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RULES AND REGULATIONS IMPLEMENTING
OPEN UNIVERSITY GRADUATE PROGRAMS *
ARTICLE I
Title and Purpose
Section 1. These Rules and Regulations shall be known
and cited as the Rules and Regulations Implementing
Open University Graduate Programs.
Sec. 2. These Rules and Regulations are hereby promulgated
to prescribe the procedures and guidelines for the implementation
of the graduate programs of the Open University in order
to facilitate the achievement of its objectives which
are enumerated in BOR Resolution No. 50-97.
ARTICLE II
Declaration of Policy
Section 1. It is hereby declared the policy of the
Open University to promote and protect the right of
Filipino citizens to quality education and shall take
appropriate steps "to make education accessible
to all." Toward this end, the Open University shall
develop, adopt and offer graduate degree programs in
the open and distance learning mode that are relevant
and responsive to the needs of the people and the society.
Sec. 2. It is likewise the policy of the Open University
to uphold CLSU's institutional vision by promoting the
"values of service and excellence" in its
open learning and distance education programs.
Sec. 3. It is also the policy of the Open University,
as a distinct unit with a separate academic program,
to undertake and maintain close working relationships
with all units of the university especially those with
whom it has collaborative academic endeavors to ensure
its smooth operation and the successful implementation
of its programs.
ARTICLE III
Definition of Terms
Section 1. Whenever used in these Rules and Regulations,
the following words or phrases shall mean or refer,
thus:
a. An Open University is an academic institution that
is open as to people, places, and methods. Its main
aim is to provide access to higher education to more
people, to bring education to them, wherever they live,
which in turn requires them to apply/adopt different
methods because they cannot achieve their aims through
traditional classroom teaching (Lord Crowther).
___________
* Approved by the CLSU Board of Regents during its 164th
Regular Meeting on September 16, 2005 through BOR Resolution
no. 56-2005.
b. The CLSU Open University (CLSU OU or OU) is the academic
unit created by the Board of Regents Resolution No.
50-97, which is mandated to offer graduate degrees in
the open and distance learning mode.
c. Distance Education (DE) is a mode of education delivery
whereby teacher and learner are separated in time and
space, and instruction is delivered through specially
designed materials and methods using appropriate technologies,
and supported by organizational and administrative structures
and arrangements (CHED).
d. The Distance and Open Learning Network (DOLNET)
is a national network consisting of SUCs, LGUs, NGOs
and GOs which the Open University seeks to establish
to provide support to the distance education program
of CLSU.
e. The Distance and Open Learning Centers (DOLCEN)
are units of the Distance and Open Learning Network
(DOLNET). These are the agencies and organizations,
like NGOs, GOs, LGUs, public high schools, and SCUs,
that will host or serve as venue for the offering of
curricular programs of the OU outside of CLSU.
f. Graduate degree programs refer to degree programs
at the post baccalaureate level including diploma, masters
and doctoral programs that are offered or that may be
offered by the Open University.
g. Open University Concept Paper is the basic CLSU
Open University document approved by the CLSU Board
of Regents through Resolution No. 50-97.
ARTICLE IV
Admission Requirements
Section 1. An applicant must have a bachelors degree
or its equivalent from a recognized institution if he/she
wishes to pursue a masters degree and a masters degree
or its equivalent if he/she desires to pursue a doctoral
degree.
Sec. 2 An applicant must submit the following requirements
to the Open University through the OU Registrar:
a. Duly accomplished application forms for admission.
b. Original or authenticated transcript of records
showing a grade point average (GPA) of at least 2.00
and 1.75, or their equivalents in bachelors degree/post-baccalaureate
and masters courses, respectively. An applicant with
GPA below the required minimum may be admitted on probationary
status upon the recommendation of the Department Chairperson
concerned and with the concurrence of the OU Director
after a thorough review of his/her ability to pursue
graduate work.
c. Two letters of recommendation from his/her former
professors and/or current supervisors.
d. Certificate of English Proficiency. A foreigner whose
native language is not English should pass an English
proficiency examination to be administered by the CLSU
Language Center or show proof of satisfactory rating
in a test of English as a foreign language.
e. Study permit issued by the Department of Foreign
Affairs of the Philippines if the applicant is a foreign
national.
ARTICLE V
Admission Procedure
Section 1. An applicant who is a Filipino shall accomplish
and submit to the OU Registrar OU Forms 1 & 2 and
for a foreign national, accomplish and submit OU Forms
1, 2, & 3 together with two copies of his/her most
recent 2"x2" color pictures.
