Nov 18, 2024
Dear colleagues,
In July 2024, the UC Board of Regents adopted Regents Policy 4408: Policy on Public and Discretionary Statements by Academic Units. The policy applies to schools and academic units that aim to address a range of discretionary topics through digital channels, including websites and social media platforms.
To assist our campus with implementing this policy, we have developed the UC Irvine Guidance on Discretionary Statements to share best practices for posting content on Academic Unit websites and official social media platforms.
Below are some important takeaways:
- Units posting discretionary statements must have publicly available written bylaws or policies governing the issuance of statements.
- All content must be consistent with applicable law and University policies.
- Discretionary statements must not appear on the main homepage of an academic unit's website and instead should be posted on a separate page identified for such statements.
- Discretionary statements must be accompanied by a clear disclaimer that the unit is not speaking for the University or the campus as a whole.
- Any discretionary statement should be accompanied by an explanation of whose views it represents.
The UC Irvine Guidance on Discretionary Statements is posted on the Office of the Provost and Executive Vice Chancellor website.
Sincerely,
Hal Stern
Provost and Executive Vice Chancellor
Distinguished Professor, Department of Statistics