AO 1   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, by this administrative order, the University President delegates to the designated administrative officials the authority to act for the President in connection with certain business and financial affairs. Notwithstanding these delegations of authority, each designated official is expected to consult with the President on any matter that reasonably warrants the President’s direct involvement and on any instrument that, prior to its execution, is deemed appropriate for regental consideration.

1. The Executive Vice President for Finance & Administration

The Executive Vice President for Finance & Administration (EVPFA), or his or her designee, is authorized to act for the President of the University regarding the execution and administration of instruments and the general business and financial affairs of the University. This includes:

1. The execution of instruments relating to real property, where the anticipated cost or value to the University is less than $5 million. In addition, when the cost or value to the University exceeds $5 million and is less than $15 million, the EVPFA, or his or her designee, may approve and execute the instruments and report all such actions to the Board of Regents no less often than quarterly.
2. The execution and administration of capital project budgets where the anticipated cost or value to the University is less than $5 million. In addition, when the cost or value to the University exceeds $5 million and is less than $15 million, the EVPFA, or his or her designee, may approve and execute all instruments related to the capital project and report all such actions to the Board of Regents no less often than quarterly.
3. The execution and administration of all professional and personal service agreements less than $5 million which may be required to provide capital planning services such as pre-design, master and sub-master physical development planning, and all other planning activities required to develop and support the University’s capital plan. In addition, when the cost or value to the University exceeds $5 million and is less than $15 million, the EVPFA, or his or her designee, may approve and execute the instruments and report all such actions to the Board of Regents no less than quarterly.
4. The execution of any instrument, except as provided in Section 4, related to acquisitions of goods and services, where the anticipated cost or value to the University is less than $5 million. In addition, when the cost or value to the University exceeds $5 million and is less than $15 million, the EVPFA, or his or her designee, may approve and execute the instruments and report all such actions to the Board of Regents no less often than quarterly.
   
   When the ultimate aggregate cost to the University is not known in advance for instruments relating to the acquisition of goods or services on a continuing or intermittent basis (e.g., rental, service, or supply contracts), the amounts set forth in this subsection shall be calculated on a per month basis. The EVPFA will coordinate with the Office of Planning and Budgeting and the Provost as necessary to ensure that appropriate resources are available.
5. The limits and reporting requirements specified in Sections 1.A through 1.D above, do not apply to the following:
   1. The procurement of utility services, including easements related to utility services;
   2. The procurement of goods and services made by participating in contracts entered into by group purchasing organizations and contracts awarded by agencies of the state of Washington;
   3. The procurement of equipment and furnishings that are included in capital project budgets that have been authorized by the Board of Regents;
   4. 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; 
   5.  
      1. Leases of real property and modifications thereto of up to 20 years when the University is the landlord, and
      2. 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 Metro Tract revenues;
   6. Reporting expenditures and requesting reimbursement from a research sponsor, including any certifications required therewith;
   7. Deferred gift assets;
   8. Real property acquisition through gift or devise;
   9. Actions necessary to protect the University’s interests and operations in response to an emergency situation;
   10. Actions and execution of documents necessary to establish legal entities, controlled by the University, through which the University can conduct itself in foreign countries;
   11. The selection of depositories; and
   12. The execution of all time-critical instruments and business affairs requiring action between scheduled Board of Regents meetings provided that the EVPFA, or his or her designee, secures approval of the chair or vice chair of the appropriate regental standing committee and submits a report of any actions taken pursuant to this delegation to the Board of Regents at its next regularly scheduled meeting.
6. The negotiation, administration, and interpretation of collective bargaining agreements for employees in properly constituted collective bargaining units, except that the initial collective bargaining agreement with a representative of a newly certified bargaining unit requires the approval of the Board of Regents.
7. The resolution of all University collective bargaining-related disputes, including but not limited to grievances filed in accordance with the provisions of a collective bargaining agreement, and unfair labor practice complaints filed with the Public Employment Labor Commission (PERC) or other duly constituted authority as required by law.
8. The settlement of employment-related disputes for professional and classified staff, employees holding temporary hourly appointments, and academic student employees, provided that there are no pending University Complaint Investigation and Resolution Office investigations, tort claims, or tort lawsuits, that the source of funds is local, and that the settlement does not exceed $250,000.
9. The approval of all information technology, information management, administrative and clinical applications, networking and/or telecommunications acquisitions and projects.
10. The settlement of claims and lawsuits brought against the University that involve the general business and financial affairs of the University and do not involve substantive matters delegated to others under Sections 2–7 below.
11. The approval and execution of bond purchase contracts, loan agreements, financing contracts, trust indentures and any other instruments or certificates evidencing or related to any University general revenue obligation or other financing authorized by the Board of Regents or within parameters authorized by the Board of Regents.

