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Property Inventory and Management (C-42)

Original Implementation: September 28, 1996
Last Revision: April 23, 2013

Stephen F. Austin State University will comply with Texas Government Code § 403.2715, university policies, and procedures outlined in the property management manual. Property acquired under federal or state grants and contracts will be identified and maintained according to the same guidelines as the university's centralized property management and control described herein, except as otherwise stipulated by the grant.

PROPERTY RESPONSIBILITY AND ACCOUNTABILITY

All references to financial responsibility are understood to apply only when employee negligence is involved, Property Liability (B-34).

Director of procurement and property services and property managers - The president has delegated to the director of procurement and property services and two property managers responsibility for the overall management of university property, maintenance and control of centralized property records, and disposition of surplus and salvage property.

Equipment manager - The chair or administrative head of a department is designated equipment manager for the department. The equipment manager may not delegate this responsibility. The equipment manager may be held financially responsible for any property listed on his/her department property records.

Designee - The equipment manager may name up to two designees to receive and submit property communications on his/her behalf. The designee(s) do not assume property responsibility or accountability in lieu of the equipment manager. The designee(s) may sign property documents on behalf of the equipment manager.

Custodian - The custodian is any employee who is listed on property records as entrusted with the care and safekeeping of specific pieces of property, and may be held financially responsible for any university property assigned to him/her. If the equipment manager or his/her designee, fail to assign property to a custodian, the equipment manager shall be listed on property records as the custodian.

All University Employees - All employees will receive the property liability acknowledgement form advising that he/she may be entrusted with university property. The property liability acknowledgement, Property Liability (B-34), advises the employee that he/she will be held financially responsible for any property determined to be damaged, destroyed, missing, or stolen due to employee negligence, regardless of whether the employee is listed as a custodian on property records.

PROPERTY DEFINITIONS

Property is defined and will be accounted for in accordance with Texas Government Code § 403.272. The property managers, in conjunction with the director of procurement, and with appropriate administrative approval may define additional equipment to be tracked in property records. Property definitions include purchased or donated property. The department is responsible to notify the property manager of any donations to determine if the property must be added to property records.

PROPERTY VALIDATION

Each equipment manager and custodian is to exercise care and control over the property for which he/she is responsible. Property should be monitored on a perpetual basis. Various procedures for property validation and updating include, but are not limited to:

Annual Property Inventory Audit - Once per year a property inventory audit will be conducted one of two ways: 1) physical count by department, or 2) RFID scan by the property office. An official property report and certification must be returned to the property manager by the deadline stated in the annual property inventory instructions. Reports in campus mail will not be considered received.

Departments failing to return the official property report and certification to the property manager by 5:00 p.m. on the deadline date will be given a 2nd deadline and will have all ordering, including p-cards, shut down until the official property report and certification are received in the property manager's office. Reports in campus mail will not be considered received.

Failure to return the official property report and certification to the property manager by 5:00 p.m. on the 2nd deadline will result in all ordering continuing to be shut down until the official property report and certification are received in the property manager’s office, and department information, including, but not limited to, department name, department head and property values being reported to the Board of Regents at the next regularly scheduled meeting. Reports in campus mail will not be considered received.

Computer Inventory - Departments must complete an annual computer inventory to facilitate the purchase of campus-wide software licenses and annual analysis of computers for the university computer replacement plan.

Spot-Check Audit - Property spot-check audits will be conducted by property personnel throughout the year except during annual property inventory.

Monthly Transaction Statements - Transaction information for all additions and deletions to each department's property records will be provided monthly to the equipment manager and his/her designee(s), along with a request to update location and custodian information.

Adjustment Of Property Records - The following property information must be updated throughout the year as changes occur.

  1. Equipment Manager - procedures apply to both outgoing and incoming department heads (interim or permanent); information regarding the change must be completed within 30 days of assuming or relinquishing duties.

  2. Custodian - procedures apply upon transfer or termination of any employee listed as a custodian on department property records; information regarding the change must be completed within 30 days of the transfer or termination.

  3. Permanent location changes including building room number and/or transfer to another department.

 

USE OF STATE PROPERTY

In accordance with Texas Government Code § 2203.004 university property may be used only for state/university purposes. University property in the custody of any Stephen F. Austin State University employee may not be loaned, sold, traded, thrown away, cannibalized, or disposed of in any manner without the prior authorization of the property manager.

Removal Of Property From Campus

University property may be taken off campus only for official business of the university or another state agency. The individual taking equipment off campus assumes financial responsibility and must complete a removal of property from campus form.

