Bill 414.

Summary.

The bill adds Article 50-A to Law 4 of January 16, 2006, which reorganizes the Autonomous University of Chiriquí (Universidad Autónoma de Chiriquí), established by Law 26 of 1994. The proposed provision makes appointment of a faculty member or researcher to full-time status automatic and mandatory once the requirements of the University Statute have been met. The Rector must make the appointment and may neither refuse nor delay it on personal, political, or administrative grounds outside the procedures and requirements set out in the Law and the University Statute.

Article 50-A includes a transitional rule for faculty members and researchers who completed the procedure and met the University Statute’s requirements during the two years preceding the proposed law’s entry into force. They must be appointed to full-time status immediately, without starting a new administrative procedure. The rule bases the appointment on prior satisfaction of the statutory conditions and allows the completed procedure to serve as the basis for the designation.

The bill also adds Article 67-A to Law 4 of January 16, 2006. The Autonomous University of Chiriquí, through its Planning Directorate (Dirección de Planificación) or the corresponding administrative unit, must annually upload to the University’s digital platform and deliver to each faculty member or researcher a written report detailing the budget of the relevant academic unit, at a faculty board meeting or Regional Center. The report must state the amount allocated to the academic unit, broken down by school and department. It must also break down budget allocations for full-time positions, faculty reclassification, and other categories relating to academic personnel.

The report must expressly indicate whether a faculty member or researcher seeking full-time status is included as such in the budget structure. The provision further requires the allocation designated for full-time positions to be divided equitably among all academic units. Failure to comply with these obligations constitutes an administrative offense and is subject to sanctions under the applicable university rules. These provisions connect the budget information supplied to academic personnel with full-time positions and the distribution of the corresponding allocation.

Article 3 identifies Articles 50-A and 67-A as additions to Law 4 of January 16, 2006. Article 4 directs the Executive Branch (Órgano Ejecutivo) to issue regulations implementing the proposed law, and Article 5 sets its entry into force for the day following publication in the Official Gazette (Gaceta Oficial). The public institutions concerned are the Autonomous University of Chiriquí and the Executive Branch. The provisions could interest or affect faculty members, researchers, academic units, and personnel responsible for university planning and budget administration.