Memorial University of Newfoundland Board of Regents has the authority and responsibility to manage, administer and control the property, revenue, business and affairs of the University.

To address the operational needs of the University and meet its goals, the Board delegates authority to the University's senior management through the Board’s approved policy statements, Board resolutions, memos, and official Board correspondence.

The senior management exercises these authorities in the best interests of the University, including sub-delegating authority in alignment with the University’s needs and goals and to achieve effective operations and maintain accountability.

No person is authorized to make any decisions or sign any document if it creates an obligation or undertaking on behalf of the University unless the person has the authority to do so. As stated above, these authorities can be found in official documents, such as policy and procedures statements, position profiles and the Contract Administration Policy and its schedule.

When delegating authority, the delegator must ensure the authority is permitted to be delegated (or sub-delegated) legally or within policy. Some authorities exist in legislation which must not be delegated by law. University policies often signal the possibility of delegation by including the phrase "or designate" after specifying positions authorized to make decisions. The delegator may seek the advice of General Counsel and the Manager of the University Policy Framework where relevant.

The delegator must consider the required skills, knowledge, and abilities of the delegate position before delegating authority. The delegator should ensure a match that enables the incumbent of the position to successfully exercise the delegated authority for the benefit of the University.

The delegation of any authority must be recorded in the University Delegation of Authority Register, which is overseen and regularly updated by the Office of the Board of Regents.

Process for delegating authority:

Authorities and delegations of authority are usually documented in relevant laws and regulations, policy and procedure statements, position profiles, or memos. When a delegation of authority is not captured in such documents, the delegator must complete a Delegation of Authority Form and submit it to the Office of the Board of Regents.

Changes in delegation will be considered by a Committee comprised of the following positions within the University:

• General Council;
• Executive Director, Office of the President;
• Manager, University Policy Framework;
• Director of Resource Allocation and Planning, Provost and Vice-President (Academic);
• Director of Operations, Vice-President (Administration, Finance and Advancement);
• Manager, Planning and Operations, Vice-President (Research);
• Others as needed.

The Committee may invite guests to provide feedback to inform the Committee’s assessment of a delegation of authority. These invited members may be selected with particular consideration for the specific requirements of the relevant campus or the operational intricacies associated with the delegation.

The Committee will meet every quarter to discuss any Delegation of Authority Forms submitted during that period to ensure there are no known operational, policy, or legal impediments not to delegate authority.

If the committee finds no barriers to implementing these delegations, they will be recorded in the University Delegation Register by the Manager of the University Policy Framework. Changes to the Register will be reported to the President’s Executive Council (PEC) and the Board of Regents each Quarter for review.