Employees are notified bi-annually via ZotMail of new and revised campus and systemwide directives (see Updates).

• Sources of authority
• Policy development at UC and UC Irvine
• UC Irvine's Administrative Policies & Procedures

Sources of Authority for University of California Policies

The University of California has comprehensive and interrelated policies and guidelines that address the conduct of UC employees. The chart showing the structure of administrative sources of authority visually illustrates the hierarchy of authority for the University. It shows how different constituencies work together to define the rules governing employees in University-related activities. This foundational structure supports the University's missions of teaching, research and public service, and principles of shared governance.

State and Federal Regulations

State and federal legislation provide the first level of authority to the University. Article IX, Section 9 of the California Constitution establishes The Regents of the University of California with "full powers of organization and governance" subject only to very specific areas of legislative control. The article states "the university shall be entirely independent of all political and sectarian influence and kept free therefrom in the appointment of its Regents and in the administration of its affairs." The California Master Plan for Higher Education represents "a written covenant by the state and its higher education enterprise to provide broad access to educational opportunity and to support an intellectual infrastructure which would continually create and apply new knowledge for the benefit of California's people."

The Regents of the University of California

The University is governed by The Regents, a 26-member board that appoints the President of the University and the principal officers of The Regents: the General Counsel, Treasurer, and Secretary. The Bylaws of The Regents discuss the responsibilities of the officers and committees, and include, among others, policies on the use of the University name and seal. The Standing Orders include provisions that establish the duties of the President, Chancellors, Academic Senate, and establish programs, such as the UC retirement system, that concern faculty members and employees of the University. From time to time, the Board of Regents adopts policies pertaining to the governance of the University of California that fall outside the purview of its Bylaws and Standing Orders. Some examples are policies on nondiscrimination, fundraising campaigns, and admission requirements.

Presidential Policies and Delegations of Authority

The Regents promulgate policy for the University overall, but certain policy-making duties are conferred on the President of the University in Standing Orders 100.4. New Presidential policy may result from Regents' action, changes in law, or new administrative issues within the University itself. Presidential policies are revised or rescinded based on changes to Regents' policy, legal or societal changes, or administrative changes. Policy review prior to issuance by the President is performed by the University Policy Office, within the immediate office of the Senior Vice President--Business and Finance in the Office of the President. The General Counsel of The Regents is responsible for legal review. Presidential policies customarily set forth courses of action, provide administrative direction, and promulgate regulations or processes which are applicable Universitywide.

• Presidential Delegations of Authority - Authorities conferred upon the President by the Board of Regents which the President has chosen to redelegate to other senior officers, including Chancellors, in published form.
  

Policy Development at Office of the President

The Regents promulgate policy for the University overall, but certain policy-making duties are conferred on the President in Standing Orders of The Regents 100.4. New Presidential policy may result from Regents' action, changes in law, or new administrative issues within the University. Presidential policies are revised or rescinded based on changes to Regents' policy, legal or societal changes, or administrative changes. Presidential policies (also called administrative policies) customarily set forth courses of action, provide administrative direction, and promulgate regulations or processes which are applicable Universitywide.

Presidential policy-making usually involves extensive consultation with various constituencies of the University community and may include representative administrators, faculty and students from each of the ten University of California campuses and three national laboratories. The University Policy Office coordinates appropriate consultation during the policy-making process and assures that the proposed policy is consistent with existing Presidential policy and regulations outside the University. While policy review is performed by the University Policy Office, Office of the General Counsel is responsible for legal review.

Policy Development at UC Irvine

University activities are primarily governed by systemwide policies. Campus policies are also developed to address a specific campus need to promulgate what will or will not be done on the UC Irvine campus under certain circumstances. Members of the campus community are responsible for identifying the institutional need for campus policy and guidelines that address accountability, resourcefulness and efficiency in meeting the University's teaching, research, and public service obligations.

To implement systemwide guidelines or develop a new campus administrative policy, senior management within a related functional area generally organize a work group composed of campus administrators whose departments will be most affected by the policy. Faculty, staff and students who can provide insight into the ramifications of the policy at the campus level, or who otherwise represent a constituency with a vested interest in the policy's implementation, may also be included. The work group researches the critical issues connected to the topic and examines existing and related policies. After reconciling any competing points of view, a proposed campus policy is drafted as described in Section 103-11: Guidelines for Writing and Publishing Administrative Policies and Procedures. The Administrative Policies Officer may participate in the work group and advise on whether conflicts exist with any other policies and on the feasibility, completeness, clarity, consistency, style, and format of the proposal.

The proposed policy is then reviewed by a wider group of senior managers and administrative groups, along with legal review by Campus Counsel. If the proposed policy affects the terms and conditions of employment, it will be presented to the campus community for a 30-day review and comment period. Concurrent review by collective bargaining agents may also occur. The final document is subject to approval in accordance with the approvals required for UC Irvine's administrative policies and procedures before being published on the Official University Policies & Procedures website.

UC Irvine's Administrative Policies & Procedures and Delegations of Authority

Sources of policy information maintained by the Administrative Policies Officer:

• Administrative Policies & Procedures These policy and procedure sections communicate what will be done specifically on the UC Irvine campus. Each section displays the most recent revision or review date, the campus office or administrator responsible for its development and maintenance (the "owner"), and contact information.

  There are generally three types of campus administrative policy statements:

  • Those that relate to a specific activity and do not require campuswide participation to implement (food service, fireworks, animals on campus).
  • Those that have campuswide application (e.g., emergency management, computer and network use) and include links to various sources of official policy information (e.g., State of California, Business and Finance Bulletins).
  • Those that adhere to specific guidelines mandated by Office of the President, implementing a complex Universitywide policy in a specific non-financial area and requiring campus participation to implement (e.g., whistleblower, sexual harassment, electronic communications).

  Many other sections are called guidelines and contain procedures developed by departments within central administration. For example, financial sections originating in the Administrative & Business Services (A&BS) coordinating point generally derive their authority from systemwide policies. Step-by-step instructions for completing financial tasks or operational guidelines for handling common administrative activities are also stated in SNAP, a portal to financial tools such as PayQuest.
  
  

• UCI Delegation of Authority Letters are issued by the Chancellor and define in writing the campus official(s) responsible for approving/implementing major, broad-based business activities on behalf of the University which may involve significant areas of liability or public accountability. Like policies, delegations to the campus may come in the form of a systemwide directive to the Chancellors (a Presidential Delegation or Presidential Policy), or may be stated in another Office of the President formatl. Letters are prepared and issued by the Administrative Policies Officer.

The Administrative Policies Officer maintains the official record of campus administrative policy revisions and approvals, as well as the Delegations of Authority. Copies of these documents are also sent to the Libraries Archives.

Personnel Procedures for UCI Staff Members, which are maintained on the policies website, are the implementation of the UC Policies for Staff Members. Human Resources, a department in the A&BS coordinating point, is considered the responsible owner of these sections.

Other UCI departments that issue and maintain campus policy information on their websites include: