International Christian University Study and Evaluation Report 2016
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International Christian University Study and Evaluation Report 2016 INTERNATIONAL CHRISTIAN UNIVERSITY Table of Contents Introduction ・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・ 1 1.Mission and Purpose ・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・ 4 2.Education and Research Organization ・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・ 12 3.Faculty and Faculty Organization ・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・ 17 4.Educational Content, Methods and Outcome (1) Educational objectives, policy on degree award, curriculum design and implementation policy ・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・ 27 (2) Curriculum and educational content ・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・ 34 (3) Education methods ・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・ 48 (4) Outcomes ・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・ 59 5.Student Admissions ・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・ 66 6.Student Support ・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・ 81 7.Education and Research Environment ・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・ 93 8.Social Cooperation and Contribution ・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・ 103 9.Administration and Finance (1) Administration ・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・ 107 (2) Finance ・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・ 117 10.Internal Quality Assurance ・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・ 125 Conclusion ・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・ 133 Introduction Introduction The International Christian University (ICU) was dedicated in 1953 to serve the God and humankind as its principle. Since then, the university has established an academic tradition of freedom and reverence based on Christian ideals and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and strived to nurture human resources who can make practical contribution to peace and harmony for mankind around the world. ICU’s curriculum is formulated as something that embodies the university’s principle and its basic structure has not changed much from the time of its dedication. From its inception, ICU claimed itself as “a university of tomorrow,” which means “a university that is unfinished and lacks in everything (soon after its start)” (Document 0-1), and repeatedly carried out its own inspection and evaluation as well as reform of matters related to ICU’s unique curriculum so as to make it closer to its ideal. This spirit and culture of perpetual improvement and advancement signifies ICU’s characteristics, and it established the Regulations Governing International Christian University Self-study in 1999 stipulating matters required for carrying out self-study and evaluation. In particular, it set forth to establish the University Self-study Committee presided by the Vice President for Academic Affairs and conduct self-study every seven years in principle. In 2001 and 2009, the university was evaluated by the Japan University Accreditation Association (JUAA) and obtained accreditation as it conformed to JUAA University Standards. In the previous self-study and university evaluation in 2009, ICU’s strengths of English Language Program, exchange programs that respond meticulously to students’ diverse needs, faculty’s and staff’s support to students regarding course of study, ample grant-type scholarships for students and external evaluation of the university by scholars from overseas universities were commended. At the same time, JUAA suggested improvements to the ratio of current students to the quota in the Graduate School and pointed out a mistake in the description about the auditor’s report. The subsequent initiatives and improvements regarding the former is described in Chapter 5. Student Admissions. The latter was corrected at a later date and currently it is described properly. In the self-study report, ICU states, “while realizing a curriculum that leverages, to the maximum extent, the concept of ‘Later Specialization,’ which is a feature of liberal arts education, by switching to the major system, the issue is how we can ensure specialization in each major.” And, the university tried to address this issue by “having each major provide a specialized and systematic path for studies in an easily understandable form and by establishing the Academic Planning Center and Major Advisors, in addition to the existing advisor system, to enhance advising.” The College of Liberal Arts switched to the major system in the academic year 2008 and the six 1 Introduction divisions in one college was replaced by one division in one college (32 majors at that time and currently 31 majors). At the same time, the Graduate School shifted to one division (four majors) and added natural science to the doctoral course. Moreover, the university newly established a 5-Year Program for students to receive Bachelor of Arts and Master of Arts degrees in five years. Verification of the major system in the College of Liberal Arts began in academic year 2012, after the first batch of students graduated under the system. Based on the improvement measures indicated in the self-study report, the Dean and Associate Dean of the College of Liberal Arts took initiatives, interviewed students and carried out questionnaire survey of faculty members, collected and analyzed various academic data to monitor how the students are studying and the result of the faculty member questionnaire survey was disclosed on the internal portal site in academic year 2013. The verification result will be discussed in 4. Educational Content, Methods and Outcome taking into consideration the result of alumni survey. In the 2016 Self-study and Evaluation, ICU continued the work with focus on standards presented by the Japan University Accreditation Association as well as the study and evaluation items and also by taking into account the results of the past two Self-study and Evaluation. Its progress is as follows. Preparatory Committee for University Evaluation and Appointment of the Committee Members Members: Vice President for Academic Affairs, representatives of faculty members (one each from the fields of humanities, social sciences and natural sciences), Director of the University Secretariat, Director of the School Juridical Person Secretariat The first meeting: Tuesday, September 15, 2015 The second meeting: Monday, October 5, 2015 The third meeting: Wednesday, October 14, 2015 The fourth meeting: Wednesday, November 25, 2015 The fifth meeting: Monday, November 30, 2015 Alumni Survey (Document 0-2) Main purpose: To verify the major system by comparing the situation before and after the academic reforms Period: From February 26 to April 4, 2016 Target: 4,050 people who graduated from the College of Liberal Arts in the period from 2008 to 2015 (graduates from the division system of four years and graduates from the major system of four years) Respondents: 1,009 (501 on paper, 508 from the website) (447 graduates from the division system and 560 graduates from the major system) Response rate: About 24.9% Languages used in the survey: Japanese, English 2 Introduction University Self-study Committee Members: Vice President for Academic Affairs, three members from the Faculty Members (one each from the fields of humanities, social sciences and natural sciences), two from the Graduate School Council Members, one from among the Research Institute, three members from among general staff members and two members commissioned by the President (Advisory members: Graduate School Dean, Collage of Liberal Arts Dean, Director of the University Secretariat, Director of the School Juridical Person Secretariat) The first meeting: Wednesday, February 3, 2016 The second meeting: Thursday, April 28, 2016 The third meeting: Wednesday, September 28, 2016 The fourth meeting: Friday, December 16, 2016 External evaluation Based on a draft of the self-study report (as of October 6, 2016), an on-site survey was carried out on November 17, 2016 with two external assessors interviewing students and faculty members, and ICU received the evaluation in report form early in December (Document 0-3). Documents indicating reasonable grounds 0-1 Kiyoko Takeda. Mirai wo kirihiraku daigaku (University that shapes the future). p.32 0-2 Alumni Survey 2016 Summary and Aggregate Results 0-3 External Evaluation Report 2016 3 1. Mission and Purpose 1. Mission and Purpose 1.Explanation of Current Condition (1) Are the mission and purpose of the university, college and Graduate School set appropriately? <1> Entire university (integrating College of Liberal Arts and Graduate School) ICU was founded in 1953, which was a period of deep reflection in the aftermath of the Second World War. The university was established with the aim of nurturing talented individuals who would help build a free and democratic Japan and contribute to the peaceful development of human society. It became the first College of Liberal Arts in the country. As a university established cutting across national boundaries by Christians in Japan and North America, ICU holds as its mission and purpose (commitment) “the establishment of an academic tradition of freedom and reverence based on Christian ideals, and the education of individuals of conscience, internationally cultured and with a strong sense of citizenship in a democratic society.” This mission and purpose are stated thusly in ICU’s “Act of Endowment” (Document 1-1). “This legally recognized body aims to establish a university,