6.1.38 University Property Control

Policy

Property Control is located at 2016 Warehouse Road, off of Northtown road and Main Street. The hours of operation are 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.

The Illinois State University Property Control Department is governed by Title 44: Government Contracts, Procurement and Property Management. Subtitle D: Property Management; Part 5010: Marking, Inventory, Transfer and Disposal of State-owned Tangible Personal Property. Illinois State University property is subject to the regulations of the Department of Central Management Services (CMS) as “State-owned tangible personal property.”

The State Property Control Act (30ILCS 605) requires that the University adequately control fixed assets. These controls include but are not limited to:

• Maintenance of all accountable inventory records
• Identifying and tagging State-Owned equipment over five hundred dollars ($500.00) and "high risk" equipment with a unique six digit identification number
• Maintaining a data base with a current equipment location, purchase price, date of purchase, description and object code
• Annual inventories of equipment
• Reporting the status of the University’s equipment to the State as required
• Management of surplus inventory including re-issuance and/or disposal of surplus equipment.

Note: A copy of the regulations from the Department of Central Management Services is located in the Property Control Department.

Property belonging to Illinois State University is defined as any item donated, purchased, gifted, granted or otherwise being placed in use at the University and is not the personal property of an employee at the University.

University property is used only for the educational, research or public service purposes of the University and in accordance with the requirements of the Illinois Property Control Act and other applicable laws and regulations governing State property.

The president of the University is accountable for the supervision, control, and inventory of all state-owned property in the custody of Illinois State University. These custodianship duties and responsibilities are delegated as outlined.

The Vice President of Finance and Planning has been delegated the authority to develop and issue necessary procedures and to provide general supervision of the Property Control function.

Custodianship Duties and Responsibilities

Fiscal agents are delegated the responsibility of maintaining proper accountability and control of the equipment within their jurisdiction. Fiscal agents shall have the following specific responsibilities regarding University equipment/property.

1. Know the location of all equipment inventoried to their account and assure that such equipment is reasonably secure from possible theft and other hazards. Equipment Transaction forms (for location moves) are available on Property Control's Web Site.
2. Assure that assigned equipment is being used in the best interests of the University.
3. Provide assistance as needed to Inventory Control personnel who are taking inventory or placing identification tags on equipment.
4. Complete an annual verification (Physical inventory) of the status of departmental inventory in a timely manor concurrent with the due date provided by the Inventory Control department. Complete and turn in all required forms provided by Inventory Control in conjunction with the annual physical inventory.
5. Discourage theft and loss of University equipment by fixing responsibility of its maintenance and proper use. If an item is stolen, a police report must be completed through Illinois State University Police Department.
6. Notify Inventory Control of any new equipment that has been purchased directly by their department and requires ISU identification tags and/or input into the Inventory system.

Annual Inventories

Department Stewarts are responsible for completing the annual inventories required by the State of Illinois.  For all property that cannot be located during the annual inventory process a Statement of Unfound Equipment must be signed and returned to Property Control verifying that the department has looked for the equipment and confirming that it cannot be found.

Private Use of University Property

The private use of University property is prohibited except as may be provided for in a certain Board of Trustees employer-employee contractual arrangement.  No one connected with the University in any capacity may use any University property for any personal purpose.  The following are designated as misuses of University property:

1. Property given to, permit its use or consumption by, or to use or consume it for benefits of any person, group or organization within or outside the University except in pursuit of the public purpose of the University.
2. Waste, abuse or neglect of University property causing its damage, destruction, or impairment of function or useful life.

Removal of University Property

Policy - Removal of University property from University premises is prohibited.  Portable equipment such as laptops, handheld computers, cellular phones, palm pilots, pagers and similar equipment can be temporarily removed from the University premises when the appropriate procedural steps are followed.

