, entitled “Case Methods,”
in which case studies are used to identify and examine problems corporations face
and find solutions for them. This seminar-style course is usually offered at thegraduate level. The course has a small class size of approximately 15 students, who
are required to write a report every other week. The frequency of remarks made byeach student in class and attendance are included in the criteria for grading.

It is commendable that the Faculty of Contemporary Law makes students aware of
its educational mission and purposes through its coursework. For example, in theIntroduction to Legal Literacy course, which is for freshmen, lawyers and judicial
scriveners join the class, offering students the opportunity to understand the basicsof the law and the relation between law and society. The “Readings I” course,which has a small class size, cultivates the ability to adapt to university-level
education through active question-and-answer session and discussions. In addition
to these first-year courses, the Faculty requires that the second year students takethe Court Attendance Seminar, which is part of the core courses that include
Consumer Affairs and the Law, Environmental Problems and the Law, and Welfare
and the Law.

It is commendable that faculty members who belong to the College-wide Education
Center offer “general education seminars.” The Center limits class size to 15 anddesignates the seminars as the key to successful small-sized class instruction. The
diverse content makes the most of faculty specializations. As a result, the types ofseminars and number of students taking the courses have increased. Highly
motivated students take these courses along with other specialized seminars in theundergraduate education.

In the Faculty of Communication Studies, three workshop courses—Investigation,Expression, and Language—invite specialists in these fields as lecturers. Directcontact with these specialists is commendable in effectively stimulating studentinterest.

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Social cooperation and contribution

It is commendable that the university has encouraged students to make social
contributions to the local community. For example, in Kokubunji City, where themain campus is located, the university established the Tokyo Keizai University
Kokubunji Regional Cooperation Promotion Council together with Kokubunji City
government, Chamber of Commerce, and regional organizations and corporations
to activate the economy, industry, and culture of the region. The Kokubunji Region
Internship Student Regional Participation Implementation Committee encourages
students to participate in local activities and has created a system to promotestudent regional participation, which also contributes to local community
development through yearly seminars, clubs, and other extra-curricular activities.

Suggestions for Improvement
Educational content, methods, and outcome
The policies for awarding degrees in the Graduate School of Communication
Studies do not clearly state learning outcomes at the time when students complete
the program. This should be improved.

In the doctoral program of the Graduate School of Economics, only researchguidance takes place. That is, the program cannot be said to have organized acurriculum that clearly meets the purpose of having a course-based graduate
program. This should be improved by offering classes that teach proper educationalcontent.

The maximum number of credits transfer and undergraduate students can register
for in a year has been set in the Faculty of Economics at 64 for third-year students
and 56 for fourth-year students. This number is 56 for third-year students in theFaculty of Business Administration, 56 for third-year students in the Faculty ofCommunication Studies, and 56 for third and fourth year students in the Faculty ofContemporary Law. These are high and should be improved in accordance with thepurpose of having a credit system.

The form and style of the syllabi have been standardized; however, there is somevariance in the ways syllabi specify particular items. For example, some courses do
not indicate study goals. This should be improved.

In all the Graduate Schools, the criteria for examining degree-seeking theses anddissertations have not been clarified. This should be specifically indicated in theStudent Handbook (and other handbooks) and made available to students.

In all the doctoral programs, some students complete all the requirements except
the dissertation, and leave the university 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 have the enrollment status, they
are granted doctoral degrees in the same manner as those students continuouslyenrolled. This is an inappropriate use of the system. The university should reformthe system, and should create measures to encourage degree completion within therequired time frame in accordance with the purpose of having course-based doctoralprograms.

Enrollment

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The ratio of transfer students to the transfer student admission cap is low at 0.42 in
the Department of Marketing and Distribution in the Faculty of Business
Administration, 0.43 in the Department of Communication Studies in the Faculty ofCommunication Studies, and 0.23 in the Faculty of Contemporary Law. Thesenumbers should be improved.

The ratio of enrolled students to the student enrollment cap is low at 0.45 in themaster’s program in the Graduate School of Communication Studies, and 0.35 in
the master’s program in the Graduate School of Contemporary Law. There are no
graduate students enrolled in the doctoral program of the Graduate School ofBusiness Administration. This situation should be improved.

Internal quality assuranceConcerning measures for internal quality assurance, the university relies heavily on
responding to the results of external evaluation and accreditation, project plans, andproject reports. The university does not ensure quality through the use of
self-studies based on internal regulations. This should be improved by developing
and running a system of internal quality assurance.

Area of Serious Concern
Educational content, methods, and outcome

Research instruction plans have not been written in any of the Graduate Schools.
This situation must be corrected by offering, based on research instruction plans,
guidance for both conducting research and writing up theses and dissertations.