ABSTRACT
As a result of societal change, university reform has been undertaken continuously in Japan over the past twenty years. The government has revised the regulatory framework relating to organizational and staffing structures so that universities may recruit diverse groups of professionals in different types of units. As the mission and activities of universities have expanded, academic faculty have been expected to fulfill demands that move beyond narrow definitions of teaching and research. As a result, support services have been developed, alongside a process of professionalization for staff. This has resulted in a blurring of the boundaries between academic faculty and non-academic staff. In Japan, academic faculty include professors, associate professors, lecturers, and assistant (professors). Other staff are categorized as non-academic. However, as is mentioned later, the distinction between academic faculty and non-academic staff has become less clear. The first section of this chapter discusses changing academic and professional structures, and the development of support services.
