A. Definitions

1. The University of California is governed by a Board of Regents. The Regents are vested with the management and disposition of the property of the University. The Regents also have all the powers necessary or convenient for the effective administration of its trust, including the power to delegate to its committees or to the faculty of the University, or to others, such authority or functions as The Board may deem wise.
2. The Regents meet six times a year. The Board operates through ten standing committees: audit, compensation, educational policy, finance, governance, grounds and buildings, health services, investments, long-range planning, and oversight of the Department of Energy Laboratories. Standing committees meet as required, usually on the day preceding the Board's business meetings.
3. Amendments of the Bylaws and Standing Orders and Regental policies are designed to improve the functioning of the Committees and the Board, to decrease the volume of routine administrative matters, and streamline the Board's practices and procedures. To determine whether an item should be presented to The Regents, review the proposed action under the Standing Orders.
4. Items for Action require action to be taken by The Regents, are presented in writing, and may or may not involve oral presentation or discussion.
5. Items for Discussion do not require action and are presented in writing and (sometimes) orally. They generally concern status reports on matters of University concern and are used as a way of updating The Regents. Campuses are discouraged, under most circumstances, from submitting Items for Discussion and Information.
6. In an urgent situation, when Regents' action is required between regular meetings, two action modes are available: Interim Authority and Emergency Authority. These items receive the same level and detail of analysis and review as all other proposed Regents' actions. Emergency Authority is invoked when action is required within three working days. Interim Authority is available if more than three working days are available to complete the action. Campuses are encouraged to submit items to regular meetings rather than using these methods, except under very special circumstances.

B. Coordination of Regents' Agenda Items (RAIs)

The Regents' Coordinator at UCI is the Vice Chancellor-Planning and Budget. The Coordinator is responsible for coordinating the submission of all of UCI's RAIs and ensuring delivery to the appropriate division at the Office of the President, by the published deadline and in the proper format.

Procedures and presentation formats for preparing material for Regents' meetings are available in the Coordinator's office in 454 Aldrich Hall.

The office of the Coordinator holds a complete set of Regents' materials and a record of minutes and actions taken at the meetings. The Coordinator distributes and updates Regents' materials to senior management as appropriate.

As far in advance as possible, offices preparing agenda items should contact the Coordinator's office indicating the proposed meeting date, the subject of the RAI, the Committee(s) that needs to review the item, and the author/assignee for the item. A list of contacts has been developed by the Coordinator's staff to distribute information and update campus departments on agenda items.

The campus review process for agenda items is:

1. originating department,
2. coordinating point Vice Chancellor,
3. Regents' Coordinator,
4. Executive Vice Chancellor, and
5. Chancellor.

All reviews must be completed by the submission deadline or the item will not be accepted by the Office of the President.

Prior to the Regents' Meeting, all systemwide RAIs of interest to UCI are presented to the Chancellor's Cabinet for review.

The draft Agenda may be viewed on the Regents' web site starting at the end of the day Friday, about seven working days before the Regents' Meeting.

On the day the item is presented to The Regents, the author or designee will remain accessible to the Chancellor by phone to answer questions that may arise.

C. Components of a Regents' Agenda Item Submittal

The RAI package will consist of:

1. a cover letter to the appropriate contact at the Office of the President, signed by the Chancellor, with copies to:
   1. Coordinating point Vice Chancellor, and
   2. Coordinator.
   3. Other staff, as appropriate, may also be copied
2. an Executive Summary
3. the proposed RAI in double-spaced Regents' format, and
4. an electronic copy of the item sent as an e-mail attachment to the appropriate contact at the Office of the President.

Samples of cover letters are available in the Coordinator's office.