Items containing potentially sensitive, private or confidential information are not to be stored in any leased premises unless specifically authorized in writing by the President. These items include but are not limited to computers, electronic or digital storage devices, and paper documents. Certain off-campus facilities may lack the security necessary to protect such sensitive information.

Loaning Property To Another Agency

University property may be loaned to another state agency or institution of higher education. The president must approve the loan of the property in writing and receipt of the property must be acknowledged in writing by the head of the borrowing agency.

TRAINING

Mandatory training is required for all equipment managers, designees, and custodians. After initial training, refresher updates are required every 2 years. All training is documented in the university’s myTraining system.

Failure to complete training within 30 days of notification (equipment manager, designee, or custodian) will result in having the individual’s p-card inactivated. Failure to complete training within 60 days of notification will result in all ordering for the department, including p-cards, being shut down until the individual completes training.

SALVAGE AND SURPLUS PROPERTY

Salvage Property

Salvage property is any personal property which through use, time or accident is so depleted, worn out, damaged, consumed, or outdated that it is obsolete and/or can no longer serve the purpose for which it was originally intended. Salvage property may be discarded or retained for cannibalization of parts, but should be identified for deletion from property records with appropriate documentation and property manager approval.

Surplus Property

Surplus property is any personal property that is in excess of the needs of the department and which is not required for its foreseeable future. Surplus property may be new or used but must have additional useful life. Surplus property may be traded in, transferred to another department or transferred to surplus with appropriate documentation.

PROPERTY DISPOSAL

University property is to be disposed of as allowed and described in the property management manual, with the exception that disposition of property acquired through federal or state grants and contracts must respect the terms of the grant or contract under which it was acquired. The property manager will determine the disposal option that complies with Texas Government Code § 2175.304 and § 2175.905 and best meets the needs of the university.

All property sales, including scrap metal, are to be overseen by the property office. All funds from sale proceeds will be deposited to the surplus sales fund and org, unless otherwise approved by the vice president for finance and administration. Such approval will be restricted to situations where the proceeds will be returned to an income-generating department such at the soils lab, agriculture farms, etc. or where the proceeds will provide an off-set to a large project purchase such as a road bus, etc.

Where possible hard drives (“loose”, internal or external), memory cards from printers or scanners, or copiers must have all data removed before final disposal of the property. Memory cards from printers or scanners will be destroyed by the property manager. Hard drives will be degaussed for re-use or destroyed by information technology services. Procurement will work with departments to document that data stored on copiers is removed before a copier leaves the campus.

MISSING OR STOLEN PROPERTY

Missing Property

Missing property is any personal property that has disappeared with no explanation, the loss of which must be reported immediately to the property manager.

A missing or stolen property report must be completed within 24 hours of reporting the missing property. As part of the report the department head must make a determination of negligence on the part of the responsible party, Property Liability (B-34). Failure to report missing property to the property manager immediately may result in a determination of negligence.

Any appropriations withheld from the university due to exceeding the allowed value threshold of missing property will be deducted from the budget of the department responsible for the property. The value threshold is defined in the General Appropriations Act.

Stolen Property

Stolen Property is any personal property that has disappeared by known theft, whether by forced removal, burglary, theft by employee, or other criminal act. Stolen property must be reported immediately to the property manager in conjunction with immediately filing a stolen report with university police.

A missing or stolen property report must be completed within 24 hours of reporting the stolen property. As part of the report the department head must make a determination of negligence on the part of the responsible party, Property Liability (B-34). Failure to report stolen property to the property manager and/or university police immediately may result in a determination of negligence.

 

 

Cross Reference: Tex. Gov’t Code §§ 403.2715, 403.272, 403.273(h), 403.275; Tex. Gov’t Code § 2054.003(3)(A); Tex. Gov’t Code § 2175.905; Tex. Gov’t Code § 2175.304; Tex. Gov’t Code § 2203.004; Property Liability (B-34)

Responsible for Implementation: Vice President for Finance and Administration

Contact for Revision: Director of Procurement and Property Services/HUB Coordinator

Forms: Annual Property Inventory Audit Certification (provided with Annual Property Inventory Packet), Certification of Physical Inventory with Change In Department Head (ITS Forms Server), Missing, Damaged or Stolen Property Report (ITS Forms Server), Police Report (available from University Police Department), Property Liability Acknowledgement (HR), Property Transfer Form (ITS Forms Server), Removal of Property from Campus Request (available on the ITS Forms Server), Responsible Party Termination/Transfer (ITS Forms Server), Salvage Property Request (ITS Forms Server)

Board Committee Assignment: Finance and Audit