University of Washington Policy Directory

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*Formerly part of the University Handbook
Presidential Orders


Administrative Order


No. 6


Personnel Actions



1.  Academic Personnel

The Provost and Executive Vice President, or his or her designee, is authorized to act for the President of the University regarding all personnel and employment matters concerning academic personnel except the following: new appointments of deans and chancellors, department chairs, and directors of academic units; new appointments to the rank of professor, associate professor, and assistant professor; new appointments to faculty positions with tenure; new appointments of full-time lecturers; new appointments of full-time acting and visiting faculty in professorial ranks; and new appointments to endowed chairs or professorships.

2.  Non-Academic Personnel

Except as provided in Sections 3, 4, and 5 below, the Provost and Executive Vice President, the Executive Vice President for Finance & Administration, vice presidents, vice provosts, chancellors, deans, and executive directors or CEOs of hospitals and medical centers, are authorized to take all personnel actions concerning any University of Washington non-academic employee within their respective organizations, subject to applicable Washington State Human Resources rules, and University policies, procedures, and contracts; provided that any action that could adversely impact the reputation of the University as an employer, including, but not limited to, reorganizations, addressing repeated claims of unfair labor practices or other types of misconduct, and/or termination of classified or professional staff employee requires advance concurrence by the Vice President of Human Resources or his or her designee.

The above-named University appointing authorities or their designees may request additional review by the Executive Vice President for Finance & Administration, or his or her designee, on termination decisions made by the Vice President of Human Resources or his or her designee.

Consistent with these provisions, the above-named University appointing authorities may also further delegate to designees within their respective organizations the authority to take any or all personnel actions for employees under their supervision; provided that any such delegation to designees must be in writing with notification to the Vice President of Human Resources or his or her designee. Furthermore, only the Executive Vice President for Finance & Administration or his or her designee, can authorize the placement of an employee on administrative leave during the course of an investigation in response to allegations of misconduct, or as otherwise may be necessary.

3.  The Attorney General's Division at the University of Washington

The Senior Assistant Attorney General or the Senior Assistant Attorney General's designee is authorized to act for the President of the University regarding the execution and administration of personnel actions concerning non-academic personnel within the Attorney General's Division at the University.

4.  The Department of Intercollegiate Athletics

The Director of Intercollegiate Athletics (Director) is authorized to act for the President of the University regarding personnel actions concerning all non-academic personnel employed by or volunteering for the Department of Intercollegiate Athletics (Department); however, all head coach contracts will require a signature from both the Director and the President of the University. The Director may further delegate to subordinate officers within the Department the authority to take any or all personnel actions for employees under their supervision, provided that any such delegation to subordinate officers must be in writing.

5.  The Executive Vice President for Finance & Administration

The Executive Vice President for Finance & Administration, or his or her designee, is authorized to act for the President of the University as provided in Section 2 above, and in exempting certain non-academic job classifications, positions, and employees from civil service in accordance with the provisions of RCW 41.06.070.

June 13, 1988; [Renumbered from Administrative Order No. 20] July 1, 1992; [Temporary order] August 18, 1995-September 22, 1995; March 1, 1996; August 15, 2000; April 22, 2005; October 27, 2005; July 2, 2012; November 28, 2017.

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 8, "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