Early political activity Nemenzo was a member of the
Partido Komunista ng Pilipinas (PKP; ), a separate organization from the
Communist Party of the Philippines.
Administrative experience Prior to becoming UP President, Nemenzo served as chancellor of the
University of the Philippines Visayas and as a member of the Board of Regents, the highest policy-making body of the University, representing the faculty. He was also dean of the College of Arts and Sciences, which was split into three academic units:
College of Science (CS), College of Social Sciences & Philosophy (CSSP), and the College of Arts & Letters (CAL).
University presidency Nemenzo was elected UP president against prominent competitors such as former senator
Leticia Ramos-Shahani, former minister of economic planning Gerardo Sicat, and public administration pioneer and sociologist
Ledivina V. Cariño. He succeeded
Emil Q. Javier. An appointee of President
Joseph Estrada, Nemenzo was criticized in the university for not supporting the
Second EDSA Revolution that overthrew Estrada in 2001. His term was notable for the institutionalization of the Revised General Education Program (RGEP), comparable to the general education program of
Harvard University and other American educational institutions, seeking to provide a holistic development of students through a free choice system of selecting courses in three divisions (Arts & Humanities, Social Science & Philosophy, and Mathematics, Science & Technology) to fit each student's intellectual pursuits. However, a comprehensive review of the program was initiated, linking the introduction of the RGEP to the grade inflation phenomenon. It led to a synthesis of the old general education program and the RGEP which has been adopted by the University since 2012. In 2005, he stepped down as the University's highest official and was replaced by
Emerlinda Roman of the College of Business Administration. ==Personal life==