UC IRVINE ADMINISTRATIVE POLICIES & PROCEDURES

UC Delegations of Authority

Office of the President, Delegations of Authority, September 13, 1988

UCI Delegations of Authority

UCI Administrative Policies & Procedures

Section 701-13, Signature Authorization Procedures
Section 714-15, Policy on Access to University Administrative Information Systems
Section 714-16, Procedures for Accessing University Administrative Information Systems
Section 714-17, Using University Administrative Information Systems

Contact: UCI Administrative Policies Coordinator at (949) 824-8713, ucipolicy@uci.edu

A. Definition of Delegation of Authority Letter

A Delegation of Authority Letter assigns significant, written authority and responsibility to a campus official. These Letters are broad in scope and do not specify in detail how campus business will be conducted. Generally, campus Delegations of Authority are redelegations of Presidential authority which has been delegated to the Chancellor.

Delegation of Authority Letters are formal documents and the term "delegation of authority" should be avoided in correspondence intended only to assign specific tasks, or for temporary coverage during an official's absence.

B. Issuing Delegation of Authority Letters

UCI Delegations of Authority are issued and maintained by the campus Administrative Policies Coordinator who serves as the primary campus authority and resource by providng analysis, clarification, and interpretation of delegation of authority concepts and individual delegation issues. Proposed delegations are reviewed for their impact on current policies to ensure that published delegations are consistent with University and other regulatory directives.

To insure consistency with the format required by Office of the President, all Delegation of Authority Letters should be prepared in consultation with the Administrative Policies Coordinator at 824-8713 or ucipolicy@uci.edu. Original, signed Delegation of Authority Letters are retained in the Administrative Policies Office and forwarded to the University Archives when superseded.

C. Assignment of Specific Approval Authority

A department head, or campus officer to whom major authority and responsibility have been delegated or redelegated, may assign to non-faculty administrator(s) reporting to them the responsibility for approving and authorizing specific documents or activities. Such assignments constitute part of the individual's duties to expedite the conduct of routine business and are not to be construed as a redelegation of authority. Only documents authorizing actions within policy may be included in an assignment of approval authority. Approval of exceptions to policy cannot be assigned.

Such assignments must be in writing, and follow the Assignment of Authority to Approve Certain Documents format, with copies to the appropriate Vice Chancellor, relevant campus offices, and the Administrative Policies Coordinator.

D. Acting Authority During Temporary Absences

E. Signature and Online Access Authorizations

There are two methods by which Deans, department chairs, principal investigators, and administrative department heads can authorize responsible individuals to expend allocated University funds when there is no overruling written redelegation of authority:

• Signature Authorization or Cancellation, Form U242 (see Section 701-13)
• Administrative Computing Services Request for Online Access (see Section 714-15 and Section 714-16)

Unlike a Delegation of Authority, which is broad in scope, these forms are completed and issued by a department or program to notify administrative and service departments (Administrative Computing Services, Accounting, Procurement Services, etc.) of a given person's authority to conduct a specified business transaction for the department or program. The Signature Authorization also provides a specimen signature for individuals to whom expenditure authority is given.