The Board of Regents of the University of California gives decision-making authority to the President, who, in turn, redelegates much of that authority for each campus to the Chancellor. This delegation occurs either through Delegation of Authority Letters or through various policy manuals, letters, and the numerous Business and Finance Bulletins. The Chancellor may elect to redelegate this authority, when permitted, through a campus-generated Delegation of Authority Letter. Like the presidential Delegations of Authority, these specify the extent of the authority redelegated, who the authority has been delegated to, and whether or not this authority can be redelegated further.
Current UC Berkeley Delegation of Authority Letters, containing authority which has been delegated to individuals on campus through both the Presidential and Chancellor-generated letters, are managed and coordinated by the Office of Ethics, Risk and Compliance Services (risk@berkeley.edu) See the Delegations of Authority web site.
Administrative officials are not authorized to execute contracts without a formal written delegation except as a result of administrative responsibilities specifically outlined in University policies, such as the Academic Personnel Manual or a Business and Finance Bulletin. The University is under no obligation to honor unauthorized commitments. In certain circumstances, the University may stand behind an unauthorized agreement if it is clearly in the best interest of the University. Administrative officials who enter into agreements that are not within the scope of their authority may be personally liable for the unauthorized commitment. Refer to the Contracting on Behalf of the University section in this Guide for more information on contracting responsibilities.
Administrative officials cannot delegate greater responsibility and decision-making authority than they have been delegated. Moreover, administrative officials who delegate responsibilities and decision-making authority must do so in writing and ensure that the employees to whom they delegate are qualified and are properly fulfilling their responsibilities.