Alternate Approver Role Overview

This article provides an overview of the Alternate Approver role. The Alternate Approver acts on behalf of the unit approver (e.g., department chair, dean, provost) to approve or acknowledge prior approval forms when the unit approver is unavailable due to reasons such as vacation or a conflict of interest. In such cases, the unit's reviewer assigns an alternate approver. The alternate approver and the unit approver will receive a copy of the prior approval form, but only the alternate approver will have the authority to approve or acknowledge the form.

The following is an overview of alternate approver responsibilities: 

• Prior Approval Forms - Review prior approval forms to ensure their accuracy and recommend them for approval. The terminal approver (e.g., Provost, Vice Provost, Chancellor) makes the final decision regarding approval and specifies the approval duration. Please note that alternate approvers are not permitted to approve their own prior approval forms. In such cases, UC OATS will automatically route the forms to the next level in the approval chain.
• Annual Certification Reports - Review annual certification reports to verify that all known activities are accurately documented in the report.