Disposal and Redistribution Processes

Equipment Disposal

When equipment is no longer useful to a department, it should be disposed. The disposal process involves both disposing of the unneeded equipment and updating the equipment record to reflect its disposal, regardless of the value of the equipment.

See Equipment Disposal section for information about disposing of equipment that has been damaged beyond repair, not needed by unit, and how to handle the disposal of special equipment items such as firearms and antiques.

Equipment Transfer

Equipment can be transferred to another department on campus if it is not needed by its current department and can be used by another department. This type of transfer is called an Interdepartmental Transfer, and it can be done as either a straightforward transfer or as a "sale" from one department to the other. Equipment can also be permanently transferred to another institution once all the requirements have been met.

See Equipment Transfer section for information about the process to transfer equipment, to retrieve equipment from the surplus warehouse and to transfer sponsored project equipment.

Loans

Sometimes, equipment such as a University-owned computer is loaned to a staff member for a short period of time. Other times, a large piece of equipment is loaned to another University department or another institution of higher education, for longer periods.

See Loans Section for information about the procedures to follow in order to document the terms of the loan and the location of the borrowed equipment. When the loaned equipment is returned, there are additional steps to ensure that the equipment's fixed asset record is updated and the equipment return is documented.

Unlocatable or Stolen Equipment

Equipment that is lost, destroyed or irreparably damaged through fire, flood, or accident is considered a casualty loss. See Unlocatable or Stolen Equipment section for information on reporting such losses promptly to University Property Accounting and Reporting (UPAR).

Training

Individuals with responsibilities in equipment management should complete the Disposal and Redistribution Processes (Web-Based Course FA104). See Training section for information on the courses offered, job aids and other training materials.

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Last Updated: June 13, 2008