Sec. 2. The Department Chairperson concerned evaluates
the applicant's records and recommends to the OU Director
the acceptance of the applicant to the program.
Sec. 3. The applicant is notified by the OU Director
of the status of his/her application to the program
he/she desires to pursue. In case of change of program
to be pursued, the applicant is required to go through
the entire application process.
Sec. 4. An applicant who is recommended for admission
by the Department Chairperson concerned and whose application
is approved by the OU Director qualifies for registration.
A system of on-line registration will be developed and
adopted.
ARTICLE VI
Advisory Committee
Section 1. The need for direction and guidance of a
graduate student as a researcher on training necessitates
the services of an Advisory Committee which shall be
chaired by a faculty from his/her major department.
Sec. 2. The Department Chairperson shall serve as the
student’s temporary adviser during his/her first
semester in the program.
Sec. 3. During his/her first semester in the program,
the student shall constitute his/her Advisory Committee,
which shall be composed of three members for the masters
degree, and five for the doctoral degree. In special
cases, an additional member may be tapped from outside
the university.
Sec. 4. For the masters students, two members of the
Advisory Committee must come from their major department
and one from their cognate field (minor courses).
Sec. 5. For the doctoral students, three of the Committee
members should come from their major department and
two from their cognate field (minor courses).
ARTICLE VII
Program of Study
Section 1. The program of study is a listing of courses
and other requirements to be taken or accomplished by
the student to enable him/her to earn the degree being
pursued.
Sec. 2. The program of study of a student shall be
prepared by him/her in consultation with his/her major
adviser before the end of the first semester in residence.
No student shall be allowed to enroll for the second
semester in the program without an approved program
of study.
Sec. 3. The program of study shall be approved by the
OU Director upon the recommendation of the student's
Advisory Committee and the Department Chairperson concerned.
Sec. 4. The members of the Advisory Committee, the
Department Chairperson and the Office of the OU Director
shall each be provided by the student with a copy of
the approved program of study.
Sec. 5. No change in the program of study shall be
made unless approved by the Advisory Committee.
Sec. 6. A change in the program of study refers to
any alteration in the content of the duly approved program
of study. This includes the addition, deletion, substitution
of courses, and change in number of units.
Sec. 7. The approved program of study cannot be changed
more than three times, except when the change is due
to a new curricular requirement, as prescribed by the
OU Graduate Council.
ARTICLE VIII
Course Work and Credit
Section 1. For the Master of Science in Rural Development
and Master of Science in Education degrees, the minimum
course requirement is 36 units consisting of 12 units
core courses, 12 units major courses, 6 units elective/cognate
courses, and 6 units thesis.
Sec. 2. For the Master of Professional Studies (MPS)
program, the minimum course requirement is a total of
46 academic units (consisting of 12 units core courses,
24 units major courses, and 6 units elective/cognate
courses) and 4 units apprenticeship.
Sec. 3. For the Master in Agribusiness Management program,
the minimum course requirement is 39 academic units
(consisting 12 units core courses, 16 units major courses,
6 units elective/cognate courses, 1 unit graduate seminar)
and 4 units case study.
Sec. 4. For the doctoral program, the minimum course
requirement is 48 units of course work (consisting of
12 units core courses, 21 units major courses, 6 units
cognate courses, and 9 units elective courses) and 12
units dissertation.
Sec. 5. The regular load of a student is 9 units per
semester and 6 units per summer term. Should part of
the student’s load be made up of "non-credit"
courses, i.e., undergraduate courses that are not intended
for graduate accreditation but which nonetheless are
required of a student to cover for deficiencies in his/her
academic preparation or required non-credit graduate
course, the maximum load is 12 units per semester and
9 units for summer term.
ARTICLE IX
Audit Courses
Section 1. Audit courses are complementary/enrichment/additional
courses that may be required of students who have not
adequately satisfied the academic requirements for their
chosen field of study or that which students desire
to enroll for their own reasons.
Sec. 2. A duly registered student may enroll in audit
courses which are designated by his/her major adviser.
An audit course must be entered officially in the enrolment
form of the student. It is subject to the payment of
P100.00 audit fee.
Sec. 3. A non-student of the University may be admitted
to audit a course after paying the audit fee and all
other school fees.
Sec. 4. Audit courses are not given grades or credits.
ARTICLE X
Non-Credit Courses
Section 1. A non-credit graduate course is any course
taken by an OU graduate student for which graduate credit
toward a degree is not allowed, either because it is
a pre-requisite or a requirement for admission to graduate
work.
Sec. 2. A non-credit graduate course is not counted
towards a degree but is subject to the payment of all
school fees.
