Three policies

College of Arts and Sciences promotes multicultural understanding, employs interdisciplinary thinking that goes beyond a single specialty, and fosters internationally minded 'Independent Learners' who contribute to society through academic achievement through excellent analytical and expressive skills.
To realize this fundamental philosophy, our group recognizes graduation and awards degrees to those who can enhance the abilities and qualities listed below and comprehensively utilize them. Furthermore, this "Graduation Recognition and Degree Conferral Policy" is embodied in the "Curriculum Organization and Implementation Policy," and all learning in this group is linked to the school's behavioral guideline of "Gakuji Jijin" (Learning and serving others).

 

(1) Internationality and multicultural understanding

In today's increasingly globalized world, both domestically and internationally, it is essential to acquire multilingual skills, including Asian languages, strong communication skills, and excellent international perspectives, while also demonstrating the ability to promote mutual multicultural understanding among people of different cultures, religions, and ethnicities, with consideration for minorities.

 

(2) Interdisciplinary thinking

Students should use one of the specialized and systematic knowledge offered by this academic group as a foundation, while also possessing an understanding of other specialized fields, interdisciplinary knowledge spanning the humanities and sciences, and a broad perspective, thereby developing the ability to engage in free, interdisciplinary thinking that is not confined to a single area of expertise.

 

(3) Analysis and expressive ability

This requires possessing analytical skills such as literature comprehension, information literacy, quantitative skills, and logical and critical thinking abilities necessary for analyzing various problems, as well as the ability to clearly communicate the analysis to others through writing and presentations.

 

(4) Contribution to society through academics

To address the various problems facing the modern world, we need a courageous spirit to tackle them head-on, the ability to collaborate with people from diverse academic backgrounds in a multifaceted and comprehensive manner, and the practical skills and applied abilities to give back what we have learned to society and indicate directions for solutions.

To achieve the learning outcomes outlined in the "Policy on Graduation Certification and Degree Awarding," this academic group has organized its curriculum into four categories: "Basic Education Subjects," "Specialized Basic Subjects," "LA Specialized Subjects," and "Elective Subjects." These subjects are offered using a combination of teaching methods, including lectures, seminars, experiments, practical training, and hands-on work. Furthermore, to systematize the curriculum, "numbering" (indicating the relationships and difficulty levels of each subject) is implemented to clearly show the structure of the subjects and facilitate systematic learning. The organization of this curriculum, learning methods and processes, and the methods for evaluating learning outcomes are defined as follows.

 

(1) Curriculum organization

① "Basic Education Subjects" are courses designed to equip students with the fundamental knowledge and skills necessary to achieve learning outcomes in accordance with the "Policy on Graduation Certification and Degree Awarding" as students of this university. The curriculum mainly consists of "Core Subjects" and "Foreign Language Subjects." "Core Subjects" consist of English Core Subjects, Introduction to Christianity, Academic Writing I, Academic Presentation, Computer Literacy I, Numerical Thinking and Logic, and Liberal Arts Seminar, and aim to equip students with the knowledge and skills necessary to realize the educational goals, including the founding spirit of the university. Among the above, the Liberal Arts Seminar deepens students' understanding of learning in this university, fosters their awareness as independent learners, and equips them with the knowledge and learning skills necessary for university studies.

 

(2) "Specialized Basic Subjects" are subjects that help you build your foundation for advancing to specialized subjects. The curriculum is divided into "LA Specialized Basic Subjects," "Practical Basic Subjects," and "Academic Skills Subjects." In the "LA Specialized Basic Course," you will learn the fundamentals of each academic Area. Academic Area is classified into three categories: Humanities Area (Humanities Area), Social Sciences Area (Social Area), and Natural Sciences Area (Natural Area). Each Area consists of specialized foundations (Humanities, Social Sciences, Natural Sciences) and the "LA Specialized Basic Subjects." Through these studies, students learn the basics of each academic Area and prepare for choosing programs in their area of specialization. Additionally, by taking many of the "LA specialized foundational subjects" of the Area (self-Area) chosen at enrollment, students acquire the fundamentals of problem-solving methods unique to Area, while also studying other Area (and other Area) subjects, learning the appeal, differences, and importance of multifaceted approaches in each academic Area field.

