Although it is a huge institution with ten campuses, the University of California has, at least in broad outline, a conceptually straightforward organization. Ultimate responsibility for the University rests with the Board of Regents. The President of the University and the Office of the President are responsible to the Regents for systemwide policy and administration. Each campus has an administrative structure led by a chancellor. The administrative organization and division of responsibility for UC Davis are summarized in the Organizational Chart and Administrative Plan to which there are links below.

Analogously the university faculty are organized into the systemwide Academic Senate and then into the the corresponding Divisions of the Academic Senate on each campus.

Most of the other Criteria speak, in one way or another, to the sufficiency of this organization to support effective decision making.