ARTICLE XI
Grading System
Section 1. The academic performance of the OU graduate
student shall be evaluated in accordance with the following
grading system:
Excellent = 1.00
= 1.25
Very Good = 1.50
Good = 1.75
Satisfactory = 2.00
= 2.25
= 2.50
No Credit = 2.75
= 3.00
Failure = 5.00
Incomplete = INC.
D = Dropped
IP = In Progress
Au = Audit
Sec. 2. Any grade below 2.0 shall have no credit to
the degree program. To continue in the program, the
student should have a weighted average of 2.0 or better.
Sec. 3. The weighted average of a student shall be
computed based on all the courses taken by the student
in his/her approved program of study. Nine (9) units
of additional electives on top of prescribed cognate
courses approved by the major adviser and the Department
Chairperson may be included in the computation.
ARTICLE XII
Transfer Credit
Section 1. Graduate courses taken in other schools
with grades lower than 1.50 shall be credited if validated.
A maximum of 9 units may be transferred and credited.
Sec. 2. All subjects taken and passed/units earned
by a student of the Institute of Graduate Studies who
transfers to the same degree program in the Open University
shall be credited.
Sec. 3. Undergraduate courses in the senior level may
be credited for the masters degree, provided that:
a. the course has not been previously credited for
any bachelors degree as certified by the Dean or Registrar
of the school where the student graduated; and
b. the grade obtained in the course is 1.50 or better.
Sec. 4. Maximum of 9 units shall be credited for students
whose program had lapsed, that is, the program is not
completed or finished within the applicable maximum
residence period as defined in Sec. 2, Art. XIV of these
Rules and Regulations.
Sec. 5. Attendance in advance non-degree training within
3 years prior to graduation from the degree enrolled
in the OU may be given a maximum of 3 credit units.
Sec. 6. Evaluation of non-degree training for purposes
of accreditation as provided in Sec. 5 herein is made
by the Advisory Committee of the student subject to
the following conditions:
a. One unit credit may be given for every 18 hours
of lecture or 54 hours of laboratory work; and
b. Presentation of an authentic certification of the
sponsoring/training institution/agency as to the actual
training title and description and satisfactory performance
of the applicant.
ARTICLE XIII
Classification of OU Graduate Students
Section 1. Regular. A regular graduate student is one
who has complied with the following requirements:
a. Sufficient academic background for the chosen field
of study as determined by the Department Chairperson;
b. Grade point average of 2.00 or better in the highest
degree obtained; and
c. Submission of all pertinent requirements at the
time of registration.
Sec. 2. Probationary. A probationary graduate student
is one who falls under any of the following categories:
a. His/her grade point average is 2.0 or better, but
he/she does not possess sufficient academic background.
b. He/she has sufficient academic background but his/her
grade point average is lower than 2.0.
Sec. 3. The status of a probationary student is changed
to regular if he/she obtains a GPA of 2.00 or better
in the first 9 units he/she took at the OU. The student
concerned applies for a change of status through his/her
Department Chairperson, who recommends the change to
the OU Director, who approves the same if the grade
requirement is met. A student who fails to get a GPA
of 2.00 will not be allowed to re-enroll.
ARTICLE XIV
Residence Requirement
Section 1. The minimum residence requirement for an
OU student is two semesters and one summer for the masters
degree with a satisfactory completion of 21 units and
four semesters and two summers for the doctoral degree
with satisfactory completion of 33 units.
Sec. 2. A masters degree must be completed within five
school years and a doctoral degree, seven school years,
excluding leaves, counted from the start of matriculation
in the Open University. The start of matriculation of
Institute of Graduate Students (IGS) students who transfer
to the same degree program in the Open University is
their first enrollment in the IGS.
ARTICLE XV
Qualifying Examinations for Doctoral Program
Section 1. The qualifying examination is intended to
assess an OU student’s preparedness to pursue
the doctoral program.
Sec. 2. The student must take the qualifying examination
within the first year of residence in the program.
Sec. 3. The qualifying examination is oral and is administered
by the student's Advisory Committee.
Sec. 4. A student who applies for a qualifying examination
must have passed all the four core courses. His/her
application must be recommended by his/her Advisory
Committee, and approved by the OU Director upon the
recommendation of the Department Chairperson.
Sec. 5. The Advisory Committee informs the student
after the examination whether or not he/she is qualified
to pursue the doctoral program of his/her choice. If
qualified, the student's study program is finalized
in consultation with the Advisory Committee.
Sec. 6. The OU Director approves the student's study
program upon the recommendation of the Advisory Committee.
