Campus News
UC Regents Policy 4408 on Public and Discretionary Statements by Academic Units
In the process of developing the final version of the policy, the Regents worked with systemwide Academic Senate leaders to incorporate their feedback and refine the proposed policy.
Dear Colleagues,
On July 18, 2024, the University of California Board of Regents approved Regents Policy 4408 specifying responsibilities and procedures for Academic Campus Units issuing Public Statements, including Discretionary Statements. Academic Campus Units include schools, departments, centers, laboratories, institutes, campus divisions of the Academic Senate, and campus University Extension units. In the process of developing the final version of the policy, the Regents worked with systemwide Academic Senate leaders to incorporate their feedback and refine the proposed policy.
The policy defines Public and Discretionary Statements and requires:
- All Public Statements (including Discretionary Statements) be consistent with applicable law and University policy;
- Discretionary Statements be accompanied by a disclaimer stating that the statement should not be taken as a position of the University, or the campus, as a whole;
- Academic Campus Units that intend to produce and disseminate Discretionary Statements must develop and publish procedures that comply with the rules outlined in the policy; and
- Discretionary Statements should not appear on the main homepage of a website of an academic unit, and instead should be posted on a separate page identified for such statements. Links to Discretionary Statements may be placed on an Academic Campus Unit’s homepage.
This policy is effective immediately. Please review websites under your purview to ensure they are compliant with Regents Policy 4408.
Sincerely,
Lori
Lori Kletzer
Campus Provost and Executive Vice Chancellor