Faculty of Faculty of International Studies Guide: Academic Policies

Teaching policy

Teaching policy
Evaluation policy for the "Three Educational Principles"
Organizational policy for the faculty

Faculty of Faculty of International Studies: "Academic Policy"

April 1, 2024

Degree awarding policy (diploma policy)

Faculty of International Studies awards a Bachelor of International Studies degree to students who have acquired the required 124 credits for graduation in accordance with the prescribed curriculum regulations and whose following learning outcomes have been confirmed.

This allows for reflection on how to live well in the modern world, based on Christian teachings.

Students will be able to understand the contemporary significance of the Bible and, based on that understanding, discuss their own views on how to live well in modern society. In particular, they will be able to discuss their own views on how to live and what kind of relationships to have with others in today's globalized society and world.

They will be able to utilize the general skills and abilities necessary for advanced intellectual activities, as well as their English language skills.

Students will acquire and be able to utilize general skills and abilities that form the basis of advanced intellectual activities (such as communication skills, logical and critical thinking skills, information literacy, and mathematical literacy), as well as foreign languages. In particular, they will acquire proficiency in English, an "international auxiliary language," and be able to use it to acquire new knowledge and communicate with diverse people.

Students will be able to identify problems and use their learning outcomes to work towards solving them.

Students will be able to identify various specific issues, including regional challenges, and propose solutions by comprehensively utilizing the learning outcomes from their general education and specialized fields. In particular, they will be able to identify various specific issues common to the globalized world, as well as issues in different regions of the world, and work collaboratively with others to explore solutions and take action.

They can perceive things from a broad and diverse range of perspectives and show understanding for different ways of thinking and values.

Students can perceive themselves and the world from diverse perspectives, including history, society, and nature, and show understanding for different perceptions, ways of thinking, and values. In particular, they can understand the diversity of societies, cultures, histories, and languages not only in their own region and country, but also in the world outside of it and in various other regions, and critically examine these differences while showing understanding for different perceptions, ways of thinking, and values.

In Faculty of International Studies, students can demonstrate the following learning outcomes:

Students will be able to explain the basic knowledge in their field of specialization, as well as the specific ways of thinking and perceptions unique to that academic discipline.
By incorporating perspectives and insights from fields outside one's specialization, one can relativize one's own field while also pointing out the interrelationships between the two.
They can understand and clearly communicate specialized content using a language other than their native tongue.

Curriculum Development and Implementation Policy

Applicable to students entering in the 2024 academic year and beyond.

In order to achieve the learning outcomes (hereinafter referred to as "learning outcomes") set forth in the Faculty of Faculty of International Studies' degree awarding policy, Faculty of International Studies will organize and implement a systematic and sequential curriculum in accordance with the following policy.

With the primary objective of achieving learning outcomes 1-4, the curriculum includes general education subjects, foreign language subjects, and health and physical education subjects, with courses mainly allocated to the first and second years.
With the primary objective of achieving learning outcome 1, a university-wide group of courses called "Human Foundations" will be established within the general education curriculum. At its core, courses on the Bible and Christianity will be placed in the first and third years, with 4 credits required and 2 credits elective, respectively.
With the primary objective of achieving learning outcome 2, a university-wide group of courses called "Intellectual Foundations" will be established within the general education curriculum. Furthermore, with the primary objective of achieving learning outcome 2, English will be a required subject with 4 credits among the foreign language courses.
With the primary objective of achieving learning outcome 3, a university-wide group of courses called "Problem-Solving Research" is included in the general education curriculum, fostering an attitude of independently identifying problems and striving to solve them.
The liberal arts courses "Human Foundations," "Intellectual Foundations," and "Problem-Solving Research" serve as first-year education, foundational education, transition education to active learning, and career development support education for university learning, forming the basis for learning outcome 5 through the achievement of learning outcomes 1, 2, and 4 and their connection to specialized education.
Learning Outcome 3, as an initiative toward active learning, will be part of the learning objectives for all subject groups and all courses. Furthermore, with the primary purpose of utilizing the learning outcomes, seminar-style courses will be included in specialized education subjects to facilitate small-group, interactive learning. A graduation seminar will be made compulsory in order to conduct a comprehensive evaluation of the learning outcomes.
The "General Education" subject group is established within the liberal arts curriculum with the primary objective of achieving learning outcome 4. Furthermore, the foundational specialized subjects in the first year also serve as a basis for achieving this learning outcome.
With the primary objective of achieving learning outcomes 5(1) and (2), introductory courses are offered in the first year, and three specialized courses are offered from the second year onward. Through lectures and group work, students deepen their knowledge in multiple fields, and then, through small-group seminars in the third and fourth years, they identify their own challenges and develop problem-solving and communication skills. Furthermore, with the primary objective of achieving learning outcome 5(3), specialized foreign language courses are offered from the first to the third year, and lectures and seminars conducted in English are offered in the second and third years, allowing students to deepen their academic knowledge while improving their foreign language proficiency.
The required credits for graduation and the method of coursework will be determined appropriately to ensure a balanced achievement of the learning outcomes stipulated in the degree awarding policy, while primarily focusing on the completion of specialized education subjects.