ARTICLE XVI
Comprehensive Examination
Section 1. Comprehensive examination
is required in graduate education to provide a means
for the integration of all learnings for application
and evaluation purposes especially for research, extension
and training.
Sec. 2. The type of comprehensive
examination questions are applied, evaluative and integrated
as decided by the faculty/department.
Sec. 3. Nature of the comprehensive
examination. The comprehensive examination is written.
The re-examination could be written or oral at the option
of the student.
Sec. 4. After completing their
course work and before conducting their thesis/dissertation
research, all OU graduate students are required to take
and pass the comprehensive examination.
Sec. 5. Applicants for comprehensive
examination. A student applying for comprehensive examination
must have finished all the academic courses and has
no incomplete grade in any subject taken. The subjects
for comprehensive examination are those listed in the
approved program of study except seminar and special
problem.
Sec. 6. Filing of application
for comprehensive examination. A student intending to
take the comprehensive examination must file an application
upon the recommendation of the Chairman of his/her Advisory
Committee and endorsement of the Department Chairperson.
The OU Director shall approve all applications for comprehensive
examinations.
Sec. 7. Deadline for filing of
application. The application for comprehensive examination
shall be filed by the student not later than the last
tutorial session of June and November for the first
semester and second semester, respectively.
Sec. 8. Date of comprehensive examination. The comprehensive
examination shall be held after 45 days following the
deadline of filing of application for each semester.
No comprehensive examination is given during summer.
Sec. 9. Creation of Examination
Committee. The Department Chairperson shall constitute
a Comprehensive Examination Committee subject to the
approval of the OU Director. It shall be composed of
3 members representing the core, major, and cognate
fields of the applicant.
Sec. 10. Functions of the Examination
Committee. The Examination Committee shall perform the
following functions, namely:
a. Solicits questions from the
professors/course tutors of the student;
b. Returns the answer sheets
together with the questions to the professors/ course
tutors for checking;
c. Collects the corrected comprehensive
examination papers;
d. Prepares and submits the report
of the result to the OU Director; and
e. Decides on the case of a student
who, for justifiable reason, e.g., illness, is unable
to take the examination on schedule.
Sec. 11. The Comprehensive Examination
Committee administers the written comprehensive examination
with the help of proctors, who are designated by the
OU Director.
Sec. 12. In the absence of the
faculty/course tutor concerned (due to sabbatical/study
leave, retirement, death or other reason), the Examination
Committee shall prepare questions based on his/her syllabus,
subject to the Department Chairperson's conformity if
not represented in the Examination Committee.
Sec. 13. A faculty member/course
tutor who takes over the teaching/tutoring of a course
from another faculty member/course tutor prepares the
comprehensive examination questions, based on the syllabus
of the faculty/tutor substituted.
Sec. 14. Passing percentage for
comprehensive examination. The student should get a
minimum rating of 75 percent to pass in each subject.
His/her final grade in the comprehensive examination
is either pass or fail.
Sec. 15. The results of the comprehensive
examination are submitted by the Examination Committee
to the Office of the Director not later than one month
after the last day of examination.
Sec. 16. A student who fails
to take the comprehensive examination on schedule should
request the Examination Committee in writing for a special
comprehensive examination, provided he/she conforms
to all requirements given to those who earlier took
the comprehensive examination.
Sec. 17. The re-examination shall
be scheduled and taken within the semester, and should
not be later than 1 month before the semester ends.
Results shall be submitted to the OU Director two weeks
thereafter.
Sec. 18. Leave of absence during
scheduled comprehensive examination shall not be allowed
except for medical reasons.
Sec. 19. A student who does not
perform satisfactorily in the comprehensive examination
shall take either a written or an oral re-examination.
Sec. 20. The written re-examination
will be administered by the same Examination Committee;
the professor(s)/tutor(s) of the subject(s) in which
the student failed will provide the questions. The schedule
of the re-examination will be set by the Examination
Committee.
Sec. 21. The oral re-examination
is administered by the Chairperson and Members of the
Examination Committee.
Sec. 22. Failure in the aforesaid
re-examination means that the student will take the
course on audit, and then take another comprehensive
examination, the questions of which shall be prepared
by the faculty member/tutor who will handle the audit
course. Failure in this re-examination shall mean dismissal
of the student from the degree program being pursued
and that he/she will not be allowed to shift to other
fields of study.
Sec. 23. Tenure of the Examination
Committee. The tenure of the Examination Committee shall
be on a semestral basis.
