Section 7Sec./Art. 7

Powers and Duties of the Board. - In additional to its general powers of administration and the powers granted to the Board of Directors of a corporation under existing laws, the Board shall have the following specific powers and duties:

(a) Promulgate and implement policies in accordance with the declared State policies on education, other pertinent provisions of the Constitution on education, agriculture, science and technology, and the policies, standards and thrusts of the CHED under Republic Act No. 7722, otherwise known as the Higher Education Act of 1994, and also in accordance with the policies, standards and programs of the TESDA, under Republic Act No. 7796, otherwise known as the "TESDA Act of 1994";

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

(c) Appoint, upon the recommendation of the President of the ZSPSC, the vice presidents, chancellors, deans, directors, heads of the campuses, faculty members, and other officials of the ZSPSC;

(d) Fix the tuition fees and other necessary school charges, such as matriculation fees, graduation fees, and laboratory fees, as the Board may deem proper to impose, after due consultation with the concerned sectors. The fees and charges, including govenrment subsidies and other income generated by the ZSPSC, shall constitute its funds to be used exclusively in the pursuit of its mandate as a state college, and shall be deposited in any authorized govenrment depository bank. All interests that shall accrue therefrom shall form part of the same funds for the use of the ZSPSC;

The fees and charges collected by the ZSPSC, including govenrment subsidies and proceeds from other income sources, as well as interests that would accrue therefrom shall be retained by the College: Provided, That in no case shall the said income be used for the payment of allowances and other benefits not authorized by law: Provided, further, That all fiduciary fees shall be disbursed for the specific purposes for which they were collected.

Notwithstanding any provision of law to the contrary, the Board may authorize, for such reasonable and legal purposes for which it deems necessary and urgent for the attainment of the objectives of the ZSPSC, the use of: (i) any unexpended balance whose fiduciary character has been ipso facto removed pursuant to the grant of subsidy under R No. 10931, otherwise known as the "Universal Access to Quality Tertiary Education Act"; and/or (ii) any appropriation for any project under the duly approved program of expenditures of the ZSPSC, for reasons beyond its control, would not be able to pursue: Provided, That funds collected from student for specific purposes shall not be realigned or reprogrammed to other expenditures;

(e) 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;

(f) Establish professional chairs in the ZSPSC and provide fellowships for qualified faculty members, and scholarships to deserving students;

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

(h) Set the policies on admission and graduation of students;

(i) Award honorary degrees upon persons in recognition of their outstanding contribution in the fields of education, public service, arts, science and technology, agriculture or any field of specialization within the academic competency of the ZSPSC, and authorize the awarding of certificates of completion of nondegree and nontraditional courses;

(j) 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 or researchers, as the case may be;

(k) Adopt modern and innovative modes of transferring knowledge to allow greater access to education such as the use of information technology, online programs, the dual training system, open distance learning, and community laboratory;

(l) Absorb non-chartered tertiary institutions within the Province of Zamboanga del Sur and Zamboanga Peninsula as branches, extension or external centers, in coordination with the CHED and in consultation with the Department of Budget and Management (DBM), and offer therein programs or courses to carry out the constitutional mandate of providing equal access to educational opportunities;

(m) Authorize an external management audit of the ZSPSC, to be financed by the CHED, subject to the rules and regulations of the Commission on Audit, and institute reforms, including academic and structural changes, on the basis of the audit results and recommendations;

(n) Develop consortia and other economic forms of linkages with local government units, as well as public, private, local or foreign institutions and agencies, in the furtherance of the purposes and objectives of the ZSPSC;

(o) Import books or publications, instruments, equipment, and apparatuses for economic, technical-vocational, scientific, medical, philosophical, historical, legal or cultural purposes;

(p) Enter into joint ventures with business and industry, after consultation with the DEPDev, for the profitable development and management of economic assets, the proceeds of which shall be used for the development and strengthening of the ZSPSC;

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

(r) Extend the term of the President of the ZSPSC 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 has been rated by the Board as outstanding and a unanimous recommendation for such extension has been decided upon by the Search Committee;

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

(t) Establish policy guidelines and procedures for participative and transparent decision-making within the ZSPSC;

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

(v) 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; and

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