Applicable to students entering in the 2023 academic year.

With the primary objective of achieving learning outcomes 1-4, the curriculum includes general education subjects, foreign language subjects, and health and physical education subjects, with courses mainly allocated to the first and second years.
With the primary objective of achieving learning outcome 1, a university-wide group of courses called "Human Foundations" will be established within the general education curriculum. At its core, courses on the Bible and Christianity will be placed in the first and third years, with 4 credits required and 2 credits elective, respectively.
With the primary objective of achieving learning outcome 2, a university-wide group of courses called "Intellectual Foundations" will be established within the general education curriculum. Furthermore, with the primary objective of achieving learning outcome 2, English will be a required subject with 4 credits among the foreign language courses.
With the primary objective of achieving learning outcome 3, a university-wide group of courses called "Problem-Solving Research" is included in the general education curriculum, fostering an attitude of independently identifying problems and striving to solve them.
The liberal arts courses "Human Foundations," "Intellectual Foundations," and "Problem-Solving Research" serve as first-year education, foundational education, transition education to active learning, and career development support education for university learning, forming the basis for learning outcome 5 through the achievement of learning outcomes 1, 2, and 4 and their connection to specialized education.
Learning Outcome 3, as an initiative toward active learning, will be part of the learning objectives for all subject groups and all courses. Furthermore, with the primary purpose of utilizing the learning outcomes, seminar-style courses will be included in specialized education subjects to facilitate small-group, interactive learning. A graduation seminar will be made compulsory in order to conduct a comprehensive evaluation of the learning outcomes.
The "General Education" subject group is established within the liberal arts curriculum with the primary objective of achieving learning outcome 4. Furthermore, the foundational specialized subjects in the first year also serve as a basis for achieving this learning outcome.
Specialized education subjects are established with the primary objective of achieving learning outcome 5. Introductory subjects are included in the first-year specialized education curriculum with the primary objective of providing general foundational education related to these subjects.
The required credits for graduation and the method of coursework will be determined appropriately to ensure a balanced achievement of the learning outcomes stipulated in the degree awarding policy, while primarily focusing on the completion of specialized education subjects.

Admissions policy

Applicable to students entering in the 2025 academic year and beyond.

Faculty of International Studies accepts students based on the following criteria:

I strongly desire to understand Tohoku Gakuin University's educational program, which is based on the educational philosophy of "character education through Christianity" (including classes on the Bible and Christianity, and university worship services), and to learn collaboratively with diverse people while maintaining a sense of initiative. (A proactive attitude towards learning)
Having understood the educational philosophy, objectives, and content of Faculty of International Studies, I have an interest and motivation to learn about social phenomena related to globalization, and I strongly desire to engage in proactive learning to solve the various problems facing humanity and society. (A proactive attitude towards learning)
Through their studies in high school, students possess the fundamental knowledge and application skills equivalent to that of a high school graduate, which are necessary for studying in the Faculty of Faculty of International Studies. (Knowledge and Skills)
Students will be able to utilize the knowledge and skills acquired in high school, and use the required level of critical thinking and Japanese language proficiency to answer basic and general questions and problems related to university studies in both written and oral form. (Critical thinking, judgment, and expression skills)

For those who fall under any of the following categories, item 5 or 6 will be added to the evaluation.

Having achieved outstanding results in sports and cultural activities, I intend to contribute to the revitalization of extracurricular activities after enrolling at this university. (Knowledge/Skills / Proactive Learning Attitude)
As international students, returnees, and working professionals, they are striving to leverage their respective strengths in their university studies. (Knowledge/Skills / Proactive Learning Attitude)

Applicable to students entering in the 2023-2024 academic year.

