QuestionsQuestions (Republic Act No. 9402)
Republic Act No. 9402 converts Laguna State Polytechnic College into a state university known as the Laguna State Polytechnic University.
The main campus shall be in Sta. Cruz, Laguna.
It includes the LSPC Siniloan Campus (Siniloan), LSPC Sta. Cruz Campus (Sta. Cruz), LSPC Los Baños Campus (Los Baños), LSPC San Pablo City Campus (San Pablo City), and satellite campuses in Cabuyao, Nagcarlan, and Sta. Cruz Sports Complex.
To primarily provide advanced education, professional, technological and vocational instruction in fields such as agriculture, fisheries, forestry, science, engineering, industrial technologies, teacher education, medicine, law, arts and sciences, information technology, and other related fields; and to undertake research and extension services while providing progressive leadership in its specialization areas.
Existing high schools are transferred to the jurisdiction and supervision of DepEd, but they may remain and operate within the university campus until the existing students complete high school.
The University may operate a reasonably-sized laboratory school.
Administration and corporate powers are vested exclusively in the Board of Regents and the president of the University.
The chairperson of CHED is the chair. Other members include the University president (vice chair), Senate education committee chair, House higher/technical education committee chair, NEDA regional director, DOST regional director, presidents of faculty, student, and alumni federations, and two prominent private-sector citizens from Laguna.
The Board appoints them from a list of at least five qualified persons in Laguna recommended by a search committee constituted by the University president, in consultation with the CHED chairperson and other Board members.
They serve for a term of two years from the date of appointment.
Examples include: (1) fixing tuition fees and other school charges after due consultations; and (2) receiving and appropriating sums for the support of the University (and other listed powers such as approving curricula, granting honorary degrees, establishing research/extension centers, etc.).
Tuition and necessary school charges, including government subsidies and other income, are treated as special trust funds deposited in an authorized government depository bank; interests form part of those funds. Income generated by the University from tuition fees and other charges and from auxiliary services and land grants is retained by the University and may be disbursed by the Board for instruction, research, extension, or other programs/projects, with fiduciary fees disbursed only for the purposes collected.
The Board convenes at least once every quarter; special meetings may be called with three days prior written notice. Quorum is a majority of all Board members holding office at the time, but the chairperson of the Board or the president must be present.
The president is appointed by the Board upon recommendation of a duly constituted search committee, serving full-time, for a term of four years and eligible for reappointment. For smooth transition, the incumbent LSPC president—if qualified—shall serve as the first president of the University.
The Treasurer of the Philippines is the ex officio treasurer of the University.
Faculty appointments cannot consider political beliefs, gender preference, cultural/community affiliation, ethnic origin, or religious opinion/affiliation as a matter of inquiry, and no member of the faculty shall teach for or against any particular church or religious sect. Student admission cannot be denied due to sex, religion, cultural/community affiliation, or ethnic origin.
All assets, personnel, records, and liabilities/obligations of LSPC are transferred to the University; faculty and personnel’s positions and security of tenure under existing laws are respected. Government parcels of land occupied by LSPC become property of the University, to be titled under its name; if the University ceases or land is no longer needed, the land reverts to the concerned LGUs.
Prepare and submit a five-year development plan with corresponding program budget to CHED for recommendation to DBM; undergo a management audit in cooperation with CHED; and set up its organizational, administrative, and academic structure, including appointment of key officials.
Republic Act No. 8292, the Higher Education Modernization Act of 1997, is integral and serves as part of the governing charter.