Question & AnswerQ&A (Republic Act No. 11587)
The Occidental Mindoro State College (OMSC) located in the Municipality of San Jose, Province of Occidental Mindoro is converted into the Occidental Mindoro State University (OMSU).
The main campus of the Occidental Mindoro State University is located in Barangay Labangan, Municipality of San Jose.
The OMSU shall primarily provide advance instruction and professional training in various fields including education, engineering, science and technology, arts and humanities, information and communications technology, architecture, criminology, midwifery, accountancy, business administration, management, agriculture, forestry, and other relevant fields. It shall also undertake research, extension services, production activities, and support socioeconomic development and preservation of Tamaraws and indigenous peoples in Occidental Mindoro and the MIMAROPA region.
OMSU shall offer undergraduate and graduate courses within its competency and specialization across multiple fields such as education, engineering, science and technology, arts and humanities, among others, including reasonably sized laboratory schools if it has a College of Education.
The Board of Regents chaired by the Chairperson of the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) and cochaired by the President of OMSU. Members include chairpersons of Senate and House committees on education, regional directors of NEDA, DOST, and Agriculture, presidents of faculty, student, and alumni federations, and two prominent private citizens from Occidental Mindoro.
The Board can promulgate policies, approve curricula, appoint officials, fix salaries and tuition fees, adopt socialized tuition schemes, establish professional chairs, receive and appropriate funds, set admission policies, award honorary degrees, authorize construction projects, and promulgate rules necessary for OMSU's functions, among others.
The Board shall regularly convene once every three (3) months, with special meetings called as necessary.
The OMSU President is appointed by the Board for a four-year term and may be reappointed for another term. The first president can be the incumbent college president if qualified. Appointment is based on recommendations from a search committee.
OMSU shall enjoy academic freedom and institutional autonomy as provided under Paragraph 2, Section 5 of Article XIV of the Philippine Constitution.
Importations of economic, technical, and cultural books or publications certified by CHED are exempt from customs duties. Grants, bequests, endowments, donations, and contributions used exclusively by OMSU are exempt from donor's tax and deductible from the donor's gross income under the National Internal Revenue Code.
The conversion takes effect fifteen (15) days following its publication in the Official Gazette or a newspaper of general circulation.
Requirements include employing full-time permanent qualified faculty, offering comprehensive degree programs from post-secondary to doctoral levels, conducting viable research with outputs, having comprehensive learning resources and professional linkages, maintaining global-standard affiliations, and conducting outreach activities.
All assets, liabilities, personnel, and records of OMSC are transferred to OMSU. The positions and tenure of faculty and personnel are respected, and they remain until changed by the Board. Government land parcels held by OMSC become property of OMSU.
OMSU shall provide scholarships and affirmative action programs to assist poor but deserving students and shall not discriminate in admission based on gender, religion, cultural or community affiliation, physical disability, or ethnic origin.