Business and Financial Policies and Procedures
 

Dispose of Unneeded Equipment

Before You Begin

No one is permitted to remove from the buildings and grounds any property belonging to the University without approval, even though the equipment may appear to be of no value, unless all relevant policies and procedures are followed. This includes removal of property designated as scrap or recycling and applies to all unneeded equipment regardless of historical cost, tagging status, or inclusion in Banner Fixed Assets. Units are responsible for paying any costs associated with the disposal of equipment.

Begin

To dispose of unneeded equipment:

  1. Consult Banner Fixed Assets to confirm that your unit is on record as the responsible organization for the equipment and that it is titled to the State of Illinois. If the equipment is owned by a project sponsor, obtain approval for disposal from your campus Grants and Contracts office. Follow the remaining steps even if the equipment is not in Banner Fixed Assets.
  2. Secure the equipment until this procedure is complete as you are responsible for it until custody has been transferred.
  3. Identify all hazardous materials and follow your campus procedures for their removal.
  4. Examine the item to assess its condition. Decide whether it should be classified as scrap or surplus.
  5. If you are at the Springfield campus and the equipment is a computer, use FABweb to transfer the item to UIS Information Technology Services. They will wipe the data. If the computer cannot be used elsewhere, they will proceed with the disposal process.
  6. Complete a surplus/disposal transaction in FABweb.
  7. If the equipment is electronic equipment with memory/integrated circuitry:
  • Remove the data from the equipment (scrub).
  • Affix a Scrub Label to the front of the item to certify that you have removed the data.
  • On the label, check:
  • "Degaussed" if the data was degaussed (which leaves the data in random patterns and therefore unrecoverable according to federal requirements)
  • "Overwritten" if the data was overwritten
  • "Inoperable Device" if the device is inoperable and cannot run data elimination software
  • Do not remove the hard drive or other components. If the Scrub Label is missing, you may be charged for the cost of eliminating the data or the equipment may be returned to you at your expense.
  1. Cancel or modify any maintenance contracts related to the equipment. If the item was insured, contact the University Office of Risk Management.
  2. Use FABweb to forward the transaction to your unit approver, who will approve and forward it to University Property Accounting and Reporting (UPAR). When you receive the e-mail from UPAR approving the disposal, forward that approval to your campus Facilities office so they can remove the equipment.
  3. Each campus has a different process for removing equipment from units:

Urbana – A property inspector will come to your unit to inspect the equipment and make arrangements to transfer it to your campus surplus warehouse.

Chicago – Submit a service request to the Facilities Management Service Desk to transfer the equipment to your campus surplus warehouse.

Springfield – Building Services receives the approved disposal request form from UPAR and will initiate transportation of your equipment.

Off-campus Locations – Take the equipment to the closest campus surplus warehouse.

  1. Four weeks after submitting the request, verify that the chart and organization for the asset has been changed to the surplus warehouse in Banner Fixed Assets.

Other Disposals

Equipment can also be traded in when purchasing new equipment. Document the trade in on all purchasing documents. Complete a surplus/disposal transaction in FABweb to remove the equipment from your inventory.

With appropriate approvals and under certain conditions set forth by the State Department of Central Management Services, equipment purchased with restricted, sponsored research funds may be eligible for exemption from State property disposal rules. Contact your campus Grants and Contracts office for more information.

On rare occasions it may be possible to dispose of equipment by sale, donation, or transfer to another state agency provided UPAR and the State of Illinois have given approval before the disposal.

Collection items may not be disposed of without approval from UPAR. Proceeds from the sale, exchange, or other disposal of any item belonging to a collection of works of art or historical treasures must be applied to the acquisition of additional items for the same collection. Proceeds may not be used to support operating costs, whether directly related to the collection or otherwise.

Before equipment is used only for its component parts (cannibalization), complete a surplus/disposal transaction in FABweb. If UPAR agrees that only the component parts are usable, you will be authorized to remove the usable parts and scrap the remainder. If any surviving part(s) should be inventoried, report the remaining asset as a non-cash addition using FABweb.

 

Related Policies and Procedures

Remove Data from Electronic Devices

Additional Resources

FABweb Transfers and Disposals Participant Guide

Urbana
Facilities and Services

Chicago
Facilities Management Service Desk

Springfield
Facilities Scheduling and Services
Disposal of Electronic Equipment at UIS
UIS Equipment Transfers and Disposals Procedures

Scrap and Surplus in Definitions
Scrub Labels:
    Chicago
    Springfield and Urbana-Champaign:
        Avery 5160 (30 labels/sheet, 1" x 2 5/8")
        Avery 5163 (10 labels/sheet, 2" x 4")

 

Last Updated: June 1, 2011 | Approved: Senior Associate Vice President for Business and Finance - June 2011