August 10, 2006

CHED MEMORANDUM ORDER NO. 040-06

In accordance with the relevant provisions of cEaCAH

I. Rationale

Manpower has always been recognized as an essential factor in the success of any endeavor. In the higher education sector, this is most significant in the qualifications of the teaching manpower. The need to improve, continuously upgrade the credentials and retool higher education faculty is well recognized, and is, in fact the main target of this program.

II. Objectives

This program shall:

a. provide mechanisms for upgrading qualification of higher education faculty who are not covered under the CHED Higher Education Development Program (HEDP) Faculty Development Program (FDP) and the College Faculty Development Fund (CFDF) Program;

b. enhance collaboration, complementation and networking among HEIs in the delivery of quality higher education programs; and

c. endeavor to bring quality, advanced education to the doorstep of the target beneficiaries.

III. The Continuing Education Program (CEP)

a. Program Design

The program shall serve as a refresher course, a recruiting ground for those who will pursue appropriate graduate studies, as well as opportunity for faculty with unfinished graduate degree to complete their program.

Regions I, II, V, and XII shall serve as pilot regions of the Program. Specific fields of study shall be identified, priority of which shall be General Education (GE) or "Breeder" courses.

The delivery of the program shall use approved curricula under the HEDP Faculty Development Program. This shall ensure the accreditation of units earned by the faculty-grantees who will seek admission in any recognized HEDP-FDP DHEI. AECIaD

b. Eligibility Criteria

The program shall be open to all faculty members, including those who have already earned graduate degrees/units not in their field of specialization. For those who will want to pursue appropriate graduate degrees, earned graduate units shall be evaluated by the CEP-Delivering HEI (CEP-DHEI) for equivalency towards a degree.

There shall be no limitations in terms of age, however the following admission requirements shall be used:

1. A Filipino citizen;

2. In good health;

3. Has very satisfactory teaching performance rating for the past two (2) rating periods;

4. Full-time faculty member in a public or private HEI in the region and recommended by the head of the sending HEI;

5. No pending criminal/administrative charges or has not been convicted for violation of any Philippine law; and

6. Willing to render the required return service as stipulated in the scholarship contract.

c. Scholarship Assistance Package

IV. Qualifications and Terms of References

a. Technical Working Group (TWG)

The TWG shall:

1. Develop program design, including program delivery and criteria for the selection of faculty-grantees; TAEcSC

2. Formulate criteria for CEP Delivering HEIs (CEP-DHEIs), consistent with existing CHED policies in offering of graduate programs and extension programs, as well as with the criteria used under the HEDP-FDP;

3. Formulate qualifications and select members of faculty pool in the region;

4. Confirm the list of faculty who will teach a particular course/subject in a particular semester;

5. Develop financial assistance package;

6. Approve Study Plan which shall include the subjects to be offered per semester;

7. Ensure that the subjects to be offered are in line with the approved curricula under the HEDP-FDP;

8. Develop and formulate Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) for/with CEP-DHEI, SHEI, Learning Centers (LCs) and faculty-grantees;

9. Conduct monitoring and evaluation visits to CEP-DHEIs and/or LCs;

10. Consolidate monitoring and evaluation reports for submission to the CHED Chairman through the Executive Office; and

11. Put in place mechanism, manpower and structure, including implementation, monitoring and evaluation of the project.

b. Regional Task Force (RTF)

The RTF shall be composed of two (2) HEI representatives, two (2) disciplinal representatives, and the CHED Regional Office Director who shall serve as concurrent RTF Chair and TWG Member. There shall be two (2) Technical Staff who shall serve as coordinator and secretariat of the Program. The RTF shall:

1. Identify priority programs in the regions involved;

2. Recommend to the TWG the curricula, funding requirements and target CEP-DHEIs and LCs; CSTcEI

3. Identify prospective SHEIs;

4. Evaluate credentials of prospective faculty-grantees;

5. Together with CEP-DHEI, evaluate credentials of prospective faculty and build-up faculty pool in the region;

6. Endorse to the TWG list of faculty who will teach a particular course/subject in a particular semester;

7. Determine responsibilities and privileges of all parties involved in the implementation of the project for incorporation in the MOA, i.e., CEP-DHEI, SHEI, LC, CHEDRO, CHED Central Office;

8. Together with CEP-DHEI, draw Study Plan to include:

a. what subject to teach per semester;

b. when/semester to teach the subject;

c. who will teach the subject;

d. which CEP-DHEI and/or LC shall host the subject;

9. Recommend to CEP-DHEI recruitment and admission policies and procedures, inclusive of forms;

10. Advertise the program and recruit prospective faculty-grantees among HEIs within the region; and

11. Submit to the TWG monitoring and evaluation reports within two weeks after the end of each semester.

c. CEP-Delivering HEI (CEP-DHEI)

CEP-DHEIs must be:

a. Accredited Level III in the field/course delivered; or

b. Center of Excellence (COE) or Center of Development (COD) in the program involved; or

c. DHEI in the HEDP-FDP program.

