Property Management Manual

Property may be acquired following any of the methods below:

• Purchase as replacement equipment
• Purchase as new equipment (non-replacement)
• Purchase as an integral part of a capital outlay program (e.g. capitalization of a new building)
• Acquisition of real property (land and/or buildings)
• Transfer from other public agencies
• Donation

Purchased Equipment

At the time of purchase, purchase order information is provided to the Property Office and to Shipping and Receiving. Upon receipt of the purchase, Property personnel affix to the equipment a bar-coded property tag containing a property number unique to the piece of equipment. The assigned number is reflected on the Property and Accounting Department copies of the procurement document. All applicable information including total cost, tax, and freight is recorded on the Property Office Fixed Assets System and the equipment is added to the applicable UNIT’s property for accountability purposes.

Equipment Acquired by Methods Other than Purchase

The same procedures will be followed as for purchased items with the exception that documents other than a purchase order (e.g. transfer forms, acceptance forms, donations) will be used.

UNITs who wish to accept donations shall request approval for acceptance from the Director of Development and shall provide the following documents to Property Office personnel:

• Original letter from donor giving title of equipment without restriction to the University.
• University Advancement Gift In Kind Acceptance Form (PDF) are obtained from the Office of Development.
• Any documents pertaining to the donation, e.g. third party appraisal ($5,000 or more), invoices of original sale to donor, manufacturer’s catalog price list.

After processing by the Development Office and acceptance by the President (or his designee), a copy of the University Advancement Gift In Kind Acceptance Form (PDF) will be forwarded to the Property Office where a state number will be assigned, the asset entered to the Property Management System, and the official assignation made to the receiving UNIT inventory.

Related Form

When the Property Office tags new items, the building and room number in which the item is located is recorded in the property database. In the event the property is relocated to a new building and/or room, the database must be updated in order to facilitate locating the item during the physical inventory process. A Property Relocation or Transfer Form (PDF) shall be submitted to the Property Office whenever property or equipment is relocated WITHIN a campus unit. Please refer to the procedures in Section 7 "Property Disposition and Survey" for procedures to transfer property to a different campus unit.

The Dean, Department Head or designated party responsible for maintaining property records for the unit must sign the Property Relocation Form and submit it within 30 days of the property relocation. In the event a department is relocating en masse to a new building or location, the department should contact the Property Clerk for assistance with procedures to ensure all property locations are appropriately updated in the system.

These procedures are not intended to apply to equipment that is by its nature portable, for example power tools or laptop computers. However the Dean, Department Head or designated party responsible for maintaining property records must be able to direct the Property Clerk to the location of such equipment upon request at any time.

These procedures also apply only in cases where equipment is relocated on campus. In the event any Property is relocated for use at an off campus location, an Equipment Use Authorization Form (PDF) shall be completed and maintained in the unit, with a copy forwarded to the Property Office.

Related Form

All campus equipment will be inventoried at least once every two years and more if prescribed by the State or Office of the Chancellor. The wall-to-wall inventory method will be followed by the inventory of all applicable equipment contained in each office, storeroom, classroom, and etc. of the UNIT under inventory. One of the following procedures will be followed:

1. Inventory Conducted by Property Office Personnel

   A designated person from the Property Office, other than the custodian of the property record, will physically sight and record each item. This person may be assisted by personnel from the UNIT assigned the equipment.

2. Inventory by Other Personnel

   If approved by the University Property Board, the sighting and recording of equipment may be performed by a person designated in writing by the appropriate UNIT College Dean or Department Head. Under these circumstances, personnel from the Property Office will audit the inventory for accuracy and the UNIT’s administrative head will certify the accuracy of the inventory.

3. Inventory Reconciliation

   The physical inventory will be compared with Property Office accounting records. Follow-up action will be taken on items found to be missing. Items physically inventoried but not reflected on Property Office records will be added to these records as "found" items and officially added to the appropriate UNIT’s accountability.

   Equipment not located after the appropriate follow-up action will be reported to the University’s Property Board for its authorization of the items being surveyed to be removed from the UNIT’s responsibility or their decision for other action to be taken.

When Equipment Appears to be Missing Due to Theft or Other Unexplained Disappearance

The UNIT shall take the following actions:

1. Immediately notify the University’s Department of Public Safety (DPS) and provide all available information.

2. Within one working day, file a San Francisco State University Equipment Loss Report Form (PDF) with the DPS. Send all copies of the report to the DPS. They will distribute copies to the applicable departments after they have annotated California Law Enforcement Telecommunications System (CLETS) information.

3. Within one week of receipt of request from the Property Office, advise them of any negligence involved.

4. Cooperate with the Property Office to effect collection of applicable costs from personnel when the loss is due to negligence. This includes contacting the person involved and advising the Property Office of the outcome.

The Department of Public Safety shall take the following action:

1. After notification of a missing item, an investigation will be Conducted as rapidly as possibly.

2. Publicize applicable data via CLETS.

3. After their receipt of the San Francisco State University Equipment Loss Report Form, complete applicable sections and forward to the Property Office.

4. The DPS will apprise the Property Office and the University’s Property Board of progress made during their investigations.

5. Advise all appropriate personnel of the need for additional or improved security measures.

The Property Office shall take the following action:

1. Provide applicable data to the University’s DPS.

2. Prepare a Property Survey Report Form (PDF) when the missing item is not located within 30 calendar days of the initially reported "missing" date.

3. Submit the Property Survey Report to the University’s Property Board for review at their next scheduled meeting. Provide all applicable documentation with the Property Survey Report.

4. When negligence is reported, or the Property Office considers negligence is involved by the reporting individual, the Chair of the University Property Board will be notified immediately.

5. Subsequent to a decision arrived at by the Property Board

•  Adjust all records as appropriate;
• When feasible and appropriate, effect collection efforts against the individual's found to have been negligent.

The University's Property Board shall take the following action:

1. Review all applicable correspondence.

2. Obtain additional information through investigation when determined necessary.

3. Determine responsibility and, when negligence is found, take appropriate action.

4. Assess replacement costs to persons found negligent and advise the Property Office.

5. Approve or deny Property Survey Reports.

Equipment Not Located During Scheduled Inventories

The Property Office shall take the following action:

1. Perform inventory and reconciliation. Forward a list of missing items to the applicable UNIT and request assistance for locating the items. Provide copies of reports to the University Property Board.

2. Take follow-up action as required and requesting assistance from DPS when appropriate. If items are still missing within 30 days of the inventory reconciliation, they will be presented to the University Property Board for action.

The responsible UNIT shall take the following action

1. Within 30 days of notification from the Property Office of non-found inventory items, a thorough search and internal investigation will be conducted as warranted. A response will be forwarded to the Property Office on the dispensation or location of the non-found equipment.

The Department of Public Safety shall the following action:

1. Conduct an investigation into the circumstances surrounding the missing inventory items when appropriate.

2. Advise the Property Office, the University’s Property Board, and other applicable offices of the results of their investigation.

The University’s Property Board shall take the following action:

1. Upon receiving notification, the missing inventory list will be reviewed and an appropriate course of action determined.

When a campus unit determines equipment in its possession has become obsolete or surplus to its needs, the Unit shall submit a completed Property Survey Request Form (PDF) to the Property Office. Property disposition may be through one of the following methods. The Unit is responsible for the physical transfer of property to its intended destination.

Property that is obsolete or no longer serviceable

1. Unit may request the item be removed from the active database, but be retained it for parts and salvage. Unit is responsible to ensure all non-useable remains are properly recycled or disposed of.
2. Unit may survey the item as junk. Unit is responsible to insure the item is properly recycled or disposed of.

Property that is serviceable but no longer required for use by campus unit

1. Property may be transferred to another campus unit. In this event a Property Relocation or Transfer Form (PDF) must be included with the Property Survey Request Form showing the new location and bearing a signature from the receiving party.
2. Property may be transferred to another state agency. In this event an acceptance letter from the agency must be submitted with the Property Survey Request Form.
3. Item may be used as trade in against the purchase of new equipment. The Property Survey Request Form shall include the purchase order number used to acquire the new equipment, which must show the value obtained for the trade in.
4. Item may be delivered to the Swap Shop property re-utilization program. The Property Survey Request Form must accompany the item when it is delivered to the Swap Shop.
5. Items that retain sufficient value, but for which there are no interested units on campus may be placed at auction by the Property Office.

The Campus Unit originally assigned responsibility for property retains responsibility and is accountable for property until all required documentation is received and acknowledged in the Property Office.

Related Form

Replacement and Non-Replacement Equipment

The accountable UNIT shall forward a requisition to the Purchasing Department. The requisition will list the state numbers of equipment to be replaced. Purchasing will forward a copy of this requisition to the Property Office which will then prepare a Property Survey Request Form (PDF).

• The Survey Report will be submitted for approval to the University Controller and the University Property Board.
• If the survey is approved, one (1) copy of the report will be attached to the requisition with other documentation and forwarded to the appropriate Buyer.
• When the replacement item is received, accepted, and a State property tag affixed, the disposal of the surveyed item will occur.
• All signed disposal slips, original survey, and other pertinent documents shall be forwarded to the Property Office for removal from the Property Office records.

Related Form

Units shall take reasonable precautions to adequately safeguard University property. Security measures will vary depending upon the nature and use of the property. Space containing "pilferable" property shall be maintained under lock and key when unoccupied. Items such as typewriters and computer terminals shall be affixed to desks/tables by bolting or security cable to the degree practicable. Also to the degree practicable, small expensive items shall be kept in locked cabinets/desks. Property should not be removed from a UNIT unless the appropriate documentation, such as a Transfer Form, Survey Form, or a Property Check-out Form is filed.

All equipment will be properly maintained and receive preventative maintenance as recommended by manufacturers. Maintenance records should be maintained as applicable.

Property that is not utilized should be reported to the University Property Board for redistribution.

The Board is appointed by the President or his designee with the Director of Procurement serving as its Chair. The Manager of Procurement Services provides staff support.

The purpose of the Property Board is to safeguard University property. It has the responsibility of reviewing Property Department, Public Safety, College and Department procedures to approve all surveys of equipment, and has the authority to ascertain responsibility and prescribe follow-up action related to missing property items.

The Property Office maintains the files of the University's Property Board, assists the Chair in the preparation of the agenda and prepares the minutes of each meeting.

When designated by the Chair of the University Property Board, a meeting will be held to consider the items on the agenda. After the meeting adjourns, minutes are prepared, and the Property Office carries out the directives of the Board. Items considered by the Board include:

• Missing equipment covered by San Francisco State University Equipment Loss Report Form (PDF)
• Items not located during prescribed inventories
• Property Survey Request Form (PDF)
• Donations to the University

Related Form

To access Property Office forms, please visit the Useful Forms and Information tab on the Property Office home page.