Tokyo Kasei University
(Accreditation Period: April.01.2018 – March.31.2025)

Overview
Tokyo Kasei University (hereafter, the University) first began as the sewing school Wayo Saiho Denshujo, founded in 1881 under the spirit of "autonomy and independence”’ to foster “capable female role models with academic knowledge and skills for the new era." The school gained university status in 1949 when it began offering the two undergraduate programs of life sciences and clothing sciences in the Faculty of Home Economics. At present, the University has four undergraduate schools (Faculties of Home Economics, Humanities, Nursing, and Child Studies) and one graduate school (Graduate School of Humanities and Life Sciences) located on its Itabashi Campus in Itabashi Ward, Tokyo, and Sayama Campus in the city of Sayama, Saitama Prefecture. Since the previous accreditation, the University has designated the following as priority objectives: establishment of an internal quality assurance system; promotion of higher education quality assurance; establishment of an academic IR system; and development of learning outcome assessment measures. Both faculty groups and graduate school committees have worked with the Tokyo Kasei University Teaching Reform Study Committee to create a framework to drive improvement, and progress has been achieved in a number of areas, including enrollment management, teacher-student ratios, faculty age composition, and curriculum development with a coordinated sequence of courses. The review recognizes the social cooperation and contribution activities carried out by research institutes and centers in partnership with students, faculty and staff as a notable feature of the University. Especially commendable is the Human Life Plaza, which provides opportunities for the university community to interact with local seniors through events such as "Fureai Meals." Students taking part in the Center's activities are encouraged to keep a “Growth Self-Monitoring Notebook” and to discuss their accomplishments with staff. This is a commendable way for the Center to ensure that the volunteer experience becomes an opportunity for growth. The University is advised to address a number of issues identified during the review, including the failure of some undergraduate and graduate programs to stipulate the principles of teaching content and methods in their curriculum design and implementation policies; the limit on the number of credits students can register in a year being too high in some faculties; insufficient systematic efforts to improve teaching content and methods in some faculties; the graduate school’s assessment criteria for theses not being clearly distinguished from those for research assignment reports; and enrollment management concerns at some faculties. The University has not performed systematic self-study audits in the past, and its internal quality assurance system led by the "Internal Quality Assurance Committee" was established only recently in 2016. Going forward, the University is advised to ensure the proper functioning of the internal quality assurance system, and take actions consistently and continuously to enhance the quality of education it provides.
Notable Strengths
Social Cooperation and Contribution ● The University actively and systematically promotes social cooperation and contribution activities through the Research Institute of Domestic Science, the Institute for the Advancement of Women, and other affiliate organizations. Human Life Plaza, in particular, provides regular opportunities for the university community to interact with local seniors through its origami workshop, "cutting-down-on-salt" quiz game, Christmas party, and other such "Fureai Meals" events. Organized by students and faculty members, these events are well-received by the participants. Students who take part in the Plaza’s activities are encouraged to keep a “Growth Self-Monitoring Notebook” for self-reflection before and after participating in activities. Since 2017 the Center has arranged for staff to sit down with students to help them objectively review their accomplishments. These are commendable features through which the Center ensures that the volunteer experience becomes an opportunity for growth that can help students enhance their creativity, independence, and ability to identify problems.
Suggestions for Improvement
Educational Content, Methods, and Outcome ● The Department of Child Education, Faculty of Home Economics, the Master's Program in Clothing & Art, and the Master's Program in English Language and Culture of the Graduate School of Humanities and Life Sciences are advised to stipulate the principles of teaching content and methods in their curriculum design and implementation policies, which currently provide only curriculum descriptions. ● In the Faculties of Home Economics, Humanities, and Child Studies, the maximum number of credits a student can register in a year is s set too high at 50. This limit should be lowered in light of the purpose of the credit system. ● While some departments in the Faculty of Humanities implement programs to improve teaching content and methods, such efforts are fragmented and not coordinated across the faculty. This situation needs to be addressed. ● The Master’s Programs of the Graduate School of Humanities and Life Sciences are advised to establish separate assessment criteria for theses and research assignment reports, as the criteria used at present are not clearly differentiated.
Enrollment
● The Department of Home Economics is advised to improve enrollment management, as the average ratio of freshman enrollment to the freshman enrollment cap is high at 1.20 in the Department of Child Education, while the ratio of transfer student enrollment to the transfer student enrollment cap is low at 0.20. The Departments of Costume and Clothing Science, Environmental Education, and Art and Design have no transfer student enrollment. ● The Faculty of Humanities is advised to improve enrollment management, as the ratio of transfer student enrollment to the transfer student enrollment cap is low at 0.10 in the Department of Social Education and Welfare, and the Departments of English Communication and Psychological Counseling have no transfer student enrollment.
Internal Quality Assurance
Past self-study audits at the University were performed on an individual-unit basis and not on a university-wide basis. Going forward, the University is advised to ensure the proper functioning of the internal quality assurance system overseen by the Internal Quality Assurance Committee established in 2016, and take consistent and continuous actions to assure and enhance the quality of education it provides.