1. The Fiscal Agent and Dean or Director/Manager must approve the removal of equipment. A Property Control Equipment Loan Request form is used for the approval process.
2. A Property Control Equipment Loan Request must be completed for each item being removed from the University campus. Property Control Equipment Loan Request is available on Property Control's Web Site.
3. The person to whom the property is assigned shall be liable for any losses, damage, destruction or impairment of function or useful life of the property that may result due to negligence or carelessness.
4. The Equipment Loan Request must specify the date the property is to be returned to the campus.  All temporarily removed property must be returned to the assigned unit by the designated date unless a written extension is approved.

Extended Removal Guidelines and Approval

The Vice President of Finance and Planning or designee may authorize extended removal of property from the University premises for the use in University-related activities.  In such cases, no specific time period is required to be stated, the intent is that the property will remain at the off-campus location for as long as the University program or activity is conducted at that location.

Contractual Agreement

University property may be loaned to or used for the benefit of a person or organization outside the University pursuant to a contractual agreement, executed by the Vice President of Finance and Planning or designee, when a full and fair consideration is to be received in exchange for its use and where the consideration is, or may be used to advance the public purposes of the University.

Equipment Identification

All University property with a value of five hundred dollars ($500) or more and items considered “high risk”, are required to be identified with a University identification bar code tag.  “High Risk” items are determined by the University and include but are not limited to; all computers, data holding devices, firearms, and antiques.

Note:  The “High Risk” items will continually be re-evaluated and are subject to change.

A piece of equipment that is valued at less than Five hundred dollars ($500) and is not accountable as reportable equipment does not relieve the fiscal agent or staff members from the responsibility for the prudent use, care and safeguarding of the item. Equipment with a value of less that $500 and not considered “high risk” must be identified with a “Property of Illinois State University” tag. Equipment under $500 that is delivered to the University’s Central Receiving department will have a “Property of Illinois State University” tag affixed to it prior to delivery to the end user or department. No piece of equipment should be considered expendable based only on it’s value being less than five hundred dollars ($500).

The fiscal agent shall notify the Property Control office when the department no longer has a need for any equipment designated to their area.  This equipment then becomes surplus.

Surplus Inventory

Equipment no longer being utilized (obsolete, outdated, broken) by a department is considered surplus inventory.  Departments that have surplus inventory and/or equipment are prohibited from discarding it. Surplus inventory/equipment regardless of the condition must be returned to the Property Control warehouse. Illinois State University equipment, inventory or furniture cannot be given away, sold or donated to any agencies, organizations or public schools outside of the University.

To have surplus inventory/equipment delivered to the Property Control warehouse an Inventory Management/Property Control Surplus Removal Request form and a Facilities Management work order must be submitted to Property Control.  After verification and approval, Property Control will forward both copies to Facilities Management on a daily basis.  A complete listing of all items with descriptions and ISU tag numbers (if applicable) should be on the Surplus Removal Request form.  When surplus inventory is returned to the Property Control Warehouse it will be removed from the inventory of the department that has turned it in. Once this is done the returning department will no longer be responsible for reporting the inventory on an annual basis. The responsibility of the inventory then becomes that of the Property Control Department.

The returned inventory will either be added to Property Control’s surplus inventory listing and placed in the surplus inventory area at the warehouse for re-issue to another University department or it will be returned to CMS State Surplus warehouse located in Springfield.

Surplus Inventory Re-issuance

All University surplus inventory is located at 2016 Warehouse Road. The inventory is available for re-issuance to other University departments.

The inventory can be viewed between the hours of 8:00am to 4:00pm Monday through Friday.

Surplus inventory will not be removed from the Property Control warehouse until the department requesting the surplus inventory has completed proper documentation.

Donated Equipment

Donated "reportable" equipment must be reported to Property Control.  A "Donated Equipment" form must be completed and sent to Property Control for each donated item.  Property Control will forward the form to the appropriate areas. Donated equipment forms are available on Property Control's Web.  Donated equipment must be tagged and placed into the automated Inventory equipment system.  A fair market value must be assigned to donated equipment.