Surplus Property Procedures

Surplus Process

When it is determined by the user department that an item has served its original purpose and no longer provides any value to the department, the department should contact the Inventory Control Department.  Inventory Control will remove the item from the department and determine if the item should be slated for surplus.

In most circumstances, an item would be declared surplus when both the user and the department head have determined that a particular piece of equipment and/or furniture has met its useful life and, as such, offers no further value to the university beyond salvage worth.

Transfer arrangements for the surplus property can be made by calling the Inventory Control Department at extension 4910. 

The University’s intent to sell surplus items through a sealed bid will be advertised in at least three newspapers.  Appropriate dates, applicable terms and conditions, and a description of the materials available for sale will be include in the notice. 

The sealed bids will be opened and awarded by a Purchasing Agent or the Purchasing Director.  Under all circumstances, the highest qualified bid received will be the awardee.  Should two or more persons submit the same high bid, the award will be made to the earliest bid received as verified by the time stamp. University employees are not eligible to bid on any surplus items. Barring this exception, anyone 18 years of age or older is eligible to submit a bid for surplus items.

At the discretion of the Vice President for Finance and Administration or the Director of Purchasing it may be decided that a goodwill offering will be made to another educational or not-for-profit organization for a nominal fee or as, simply, a donation.  A public notice of availability for educational or not-for-profit entities will be made through either a newspaper publication or private letter.  Awards would most likely be made to the first interested party however, each circumstance, as it presents itself, must be considered on its own merits.  Campus personnel will not provide help with removal/delivery of these items.

Under all circumstances, it will be the responsibility of the Inventory Control Department or his/her appointees to notify Accounting personnel of the method used for removal of a fixed asset.  The tag number will be recorded along with the type of disposal used.  This record will be forward to the Accounting Department to be used for updating the fixed asset tracking system.