Topic: ACADEMIC FREEDOM upon the removal, separation and suspension of all officers and employees in

the civil service and upon all matters relating to the conduct, discipline, and
THE CIVIL SERVICE COMMISSION, petitioner, vs. HENRY A. SOJOR,
respondent
554 SCRA 160, May 22, 2008
FACTS:
Herein respondent, Henry Sojor, is the president of Negros Oriental State
University (formerly known as Central Visayas Polytechnic College) was
charged of nepotism, dishonesty, falsification of official documents, grave
misconduct and conduct prejudicial to the best interest of the service before
the Civil Service Commission. Moreover, he moved to dismiss these cases on
the grounds of lack of jurisdiction of CSC invoking academic freedom of the
state university in resolving his case.
efficiency of such officers and employees. Thereby, there is no violation of
academic freedom of state university when CSC assumes the jurisdiction in
resolving the case at bar as the court emphasized that academic freedom
encompasses freedom to determine who will be taught, who will teach or who
will admitted to study but does not give an institution the unbridled authority to
perform acts without any statutory basis. Though the Board of Regents of the
Negros Oriental State University (NORSU) has the sole power of
administration over the university through its appointed officials, such power is
not exclusive in the matter of disciplining and removing its employees but such
power is concurrent between the BOR and the CSC. Hence, the court
resolved the case through reinstatement of the resolution of CSC on the
suspension of Sojor as president of the university.

ISSUE:

Whether or not a president of a State University is outside the reach of the

disciplinary jurisdiction of the Civil Service Commission where its assumption
over the case violates academic freedom.

RULING:

No, the president of a State University is still within the reach of the
disciplinary jurisdiction constitutionally granted to the Civil Service
Commission (CSC). As explained by the court, “except as otherwise provided
by the Constitution or by law, the CSC shall have the final authority to pass