Delegations of Authority

What is a Delegation of Authority

A UC delegation of authority formally assigns decision-making authority and financial, administrative, and management responsibilities to specific campus administrators via a chain of command. These actions and activities include the authority to act, commit, or execute resources and documents legally binding to the University. Delegations of authority are intended to provide clear, unambiguous statements of action that may be taken by the delegatee.

Sources of Authority for Delegations of Authority

UC delegations of authority flow from the Board of Regents to the UC President via the Standing Orders of the Regents. The President may redelegate some authority to Chancellors and other UC officers through Presidential Delegations, UC policy, or Business and Finance Bulletins. Chancellors may redelegate their decision-making authority if allowed by the underlying source of authority.

Principles of Delegations of Authority

At UC Merced, the Policy Office within the Ethics & Compliance unit coordinates formal campus delegations of authority that flow from Presidential Delegations, UC policy, and Business and Finance Bulletins. Delegations are formalized on a letter that specifies the title of the position to which authority has been delegated, whether or not the authority can be further redelegated, and a reference to existing delegations that will be modified (amended or superseded) by the action. The letter includes a reference to the source of the authority being delegated and restrictions or requirements established by the original Presidential delegation. Delegations are made to positions and titles rather than to individuals. Delegations are not reissued when there is an individual position incumbent change unless the duties of the position also change. Delegations remain in effect until such time as they are superseded or retired, usually based on a change to the Standing Orders of the Regents or because the subject matter is no longer current. Delegations are typically not issued for routine office management or administrative responsibilities.

In addition to formal delegations of authority, there are other means by which authority is communicated and assigned. Campus administrators have certain responsibilities inherent to their job responsibilities, but authority may also come from local policies and procedures and by granting transaction and reviewer roles in systems.

UC Merced Delegations of Authority

Please download the Active Delegations Excel file for a complete list of active Merced delegations of authority. This file can be sorted and filtered by DA#, Title, Delegated To/From, and Date. Active delegations are also listed below. UC Presidential delegations are maintained by the Office of the President and can be found on the Office of the President Current List of Delegations website.

Authority to Execute Business Contracts

The only UC Merced employees with authority to sign business contracts are those with active delegations of authority issued via the process outlined above. These types of delegations are limited to specific contract types and dollar amounts specifically authorized by Presidential delegations, UC policy, or Business and Finance Bulletins. If you do not have authority to sign a business contract via an active delegation, you are not authorized to enter into contractual relationships on behalf of the University. If you would like assistance with creating a business contract, please work with the Business Contracts team in Procurement. Business Contracts works with campus departments by guiding them to the right type of agreement or contract and are responsible for reviewing, negotiating, and establishing legally binding agreements and contracts.

Contact for Delegations of Authority

The Policy Office coordinates the formal delegation of authority process outlined above to ensure that delegations are consistent and do not conflict with Standing Orders of the Regents, Presidential delegations, policies, and Business and Finance Bulletins. If you have questions regarding delegations, please contact policy@ucmerced.edu.