• Outline of the event
• Implementation Report
• Inquiries

Outline of the event

A workshop is a “workshop”. In the process of discussing with “colleagues from other companies in the same industry (staff from other universities)”, new discoveries, deep realizations, and even human exchange networks that cannot be obtained from lectures are born! Please dress lightly and come with a carefree heart!

SD Workshop 2012

Venue

Campus Plaza Kyoto

Organizer

University Consortium Kyoto

Participation Fee

Consortium of Universities Kyoto member universities: 1,000 yen (per session)
Non-member universities: 2,000 yen (materials and snacks will be charged on the day of the project.) ）

How to Read Higher Education Policy ~The Direction of the University Reform Action Plan and the Response of Each University~

The “Implementation Plan for University Reform” announced in June 2012 is a highly effective plan that was examined by the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology as part of the University Reform Task Force, and is scheduled to be implemented at a rapid pace as a concrete policy. In this workshop, participants will understand the background and content of the plan, and will create an opportunity to think about how to use the direction presented by the plan in relation to the direction of reform at their own university.

Date & Time:

Saturday, November 17, 2012 13:00 ~ 17:00

Topic provided by

Shun Shirai (Assistant Director, University Promotion Division, Higher Education Bureau, Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology)

Teaching and Learning Management ~Measures to Secure Study Time~

The August 2012 report of the Central Council on Education, “Toward a Qualitative Transformation of University Education to Build a New Future,” proposes the establishment of independent learning by increasing and securing study time as a starting point. On the other hand, there are various issues that need to be examined in order to secure study time, such as the curriculum, the educational system, and the academic calendar. By sharing these issues and case studies, we will create opportunities to think about issues to improve the quality of education at our universities.

Date & Time:

Saturday, December 1, 2012 13:00 ~ 17:00

Topic provided by

Kazuyuki Ishizaka (Deputy Dean, Faculty of Education, Ritsumeikan University)

Student Support ~To Support Students Based on the Diverse Needs of Students~

In recent years, many universities and junior colleges have set up student counseling offices and support centers, and they have begun to respond to and support students with various needs, and we, the students and the staff who deal with them, are required to understand the needs and problems of students and to respond and support them appropriately. In this workshop, we would like to use this workshop as an opportunity to think about the kind of student support that is required today by sharing issues and case studies at each university, as well as understanding the students.

Date & Time:

Saturday, December 15, 2012 13:00 ~ 17:00

Topic provided by

Mr. Nao Umemoto (Counselor, Intaker, Student Counseling Office, Kyoto University of Foreign Studies, Kyoto University of Foreign Studies)

Workplace Revitalization ~Toward the creation of a rewarding work environment where the philosophy is shared~

In order for a university to provide value to society and stakeholders (or contribute to society) through its staff, it is important to foster a workplace culture in which individual employees can share their philosophy and vision, and lead a lively professional life with goals every day. In this workshop, we will consider initiatives that can be embodied at our university in order to create a vibrant work environment, such as sharing our philosophy, vision, and views on work, creating a place that fosters a lively workplace culture, and appropriate communication methods.

Date & Time:

Saturday

, December 22, 2012 13:00 ~ 17:00

Topic provided by

Mr. Hiroshi Yasuda (General Manager, Management Innovation Department, Kansai Productivity Center, Management Consultant)

Implementation Report

How to Read Higher Education Policy ~The Direction of the University Reform Action Plan and the Response of Each University~

In the workshop, Mr. Shirai gave a presentation on the outline and background of the “Action Plan for University Reform” announced by the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology in June 2012, and discussed the following topics: (1) how to think about the situation of Japanese universities from various perspectives in Japan and abroad, (2) how to view criticism of university governance from outside universities, and (3) consider the policy background of COC. We used a variety of materials, including newspaper reports, materials from the Central Council on Education, materials from the Council for Educational Revitalization, materials from the National Strategy Council, and proposals from the Japan Association of Corporate Executives, and we deepened our understanding through group discussions.

Participants commented, “It was very helpful to hear about higher education policy from various perspectives,” “It was a good opportunity to review the state of university education away from daily work,” and “It was very helpful to exchange opinions with people from other universities.”

