AN ACT ESTABLISHING THE UNIVERSITY OF RIZAL SYSTEM BY INTEGRATING THE EXISTING STATE COLLEGES IN THE PROVINCE OF RIZAL

Case Overview and Summary

Summary of Republic Act No. 9157:

Establishment of the University of Rizal System
- Integrates existing state colleges and Rizal Technological University-Antipolo Annex in Rizal Province into the University of Rizal System (Section 1)
- Main campus to be determined by the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) (Section 1)

Objectives and Functions
- Offer higher professional and technical instructions, promote research, extension, and production services (Section 2)
- Maintain a laboratory school and adopt public elementary and secondary schools as pilot centers (Section 3)
- Open new branches/annexes in consortium with other academic institutions within Rizal Province (Section 4)

Governing Body: Board of Regents
- Composition and membership (Section 5)
- Powers and duties, including enacting rules and regulations, receiving funds and donations, fixing tuition fees, authorizing construction and repairs, appointing officials and employees, approving curricula, awarding degrees, absorbing non-chartered institutions, establishing research and extension centers, entering joint ventures, and privatizing non-academic services (Section 7)

Administration
- President as chief administrator, appointed by the Board for a 4-year term (Section 9)
- Administrative Council to review and recommend policies (Section 10)
- Academic Council to prescribe curricular offerings, admission and graduation requirements, and exercise disciplinary powers over students (Section 11)

Other Provisions
- No discrimination in admission based on sex, nationality, religion, or political affiliation (Section 14)
- No religious test for faculty appointment (Section 15)
- Annual report to the President and Congress (Section 16)
- Transfer of assets, personnel, and records from integrated institutions (Section 17)
- Auditing by the Commission on Audit (Section 18)
- Funding from current appropriations of integrated institutions and subsequent inclusion in the General Appropriations Act (Section 20)
- Repeal of inconsistent laws (Section 21)
- CHED empowered to define and design the reorganization process within one school year (Section 22)
- Separability clause (Section 23)
- Effectivity 15 days after publication in the Official Gazette (Section 24)