Category I Forms

This article describes how to review a Category I prior approval form in UC OATS. As a reviewer, you will review the prior approval form and confirm there is enough information available for the Approver (Department Chair, Dean, etc) to make a decision. If there is not enough information you may reach out to the faculty member to request additional details or return the form to the faculty member. Once a form has been marked as "Reviewed" it will move on to the approver and continue through the approval workflow until it reaches the terminal approver.

To review a Category I form:

1. Go to the Dashboard and view the "Forms in my Queue" section. The prior approval forms that have been waiting the longest will be at the top.
2. Select the Category I form you want to review.
3. Verify the Category I form contains all the necessary information in order for the approver (Department Chair, Dean, etc.) to make a decision.
4. Check the "Notes" field for additional information and attachments.
5. Scroll to the bottom of the form to see available actions. 

   Review Options:

   • Mark As: Reviewed - Select "Reviewed" if the form is ready to be sent to the approver (Department Chair, Dean, etc.)
   • Return To: Department/Faculty - Selecting this option will return to the selected location. Enter a detailed reason why the form is being returned in the space provided.

   
   Additional Options:

   • Has the faculty engaged in the activity before receiving permission - Faculty answer this question when filling out the category I form, however, if you know the faculty member has engaged in the activity before they received permission, you can select "Yes". This field is for information purposes.
   • Add Alternate Approver - If there is a conflict of interest between the faculty member and the approver (e.g. they are married, family, etc.), you may select an alternate approver. To add an alternate approver, click the "Add Alternate Approver" button and select a person from the drop-down menu. If there is no alternate approver available in the system, contact your supervisor. Your supervisor may contact your campus OATS administrator to request the addition of an alternate approver to your department. 
6. Click the "Submit Action" button.