What is a University System?
A University System, as defined in CHED Memorandum Order, is an organized academic entity composed of separate but interrelated units, at least one of which has university level status. A single board responsible for the formulation of system-wide policies and programs governs a University System. The System shall have the general powers of a corporation set forth in the Corporation Law. A University System must have a clearly defined organization that is governed primarily by the Board and by a set of officers, both system-wide and for each constituent unit.
The Governing Board (known as the Administrative Board of the SPUSystem) has full powers of organization and governance of the System and is vested with the responsibility of formulating policies common to all units of the System. The exercise of the university's corporate power is also vested exclusively in the board.
The System Administration shall coordinate and integrate system-wide functions and activities. The University System's Chief Executive Officer (CEO) and head of the System Administration, SPUSystem Chancellor, is appointed diretly by and is responsibile to the governing board. The Chief Executive is responsible for the implementation of policies approved by the governing board and the administration of all operations of the University System.
The Academic Senate of the University System passes on all academic policies for recommendation to the governing board and which would be applicable to all units of the System, from the admission to the graduation of students, their discipline and courses of study.
Each constituent unit or member school in the University System will have its own University Council (also known as Academic Team in SPU), analogous as to composition and function to the system-wide Academic Senate. It shall appoved the recommendation to the governing board all academic policies which would be applicable only to the unit but which are consistent with system-wide policies.
To be a Constituent Unit of the University System, a college or university shall have at least fifty percent (50%) of its tertiary program offerings have Level II accreditation and has more than fifty percent (50%) of its student population is at the tertiary level. Each unit will have its own CEO (known as President in SPU) to whom broad powers shall be delegated by the board for the organization and operation of the constituent unit.
For more understanding of how a University System Title is granted to Higher Education Institutions (HEI), please refer to CHED Memorandum Order No. 2003_08.