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WHEREAS, it is in the interest of the State and Society that college and university education, in both public and private institutions, provide facilities therein for academic development as well as conditions for intelligent social participation;

WHEREAS, it is necessary for the attainment of this objective, that rapport be promoted between school authorities and students, by establishing student rights and defining student responsibilities;

NOW, THEREFORE, I, FERDINAND E. MARCOS, President of the Philippines, by virtue of the powers vested in me by law, do hereby promulgate the following Manual of Student Rights and Responsibilities.

SECTION 1. Admission. – Every person enrolling in a post-secondary academic or vocational course in a college or university authorized or recognized by the government shall enjoy the following rights:

a) The right to admission to any such college or university upon meeting its specific academic requirements and reasonable regulations adopted by the institution concerned with the approval of the Department of Education authorities;

b) The right to be informed, before admission, of all school policies, rules and regulations governing academic duties, co-curricular and extra-curricular activities, discipline and specific assessments for tuition and other fees.

SECTION 2. Declaration of Rights. – Every student enrolled in a college or university authorized or recognized by the government shall enjoy the following rights:

a) The right to due process, which shall include the right to be informed in writing and to be heard and to defend himself before a body created by the school administration, at least one member of which should be designated by the duly constituted student government, of any charge that may lead to his suspension, expulsion or similar disciplinary action pursuant to school rules and regulations;

b) The right to be heard on and to propose school policies;

c) The right to organize a free student government that can administer, legislate and adjudicate within its approved constitutional jurisdiction;

d) The right to participate through his student government in setting up student activity fees and other student activity funds and in the disbursement thereof;

e) The right to organize within the campus, under law, and to seek recognition for such organization by filing with the proper school authority a written statement of purpose and description of organizational structure and procedures and a specified minimum membership qualifications and listings: Provided, however, That such recognition may be revoked upon proof of violation of its own statement of purposes and procedures or of the rules and regulations of the institution;

f) The right to avail and use of campus facilities as members of authorized student organizations, subject to uniform regulations as may be required for the coordinated use of school rooms and conference halls or field spaces: Provided, That the facilities shall be used for the purposes contracted and for no other purpose;

g) The right to use the name of the institution as a student or member of authorized campus organizations, subject to uniform prescribed rules with respect to off-campus activities;

h) The right to hear lecturers or speakers chosen upon the recommendation of the recognized student organizations;

i) The right to publish and issue within the bounds of law, good morals and school regulations and objectives, regular student-controlled publications free from censorship or any pressure aimed at controlling editorial policy or staff appointments: Provided, That the publication expenses shall be paid out from student funds;

j) The right to free research in connection with academic work, and the publication, discussion and exchange of his findings and recommendations, subject to existing laws and regulations;

k) The right to competent instruction and adequate welfare services and curricular facilities commensurate to the capacity of the school;

l) The right to exercise his rights as a citizen in any off-campus activity without impairing his standing in the institution: Provided, That he does not claim to represent that institution.

SECTION 3. Declaration of Responsibilities. – Every student enrolled in a college or university authorized and recognized by the government shall bear the following responsibilities:

a) The responsibility to recognize and comply with the policies and regulations concerning his school duties, campus activities and discipline within the school;

b) The responsibility to uphold the academic integrity of his institution;

c) The responsibility to devote himself to the increase of his knowledge and understanding of the world around him in preparation for the total fulfillment of his duties to himself as a human being and to society;

d) The responsibility to use the appropriate channels within the educational community for the exercise of his rights or to secure redress from grievances;

e) The responsibility to fulfill the duties imposed upon him by his legally constituted student government or other legally constituted student officers or organizations to which he has voluntarily affiliated;

f) The responsibility to support and cooperate with the legitimate projects and activities of his student government within the framework of democratic action;

g) The responsibility to defend and uphold the integrity of recognized student organizations in accord with their avowed purposes, organizational structure, procedures, membership qualifications, and listings;

h) The responsibility, when acting as an official representative of the college or university, to abide by the written instructions of the competent school authorities;

i) The responsibility, when using the name of a duly authorized school organization or of his school, without being an official representative, to conduct himself with dignity and deportment;

j) The responsibility, in his publications, to abide by the laws of the land, school regulations and the ethics of journalism;

k) The responsibility to allow and protect the expression of divergent points of view in all public meetings, seminars or conferences, and publications, in accord with the highest traditions of the academic community;

l) The responsibility to respect the rights of his fellow students, the faculty and the school administration.

SECTION 4. Recognition of Student Organizations a Pre-requisite in the Grant of Campus Facilities and Financial Support. – Only student organizations recognized officially by the university or college administration shall be entitled to the grant of campus facilities and financial support as may be authorized or given by said administration.

SECTION 5. Limitation Imposed by Recognition. – Recognition may properly limit the manner in which organizations or publications may use the name of the college or university off-campus. It may also properly limit the manner in which the organizations may employ university finances or facilities in taking action affecting matters off-campus: Provided, That no disciplinary action may properly be taken against a student, or his organization or publication for activities off-campus in the exercise of the rights of citizenship, provided that they do not purport to represent or involve the institution without its consent.

SECTION 6. Rules and Regulations. – The Secretary of Education shall issue the appropriate rules and regulations including such sanctions as may be necessary to implement the provisions of this Order.

SECTION 7. This Order shall take effect immediately.

Done in the City of Manila, this 15th day of February, in the year of Our Lord, nineteen hundred and sixty-nine.


By the President:
(SGD.) RAFAEL M. SALAS
Executive Secretary