Faculty of International Studies accepts students based on the following criteria:

Having understood Tohoku Gakuin University's educational philosophy of "character education based on Christianity" and its educational programs (such as classes on the Bible and Christianity, and university worship services), I strongly desire to study at this university. (Proactive attitude towards learning)
Having understood the educational philosophy, objectives, and content of Faculty of International Studies, I strongly desire to study in Faculty of International Studies. (Proactive attitude towards learning)
Through their studies in high school, they possess the fundamental knowledge necessary for studying in Faculty of International Studies. (Knowledge and Skills)
The English proficiency required to achieve this level is what is expected in the high school course "Communication English I". (Knowledge and skills)
Students will be able to answer basic and general questions and problems related to university studies, both in writing and orally, using the level of Japanese language proficiency that should be achieved in high school's "Comprehensive Japanese Language" course. (Thinking skills, judgment skills, and expression skills)
Having achieved outstanding results in sports and cultural activities, I intend to contribute to the revitalization of extracurricular activities after enrolling at this university. (Knowledge/Skills / Attitude towards Learning)
As international students, returnees, and working professionals, they are striving to leverage their respective strengths in their university studies. (A proactive attitude towards learning)

Assessment Policy for the "Three Teaching Principles" of Faculty of International Studies

Applicable to students entering in the 2023 academic year and onwards.

Faculty of International Studies (hereinafter referred to as "the Faculty") accurately grasps the achievement status of its three educational policies: the "Policy on Degree Conferral," the "Policy on Curriculum Development and Implementation," and the "Policy on Student Admissions." To utilize this information for improvement toward "quality assurance of education," the Faculty measures and evaluates educational outcomes from various perspectives (hereinafter referred to as "assessment") based on the following policies.

The assessment will be conducted on three policies: "Policy on degree awarding," "Policy on curriculum development and implementation," and "Policy on student admissions."
1. Regarding the "Degree Awarding Policy," the assessment will focus on the extent to which students are actually achieving the learning outcomes required by that policy, particularly the learning outcomes of "Policy 3" and "Policy 5."
2. Regarding the "Curriculum Organization and Implementation Policy," the assessment will primarily focus on whether appropriate educational content and methods are being provided to students in order to achieve the learning outcomes stipulated in the "Degree Awarding Policy."
3. Regarding the "Admissions Policy," the assessment will primarily focus on the extent to which new students possess the proactive learning attitude, the knowledge and skills necessary for learning in this faculty, and their thinking, judgment, and expression abilities, as required by the policy.
In assessments, while utilizing existing data within the university, new indicators must be continuously developed in collaboration with relevant organizations, primarily the Institutional Research Committee, to address the complexity and multifaceted nature of the assessment subjects.
The assessment must be conducted and compiled annually by the Faculty Review and Evaluation Committee, and the results, along with a comprehensive evaluation of the "Three Educational Policies," must be reported to the University-wide Review and Evaluation Committee.
Assessments will also be conducted for each subject.

Faculty of International Studies: "Organizational Policy for Faculty Members"

Faculty of International Studies will organize its full-time faculty based on the following principles:

The Faculty Faculty of International Studies is comprised of faculty members who primarily teach specialized subjects within the Faculty of Faculty of International Studies. However, when necessary for the implementation of the curriculum, they may also teach subjects other than those within the Faculty of Faculty of International Studies or subjects taught by other faculties.
The total number of full-time faculty members in Faculty of International Studies and the number of new hires will be determined by the University-wide Organization and Management Committee.
The composition of full-time faculty members by specialization and the plan for hiring new faculty members will be determined by the Faculty Council of the Faculty of Faculty of International Studies, in accordance with the Faculty of Faculty of International Studies' degree awarding policy, curriculum development and implementation policy, and the principles decided by the University-wide Organizational Management Committee.
The abilities and qualities required of full-time faculty members are outlined in the "Basic Policy for Faculty Recruitment at Tohoku Gakuin University," and the basic attitudes required are outlined in the "Basic Attitudes Expected of Faculty Members at Tohoku Gakuin University." Additionally, these are included in the recruitment policy when hiring new faculty members.
For the hiring of new full-time faculty members, the Faculty Council of the Faculty of Faculty of International Studies selects candidates based on the hiring policy, and with the approval of the Faculty Council of the Faculty of Faculty of International Studies, the Dean submits the application for review to the Faculty Qualification Review Committee.
With regard to full-time faculty positions, in accordance with the Faculty Qualification Review Regulations and related internal rules, the Dean shall submit a request for review to the Faculty Qualification Review Committee, subject to the approval of the Faculty Council at Faculty of International Studies.