Asset Management
Fixed Assets Policy and Procedures
An important capacity of the college and university business operations is the equipment inventory of Fixed Assets. At Oklahoma Panhandle State University, Fixed Assets is primarily an accounting function administered by the Director of Purchasing/Asset Manager. Fixed Assets management aims to assist university departments in effective management and accountability for their property, establish administrative control over fixed asset inventories, help establish a climate of responsibility for preventing the institution’s assets, and interact with auditors, government officials, and other cognizant reporting agencies. As employees of Oklahoma Panhandle State University, each person is responsible for the equipment he or she works with and is accountable for using equipment purchased from all money with which we are entrusted. With accountability and departmental needs being of the utmost importance in our actions, maintaining an accurate inventory of fixed assets becomes imperative.
Additions
The addition of equipment and gifts or donations of equipment valued at $5,000.00 or greater with a useful life of at least one year or more should be added to fixed assets. Addition of IT equipment valued at $500.00 or greater with a useful life of at least one year or more should be added to fixed assets. Timely reporting and tagging equipment is vital in keeping inventory records as current as possible and provides greater security for all institutional property. Therefore, a joint effort between Asset Management and University departments is necessary for the Fixed Assets to operate most efficiently. High-profile items will not be capitalized but will be tagged and included in the bi-annual inventory in order to safeguard against theft. The following list includes, but is not limited to, the items that are considered high-profile items:
- Digital cameras
- Televisions
- GPS Units
- Laptop computers
- Portable media devices (iPads, Notebooks, etc.)
Stolen, Damaged, or Destroyed
The University is responsible for replacing or repairing stolen, damaged, or destroyed equipment. Any loss or theft must be reported to the Goodwell Police Department and to Asset Management.
Biennial Campus-Wide Inventory Verification
Also required is the responsibility and accountability of a physical count of at least bi-annually equipment items, reconciling results with Inventory records. Any differences in physical count and inventory records must be reported to Asset Management. An inventory verification may be required in a compliance test conducted by Internal Audits. These audits do not occur annually but may happen at any time. Departments are encouraged to work closely with Asset Management to keep new equipment tagged and inventory records as current as possible. If there is an indication that a department is failing to maintain inventory, surprise outside verifications from Asset Management or other auditors may occur.
Transfer of Equipment
Department head responsibility for fixed assets encompasses the transfer of equipment within or between departments. The transfer is made by completing a Fixed ASset Transfer Request form and initiated by the releasing department. To maintain inventory integrity and for insurance purposes, it is very important to keep Asset Management informed of changes in equipment location. This provides up-to-date information on equipment for inventory and insurance purposes and also allows Asset Management to provide the most accurate information for all departments.
Surplus Equipment and Disposals
Asset Management provides departmental assistance in removing and disposing of surplus property from the Fixed Asset system. A department head does not have the authority to sell, trade, or delete donations) from inventory any item of University-owned or non-owned equipment. A department head may request such action through Asset Management, which prepares all disposition requests for presentation to the Board of
Regents who have final approval or disapproval of property disposal. Prior to seeking board approval for disposal, all OPSU departments and then schools under the governance of the A&M Board of Regents will be notified of surplus items and given preference over the general public. A department declaring equipment scrap, salvage, and/or surplus completes the Fixed Asset Disposal REquest form.
The OSU/A&M Board of Regents solely has final approval or disapproval of property disposal. Department heads only have the power to request disposition. Any action departmental employees take to sell or give away university property puts the employee at risk. Once board approval is granted, and no other department or college (under the Board of Regents) has requested transfer of the surplus property to their department or institution, Asset Management shall approve the Report of Surplus and notify the Physical Plant Surplus Warehouse manager by this report of all items to be transferred to the surplus property warehouse. At no time prior to Board approval and prior to receipt of an approved Report of Surplus should the Warehouse Manager pick up or receive surplus equipment from the releasing department.
Means of Disposal
Asset Management has been delegated the authority and is responsible for making all arrangements for property sale through various means discussed below.
Sealed Bid
Sealed bids are another method used to dispose of surplus equipment. Departments often choose this option since they will receive the sale proceeds and less advertising and copying costs. Department representatives are not authorized to sell items by sealed bid. All sealed bids will be received by Asset Management and held for public opening as announced in the sale advertisement. The Asset Manager will publicly disseminate notice of the sealed bid through an extant mailing list and newspaper advertising.
Equipment Reutilization
The University may take excess surplus property available to a public school district without compensation or to other Oklahoma governmental agencies in lieu of disposal by public auction or sealed bid. Reutilization may occur at the conclusion of the prescribed time that surplus equipment is available to the University department and other A&M institutions is accomplished according to state statute. To make this distribution as equitable as possible, any public school or governmental agency interested in available surplus should submit a letter detailing their equipment needs to the Asset Management office.
Trade-Ins
If an item is issued as a “trade-in” on new equipment, the inventory tag must be removed and attached to a Disposal form. The R6 removal code should be used in requesting removal of the item from inventory. A note should be made on the form providing the requisition or purchase order number of the new equipment on which the old item was used as a trade-in. Place the inventory number and item description in the appropriate columns for items traded in on the Disposal form. The department head must sign the form indicating the request for responsibility and accountability. The department keeps a completed copy of the Disposal form and transmits the remaining completed copies to Asset Management. The new item will be tagged after notification of payment for the new equipment has been received by Asset Management. The invoice for the new equipment should provide the inventory number of the equipment that was traded in as a cross-reference.
Lost and Stolen Equipment
The department head is responsible for all equipment purchased for and assigned to the department and shall promptly report any lost or stolen equipment.
Stolen equipment should be reported to the Goodwell Police at once. A Disposal form should be completed and submitted to Asset Management to update the equipment database. A copy of the police report detailing the theft should accompany the completed Disposal form.
All Disposal forms indicating removal because of loss or theft must be authorized by the department head and appropriate college dean or vice president.