2. The Vice President for Student Life

 The Vice President for Student Life, or his or her designee, is authorized to act for the President of the University regarding the execution and administration of the following types of agreements, except agreements in excess of $5 million in cost or value to the University:

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

3. The Provost and Executive Vice President

The Provost and Executive Vice President, or his or her designee, is authorized to act for the President regarding:

1. The execution and administration of affiliation agreements involving academic units, except as provided in Sections 1.E.10 and 4.A below;
2. Sub-contracts (or sub-awards) for collaborative research entered into in furtherance of sponsored research programs which are funded by grants and contracts administered by the Office of Sponsored Programs;
3. The settlement of claims or lawsuits brought against the University, except as provided in Sections 1.H and 1.J above, and the settlement of employment-related disputes for academic personnel excluding academic student employees; and
4. The procurement of property or casualty insurance, self-insurance, or any combination thereof.

4. The Chief Executive Officer (CEO), UW Medicine

The CEO, UW Medicine, or his or her designee, is authorized to act for the President regarding the execution and administration of:

1. 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), Harborview Medical Center (HMC), Northwest Hospital & Medical Center, Valley Medical Center, UW Neighborhood Clinics, Airlift Northwest (ALNW), University of Washington Physicians, or the University’s interest in Children’s University Medical Group or Seattle Cancer Care Alliance, where the anticipated cost or value to the University does not exceed $5 million and the authority to execute such agreements has not been delegated to another officer of the University.
   
   In addition, when the cost or value to the University of any agreement, contract, or other business instrument described in this subsection or in Subsection 4.C.1 exceeds $5 million and is less than $15 million, the CEO, UW Medicine, or his or her designee, may approve and execute the instruments and shall report all such actions to the Board of Regents no less frequently than quarterly. When the ultimate aggregate cost to the University is not known in advance for instruments related to the acquisition of goods or services on a continuing or intermittent basis, the amounts set forth in this paragraph shall be calculated on a per month basis;
2. 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;
3. Subject to the limits in Section 4.A above, the following instruments which occur in the usual course of business for HMC, UWMC, and ALNW:
   1. Instruments relating to the acquisition of goods or services, including group purchasing organization procurement, for HMC, UWMC, or ALNW, excluding capital project budgets, matters subject to Section 1.E.11, or the purchase of aircraft;
   2. Documents relating to the procurement of utility services for HMC;
   3. Documents necessary to protect HMC’s interests in response to an emergency situation arising out of fire or other casualty; and
   4. Leases of real property for a period less than 30 days.

5. The Vice President for University Advancement

The Vice President for University Advancement and the Chief Marketing and Communications Officer each are authorized to act for the President of the University regarding the execution 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 $5 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 of the University.

6. The Executive Director of Health Sciences Administration

The Executive Director of Health Sciences Administration, or his or her designee, is authorized to act for the President regarding the execution and administration of affiliation agreements, patient care agreements, and other agreements relating to Health Sciences schools other than the School of Medicine, where the anticipated cost or value to the University does not exceed $5 million and the authority to execute such agreements has not been delegated to another officer of the University.

7. The Director of Intercollegiate Athletics

The Director of Intercollegiate Athletics, or his or her designee, is authorized to act for the President of the University regarding the execution and administration of athletics sponsorship agreements, athletics competition agreements, and agreements for the lease, license, or use of facilities managed by the Department of Intercollegiate Athletics as long as the cost or value to the University in any such individual agreement does not exceed $5 million and such an agreement does not permit the continuous use of such a facility for any period that exceeds 30 consecutive days.

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.

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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. 7, “The Vice President for Minority Affairs”
• Executive Order No. 11, “The Vice President for External Affairs”
• Executive Order No. 12, “The Deans”
• Executive Order No. 14, “Chancellor, UW Bothell and UW Tacoma”
• Executive Order No. 18, “The University Ombud”
• Executive Order No. 62, “The Vice President for University Advancement”
• Administrative Orders: Delegations of Authority