Conversion and institutional purpose
- The Surigao del Norte School of Arts and Trades in Surigao City and the Malimono School of Fisheries in the Municipality of Malimono, Surigao del Norte are integrated and converted into a chartered college known as the Surigao State College of Technology.
- The State College shall primarily provide higher vocational, professional, and technological instruction and training in agriculture, fisheries, engineering, and sciences, and shall provide short-term technical courses.
- The State College shall give primary consideration to the integration of research/studies for the development of the Province of Surigao del Norte.
- The State College shall offer undergraduate, graduate, and short-term technical courses within its specialization as the Board of Trustees deems necessary to meet the needs of the province.
High school transition under DECS
- The existing high school shall be transferred to the jurisdiction and supervision of the Department of Education, Culture and Sports.
- The high school is allowed to remain and operate within the State College campus until it is transferred to another location or until its students are accommodated in other public or private high schools.
Governing Board composition and governance
- The governing body is vested in a Board of Trustees.
- The Board of Trustees is composed of the following members:
- Chairman: the Chairman of the Commission on Higher Education (CHED).
- President of the College as vice chairman.
- The Chairmen of the Congressional Committees on Education and Culture.
- The Regional Director of the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) where the main campus is located.
- The Regional Director of the Department of Science and Technology (DOST).
- The President of the faculty association.
- The President of the supreme student council or the student representative elected by the student council; if no student council president or elected student representative exists, the College schedules one (1) week for campaign and election of a student representative.
- The President of the alumni association of the College.
- Two (2) prominent citizens chosen from a list of at least five (5) qualified persons in the city or province where the school is located, as recommended by a search committee constituted by the President in consultation with the CHED chairman based on normal standards and qualifications.
- The private sector representatives are appointed by the Board of Trustees upon recommendation of a duly constituted search committee.
- Term, meetings, and quorum rules apply as follows:
- Presidents of the faculty and alumni associations and the student regent or trustee sit until the expiration of their term in those capacities.
- The two prominent citizens serve for a term of two (2) years.
- The Board regularly convenes at least once every quarter; the chairman may call special meetings whenever necessary with written notice at least three (3) days prior.
- A majority of all members holding office constitutes quorum, provided the CHED chairman who is Board chairman or the College president is among those present.
- If the CHED chairman is absent, a duly designated CHED commissioner represents him with all rights and responsibilities of a regular member.
- In the absence of the CHED chairman, the College president (vice chairman) presides.
- The CHED chairman may designate a CHED commissioner as the regular chair, in which case the commissioner presides.
- Board members serve without compensation but are reimbursed for necessary expenses incurred in attendance or official business authorized by Board resolution.
Powers, duties, and fiscal rules
- The Board exercises specific powers and duties in addition to its general powers under Section 36 of Batas Pambansa Blg. 68 (Corporation Code of the Philippines).
- The Board must have the power to:
- Enact rules and regulations not contrary to law to carry out the College’s purposes and functions.
- Receive and appropriate sums provided for the support of the College.
- Receive in trust legacies, gifts, and donations of real and personal properties, administer and dispose them for the benefit of the College, and subject such dispositions to donor limitations, directions, and instructions, if any.
- Enjoy a tax treatment for such donations: donations are exempt from all taxes and are deductible items from the income tax of the donor.
- Fix tuition fees and other necessary school charges (including, but not limited to, matriculation fees, graduation fees, and laboratory fees) after due consultation with involved sectors.
- The Board must treat revenues and subsidies as follows:
- Tuition fees and other charges, including government subsidies and other income generated, constitute special trust funds deposited in an authorized government depository bank.
- Interest accruing forms part of the same fund for use of the College.
- Income generated from tuition fees and other charges, and from the operation of auxiliary services and land grants, is retained by the College and may be disbursed by the Board for instruction, research, extension, or other programs/projects of the College.
- Fiduciary fees must be disbursed for the specific purposes for which they are collected.