ARTICLE XVII
Changing, Adding and Dropping of Subjects
Section 1. Application for changing,
adding or dropping of subjects shall be filed with the
OU Registrar. Change in registration, except for compulsory
dropping of subjects, is permitted within two (2) weeks
from the first day of tutorials during semestral terms
and before the second tutorial session during summer
term.
Sec. 2. Application for adding/changing
of subjects or transfer to other classes shall be coursed
through the faculty member/tutor concerned and approved
by the student's Advisory Committee.
Sec. 3. Dropping of any subject
shall not be permitted after two months following the
start of the term or after the second tutorial session,
except for justifiable reasons, like emergency cases
which are beyond the control of the student. The dropping
of a subject shall be recommended by the Advisory Committee
through the major adviser and approved by the Department
Chairperson.
Sec. 4. Unofficial dropping of
any subject shall mean a grade of 5.0.
ARTICLE XVIII
Conduct of Thesis/Dissertation
Section 1. A student is ready
to conduct his/her thesis/dissertation if he/she:
a. has finished all his/her subjects,
including special problem and seminar;
b. passed both qualifying examination
and comprehensive examination (for doctoral students)
and passed the comprehensive examination (for masters
students); and
c. has completed the defense
of his/her thesis/dissertation outline in a seminar
and has submitted the result to the Department Chairperson.
Sec. 2. A student shall conduct
his/her thesis personally.
Sec. 3. A thesis visitation/supervision/
follow-up may be made by the major adviser and/or the
Advisory Committee not earlier than the pre-testing
of the questionnaire or establishment of the experiment,
and not later than the completion of data collection.
Sec. 4. A co-adviser from another
agency/institution may be selected by a student with
the approval of the Advisory Committee and Department
Chairperson, and the concurrence of the OU Director.
The co-adviser may be designated as a member of the
defense panel and shall be acknowledged accordingly.
Sec. 5. The conduct of thesis/dissertation
research outside the Philippines is allowed provided
that:
a. The student submits an application
to conduct his/her thesis/dissertation outside the Philippines
to the Department Chairperson, properly endorsed by
the sponsoring agency and recommended by the Chairperson
of the Advisory Committee;
b. The student submits to the
OU Director a program of activities covering the duration
of the research (not less than three months) together
with the financial requirement properly evaluated and
approved by the Advisory Committee and noted by the
Department Chairperson concerned; and
c. The student presents a certification
assuring funding support to cover actual conduct of
the research and supervisory cost of the adviser or
any member of the Advisory Committee who shall visit
and evaluate the conduct of research of the student.
Sec. 6. The adviser shall submit
a written report of visitation/evaluation certifying
that the research was conducted in accordance with the
approved outline of thesis/dissertation.
Sec. 7. The student shall be
allowed to conduct research in his/her home country
without the benefit of visitation/evaluation of adviser
or any member of Advisory Committee provided the following
requirements are met:
a. A co-adviser from the home
country whose expertise/qualification is in consonance
with student’s field of specialization and provided
that the co-adviser has good command of the English
language, and has been a professor of the student;
b. The co-adviser shall submit
a certification indicating therein that the experiment/research
was conducted in accordance with the approved outline
of study, accompanied by evidences in the form of photographs,
video tapes, slide pictures, or LCD for power point
presentation, etc.; and
c. During the final defense of
the student, the co-adviser shall be invited to attend
and participate and serve as a voting member of the
final defense panel at the expense of the student.
ARTICLE XIX
Thesis/Dissertation Format
Section 1. Organization of Text/Manuscript.
The manuscript must be organized following these basic
particulars:
I. Attachments
1. Title Page
2. OU Approval Sheet bearing the Department Chairperson’s
signature
3. OU Examining Committee’s Approval Sheet duly
signed by the members
4. Biographical Sketch
5. Acknowledgment
6. Abstract
7. Table of Contents
8. List of Tables and Figures
II. Introductory Chapter. This
contains, among others, the importance of the study,
the statement of the problem, the objectives of the
study, the hypothesis to be verified, the significance
of the study (theoretical, methodological or practical),
and the limitation of the study.
III. Review of Related Literature. This puts into perspective
the methodology of the study vis-à-vis other
studies done on the subject and provide a state-of-the-art
on the research subject.
IV. Methodology or Methods. This
chapter includes, among others, the conceptual or theoretical
orientation or the basis of the study design, the choice
of variables for study, the operational definition of
terms, the data gathering techniques, and methods of
analysis.
V. The Results and Discussion.
This presents the results of the study and the corresponding
discussion.
VI. The Summary, Conclusions
and Recommendations. This part presents a summary of
the study and includes conclusions and recommendations
related to the study.
