Section 15Sec./Art. 15

Powers and Duties of the Board. The administration of the BatStateU and the exercise of its corporate powers are vested in the Board, which shall have the following specific powers and duties in addition to its general powers of administration and the exercise of all the powers granted to the board of directors of a corporation under Section 35 of Republic Act No. 11232;

(a) Define in general terms the academic thrusts and institutional goals of the BatStateU and adopt broad policy guidelines to ensure effective implementation;

(b) Preserve the integrity of the BatStateU;

(c) Approve the instruction, merger or abolition of academic programs, upon recommendation of the University's Academic Council through the President of the BatStateU;

(d) Create, organize, reorganize, merge or abolish constituent campuses, extension campuses, colleges, institutes and other academic and administrative units of the BatStateU;

(e) Approve the curricula, institutional programs, and rules on student discipline drawn by the Administrative and Academic Councils as herein provided;

(f) Approve the rules on student discipline recommended by the Academic Council through the President of the BatStateU, with the Board retaining the power to review ad pass final judgment on student disciplinary cases;

(g) Approve the graduation of students and grant of honors as recommended by the Academic Council through the President;

(h) Appoint, upon the recommendation of the President of the BatStateU, faculty members and other officials and employees in accordance with the compensation and position classification system; to draw up a position classification and compensation plan for its faculty and staff, subject to the review and approval of the Department of Budget and Management (DBM); to fix and adjust salaries and benefits of the faculty members and other employees in accordance with the compensation and classification system; to determine the hours of service of faculty and staff, and such other terms and conditions of employment as it may deem proper; to grant leave of absence under such regulations as it may promulgate, any other provisions of law to the contrary notwithstanding; and to remove them for cause as provided by law after due investigation and proper hearing;

(i) Fix the tuition fees and other necessary school charges as the Board may deem proper to impose, after due consultation with the s the students concerned.

Such fees and charges, including government support and other income generated by the BatStateU, shall constitute its special trust funds, and shall be deposited in any authorized government depository bank. All interest shall accrue therefrom shall form part of the same funds for the use of the BatStateU.

Any provision of existing law, rule or regulation to the contrary notwithstanding, any income generated and collected by the BatStateU or by its subsidiaries, as well as from operation of auxiliary services and land grants, shall be retained by the BatStateU and may be disbursed by the Board for instruction, research, extension services or other programs or projects of the BatStateU; for the professional growth and development, health, welfare, and other benefits of the studnets, faculty members and administrative personnel; for the acquisition, construction, maintenance and repair of needed instructional and auxiliary facilities, equipment, buildings and other infrastructure; development of economic assets, and for expenses necessary for the attainment of its purposes under its approved program of expenditures.

If the BatStateU, for reasons beyond its control, shall not be able to pursue any project or purpose for which funds have beed appropriated and allocated under its approved program of expenditures, the Board may authorize the use of the said funds for any reasonable purpose which, in its discretion, may be necessary and urgent for the attainment of the objectives of the BatStateU, including utilization for the professional growth, and other benefits of the students, faculty members and administrative personnel;Provided,That trust funds created by law for a specific purpose, other than special trust funds constituted herein, shall not be reprogrammed to other expenditures;

(j) Adopt and implement a socialized scheme of tuition and other school fees for greater access of poor but deserving students in accordance with Republic Act No. 10931 or the "Universal Access to Quality Tertiary Education Act";

(k) Receive and appropriate sums as may be provided by law for the support of the BatStateU, and all other sums in the manner it may, in its discretion, determine to carry out the purposes and functions of the BatStateU;

(l) Set policies on admission and graduation of students;

(m) Award honorary degrees upon persons in recognition of learning, statesmanship, or eminence in the field of engineering, science, technology, education, public service or in any field of specialization within the academic competency of the BatStateU, upon recommendation of a committee created by the President of the BatStateU:Provided,That such degrees shall not be conferred in consideration of any payment, gift or other valuable consideration;

(n) Establish research and extension centers to promote the development of the BatStateU;

(o) Authorize its faculty and staff to travel abroad to study, deliver papers, attend conferences and disseminate research:Provided,That the fellowship, scholarship or grant is authorized by the Board:Provided, further,That research and other activities funded by the BatStateU shal likewise undertake research in fields or topics with promising commercial applications, and that the faculty and staff involved in said research be allowed to participate in its financial or economic benefits, subject to existing rules and regulations;

(p) Provide fellowships, scholarships and grants, including athletic grants and to award the same to faculty, staff and students having special evidence of merit, especially those who are poor and deserving individuals;

(q) Develop academic arrangements for institutional capability building with appropriate institutions and agencies, whether public, private, local or foreign, and appoint experts or specialist as consultants, part-time, visiting or exchange professors, scholars, and researchers, as the case may be;

(r) Develop consortia and other economic forms of linkages with local government units, as well as public, private, local or foreign institution and agencies for the furtherance of the purposes and objectives of the BatStateU;

(s) Enter into joint ventures or public-private partnerships (PPPs) with business and industry for the profitable development and management of the economic assets, the proceeds of which shall be used for the development and strengthening of the BatStateU, and for the professional growth and development, health, welfare, and other benefits of the students, faculty members and administrative personnel;

(t) Receive in trust, legacies, gifts and donations of real and personal properties of all kinds and administer and dispose the same, when necessary, for the benefit of the BatStateU and subject to the limitations, discretion and instructions of the donor, if any;

(u) Extend the term of the President of the BatStateU beyond the age of retirement, but not beyond the age of seventy (70), based on the guidelines, qualifications and standards set by the Board:Provided,That the President's performance had been rated by the Board as outstanding and a unanimous recommendation for such extension has been decided upon by the search committee;

(v) Elect the President of the BatStateU following a process of democratic consultation with the university community based on standards and guidelines set by the Board;

(w) Extend with their consent, the tenure of faculty members of the BatStateU beyond the compulsory retirement age, any other provision of law to the country notwithstanding, on recommendation of the units and upon endorsement of the President of the BatStateU, whenever their services are especially needed:Provided,That no extension of tenure shall be made beyond the age of seventy (70);

(x) Authorize the construction or repair of its buildings, machinery, equipment and other facilities, and the purchase and acquisition of real property, including the necessary supplies, materials and equipment;

(y) Delegate any of its powers and duties provided to the President or other officials of the BatStateU, as it may deem appropriate, so as to expedite the administration of the affairs of the BatStateU;

(z) Prescribe rules for its own government and discipline of the faculty and other personnel and to enact for the governance of the BatStateU such general policies, rules and regulations, not contrary to law, as are consistent with its purposes;

(aa) Where most advantageous to the BatStateU, privatize the management of nonacademic services such as health, food, building or grounds or property maintenance, and such other similar activities;

(bb) Develop mechanisms for the efficient adoption of PPPs in the areas of research, instruction, extension and in the acquisition of facilities and structures of the BatStateU; and

(cc) Promulgate rules and regulations, as may be necessary, to carry out the purposes and functions of the BatStateU.