- If the College cannot pursue an appropriated project for reasons beyond its control, the Board may authorize use of appropriated funds for any reasonable purpose that is necessary and urgent for attainment of the College’s objectives and goals.
- The Board must have the power to:
- Adopt and implement a socialized scheme of tuition and school fees for greater access to poor but deserving students.
- Authorize construction or repair of buildings, machineries, equipment, and other facilities, and purchase/acquisition of real and personal properties and necessary supplies, materials, and equipment.
- Receive a tax/duty exemption for Board-entered purchases and transactions: purchases and transactions entered into through the Board are exempt from all taxes and duties.
- Appoint, upon recommendation of the president, vice presidents, deans, directors, heads of departments, faculty members, and other officials and employees.
- Fix and adjust salaries of faculty and administrative personnel subject to the Revised Compensation and Position Classification System and other pertinent budget and compensation laws on hours of service and other duties and conditions.
- Grant leaves of absence under regulations it promulgates, notwithstanding any contrary existing law, and remove personnel for cause in accordance with due process of law.
- Approve curricula, institutional programs, and rules of discipline drawn by the administrative and academic councils.
- Set policies on admission and graduation.
- Award honorary degrees for outstanding contributions in education, public service, arts, science and technology, or other fields within the College’s academic competence.
- Authorize award of certificates of completion of non-degree and nontraditional courses.
- Absorb non-chartered tertiary institutions within their provinces in coordination with the CHED and in consultation with the Department of Budget and Management, and offer needed programs/courses to promote equal access to educational opportunities mandated by the Constitution.
- Establish research and extension centers.
- Establish chairs and provide fellowships for qualified faculty members and scholarships to deserving students.
- Delegate powers and duties to the president and/or other officials to expedite administration.
- Authorize an external management audit financed by CHED and institute reforms, including academic and structural changes, based on audit results and recommendations.
- Collaborate with other governing boards of State universities and colleges within the province or region under CHED supervision and in consultation with the Department of Budget and Management to restructure them for greater efficiency, relevance, productivity, and competitiveness.
- Enter joint ventures with business and industry for profitable development and management of the College’s economic assets, with proceeds used for development and strengthening of the College.
- Develop consortia and other linkages with local government units, institutions, and agencies (public and private, local and foreign).
- Develop academic arrangements for institutional capability building and appoint experts/specialists as consultants or visiting/exchange professors, scholars, and researchers.
- Set adoption of modern and innovative modes of transmitting knowledge (including information technology, dual system, open learning, community laboratory, and similar modes) to promote greater access to higher education.
- Establish guidelines and procedures for participative decision-making and transparency within the College.
- Privatize, where most advantageous, management and nonacademic services such as health, food, building/grounds maintenance, property maintenance, and similar activities.
- Extend the term of the president beyond the age of retirement but not later than seventy (70), if performance is unanimously rated as outstanding and there is unanimous recommendation by the search committee.
Policy implementation and academic framework
- The Board shall promulgate and implement policies consistent with declared State policies on education and other pertinent provisions of the Philippine Constitution on education, science and technology, arts, culture and sports.
- The Board shall implement policies consistent with CHED policies, standards, and thrusts under Republic Act No. 7722.
- All institutions of higher learning, public and private, including the State College, enjoy academic freedom and institutional autonomy pursuant to paragraph 2, Section 5 of Article XIV of the Constitution of the Republic of the Philippines.
Presidency, boards, councils, and records
- The College administration is vested in the president of the College, who renders full-time service.
- The president is appointed by the Board of Trustees upon recommendation of a duly constituted search committee.
- The president has a term of four (4) years and is eligible for reappointment for another term, without adversely affecting the term of the incumbent.
- The president is assisted by a vice president for academic affairs appointed by the Board upon the vice president’s formers recommendation, without prejudice to appointment of more than one vice president when warranted.
- For presidential vacancy:
- If the president’s office becomes vacant due to death, resignation, removal for cause, or incapacity to perform the functions, the Board designates an officer-in-charge pending appointment of a new president.
