AO 101 Business and Financial Affairs

Except for those matters specifically retained by the Board of Regents as noted in the Board of Regents Governance materials and especially in Standing Orders, Chapter 1, or otherwise specifically delegated in writing by the President, the President delegates authority to act for the President in connection with certain business and financial affairs.

All officers with delegations must to adhere to all applicable laws, regulations, University policies, procedures, and standards when executing contracts or agreements on behalf of the University. Officers also must consult the UW Division of the Attorney General’s Office or follow standard procedures for contract or agreement review with input from the UW Division of the Attorney General’s Office prior to execution.

For units subject to deficit monitoring or management under APS 38.18, delegations may be revised or amended by the Senior Vice President for Finance, Planning and Budgeting in consultation with the President and the Provost.

Notwithstanding these delegations of authority, each designated officer is expected to consult with the President on matters warranting the President’s direct involvement and on any instrument deemed appropriate for regental consideration prior to execution.

Provost and Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs

The Provost and Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs is delegated authority to approve execution of any instrument where the anticipated value or cost is less than $25 million, provided the instrument is executed and reported in accordance with Board of Regents Governance, Standing Orders, Chapter 1, Section 6.A.5, and the transaction is within approved budget and financial plans. The Provost may delegate this authority for instruments valued at no more than $10 million, when the instrument is executed and reported in accordance with Board of Regents Governance, Standing Orders, Chapter 1, Section 6.A.5, and the delegation is to a direct report.

The Provost or designee is authorized to execute the following regardless of cost or value:

The execution and administration of affiliation agreements involving academic units, except as otherwise delegated to the CEO of UW Medicine;
Subcontracts for collaborative research entered in furtherance of sponsored research programs that are funded by grants and contracts administered by the Office of Sponsored Programs.

Chancellors, UW Bothell and UW Tacoma

The Chancellors of UW Bothell and UW Tacoma are delegated authority to approve execution of instruments where the anticipated value or cost is less than $25 million provided the instrument is executed and reported in accordance with Board of Regents Governance, Standing Orders, Chapter 1, Section 6.A.5, and the transaction is within approved budget and financial plans. The Chancellors may delegate this authority for instruments valued at no more than $10 million when the instrument is executed and reported in accordance with Board of Regents Governance, Standing Orders, Chapter 1, Section 6.A.5, and the delegation is to a direct report.

The Chief Executive Officer (CEO), UW Medicine

The CEO, UW Medicine, is delegated authority to approve execution of any instrument where the anticipated value or cost is less than $25 million provided the instrument is executed and reported in accordance with Board of Regents Governance, Standing Orders, Chapter 1, Section 6.A.5 and the transaction is within approved budget and financial plans. The CEO may delegate this authority if the instrument is executed and reported in accordance with Board of Regents Governance, Standing Orders, Chapter 1, Section 6.A.5, and the delegation is to a direct report.

This delegation is inclusive of:

Affiliation agreements, patient care agreements, and other agreements involving any of the component entities of UW Medicine, including but not limited to the School of Medicine, University of Washington Medical Center (UWMC Montlake and Northwest Campuses), Harborview Medical Center (HMC), Valley Medical Center, UW Medicine Primary Care Clinics, Airlift Northwest (ALNW), UW Physicians, or the University’s interest in Children’s University Medical Group or Fred Hutch Cancer Center.
Instruments which occur in the usual course of business for HMC, UWMC, and ALNW, including:
Instruments relating to the acquisition of goods or services, including group purchasing organization procurement, for HMC, UWMC, or ALNW, excluding capital project budgets, depositories, or the purchase of aircraft;
Documents relating to the procurement of utility services for HMC;
Documents necessary to protect HMC’s interests in response to an emergency situation arising out of fire or other casualty; and
Leases of real property for a period less than 30 days.

The CEO or designee is also delegated authority to execute the following regardless of cost or value:

Contracts with governmental, commercial, or other third-party payers for the payment of UW Medicine healthcare services regardless of cost or value to the University.
The procurement of goods and services that otherwise would have been purchased through contracts entered into by group purchasing organizations made by participating in contracts with vendors who offer a reduced price for direct contracting that is less than the price available through group purchasing organizations.
The execution of any instrument for the delivery of capital projects at Harborview Medical Center or any related location managed by UW Medicine, funded through approval by the King County Council in accordance with the King County-UW Hospital Services Agreement.

Senior Vice President, Finance, Planning & Budgeting, Chief Financial Officer

The Senior Vice President for Finance, Planning and Budgeting (SVP FPB) is delegated authority to approve execution of any instrument where the anticipated value or cost is less than $25 million provided the instrument is executed and reported in accordance with Board of Regents Governance, Standing Orders, Chapter 1, Section 6.A.5, and the transaction is within approved budget and financial plans. The SVP FPB may delegate this authority for instruments valued at no more than $10 million when the instrument is executed and reported in accordance with Board of Regents Governance, Standing Orders, Chapter 1, Section 6.A.5, and the delegation is to a direct report.

The SVP FPB or designee is also delegated authority to execute the following regardless of cost or value:

The procurement of goods and services that otherwise would have been purchased through contracts entered into by group purchasing organizations made by participating in contracts with vendors who offer a reduced price for direct contracting that is less than the price available through group purchasing organizations;
The procurement of goods and services for sponsored research programs when the source of the goods or services is directed by the sponsor, or the sponsor retains title to the goods acquired, and contracts which include as a primary purpose or secondary effect of approved sponsored projects the acquisition or renovation of equipment or vessels;
Contracted pricing agreements executed for campus-wide use, by which there is no commitment to buy, by which there is no exclusive use extended to a single vendor, and by which individual items such as consumable office or lab supplies are commodities well below the direct-buy limit and where prior approval thresholds are unlikely to be realized or isolated to a specific unit;
Actions and execution of documents necessary to establish legal entities, controlled by the University, through which the University can conduct itself in foreign countries;
The selection of depositories.

