Frequently Asked Questions

What should we do if an item’s property tag has become damaged, unreadable, inappropriately removed, was placed in an inconvenient location, or is otherwise problematic?

Contact the Property Coordinator to replace damaged tag. This action is necessary because we have replaced our current barcode tagging system with a RFID tagging system and a damaged tag may render the tag inoperable.

Can property be donated to another organization?

Yes, property can be donated to a public agency, public school, or a registered 501(c) (3) non-profit organization.

Before a donation can be considered, the items must be offered to any other university department that may be able to utilize them.
Departments that are interested in donating items to other organizations must coordinate their request with the Property Office and be familiar with the survey and donation processes in the CSUEB Property Management Guide, located on the Procurement Services Home Page.
Property that is to be donated must be approved by the CSUEB Survey Board before it is donated.
If a donation of computer equipment is requested, the computer(s) must first be processed through the IT department. IT must certify that the computer equipment complies with the University’s data security requirements for a documented data purge.
IT must certify that the computer(s) were wiped and meet the CSUEB standard for donations before having the unit(s) delivered to the Property.
It is IT’s responsibility to either remove or process the proper paperwork to have the equipment moved to the Property cage.

The CSUEB Property Management Office processes the donation to other organizations, with the appropriate documentation. The donation requirements will be reviewed with the proposed recipient. The required documentation includes:

A signed official letter from the recipient organization, on organizational letterhead, that lists the property numbers of the items accepted.
A copy of the IRS statement of determination may be required in order to document that the organization accepting the donation is a registered 501(c) (3) organization.

When the donation is properly documented, the items are removed from the department’s inventory; the property must then be removed from CSUEB by the recipient.

Why is a Property Custody Receipt required for each laptop computer?

The Property Custody Receipt is required to maintain a file of use permits for all laptop computers. The Property Custody Receipt should be kept on file with the Department Custodian and the user of said laptop. The Property Custody Receiptshould be filled out electronically except the Authorizing Official Signature which should be hand written.

Our department would like to have an item tagged with a property number. What documentation is required?

In order to assign a property number we must have documentation that the item is University property. This is usually documented by the purchase order, Accounts Payable records of the item’s purchase, or the University Gift-In-Kind form (which is processed by the Development office). In some cases we can apply a property tag if the department’s property custodian provides a written statement that the item is University property and requests the item to be tagged and placed on the active inventory.

When are old or surveyed items removed from our department’s inventory list?

Items are removed from the list when the removal of the item is documented in accordance with University procedures, following the Property Survey Board’s approval. The authorized removal of items is usually performed by the Property Coordinator who records disposals with an official record. Items are also removed from the inventory list when a Missing Items Report is submitted and the subsequent survey is approved.

How often does my department have an inventory?

We have implemented a perpetual inventory process which is the responsibility of the Property Office. The Property Office will notify the departments at least one week prior to the planned visit however; an annual inventory is also a part of the plan.

Why do I have to go through the cumbersome task of making a survey request to dispose of tagged items that have no value, are broken, or are outdated? Can’t I just throw these items in the trash can?

No. The purpose of tagging property is to safeguard and track University property. Documenting the disposal of each tagged item shows management, auditors, and state taxpayers that the University is performing due diligence in safeguarding the scarce resources that are allocated to the University.

Why are there articles in my area that have property numbers, but they do not appear on my inventory?

Several cases lead to this situation. The most common are:

Items that are property of the IT department, which are not included on the using department's inventory, but remain on the IT inventory.
Items that were purchased and tagged when the “tagging threshold” was lower than $500, and subsequently removed from the active inventory when the "tagging threshold" was raised.
Items that have been moved, but not reported to the Property Coordinator as transfers to your department.
Items that were not located during previous inventories and have been surveyed as missing. These items should be reported found and will be returned to the active inventory.
Items that are owned by another department that shares space with your department.

What if a member of our department accidentally disposed of an item in a manner that is not in accordance with the property control procedures?

If an item is disposed in a manner other than through the established procedures, the circumstances of its disposal must be documented with a Missing Items Report in order for the item to be surveyed and removed from the inventory.

Can I purchase University property?

Yes, after the property office posts an item to the Public Surplus site the general can then bid on the items. The various property control requirements with which the University is required to comply contain explicit guidance that employees may not have any advantage over the general public in opportunities to purchase unused property.

Is surplus property recycled?

In most cases, yes. The University has been required to dramatically reduce the amount of material that is sent to the landfill. Electronic devices are disposed through a contract with a certified electronic waste recycler. Facilities Services maintains contracts for other refuse services, including recycling for metal, wood, and other material.

How do I dispose of items that do not have property numbers?

Why is the original purchase price indicated for each item on my department's inventory?

Does the property program provide the service of erasing sensitive data from computers?

When computers are disposed by the normal survey process, they are taken by either IT staff or Facilities to the IT Service Desk where data or data storage components are removed or wiped before the computer is delivered to Shipping and Receiving for recycling by Property Management. Your department may also contact IT to have sensitive data removed from computers. If you are disposing equipment other than computers that contain sensitive data you can contact IT for service.

Can our department write a work request to have inventoried items disposed?

No, the University is required to establish and maintain a procedure for safeguarding and surveying inventoried property, and all disposals of current inventory items must follow the established procedure.