- If the office of the president becomes vacant, the successor holds office for the unexpired term.
- The Board appoints a secretary who serves for both the Board and the College, keeps all records and proceedings of the Board, and communicates meeting notices to each Board member.
- The Treasurer of the Philippines serves ex officio as treasurer of the College.
- An Administrative Council exists, chaired by the president and composed of vice president(s), deans, directors, and other officials of equal rank; it reviews and recommends policies governing administration, management, and development planning for appropriate Board action.
- An Academic Council exists, chaired by the president and composed of all instructional staff with rank not lower than assistant professor; it reviews and recommends curricular offerings and rules of discipline for Board action, and it fixes requirements for admission and graduation and conferment of degrees subject to Board review and/or approval through the president.
Student and faculty protections
- The State College shall not deny admission to any student for reasons of sex, nationality, religion, political affiliation, or physical disability.
- No religious opinion or affiliation may be the matter of inquiry in the appointment of faculty members.
- Faculty members are prohibited from teaching for or against any particular church or religious sect.
- Faculty members are prohibited from attempting directly or indirectly, under penalty of dismissal by the Board of Trustees, to influence students or any person in the College towards any ideology, political or otherwise, that agitates the overthrow of the duly constituted government.
Operations reporting and CHED involvement
- The Board shall file with the Office of the President of the Philippines a detailed report on the College’s program, conditions, and needs on or before the fifteenth day of June of each year.
- The Commission on Higher Education (CHED) makes the appointment of the officer-in-charge pending the Board’s appointment of the president upon its composition.
Asset transfer, land disposition, and auditing
- Assets, fixed and movable, personnel, records, facilities, and liabilities/obligations of the Surigao del Norte School of Arts and Trades and Malimono School of Fisheries are transferred to the State College.
- Existing personnel positions, rights, and security of tenure under existing laws prior to absorption are not impaired.
- Incumbents remain in the same status until otherwise provided by the Board.
- Parcels of land belonging to the government occupied by the two absorbed schools are declared property of the Surigao State College of Technology and must be titled under the State College’s name.
- If the State College ceases to exist or is abolished, or if the land parcels are no longer needed by the State College, the parcels revert to the Province of Surigao del Norte.
- All accounts and expenses of the College are audited by the Commission on Audit or its duly authorized representative.
Loan/transfer of government resources and affiliations
- Heads of bureaus and offices of the national government are authorized, upon request of the president, to loan or transfer apparatus, equipment, or supplies needed by the State College and to detail employees for duty there when, in the judgment of the bureau or office, the apparatus/equipment/supplies or services can be spared without serious detriment to public service.
- Detailed employees perform duties required by the president, and the time so employed counts as part of their regular service.
- The State College maintains a continuing policy to accept affiliation and/or integration of existing national schools whose programs contribute largely and effectively to attaining the College’s objectives.
- For integration, the CHED chairman determines and approves the specific existing national schools to integrate into the College, and integration transfers all funds, properties, other assets, and obligations of integrated schools to the College.
Land endowment/expropriation coordination directive
- The Bureau of Lands, the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources, and the Bureau of Forest Management must coordinate with the Surigao State College of Technology for the endowment and/or expropriation of at least five hundred hectares out of the alienable and disposable areas of the Province of Surigao del Norte and of the City of Surigao for the State College’s agricultural, forestry, and fishery programs.
Appropriations and continuing funding
- Funding to carry out the Act is charged against the current-year appropriations of the Surigao del Norte School of Arts and Trades and Malimono School of Fisheries, except the sum needed to continue operations of the existing high school.
- After that initial charging, necessary amounts for continued operation and maintenance of the State College are included in the annual General Appropriations Act.
Repeal and effect of conflicting laws
- All laws, presidential decrees, executive orders, rules and regulations contrary to or inconsistent with Republic Act No. 8650 are repealed, amended, or modified accordingly.