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

Tokyo International University

Basic Information of the Institution
Ownership: Private

Location: Saitama, Japan

Accreditation 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 Resultsfor Tokyo International University

Overview
Tokyo International University (hereafter, the University) was founded as the International
College of Commerce in 1965 and became the current name in 1986 after adding the Faculty ofLiberal Arts. Afterwards, the University newly established and reorganized the schools,departments, and graduate schools. At present, the University consists of five schools: Schoolof Business and Commerce, School of Economics, School of International Relations, School of
Human and Social Sciences, and School of Language Communication; and four graduate
schools that include the Graduate School of Business and Commerce, the Graduate School ofEconomics, the Graduate School of International Relations, and the Graduate School ofClinical Psychology. Its campuses are located in Kawagoe and Sakado in Saitama Prefecture,and in Shinjuku Ward in Tokyo. The University conducts education and research activities
based on its founding spirit of “nurturing truly internationally-minded individuals who harbor asense of Kotokushin, or unbiased harmony.”
Since the Japan University Accreditation Association’s (JUAA) FY2010 UniversityAccreditation (Certified Evaluation and Accreditation), the University has made collective
efforts under the leadership of the president to establish an effective internal quality assurance
system and improve the quality of education and research activities, primarily initiated by theUniversity-wide Self-Study Implementation Subcommittee established within the “FD (FacultyDevelopment) Committee.” Aside from responding to the remarks of the previous University
Accreditation, the University also implemented multifaceted reforms in FY2016, including
introducing full-semester and partial quarter-semester systems.
It is especially notable that to realize its founding spirit the University has adopted
unique programs to internationalize its campus and admitted and advanced study abroad
students by effectively utilizing the English Track Program (E-Track), established in theSchools of Economics and International Relations and the Graduate Schools of Economics andInternational Relations to provide the opportunity to earn a degree in an all-English curriculum;the English PLAZA, a learning center where native English-speaking faculty at GTI (GlobalTeaching Institute) work full-time as GTF (Global Teaching Fellows); and the Japanese
PLAZA, where JLI (Japanese Language Institute) language instructors support Japanese
language study for international students.

3However, while the University is committed to upgrading its sports facilities as an
educational pillar to promote “Tokyo International University as an Institution of Athletic
Excellence” in line with “Tokyo International University as an Institution of English
Excellence,” it is of serious concern that the “Special Practicum course offered to students
belonging to the University’s designated varsity club teams focuses entirely on club activities(except for orientation in the first lesson and submission of an activity report in the last lesson).
Club activities are extracurricular activities and are not defined as education. In addition, withlessons not taught by teachers in charge of the course subjects, this course does not apply to theclasses stipulated in the Standards for Establishment of Universities. Therefore, it is not
appropriate to award a course credit for club activities, and the purpose of these subjects and thecourse content itself should be reviewed and corrected in accordance with the Standards for
Establishment of Universities. Moreover, further efforts are required to address other issues that
include student quota management.
With large-scale reforms initiated in FY2016, the University is expected to advancefurther by developing a more effective internal quality assurance system and by continuing toevaluate and verify all education and research programs.
Notable Strengths
Student Support

It is commendable that the “Student Development Workshop” is adopted in the regularcurriculum for first-year students at all schools to master communication skills and design
their own action plans for university life, with student facilitators assigned to support themanagement of the seminar classes. Second- to fourth-year students receiving facilitator
training serve as student facilitators and help smooth the transition to university life forfirst-year students. This effort is also commendable as a unique student support system that
not only effectively supports first-year students but provides students working as student
facilitators with the opportunity for their own growth.

Education and Research Environment

The English PLAZA was established in the library of Campus 1 as a space where only
English is used and native English-speaking fellows (GTF) work full-time to help practiceEnglish conversation and provide advice on studying English individually or in groups,

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thereby enhancing students’ practical English skills and offering a place to interact withinternational students. Moreover, the Japanese PLAZA was established on the same
campus to assist international students with their studies and provide support fromJapanese student staff, functioning as a learning center for Japanese language and culture.
In these ways, it is commendable that the University has implemented its initiatives basedon its founding spirit, missions and goals by developing facilities including dormitories forinternational students to realize one of its fundamental policies, that is, “Tokyo
International University as an Institution of English Excellence.”
Social Cooperation and Contribution

The University organizes the “Kawagoe Town Revitalization Workshop” in Kawagoe,
where its campus is located, to revitalize the local community in cooperation withKawagoe City and the Kawagoe Chamber of Commerce and Industry. It is commendable
that the University links this workshop to the “Community Design Workshop” subjects inits regular curriculum to provide students with opportunities to take the initiative inpromoting tourism, such as developing tourism products in collaboration with businesses,supporting globalization in Kawagoe, and contributing to local community development.
It is also commendable that the School of Human and Social Sciences and the School ofInternational Relations take advantage of the University’s strengths to contribute to local
communities by offering study support for elementary and junior high school students in
Kawagoe and Japanese language support for children from foreign countries.

Suggestions for Improvement
Educational Content, Methods, and OutcomeThe syllabuses of each school and graduate school are created in a unified format, butsome of the lesson plans are inadequately described. This situation should be improved.

The research guidance methods and content of the Graduate School of Business andCommerce, the Graduate School of Economics, and the Doctoral Degree Program in
Clinical Psychology are stated in the Graduate School Handbook, with each schedulearranged during the classes, but the research guidance plans are not sufficiently clarified tostudents. This situation should be improved.

5Enrollment
In FY2017, the average of ratios of freshman enrollment to the freshman enrollment cap in
the past five years is high at 1.25 in the Department of Business Administration, School ofBusiness and Commerce, and 1.23 in the Department of Human Development and Sport
Sciences, School of Human and Social Sciences. These ratios should be corrected.

The ratio of student enrollment to the student enrollment cap is low at 0.22 in the Doctoral
Degree Program in Business and Commerce, Graduate School of Business and Commerce,
and no students are enrolled in the Doctoral Degree Program in Economics, Graduate
School of Economics. These situations should be improved.

Education and Research EnvironmentThe libraries on Campus 1 and 2 are not staffed by full-time qualified librarians. Thissituation should be improved.

Area of Serious Concern
Educational Content, Methods, and Outcome
“Special Practical Training” (eight subjects, two credits for each subject) is a course
offered exclusively to students belonging to the University’s designated varsity club teams,
with its lesson content focusing on club activities. But club activities are extracurricular
activities and are not defined as education. In addition, given that lessons are not taught byteachers in charge of the course subjects, this course does not apply to the classes
stipulated in the Standards for Establishment of Universities, stating “regardingexperiments, practical training, and skills practice, one credit shall consist of classes
conducted for a number of hours determined by a university between 30 hours and 45hours.” Therefore, the purpose of these subjects and the course content itself should bereviewed and corrected.