Invitations to Elected Officials

1. Introduction

• 1.1. Any invitation to elected or public officials for speaking on campus requires approval from the Office of the Chancellor. The purpose of this regulation is to circumscribe who may authorize and who may issue these invitations and when sharing of information is required.

2. Definitions

• 2.1. An elected or public official is any person who serves in a public office at the local (city or county), state, or federal level.
• 2.2. An “invitation to an elected or public official for speaking at a special event ceremony” includes but is not limited to invitations to speak at campus-wide institutional events, such as convocation, commencement, and/or a special event ceremony (dedications, grand-openings, naming of facilities, or other events for which external audiences are invited).
• 2.3. An “invitation to an elected official to speak at a unit event” refers to academic or administrative events of a unit that is primarily for internal participants (i.e., lectures, forums, workshops, etc.).

3. Policy

• 3.1. Invitations to elected or public officials for speaking at a special event ceremony must be authorized by the Chancellor or the Chancellor’s designee. The formal invitation is issued by the Chancellor.
• 3.2. A division, college, school, unit, department, office, individual, or other entity that wishes to have an elected or public official speak at a unit event must first make a written request to the Office of the Chancellor and must receive from the Office of the Chancellor written authorization to extend the invitation. Such invitations may come from the unit head or the designee.
• 3.3. If any member of the University needs clarification on this regulation, they may contact the Director of Strategic Initiatives in the Chancellor’s Office.