Outdated, irrelevant and unfit for the university. The century-old UP charter should be replaced.

�UP students should push for a pro-people, pro-student university Charter,� urged University of the Philippines (UP) Student Regent James Mark Terry Ridon in a forum last Jan. 24.

The three-hour discussion, which was held at the UP-College of Mass Communication Auditorium, tackled controversial provisions on the new charter for the premier state university. The University Student Regent said: �There�s no debate with the need to change the century-old UP Charter.� The debate lies whether the new charter for UP will make it globally competitive or not, he added.

Ridon stressed four glaring differences between the two versions of the proposed measure. The House version, House Bill No. 2843, was jointly authored by Paranaque Rep. Eduardo Zialcita,Bayan Muna Rep. Teddy Casino and Sen. Francis Escudero. Its Upper House counterpart, Senate Bill No. 1964, was filed by Sen. Francis Pangilinan.

On the other hand, the Zialcita-Casino-Escudero bill seeks to add student consent on its provisions, the Student Regent mentioned. �Consent is necessary to prevent a repeat of the 300 percent tuition increase railroaded by the BOR two years ago.�

House version also stresses the consultation with all sectors concerned before embarking on selling, leasing and conversion of idle land assets of the university, he noted. However, the Senate version entrusts the management of land grants and real properties of the university solely to the BOR. This is the second difference between the two bills that Ridon mentioned. �The consultation checks abuse of power and it also ensures that all programs are consistent to UP�s academic mission.�

The Pangilinan bill,first filed in 2003, also seeks to give the Bankers Association of the Philippines (BAP) the power to manage university funds. �This act is clear intrusion into the institutional autonomy of the state university,� Ridon noted. On the other hand, the alternative House bill has no provision regarding the management of university funds.

The Senate version, which has no provision on the creation of consultative assemblies, makes the BOR the ultimate policy maker of the university, the Student Regent said. He added: �The House version, on the other hand, has a specific provision regarding the role and function of consultative assemblies.� Consultative assemblies will serve as a mechanism for check and balance on the powers of the BOR.

�The University of the Philippines is a huge academic institution.� Ridon said. Wide and equal representation should be ensured in the university policy making process, the Student Regent also commented.

The forum was organized by the League of the Filipino Students (LFS) and Union of Journalists in the Philippines-UP Chapter (UJP-UP).

Four days later, the two proposed laws were reconciled and approved by the Bicameral Conference Committee in a closed door meeting. The consolidated bill seeks to strengthen UP as the �national university.� The jointly approved measure will reduce the 12-member BOR to 11. A staff regent, which represents the administrative, research, extension and professional staff of the university, will be also included in the policy making body.