VII. The Literature Cited and
Appendices. This indicates the references cited in the
study and presents appendices which are needed to further
elucidate discussions made in the study.
Sec. 2. All theses/dissertations
shall use the prescribed OU format.
Sec. 3. The thesis/dissertation
shall be reproduced on a white bond paper, substance
20 and measuring 8.5 x 11 inches.
Sec. 4. Six copies of the approved
thesis/dissertation duly signed by the persons concerned
shall be submitted to the OU on or before the deadline
set by the office.
Sec. 5. A copy of the thesis/dissertation
in compact disks should also be submitted to the Office
of the OU Director.
ARTICLE XX
Thesis/Dissertation Defense
Section 1. Thesis/dissertation
defense is an oral examination administered by the thesis/dissertation
Examining Committee to a candidate for masters degree
or doctoral degree.
Sec. 2. Requirements. A graduate
student may defend his/her thesis/dissertation if he/she
has:
a. completed all formal courses
for the degree as certified by the OU Registrar;
b. passed the comprehensive examination
and thesis outline defense;
c. submitted his/her approved
thesis/dissertation manuscript; and
d. submitted to the OU Office
a copy of his/her thesis/dissertation manuscript two
weeks before the scheduled date of defense;
Sec. 3. The Examining Committee
for thesis/dissertation defense shall be composed of
two OU representatives, one of whom shall be designated
by the OU Director as chairperson. They shall act as
critics and shall ensure that OU policies are implemented.
a. The major adviser and members of the Advisory Committee
shall serve as chairperson and members of the Examining
Committee, respectively.
Sec. 4. Procedure for thesis/dissertation
defense is as follows:
a. The student shall submit to
the OU through the Department Chairperson an application
for thesis/dissertation defense, duly endorsed by the
major adviser and members of the Advisory Committee,
at least two weeks before the time of examination.
b. The candidate shall provide
each member of the Examining Committee a copy of his/her
thesis/dissertation manuscript at least two weeks before
the scheduled defense.
c. The pre-oral thesis/dissertation
defense shall be open to the public, specifically before
the OU graduate faculty and students.
d. The student shall apply for
final defense after incorporating all the suggestions
made by the Examining Committee during the pre-orals.
e. All members of the Examining
Committee must be present during the final defense,
which shall be a close-door examination.
f. A simple majority vote of
the members of the Examining Committee is needed to
determine the rating of the student which shall be outstanding,
very satisfactory, satisfactory, or unsatisfactory.
g. The student shall be informed
of the result of the examination immediately after his/her
defense.
Sec. 5. Submission of thesis/dissertation.
A circulating copy of the thesis/dissertation which
reflects all corrections made and signed by all the
members of the Examining and Advisory Committees and
the English editor shall be presented to the OU Director
before printing the final copy.
a. The approved thesis/dissertation
shall be reproduced, bound and submitted to the OU office.
b. The report of the Examining
Committee and the duly approved and submitted thesis/dissertation
manuscript are the bases in recommending a student by
the OU Graduate Council to the University Academic Council
for conferment of the degree sought.
ARTICLE XXI
Apprenticeship
Section 1. Students enrolled
in the MPS program shall undergo apprenticeship upon
completion of their course work and passing the comprehensive
examination.
Sec. 2. The apprenticeship should
be agency-based and management-focused and shall be
undertaken for at least one semester.
Sec. 3. The student shall submit
a program of work to the OU duly endorsed by the Advisory
Committee for approval by the Department Chairperson
and concurrence by the OU Director.
Sec. 4. A letter of request,
prepared by the student and endorsed by the major adviser,
shall be presented to the agency/company where the apprenticeship
shall be undertaken.
Sec. 5. The Advisory Committee,
represented by the major adviser, shall take care of
the follow-up and supervision of student apprenticeship.
Sec. 6. The student shall orally
present a report on the apprenticeship before his/her
Advisory Committee. A written report following the format
prescribed by the department concerned shall be submitted
to the OU office.
ARTICLE XXII
Organization and Management Structure
Section 1. The organization and
management structure of the OU shall be adopted for
the efficient delivery of services to the students and
the effective realization of the objectives of the Open
University. The operation and management of the OU shall
be undertaken by the following major offices/units,
namely: the director’s office, the OU Graduate
Council, service divisions, and the academic departments.
The registrar, secretary, DOLCEN Coordinators and the
other support staff comprise the administrative complement
of OU (See Annex A for the OU Organization and Management
Structure).
