Purpose

The UC Board of Regents adopted the UC Regents Policy on Public and Discretionary Statements by Academic Units (“Policy”) to maintain a clear distinction between statements made on behalf of the institution and statements not made on behalf of the institution. This webpage provides guidance and best practices on adherence with the UC Regents policy. Discretionary Statements do not include news and events related to faculty research, teaching, and individual or collective scholarly endeavors.

Scope

This guidance applies to all faculty, staff, and students who have access to post content on Academic Campus Unit websites and official social media platforms.

General Principles

  • Adherence to Local Bylaws/Policies: Under the Policy, Units posting Discretionary Statements should have publicly available written bylaws or policies governing the issuance of statements.
  • Posting Location: Discretionary Statements must not appear on the main homepage of a website of a Unit and instead should be posted on a separate page identified for such statements.
  • Compliance: All content must be consistent with applicable law and University policies.
  • Transparency (institutional): Discretionary Statements must be accompanied by a clear disclaimer that the Unit is not speaking for the University, all members of a Unit (unless unanimous), or the campus as a whole.
  • Transparency (individual): Any Discretionary Statement should be accompanied by some explanation of whose views it represents, which could be one of the following:
    • A disclaimer that the statement does not necessarily reflect the views of every member of the Unit.
    • A report that the statement reflects unanimity, a supermajority (at least two-thirds), or a simple majority (at least 51%) of the Unit members.
    • A note that all statements are issued in the name of the dean or chair of the Unit.
    • A list of the results of a Unit vote on whether to issue the statement.
  • Freedom of Speech and Inquiry: Individual faculty members and groups of faculty members have the right to author and publish statements and circulate them in their own private networks or on an individual faculty member’s page on a Unit’s website. When faculty members speak or write as individuals, they should make every effort to indicate that they are not speaking for the institution.

Best Practices for Discretionary Statements

  1. Leadership Statement Clarity: Deans and chairs should specify that Discretionary Statements they author are from them personally, not the Unit.
  2. Consultation and Inclusion: When a statement represents a specific subgroup (e.g., full-time faculty, adjunct professors), the broader Unit should be informed and consulted about its potential impact.
  3. Supermajority Consideration: Statements should aim for broad consensus and avoid conflicting with significant subgroups' views. Requiring a supermajority for posting can help minimize such conflicts.
  4. Specificity in Representation: Statements should clearly identify the Unit or subgroup they represent to prevent misrepresentation of community members.
  5. Separate Page for Statements: Statements should not be on the main homepage of a Unit. Instead, Units shall create a separate page for "Statements and Opinions.”
  6. Archiving Decisions: Units should decide, through designated procedures, how and where to archive previous statements and for how long such statements will be posted and retained after they are no longer publicly posted. This may also vary based on the type of statement and relevance to current events.

Social Media Guidelines

  1. Norms and Practices: Establish clear norms for social media use, including who can communicate on behalf of the Unit and how posts are monitored and archived.
  2. Reference to Full Statement: Any social media posts should link to the full statement on the Unit’s “Statement and Opinions” webpage by name and URL to maintain context.
  3. Comment Management: If sharing Discretionary Statements on social media platforms, implement a protocol for managing comments, including when they should be turned off, with the criteria clearly noted ahead of time to ensure transparency and consistency.
  4. Platform Selection: Decide which platforms are best suited for disseminating collective statements based on functionality, media type, and likely audience.

Disclaimer

Each Discretionary Statement must be accompanied by the following disclaimer:

Any views or opinions expressed are solely those of the author(s) and do not represent those of The Regents of the University of California, the UC Irvine campus, or [Academic Campus Unit name].

Review

Before posting a Discretionary Statement, a Unit should ensure it complies with the Unit's standards for issuing such statements.

Consultation

Any concerns about specific instances of compliance with the Policy will be reviewed by the Provost and Executive Vice Chancellor.

Training and Awareness

Each Unit will train relevant personnel to ensure they understand the Policy, this guidance, and the importance of compliance.

Guideline Adherence

Any violations will be addressed promptly in accordance with university policies.