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

Kogakkan University

Basic Information of the Institution
Ownership: Private

Location: Mie, Japan

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

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Certified Evaluation and Accreditation Resultsfor Kogakkan University

Overview
Kogakkan University defines its mission as one “to investigate Japanese culture based on
the history and tradition of the Japanese people; establish a moral code that can be appliedin both the East and West; educate and foster a love for one’s country; and develop
students who will help benefit society.” The University formulated the Future Vision 140– Second Medium-Term Action Plan in AY2020-AY2024 in AY2019 as a medium- tolong-term plan to achieve its founding spirit and purpose. The University strives toenhance its educational and research activities by laying out six action plans: “ensuring
the quality of “learning” in university education and shifting to an approach that is learnercentered,” “promoting diversity and flexibility within the research infrastructure,”“supporting students to develop their initiative and potential,” “promoting reforms in highschool-university linkages,” “strengthening and growing community service initiatives,”and “bolstering the organization and operational foundation, and disseminating
information.”
In terms of social contribution and cooperation, the University carries out
various initiatives using its history and tradition to promote the above purpose.
Specifically, the Ise-Shima Settlement and Independent Area Coexistence Studies
Education Program contributes to addressing a wide range of regional challenges byextending the partnership areas from the entire Ise-Shima region to other cities and towns
in Mie Prefecture. The University has also launched the Kogakkan Okage Campus Projectto support new activities leading to regional revitalization. These activities now coverother fields, including children, child-rearing, and education, and have helped
commercialize several projects by offering funds and other assistance for progressive
initiatives. It is highly commendable that the University has expanded and upgraded its
ongoing activities and played an effective role as a regional center in addressing
challenges and revitalizing the community.
Regarding the University’s internal quality assurance, the Kogakkan University
Quality Assurance and Improvement Committee (hereafter “Quality Assurance andImprovement Committee”) is positioned as a promotion body. The committee compiles
and checks the results of each division’s periodic inspections and assessments, before
returning comments to the divisions, but these comments are unlikely to help make1

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improvements as they are mainly related to the methods of writing self-study forms. The
Teaching and Learning Management Meeting examines the three diploma, curriculum,and admission policies, while checking, evaluating, and managing the progress of the key
teaching and learning items and the medium- to long-term plans. This situation indicatesinsufficient coordination between the Quality Assurance and Improvement Committee
and the Teaching and Learning Management Meeting in the internal quality assurance
system. This issue should be addressed with coordination between the two meeting bodies
clarified to effectively operate the university-wide PDCA (Plan-Do-Check-Act) cycle.
As for education, all faculties and graduate schools have appropriately designed
their curricula based on the diploma and curriculum policies, with curriculum matrixes,course charts, and subject numbering codes developed for students to take courses in asystematic and sequential way. The University actively promotes active learning forstudents, especially first-year students, in terms of class formats, lesson contents, andteaching methods to encourage active participation. The University also provides
educational programs to cultivate the abilities necessary for students to become sociallyand professionally independent. Groups of basic subjects related to life, work, andprofessional practice have been established as common subjects in all faculties. In
specialized subjects based on the expertise of the faculties and departments, the civilservant program has been adopted in the Faculty of Contemporary Japanese Society, andthe psychology expert program has been introduced in the Department of Communication,Faculty of Letters.
There are several areas of improvement the University should address, however,in addition to the above issues regarding the internal quality assurance system. First, themaximum number of credits students can register for in a year is specified to ensure credit
validity, but practical training subjects, graduation theses, and other academic work areexcluded. Credit cap exceptions also apply to transfer and fourth-year students as well as
those recognized as high achievers based on their grades in the previous academic year,
resulting in students earning a higher number of registered credits. With a considerable
number of students also qualifying as high achievers, the criteria for high academic
achievement should be reviewed and improvements made in light of the purpose of thecredit system. Next, the graduate schools have formulated an assessment policy, but theconnection between the measurement methods and the student learning outcomes statedin the diploma policy is vague. This issue should be addressed to appropriately monitor
and evaluate the learning outcomes stated in the diploma policy by developing indicatorsfor monitoring these outcomes. Moreover, the Master’s Program in the Graduate Schoolof Education has low ratios of student enrollment to the student enrollment cap, and the2

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graduate school’s student quotas should be managed thoroughly. Lastly, university-wide
faculty development (FD) activities are conducted, but the graduate schools do not carryout their own FD activities. This issue situation be addressed.
In the years ahead, the University is expected to progress further by effectivelyoperating the internal quality assurance system, resolving several issues to be addressed,and enhancing its distinctive initiatives.

Notable Strengths
Social Cooperation and Contribution
 The University has been continuously engaged in the Ise-Shima Settlement andIndependent Area Coexistence Studies Education Program as part of its various
social cooperation and contribution activities aimed at addressing regional challenges
and revitalizing the community. The program has extended the partnership areas fromthe entire Ise-Shima region to other cities and towns in Mie Prefecture to help
overcome challenges facing the entire region. In addition, the Kogakkan Okage(Community Revitalization) Campus Project is operated to support new activities
leading to regional revitalization. These activities now cover other fields, includingchildren, child-rearing, and education, and have helped commercialize several
projects by offering funds and other assistance for progressive initiatives. It iscommendable that the University has expanded and upgraded its ongoing activities
and played an effective role as a regional center in addressing challenges andrevitalizing the community.
Suggestions for Improvement
Internal Quality Assurance The Quality Assurance and Improvement Committee, positioned as an internal
quality assurance promotion body, checks the results of each division’s periodic
inspections and assessments, and returns comments to the divisions, but thesecomments are unlikely to help make improvements as they mainly refer to themethods of writing self-study forms. Moreover, the Teaching and Learning
Management Meeting examines the three diploma, curriculum, and admission

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policies, while checking, evaluating, and managing the progress of the key teaching
and learning items and the medium- to long-term plans. This situation indicatesinsufficient coordination between the Quality Assurance and Improvement
Committee and the Teaching and Learning Management Meeting in the internal
quality assurance system. The University should address this issue by clarifying thecoordination between the two meeting bodies and providing support for improvement
based on the results of each division’s inspections and assessments to effectively
operate the university-wide PDCA cycle.
Educational Program and Learning Outcomes Each faculty specifies the maximum number of credits students can register for in ayear, but excludes practical training subjects, graduation theses, and other academicwork. Credit cap exceptions also apply to transfer and fourth-year students as well as
those recognized as high achievers based on their grades in the previous academic
year, resulting in students earning a high number of registered credits. With asubstantial number of students also qualifying as high achievers, the University
should review the criteria for high academic achievement and make improvements
in light of the purpose of the credit system.
 The graduate schools have formulated the assessment policy, but the connection
between the measurement methods and the student learning outcomes stated in thediploma policy is unclear. This issue should be addressed to appropriately monitor
and evaluate the learning outcomes stated in the diploma policy by developing
indicators for monitoring these outcomes.
Student Enrollment
 The ratio of student enrollment to the student enrollment cap in AY2023 is low at
0.44 in the Master’s Program in the Graduate School of Education. This ratio shouldbe improved with the graduate school’s student quotas thoroughly managed.
Faculty and Faculty Organization
 The graduate schools do not conduct their own FD activities for educationalimprovements. This issue should be addressed with FD activities appropriately

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implemented for all master’s and doctoral programs or each graduate school.

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