Effective: January 2012

I. Purpose

The purpose of this policy is to insure the protection of University assets and to inform all departments of the appropriate methods of declaring and disposing of surplus, salvage, scrap and worthless property.

All property and equipment purchased with university funds (including unrestricted funds, grants, endowments or gifts), donated to the university, or acquired for the university through other means are the property of the University of Alaska Anchorage and title remains with the university at all times until asset disposal. The following describes the procedures that must be followed to surplus/dispose of any university property. UAA General Support Services has primary responsibility for this function through its Surplus division.

II. Definitions

Surplus is defined as property, equipment, supplies, and/or materials to be processed for reallocation, sale, or disposal. Fixed assets may NOT be sent to Surplus.

1. Surplus commodities—usable in its present condition but no longer useful to a particular department and/or unit.
2. Salvageable goods—Having value but requiring repairs to make it usable. In reporting salvageable equipment, the disposal request should show the estimated cost of repairs required to make the property usable, if available.
3. Worthless/Scrap—Having no future value as a usable commodity to other departments/units in its present condition. Broken or worn out items having no saleable value and not for recycle. These items will be disposed of by the Surplus department, under direction of the UAA General Support Services Director.
4. Non-Controlled Property—All personal property owned by or under the control of the university having a unit acquisition value of less than $5,000 OR an expected life of less than one year. Additional items which are non-controlled regardless of cost as specified in the University of Alaska Property Manual.
5. Controlled Property—All non-expendable equipment owned by or under the control of the university having a unit cost of $5,000 or more and an expected life of one year or longer. All items will be tagged and included in the UA Statewide Property system wide records system when their acquisition value is $5,000 or more, regardless of funding source or other means of acquisition.
6. Fixed Assets—Property purchased for continued and long-term use, such as land, buildings, large machinery, systems furniture.

III. Available Surplus Equipment

Before items are offered for sale to external customers, surplus equipment will first be made available for transfer to University departments for a minimum of 30 calendar days. UAA Surplus will maintain a list of departmental requests and advise departments should item(s) become available for their use.

UAA Surplus will insure a minimum of four hours each week of open warehouse time for University departments seeking to view items at the warehouse. Hours will be posted on the UAA General Support Services/Surplus website.

Surplus sales out of the UAA warehouse or through a local auction house will be scheduled as inventory deems necessary. All sales will be advertised to the public and notification will be made on the UAA General Support Services website.

IV. Surplus Transaction Methods

UAA General Support Services is dedicated to the reuse and recycling of all items designated as surplus when feasible. Adherence to University of Alaska Statewide Property Manual procedures is expected at all levels. University property items should never be disposed of or sold without entering the Surplus system without prior written authorization from the Director of General Support Services or other authorized University representative. Surplus disposal methods used at UAA include:

Internal Reallocation

Non-controlled property may be transferred among departments with no required documentation. All controlled (tagged) items must have a University of Alaska Property Transfer Report initiated by the disposing department and completed by the receiving department with authorized signatures required from both. The form is then to be submitted to UAA General Support Services for processing. This form is to be used for transfer between university departments only. This includes items being transferred into Surplus, with a Property Transfer Report required for all tagged items.

Surplus Sale/Sale at Posted Prices

UAA General Support Services may sell surplus property at posted prices when the prices are based on fair market value and notice of the sale has been advertised to the public. Proceeds from surplus sales are retained by General Support Services.

Auction

UAA General Support Services may enter into a written agreement with an experienced auctioneer or auction house for auction of items. Proceeds from surplus auctions are retained by General Support Services.

Recycling

UAA General Support Services provides transport of metal and electronics recycling items. Proceeds of metal recycling are retained by GSS. Electronics recycling is subsidized through an electronics recycling surcharge charged on all electronics processed for pick up by Surplus.

Disposal as Waste

UAA General Support Services provides for transport and disposal of items in accordance with the UA Statewide Property Manual. “Items in non-operational condition, having an estimated value for either parts or materials that is less than the estimated cost of disposal may be scrapped. All scrapped items must be destroyed or defaced before being placed in a trash bin or hauled to a land fill, and witnessed by at least one other university employee. The Property Destruction Authorization & Certificate form must be completed and submitted by the campus property coordinator to the MAU property office.” A department may NOT dispose of any University property without prior authorization based on submittal of the Property Destruction Authorization & Certificate to the Director of General Support Services for approval.

Computers & All Electronics Containing Hard Drives (multifunction devices, scanners, fax machines, etc.)

These items will be picked up by UAA Surplus for reallocation, sale, or recycling. UAA Electronics Surplus form is required from the department and recycling surcharges apply. In accordance with University of Alaska requirements, UAA has procedures related to the disposal of hard drives that includes the secure removal of data. With the exception of leased equipment, all devices containing hard drives should be disposed of through Surplus, where all such devices are to be secured until processing to erase all data from the drive(s). Devices with hard drives may NOT be sold, auctioned, or sent to electronics recycling before processing through Surplus without prior written authorization and an alternative acceptable method of hard drive erasure/removal approved.

Other Electronics—not computers, not containing hard drives

These items will be picked up by UAA Surplus for reallocation, sale, or recycling. UAA Electronics Surplus form is required from the disposing department and recycling surcharges apply.

Donations to Non-Profit Organizations

Surplus property or supplies may be donated to a non-profit organization subject to the approval of the chief Procurement Officer or designee. Departments desiring to donate surplus property or supplies to a non-profit organization must submit a written proposal to the Director of General Support Services. The proposal must include the name of the organization, item(s) proposed for donation, and justification for donation to include information supporting that other routine procedures for sale of the items have been exhausted or those procedures would not be cost effective, and that donation of the items to the specific non-profit is in the best interest of the University. Items must not be donated prior to receipt of approval of the proposal. Additional forms and documentation may be required.

Other Methods

Alternative methods may be used when all other described methods are not practicable or feasible. The alternative method must first be proposed in writing for determination that such alternative procedure is in the best interest of the University. UAA departments shall submit such proposals in writing to the Director of General Support Services for recommendation and final approval processing.

Disposal of Hazardous Substances

Chemicals, liquids, gels, bio-hazardous, and volatile materials cannot be submitted as Surplus and must be disposed of properly. Departments should take disposal into consideration prior to purchase of items deemed hazardous substances and coordinate all purchase and disposal with UAA Environmental Health and Safety & Risk Management Support.

V. Surplus Pick Up and Delivery

UAA departments wishing to arrange for pick up of surplus items must submit their request in writing using the appropriate form(s) with a complete list of items for pick up. The department will be notified in advance of the date scheduled for pick up and whether it will be in the morning or afternoon. Please allow up to 10 working days for pickup of items. Any items not included on the submission list will not be picked up. Electronics will not be picked up without a completed Electronics Surplus form including org/fund.

Items selected from Surplus to be delivered to departments will be delivered within 10 working days from designation for reallocation. We do not provide delivery to non-UAA facilities.

Hallways, stairwells, lobbies, etc are not storage spaces. Departments should not place surplus items in these areas prior to the day of pickup.

Large/bulky items (such as l-shaped desks, large bookshelves, etc) may need to be taken apart prior to pick up. UAA Surplus staff are not authorized nor equipped to take apart items. Departments will be required to make arrangements through UAA Facilities for any such need to be addressed prior to Surplus pick up. If you are unsure if an item will need to be taken apart, please request a consultation from a Surplus team member in advance.

Accessibility is important. Please make sure that hallways, doorways, etc allow for a clear path for our team members to allow for our efficiency and safety. If there are any stairs involved in the pick up or delivery, please note this in your request.