著者

トロイヤー M.E 原 一雄 原 喜美 田中 清彦

出版者

国際基督教大学

雑誌

国際基督教大学学報. I-A, 教育研究 (ISSN:04523318)

巻号頁・発行日

vol.19, pp.65-114, 1976-03

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Aiming to discover the impact that ICU has had on its alumni, a questionnaire was mailed to all alumni whose addresses were available. Out of approximately 2200, 547 or approximately 25% were returned. Alumni evaluation of their international expriences at ICU indicates that it has bee extraordinarily useful and important. This includes language training, the library, experience with an international faculty, students and program and life in inter-national dormitories. These aspects have been successful far beyond reasonable expectations. ICU is thus well prepared for continued leadership in meeting emerging challenges of education with orientation to crucial global problems. Major studies, general education, interaction with the faculty, academic advisement, finacial and work experiences are rated "adequate," "very" or "especially" useful by a large portion of the alumni. This would seem to be a very creditable achievement, for all of these aspects of the ICU program are quite unique in the higher education of Japan. The minority of alumni who found them of "little" or "no" use provides a solid challenge for improvement. Compared with other aspects of the ICU program, religious experience on the campus has a low rating. But there are reasons to believe that in a predominantly non-Christian society and student body the ICU religious life and program on the campus has great strength. It faces the ubiquitous problem of keeping dialogue open with disinterested critical and disaffected students without intimidating or pressuring them. Effective placement of half of the graduates of a new university in Japan is a creditable achievement. But the other half, not satisfactorily placed, leaves no room for complacency. Extra-curricular cultural and recreational clubs are rated as "adequate," "very" or "especially" useful by a substantial majority of alumni. The absence of student goverment during the past six years seems to indicate that all constituencies underestimate their potential contribution to major objectives of ICU. Increasingly alumni have come to see little or no use in student government or the newspaper, though most of them are inclined to regard them with some importance. In 1949, ICU was projected as an international, Christian institution with the highest academic standards. It was to be a laboratory where adminstration, faculty and students could study and experience the values and process of democracy and Christian brotherhood. It has been outstandingly successful in some respects, moderately successful in other respects and disappointingly unsuccessful in a few respects. The nature of ICU's strengths and weaknesses are revealed in many dimensions by this study. ICU as a venture in higher education has prepared its constituencies to move into the second quarter century with courage, resourcefulness and enlightenment to strengthen what has proven uniquely useful, to improve what has been moderately successful, to cope with what has been its greatest weaknesses, to continue its commitment to purposes of abiding significance and to accept new challenges unique to time and place. This is both an opportunity and responsibility of all constituencies. The main challenge is to the faculty and administration. But it is, in some important respect, a responsibility of students. Some of the weaknesses revealed by alumni may indeed be the result of their disinterest or efforts to avoid that which they later regarded as very useful and important. Finally the future of ICU depends in great part on policies of the trustees built on familiarity with the strengths, weaknesses and potential of the institution.