 

(3) The "LA Major Subjects" form the core of College of Arts and Sciences 's education and consist of 32 programs. Each program is categorized into one of the following Area: Humanities Area, Social Area, Natural Area, or Integrated Area. Each program consists of many subjects designed to enhance expertise in its field, with required and elective courses designated. If you earn at least 32 credits in the major-designated programs (excluding 29 programs in education, contemporary pop culture, and gender studies), you can obtain a major certification, which is one of the graduation requirements. Students are free to choose their majors and register for the fall semester of their second year. Additionally, all programs include minor programs. Minor certification is granted if you earn at least 16 credits in the designated subjects. Additionally, selecting at least one Area program that is different from one of the major-accredited programs and obtaining either minor or major certification becomes a graduation requirement (major/minor certification). By freely choosing between these multiple programs as major or minor, you can acquire broad knowledge and a multifaceted perspective, which are hallmarks of liberal arts education. For the "Inquiry and Practical Courses," graduation requires selecting and completing at least one of the major seminars or inquiry service learning courses from the third year onward. Through this "Inquiry and Practical Subject," you will experience the process of identifying problems and considering solutions on your own, and develop inquiry and practical skills. "Free Choice" is a system where students plan and further study basic and specialized subjects to achieve diverse interests and goals, or choose to take courses both inside and outside the school. This includes teacher training courses, qualification-related subjects, study abroad-related subjects, and subjects from other academic faculties. It also includes courses taken at other universities (such as overseas study, credit transfer partner schools, Open University of Japan, and universities affiliated with the Greater Tokyo Metropolitan Western Credit Transfer Agreement).

 

④ Our university has established an "advisor system" where advisors are responsible for providing individualized support to students regarding their study plans and course registration. Each advisor is generally assigned to guide approximately 15 students in each academic year until graduation. The advising focuses primarily on academic matters, such as monitoring students' learning progress and providing guidance on course selection. Furthermore, the Educational Support Office also provides ongoing consultations regarding course registration and studies, ensuring a collaborative learning support system among faculty and staff.

 

(5) To visualize the organization and implementation of the curriculum within this group, a curriculum map (a table showing how each item of the diploma policy is developed by subject) is used to help students understand which subjects they study will enhance the abilities and qualities set forth in the "Graduation Recognition and Degree Conferral Policy." Additionally, as a College of Arts and Sciences, we have created and published a 'Course Model Collection' to foster the skills and knowledge students want to acquire. In this "Course Model Collection," each program clearly lists the recommended subjects to take to achieve the desired skills and knowledge according to its Area. By referring to this model collection to create study plans, students can study efficiently.

 

(3) How to evaluate learning outcomes

① Learning outcomes refer to the extent to which students have achieved the objectives outlined in the curriculum map, etc. Therefore, learning outcomes are set for each individual subject.

 

② The methods for evaluating learning outcomes are specifically outlined in the syllabus for each subject. Furthermore, by incorporating rubric-based assessment and other methods, grade evaluation will be made clear, easy to understand, and rigorously conducted.

College of Arts and Sciences promotes multicultural understanding, nurtures internationally minded "Independent Learners" who contribute to society through academic learning through interdisciplinary thinking that goes beyond a single area of expertise, and possesses excellent analytical and expressive abilities. Additionally, it provides educational opportunities where diverse students with different interests and socio-cultural backgrounds can gather, learn, and provide intellectual stimulation to one another. Therefore, learning in this group begins with encountering a wide range of academic disciplines and, according to individual interests, acquiring a foundation for deeper study and foundation in the humanities, social sciences, or natural sciences. Students continue to acquire academic foundations to deepen their expertise in each field, develop analytical and expressive skills, while also gaining understanding of other specialties, cross-disciplinary insights, and a broad perspective, developing free interdisciplinary thinking that is not confined to a single specialty. Additionally, through experiences such as studying abroad and service learning, students gain the ability to engage with topics they deeply care about, the communities and social issues they are involved with, understand internationalism and diverse cultures, and contribute to society through academic learning. Through these studies and experiences, you will develop the strength to survive in an era where predicting the future is difficult.

 

[Desired Student Profile]

We seek individuals, regardless of nationality or region, who resonate with our academic system, desire to grow through learning and experience, and wish to contribute to the future through their own learning and experience.

Furthermore, those who wish to begin their studies here are expected to possess the following qualities, and these qualities will be assessed during each selection process.

(1) Those who possess the basic academic abilities that should be acquired by the time they reach high school.

(2) Those who have a strong desire to learn on their own initiative and a sense of independence.

(3) Individuals with fundamental academic ability in a wide range of fields and a strong interest in Area or specialized fields in the humanities, social sciences, and natural sciences

(4) Those who have a desire to explore new fields and a willingness to take on new experiences.

(5) Those who understand the founding principles of the school, are willing to serve others, and have the desire to improve together.