Equipment Disposal

Effective: Moved to Policy Library from UPM 10.3(6)
Contact: Assistant Vice President for Business Services

Introduction

The purpose of this policy is to ensure accountability in managing public assets and compliance with state and federal requirements for the proper disposal of equipment. In addition, this policy promotes reuse of equipment by other departments.

Policy Statement

ISU Surplus

No department or individual may arrange for the sale of a piece of equipment or furniture, nor collect money for such a transaction. This is solely the responsibility of the ISU Surplus program manager. In addition, departmental personnel may not gift or dispose of equipment items without ISU Surplus approval.

ISU Surplus must be contacted when furniture and/or equipment has been deemed excess, obsolete, worn out, or no longer usable, and is no longer needed by the university.
Excess Property Disposal forms are to be downloaded and completed to facilitate transfer to the ISU Surplus office for proper disposal.
ISU Surplus returns proceeds from the sale, less fees and expenses, to the selling department.
ISU Surplus will offer equipment and materials first for sale to other university departments and/or political subdivisions of the state of Iowa. Unsold items will be offered for public sale.

Purchase by a PI's New Employer

If a principal investigator wants to take non-federally purchased equipment to a new employing institution, the new institution will have to purchase the equipment. Approvals are needed from the department head to remove the equipment because removing the equipment may disrupt the operations of the department. Determination of the equipments' value must be approved by the Inventory Control Office.

Documentation of receipt and acceptance by the new institution is required prior to removal of the equipment items from university inventory records.

Federally Funded Equipment

Disposal

Equipment that is excess to departmental operating needs, was purchased with federal funds and has a value of $5,000 or more has additional federal disposal requirements to follow. Departments must contact the Sponsored Programs Accounting Office for assistance in complying with these federal requirements.

Transfer

By contacting the Inventory Control Office, Principal investigators may request the transfer of federally sponsored equipment to a new employing institution if the federal project under which the equipment was purchased is also being transferred. There will be an administrative review by the university, starting with the Sponsored Programs Accounting Office, and, if appropriate, the equipment will be released to the new institution. Federal agencies differ in specific guidelines and the university will follow the specific guidelines of the grant.