Question & AnswerQ&A (Republic Act No. 7686)
The main purpose of Republic Act No. 11783 is to convert the Bulacan Agricultural State College (BASC) in the Municipality of San Ildefonso, Province of Bulacan, into a state university known as the Bulacan State Agricultural University (BSAU), and to appropriate funds for its operation.
The BSAU is mandated to primarily provide advanced instruction and professional training in agriculture, forestry, veterinary medicine, agricultural engineering, geodetic engineering, fisheries, education, science and technology, arts and humanities, information and communications technology, and other relevant fields of study.
The Board of Regents is the governing body of the BSAU chaired by the Chairperson of the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) and co-chaired by the President of the BSAU. It includes members from the Senate, House of Representatives, regional directors of NEDA, DOST, and Department of Agriculture, federation presidents of faculty, students, alumni, and two prominent private citizens. The Board exercises corporate powers such as policy-making, approving curricula, appointing officials, fixing salaries and fees, awarding honorary degrees, and other administrative duties.
The President of the BSAU is appointed by the Board based on a search committee's recommendation, must render full-time service with a term of four years and may be reappointed for another term. The incumbent BASC President, if qualified, shall serve as the first President. The salary follows the Salary Standardization Law.
The BSAU enjoys academic freedom and institutional autonomy pursuant to paragraph 2, Section 5 of Article XIV of the 1987 Philippine Constitution.
The conversion becomes effective only upon determination by CHED, based on a panel of experts' recommendation, that the institution has substantially complied with CHED Memorandum Order No. 46, 2012 requirements for university status, including faculty qualifications, curricular offerings, viable research programs, learning resources, international linkages, and outreach activities.
The Board may fix tuition, matriculation, graduation, laboratory fees, and other charges. Fees and income constitute the university's special trust funds, used for instruction, research, extension, and other programs. The Board may adopt a socialized scheme of tuition and fees for poor but deserving students as per Republic Act No. 10931.
All positions, rights, and security of tenure of faculty and personnel employed prior to conversion shall be respected and incumbents shall remain in the same status until otherwise provided by the Board, ensuring continuity and protection of employment rights after conversion.
The importation of economic, technical, and cultural books or publications for educational purposes by the BSAU are exempt from customs duties upon CHED certification, and all grants, donations, gifts, and bequests made to and used for educational purposes by the BSAU are exempt from donor's tax and deductible from the donor's gross income under the National Internal Revenue Code.
The Administrative Council reviews and recommends policies on administration, management, and development planning of the BSAU, while the Academic Council formulates academic policies, recommends curricular offerings and student discipline rules, fixes admission and graduation requirements, and exercises disciplinary power over students, subject to the Board's approval.