Teaching and Learning Management ~Measures to Secure Study Time~

At the beginning of the session, Mr. Kazuyuki Ishizaka, Deputy Dean of the Faculty of Education, Ritsumeikan University, explained the social situation behind the “securing of learning time with quality” emphasized in the report of the Central Council of Education released in August 2012, “Toward a Qualitative Transformation of University Education to Build a New Future,” and explained the social situation and changes in the actual situation of students behind it, and introduced characteristic examples of universities that lead to securing study time. He explained how to manage teaching and learning to encourage independent learning.
Following the presentation of the topic, participants from five universities, junior colleges, and institutions participated in a small group discussion with Mr. Ishizaka, the speaker of the topic, and Mr. Yasuhiko Shimomura, General Manager of the Kyoto Junior College of Economics, who was in charge of moderating and facilitating. We discussed various case studies and exchanged opinions on initiatives for the development of basic academic skills at our home universities, care to prevent students from repeating or dropping out, mechanisms for learning from each other and their effects, and the definition of “study time.”

The institutions belonging to the workshop participants were not only different from junior colleges and four-year universities, but also small and medium-sized universities and large universities, colleges and universities, and comprehensive universities, and by listening to examples of other universities that have different environments from their own universities, it was an opportunity to reconsider the appropriate learning support and management methods according to the characteristics of each school.
Participants commented, “I felt that there was a limit to what we could do in terms of personnel and budget because it was a small university, but as we listened to the examples of large universities, we were able to feel the advantages of being small,” and “It was good that we were able to consider various educational issues that we had not had the opportunity to think about in depth while we were busy with administrative work on a daily basis.”

Student Support ~To Support Students Based on the Diverse Needs of Students~

First, after self-introductions and icebreakers by all participants, the speaker of the session, Mr. Nao Umemoto of Kyoto University of Foreign Studies, reported on the support for students with special needs that each university has been required to respond to in recent years, focusing on practical examples of Kyoto University of Foreign Studies, based on the historical process and the recent status of support.
Following the presentation, the participants were divided into two groups to share examples of student support at their respective universities and their awareness of issues as the person in charge.

There were a number of issues that are usually recognized as issues in the field of student support, such as “Is excessive support hindering the growth of students?”, “How to deal with cases where it is not possible to determine whether a student has special needs or not?”, and “To what extent should cooperation and information sharing be promoted between faculty, staff, and departments?”, and at the end, the opinions expressed by each group were summarized and presented by the representative of the participants.
There is no one right answer to how to support students, but I was able to deepen my understanding of the idea of “aiming for support that supports autonomy,” keeping in mind that individual students will eventually leave the workforce.
Participants commented, “I learned a lot from listening to practical examples from other universities,” and “I would like to see opportunities to talk about various examples of student support in the future, such as dealing with not only students with special needs needs, but also those who are less motivated to learn and students who tend to have problematic behavior in groups.”

Workplace Revitalization ~Toward the creation of a rewarding work environment where the philosophy is shared~

At the beginning of the session, after self-introductions and icebreakers by all participants, Mr. Hiroshi Yasuda, a management consultant and general manager of the Management Innovation Department of the Kansai Productivity Center, gave a topic.
Mr. Yasuda explained from the perspectives of (1) systems, (2) dialogue and communication, and (3) network building in order to make a collection of human resources function as an “organization” in order to revitalize the workplace, and also introduced specific examples of organizational initiatives. In response to the presentation, a participant asked, “There were many matters that organizations and supervisors should consider, but on the other hand, how can young employees and frontline staff contribute to the revitalization of the workplace?” and Mr. Yasuda commented, “It is important not to give up and to persistently continue to express opinions for the revitalization of the workplace.” In addition, in order to create an open workplace, he advised us to create an open office space and lower the barriers between workplaces and departments.

Following the presentation of the topics, the participants were divided into three groups and presented their recognition of issues for revitalizing the workplace, and examined what specific ideas could be taken.
Many positive comments were received from the participants, such as “It was helpful to hear various opinions through group work” and “I was able to reconfirm my own ideas and make new discoveries.” On the other hand, there were also opinions that should be considered for future management, such as “I would like to see a little more linkage between the topic provided in the first half and the content of the group work” and “There is room for improvement in the difference in the depth of discussion depending on the ability of the facilitator.” The secretariat would like to use it as a reference for the formulation of plans for the next fiscal year.

Inquiries

University Consortium Kyoto SD Project
TEL 075-353-9163　FAX 075-353-9101
〒600-8216 Shimogyo-ku, Kyoto-shi, Nishitoin-dori, Shiokoji, Shimo-ku, Kyoto, Campus Plaza Kyoto
* Business hours: Tuesday ~ Saturday 9:00 ~ 17:00 (excluding year-end and New Year holidays)