Sec. 2. The OU Director shall
be the main academic and administrative officer of the
OU. He undertakes the planning, execution and evaluation
of academic programs of the OU in coordination with
the Division Chiefs, the Department Chairpersons, and
OU Graduate Council. He also represents the OU in various
fora and performs other functions assigned by higher
authorities.
Sec. 3. The Vice President for
Academic Affairs shall exercise immediate administrative
supervision over the OU and shall oversee its operation.
Sec. 4. The Instructional Services
Division undertakes the development, production, and
enrichment of instructional materials. It implements
other activities and performs other functions in support
of the academic programs of the OU.
Sec. 5. The Student Support Services
Division undertakes the planning, implementation and
evaluation of student activities and services in support
of OU's curricular programs.
Sec. 6. The Research, Evaluation
and Extension Division defines the thrusts, sets the
objectives and implements the activities of the research
and extension program of the OU. It also monitors and
evaluates research and extension projects and activities
and conducts annual review and planning exercises.
Sec. 7. The Administrative and
Financial Management Services Division provides efficient
and effective services on administration and finance.
Sec. 8. The Distance and Open
Learning Network (DOLNET) is composed of Distance and
Open Learning Centers. A DOLCEN is headed by a Coordinator
who is designated by the President upon the recommendation
of the OU Director and endorsement of the Vice President
for Academic Affairs. He acts as liaison officer between
the OU and the DOLCEN.
Sec. 9. The OU Registrar determines
the subject offerings per semester in coordination with
the Department Chairpersons and OU Director, and implements
registration and admission policies in collaboration
with the University Registrar/Office of Admissions.
Sec. 10. The OU Secretary is
the primary recording officer of the Open University.
He/she causes the preparation, reproduction and filing
of minutes of meetings of the OU. Likewise, he/she ensures
that the documents of the OU are properly kept.
Sec. 11. Ad Hoc or temporary
bodies, e.g., module writing teams (MWTs), curriculum
development teams (CDTs), etc. may be created by the
OU Director from time to time to perform special functions,
like curriculum enrichment.
Sec. 12. All appointments/designations
in the OU shall be approved by the University President
and CLSU BOR upon the endorsement of the Vice President
for Academic Affairs.
ARTICLE XXIII
OU Graduate Faculty/Course Tutors
Section 1. OU graduate faculty/course
tutors may be composed of the following:
a. CLSU faculty members who are
holders of doctoral degrees from accredited/ recognized
institutions and whose expertise and/or fields of specialization
are deemed necessary by the Open University;
b. CLSU faculty members with
the academic rank of at least Assistant Professor and
who are holders of masters degrees, and whose expertise
and/or fields of specialization are deemed necessary
by the Open University; and
c. CLSU faculty members who have
taught in the graduate level for at least one year,
with masters degree or its equivalent and whose expertise
and/or fields of specialization are needed by the Open
University.
Sec. 2. CLSU faculty members
who do not qualify under paragraphs a, b, and c of Sec.
1, Art. XXIII of these Rules and Regulations but whose
expertise and/or fields of specialization are needed
by the Open University may be designated as resource
persons or professors for team teaching until such time
that they meet the qualifications for regular designation
mentioned in paragraphs (a), (b) and (c), Sec. 1 of
this Article.
Sec. 3. Non-CLSU faculty members
may be designated/appointed as affiliate faculty members/course
tutors of the OU, provided that they are masters degree
holders and their expertise and/or fields of specialization
are not available in CLSU but are needed by the OU,
subject to approval by the CLSU BOR.
Sec. 4. An OU faculty member/course
tutor is required to have knowledge of open and distance
education techniques, methods and procedures.
Sec. 5. The duties and responsibilities of OU graduate
faculty members/course tutors include teaching, student
advisement, conduct of research and extension activities,
curriculum innovation and program administration, among
others.
Sec. 6. Tenure. Once designated,
an OU graduate faculty member/course tutor shall remain
in the department to which he/she is designated. He/she
may be moved to another department upon the request
of the Department Chairperson and approval of the OU
Graduate Council.
Sec. 7. Selection and Designation
of OU Graduate Faculty/Course Tutors. The Open University
adopts the following procedure in the selection and
designation of OU faculty members/course tutors:
a. The OU Department Chairperson
identifies the nominees whose services are needed in
the OU.
b. A nomination form in triplicate,
duly endorsed by the Department Chairperson and recommended
by the Dean of the College where the faculty member/nominee
belongs, is forwarded together with the curriculum vitae,
transcript of records and a certificate of training
on Distance Education of the nominee, to the OU.
c. The OU Graduate Council endorses
the nomination through the OU Director and Vice President
for Academic Affairs to the University President for
approval and issuance of designation, subject to the
confirmation of the CLSU BOR.
