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Delegation
of Authority Definitions and Protocol
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What is a “Formal Delegation
of Authority”?
Authority for making decisions at the University is communicated
through various means. The Board of Regents is granted “.
. . full powers of organization and government . . .”
of the University by the Constitution of the State of California,
Article IX Section 9. The Regents have delegated certain authorities
to the President and to other University of California Officers
in the Standing Orders and Bylaws. The President promulgates
formal written statements granting broad or limited authority
for specified matters.
A formal delegation of authority should include the following
statements: the source of the authority; a description of
the authority that is being delegated; any limitations imposed,
including restrictions on redelegation; and a reference to
existing delegations that will be modified (amended or superseded)
by the action.
Principles Regarding Delegation
of Authority and Redelegation of Authority
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Authority for matters that require specific approval
of the Board of Regents may not be redelegated.
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Authority is delegated to a position title, not to an
individual. Delegations of authority should be addressed
accordingly. It is not necessary to issue a new delegation
when individual position incumbents change, unless the
duties of the position also change. Likewise, it is not
necessary to issue a delegation for routine office management
and/or administrative responsibilities.
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By longstanding custom, delegations of authority “flow
down” through the chain of command. The President
delegates authority to a direct report, who then (if allowed)
may redelegate that authority to a direct report, and
so on. The same principle applies for delegations and
redelegations within a campus.
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If further redelegation is not permitted or if the redelegation
carries limitations, the delegation or redelegation should
so state. If a written delegation does not contain a statement
disallowing or limiting redelegation, the presumption
is that the authority may be redelegated, except where
redelegation would violate one of the Principles.
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Delegation or redelegation is prohibited if the position
to receive the delegation holds an inherent conflict of
interest or the appearance of a conflict, or if a conflict
or the appearance of a conflict develops or occurs. If
a conflict of interest arises once a delegation or redelegation
is in place, the individual in the position or the person
to whom that individual reports must determine how to
manage the conflict of interest. The delegation or redelegation
should be withdrawn if there is an ongoing conflict or
the perception of a conflict.
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Redelegated authority must be granted and exercised consistent
with the terms and conditions of the original delegation
and with applicable laws, regulations, and University
policies.
Protocol for Issuing Delegations
of Authority and Redelegations of Authority
The office with functional responsibility over the matter
being delegated is responsible for working with the Universitywide
Policy Office to draft a delegation for the President’s
consideration. The draft delegation must be accompanied by
a cover sheet documenting appropriate approvals within the
Division. The Universitywide Policy Office will coordinate
required approval by the Office of General Counsel. The Policy
Office prepares the official issuance for transmittal to the
President for signature, and publishes the approved version.
The Universitywide Policy Office also manages and is the office
of record for redelegations of authority within the Office
of the President.
Campus Management of Delegations
and Redelegations of Authority
Each Chancellor has designated a unit with responsibility
for managing campus delegations and redelegations of authority.
That unit transmits required copies of campus redelegations
of Presidential authority to the Universitywide Policy Office,
which routes copies to cognizant Office of the President units,
including the Office of the General Counsel.
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