Individual faculty evaluations are extremely important for improving the quality and revitalization of the educational, research and other activities at Hiroshima University. The evaluations are also expected to be used as an opportunity for the faculty to exchange constructive advice with each other.

Hiroshima University’s goal is “to become one of the top 100 Universities in the world in 10 years.” One of the measures we need to overcome is our challenge of “being understaffed in the number of active researchers.” We need to help the entire faculty understand their own research abilities and properly evaluate and respect outstanding researchers. In addition, another step we need to take is to clarify any issues that inactive faculty members have and to help them improve their activities.

To achieve that goal, as explained later, we have decided to introduce an individual evaluation system, using a scoring system for faculty activities (not limited to research activities, but including overall faculty activities). The evaluation has begun in 2014 for science departments and schools (science, engineering, agriculture, and medicine), and in 2015 for humanities, social sciences, education, and other arts departments and schools.

Basic principles of the individual faculty evaluation system

The University’s individual faculty evaluation system has been established based on the following principles

• It is designed to improve the quality of various activities of the University and to fulfill its social responsibilities;
• It is designed to allow the faculty members to fulfill their duties and act autonomously to make efforts to improve their quality;
• It is designed to promote autonomous activities of individual faculty members and also to contribute to the improvement of organizational activities;
• It is designed to establish and maintain an environment where faculty members can exercise their full potential;
• The evaluation standards are designed to ensure objectivity and fairness; and
• The evaluation system will be improved and enhanced over time.

Methods of individual faculty evaluation and impact of results

• Annual activity evaluation
  Each faculty member will prepare a “Faculty Activity Status Report” stating the educational activities, research activities, the status of acquisition of external funds, social contribution activities (including medical care), and administrative activities undertaken for the university during the previous year and makes a self-evaluation.
• Scoring of faculty activities
  Each faculty member is scored according to the Score Table set out by each department or school based on the "Faculty Activity Status Report."
• Impact of results
  The results will be reflected in the faculty member’s promotion and performance bonus (or annual salary, for faculty to whom the annual salary system applies).