The CEP-DHEI shall perform the following functions:

1. Prepare, together with the CEP LCs, Study Plan which will serve as guide/basis for determining subjects to be delivered per semester; CDaTAI

2. Ensure, in collaboration with CEP-LCs, the timely delivery of courses/subjects involved per semester;

3. Evaluate and accredit credentials of faculty-grantees;

4. Ensure the availability of facilities necessary in the delivery of the program;

5. Designate and pay two CEP-DHEI personnel who will provide technical and administrative support in the implementation of the program;

6. Coordinate and pay for the services provided for by the CEP-LCs, in accordance with the approved Work and Financial Plan;

7. Monitor the progress of the grantees and submit semestral-end reports to CHED through the CHEDROs;

8. Release the monthly allowances and stipends of the faculty-grantees taking the courses/subjects in its campus(es);

9. Award certificates of completion, indicating grade and equivalent units earned, to each grantee who successfully completes each subject under the CEP;

10. In coordination with the CHEDRO Director, network/enter into agreement with COEs, CODs, or HEDP-FDP DHEIs to ensure credit transferability of units earned under the CEP towards the completion of requirements for the pertinent graduate degrees;

11. Submit to CHED, through its Regional Office, the following reports per semester:

a. enrolment list per course/subject, to include name, grade and number of units earned per grantee

b. liquidation report of funding received, following/using the prescribed format of documents required, along with necessary documentary attachments

12. Prepare and submit to CHED, through its Regional Office, a terminal report on the conduct and implementation of the CEP at the end of the Program. ETAICc

d. CEP Learning Center (LC)/Venue

The CEP Learning Center (LC)/Venue shall serve only as the site or location that will be used in the delivery of courses/subjects under the CEP-DHEI.

The CEP-LC must have at least Level II accreditation in the field/program involved, and must be located relatively distant from the DHEI. However, other LCs/Venue may be recommended and identified by the RTF on a case-to-case basis. The LC/Venue shall:

1. In coordination with the CEP-DHEI, provide the venue and facilities for the conduct of the courses or subjects under CEP;

2. Ensure the availability of facilities necessary in the delivery of the program;

3. Designate and pay two LC/Venue personnel who will provide technical and administrative support:

a. Monitor and submit reports to the CHED thru the CHEDRO on the delivery of the courses/subjects assigned to the LC; and

b. Attend to the technical and administrative needs in the implementation of the program.

4. Submit to CEP-DHEI the enrolment list per semester to include name of faculty who handled the course/subject, name of faculty-grantees, courses/subjects taken, grade and number of units earned; and

5. Submit to CHED, through its Regional Office, the liquidation report of funding received, following/using the prescribed format of documents required, along with necessary documentary attachments.

e. Sending HEI (SHEI)

The SHEI shall be responsible in certifying the employment status of the faculty-applicant, as well as in ensuring that faculty-grantee will render the "return service" required once accepted into the program.

f. Faculty-Grantee

The Faculty-Grantee shall:

1. Submit admission credentials and other documents that may be required and determined by the CEP-DHEI as relevant in the delivery of the concerned program; TaISEH

2. Ensure that all courses/subjects taken under this grant shall be completed; and

3. Render the required "return service" to the SHEI, to wit:

3 to 6 unit/credits = six (6) months;

9 units and above = one (1) year; or

depending on the SHEIs' return-service policy.

If the faculty-grantee is not able to serve the "return service", the faculty-grantee shall be made to pay back to CHED the total amount utilized for his/her grant.

V. Implementing Guidelines

1. The program shall be delivered through networking and faculty/facilities sharing among the identified CEP-DHEIs and Learning Centers (LCs). A MOA shall be drawn to cover this agreement.

2. Only identified CEP-DHEIs can issue certificate of completion of courses/subjects taken by faculty-grantees.

3. A CEP-DHEI may also concurrently serve as a Learning Center (LC).

4. Only professors from the faculty pool are eligible to teach the courses/subjects in identified CEP-DHEIs and LCs. Criteria and mechanics for the faculty pool shall be developed by the TWG and the RTF.

5. "Block system" shall be used in the delivery of the program. This means one common schedule/time frame for courses/subjects that shall be delivered in identified CEP-DHEIs and/or LCs.

6. On Fund Releases:

a. Funds for the operation of the RTF shall be transferred to the CHED Regional Office based on the approved Work and Financial Plan (WFP). ECaTDc

b. Program funds for the scholarship package shall be transferred to the identified CEP-DHEIs and/or LCs, based on the approved Work and Financial Plan, subject to the usual government accounting and auditing rules and regulations. Fund releases shall be through the following:

i. For tuition and other school fees, the funds will be released direct to the CEP-DHEIs upon actual billing;

ii. For stipend and book allowance, the funds will be released to the CHEDRO who shall then disburse the amount to the faculty-grantees; and

iii. For the administrative cost, the allocated budget shall be released to the CEP-DHEI. It shall be the CEP-DHEI who will release/pay the CEP-LC, based on the approved Work and Financial Plan (WFP).

7. On Liquidation Reports:

a. All liquidation reports from CEP-DHEIs should include an endorsement report from the concerned CHED Regional Office (CHEDRO) Director.

b. All liquidation report shall be in accordance with the usual accounting and auditing rules and regulations.

c. The HEI to whom CHED HEDF released the fund shall be the one obligated to submit the requisite liquidation reports, to wit:

i. For stipend and book allowance, it shall be the CHEDRO; and

ii. For the administrative cost, it shall be the CEP-DHEI.

d. No subsequent fund releases shall be made unless liquidation of previous fund releases is made.

8. Over-all implementation and monitoring shall be the responsibility of the TWG, per CSO No. 21, series of 2006.

This Memorandum shall take effect immediately and shall be in force until otherwise revoked. HDATCc

Pasig City, Philippines, August 10, 2006.

(SGD.) CARLITO S. PUNO, DPA
Chairman
Commission on Higher Education