ARTICLE XXIV
OU Graduate Departments
Section 1. The Department of
Rural Development and Development Communication, Department
of Education and Related Studies, and the Department
of Agribusiness Management are adopted as academic departments
of the Open University, and are thus placed under the
administrative supervision of the OU Director for purposes
of offering of their degree programs in the open and
distance learning mode.
Sec. 2. The OU shall maintain
strong collaboration, close coordination and active
complementation with the mother units of these departments.
Sec. 3. Other Open University
graduate departments may be created as the need arises,
subject to the approval by the Open University Graduate
Council, University Academic Council, and CLSU Board
of Regents.
Sec. 4. The Department Chairpersons
of the OU shall be designated by the University President
upon the recommendation of the College Deans concerned,
the OU Director, and the Vice President for Academic
Affairs.
Sec. 5. A designee to the position
of Department Chairperson shall be a member of the faculty
of and a course tutor in the OU graduate department
to which he/she will be designated and is knowledgeable
on open and distance education methods, techniques and
procedures.
ARTICLE XXV
OU Graduate Council
Section 1. The OU Graduate Council
is the policy-making body of the OU. It is composed
of all OU graduate faculty members/course tutors with
academic rank not lower than assistant professor and
chaired by the OU Director.
Sec. 2. Duties and responsibilities
of the OU Graduate Council. The OU Graduate Council
has the following duties and responsibilities:
a. Formulates and reviews policies
governing the OU graduate programs. All policies are
referred to the OU Graduate Council, the Academic Council
and the Board of Regents.
b. Screens and recommends the
designation/appointment of new graduate faculty/course
tutors to the University President.
c. Conducts regular/special meetings
to act on candidates for graduation, curricular innovations
and improvements, proposed curricular programs, new
policies and revisions of existing ones, among others.
d. Creates standing committees
as the need arises.
ARTICLE XXVI
Distance Learning Practices
Section 1. Tutorial Sessions.
A tutorial session is an important element of distance
education at the Open University. It is conducted as
part of the academic environment for optimal learning.
a. The Open University conducts
face-to-face course tutorial sessions/consultations
to enable students to interact with their tutors and
peers. These sessions are held on campus and on-site
at the designated Distance and Open Learning Centers
(DOLCENs) and help students get acquainted with the
University.
b. Tutorial sessions are held
five times a semester/term at intervals of two weeks
to one month. Each tutorial session lasts for three
hours.
c. On-line and via telephone
tutorials and other forms of tutorials and e-learning
methods shall be developed and adopted for faster delivery
of lessons and for enhanced access to Open University
graduate degree programs.
Sec. 2. Instructional Materials.
The Open University students are provided with specially
packaged printed instructional materials or self-learning
modules which they study on their own most of the time.
a. Instructional materials/self-learning
modules are prepared by a "quality circle"
composed of a curriculum designer, who develops the
subject based on the approved syllabus; subject matter
specialist, who writes the module/develops the materials;
a content critic; a language editor; and a media specialist
or graphics artist.
Sec. 3. Student Performance.
Student performance is assessed through supervised sit-down
written examinations, activities and exercises.
a. Point allocations for the
assessment variables are as follows: examinations, 50%;
and exercises and activities, 50%.
b. Open University students are
required to take two sit-down examinations. The first
is held after the first two tutorial sessions or on
the third month of the term and the second, after the
fifth tutorial session or before the end of the term.
The sit-down written examinations are conducted at the
DOLCENs and/or in CLSU.
c. Supervised sit-down examinations
are scheduled by the OU Registrar in coordination with
the University Registrar.
ARTICLE XXVII
Conferment of Degrees
Section 1. The Open University
shall grant degrees to the graduates of open and distance
education curricular/degree programs in appropriate
conferment ceremonies, subject to approval by the University
Academic Council and University President and confirmation
of the CLSU BOR.
Sec. 2. The University President,
Board Secretary, University Registrar, and OU Director
shall be the signatories of diplomas awarded to the
Open University graduates.
ARTICLE XXVIII
Miscellaneous Provisions
Section 1. These Rules and Regulations
shall take effect immediately upon the approval of the
Board of Regents.
Sec. 2. University academic policies
and practices which are consistent with and in conformity
to these Rules and Regulations, which are not herein
provided shall form part of these Rules and Regulations
and shall be applied to Open University graduate programs.
Sec. 3. Any amendment to or
revision of these Rules and Regulations shall be valid
when approved by the OU Graduate Council, University
Academic Council, and Board of Regents.
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