Senior Vice President for University Advancement

The Senior Vice President for University Advancement (SVP UA) is delegated authority to approve execution of any instrument where the anticipated value or cost is less than $25 million provided the instrument is executed and reported in accordance with Board of Regents Governance, Standing Orders, Chapter 1, Section 6.A.5, and the transaction is within approved budget and financial plans. The SVP UA may delegate this authority for instruments valued at no more than $10 million, when the instrument is executed and reported in accordance with Board of Regents Governance, Standing Orders, Chapter 1, Section 6.A.5, and the delegation is to a direct report.

The SVP UA or designee is delegated authority to execute of University wide sponsorships where an outside entity provides money, goods, and/or services to the University, and in return the entity receives acknowledgment of the sponsorship via television or radio broadcasts, signage, tickets, programs, other print materials, or the Internet, as long as the value to the University in any such individual agreement does not exceed $10 million, the term of such an agreement does not exceed ten years, and the authority to execute such agreements has not been delegated to another officer.

The SVP UA or designee is also delegated authority to execute the following regardless of cost or value with consultation as appropriate with the Senior Vice President for Finance, Planning & Budgeting:

Deferred gift assets;
Real property acquired through gift or devise.

Direct Reports to the President

All direct reports to the President are delegated authority to approve execution of any instrument where the anticipated value or cost is less than $10 million provided the instrument is executed and reported in accordance with Board of Regents Governance, Standing Orders, Chapter 1, Section 6.A.5, and the transaction is within approved budget and financial plans. The direct report may delegate this authority is for instruments valued at no more than $5 million when the instrument is executed and reported in accordance with Board of Regents Governance, Standing Orders, Chapter 1, Section 6.A.5, and the delegation is to a direct report.

For instruments between $10–25 million, direct reports may not approve execution without prior review, approval, and delegation by the President or the President’s designee.

For vice presidents reporting to an executive vice president or senior vice president, specific delegations are authorized to be provided by their direct supervisor in accordance with that supervisor’s applicable delegations of authority.

Vice President for Student Life

The Vice President for Student Life (VPSL) or designee is delegated authority to execute and administer the following types of agreements for UW Seattle, provided the agreement does not exceed $10 million in cost or value to the University:

Work-study agreements;
Agreements for the rental or use of University facilities under the management of the VPSL ;
Agreements for student activities sponsored by the Associated Students for the University of Washington (ASUW) or the Graduate and Professional Student Senate (GPSS); and
Other agreements for the provision of student services, programs, and activities for which the VPSL has been assigned administrative responsibility.

For instruments between $10–25 million, direct reports may not approve execution without prior review or approval by the President or the President’s designee.

For UW Bothell and UW Tacoma, delegations for similar agreements are authorized to be provided by the Chancellors or designees.

Vice President for UW Facilities

The Vice President for UW Facilities, or designee, is delegated authority to execute the following regardless of cost or value:

The procurement of utility services, including easements;
The procurement of equipment and furnishings that are included in capital project budgets that have been authorized by the Board of Regents;
Leases of real property and modifications thereto of up to 20 years when the University is the landlord, and leases, capital improvements and other management actions in the usual course of business on the Metropolitan Tract, provided lease terms do not exceed 20 years and capital expenditures are funded from portfolio revenue.

Vice President and Chief Compliance and Risk Officer

Vice President and Chief Compliance and Risk Officer or designee is delegated authority to execute and manage the following within financial thresholds or parameters established in writing by the President:

The settlement of claims or lawsuits brought against the University;
The procurement of property or casualty insurance, self-insurance, or any combination thereof;
Management of the University’s enterprise risk management (ERM) program with a schedule of regular reporting to the Board of Regents to be determined annually.

Vice President for UW Information Technology

The Vice President of UW Information Technology (VP UWIT) or designee is delegated authority to execute the following regardless of cost or value:

Purchases of information technology services, when the initial contract and funding plan have been approved by the Board of Regents, provided that these purchases are included in the quarterly report of actions taken under delegated authority.

History

June 12, 1972; October 7, 1974; July 1, 1976; January 9, 1981; June 1, 1983; September 26, 1985; May 1, 1986; March 20, 1992; February 1, 1994; April 26, 2000; April 5, 2001; May 10, 2005; December 1, 2011; February 8, 2013; January 15, 2014; December 12, 2014; October 5, 2015; November 28, 2017; [Formerly numbered AO No. 1] January 13, 2026.

For additional delegations of authority, see:

Board of Regents Governance, Bylaws, Article V, “Officers of the University”
Board of Regents Governance, Standing Orders, Chapter 1, “Delegation of Authority”
Board of Regents Governance, Standing Orders, Chapter 6, “Authority for Washington Administrative Code Rule Making”
Executive Order No. 1, “The Office of the President”
Executive Order No. 4, “The Provost”
Executive Order No. 6, “The Chief Executive Officer (CEO), UW Medicine and Executive Vice President for Medical Affairs and Dean of the School of Medicine, University of Washington”
Executive Order No. 12, “The Deans”
Executive Order No. 71, “University of Washington Bothell”
Executive Order No. 72, “University of Washington Tacoma”
Administrative Orders: Delegations of Authority

Table of Contents