Property Management (cont'd)

Purpose:

The purpose of this document is to provide guidelines for the proper management and control of university property.

References:

MAPP 03.03.01, Property Management Handbook

Procedures:

PT. I:

Policy Statement

PT. II:

Definitions

PT. III:

General Provisions

PT. IV:

Identification

PT. V:

Tags

PT. VI:

How Equipment is Tagged

PT. VII:

Annual Inventory

PT. VIII:

Maintenance

PT. IX:

Cannibalization

PT. X:

Interdepartmental Loans

PT. XI:

Equipment Transfers

PT. XII:

Excess Equipment

PT. XIII:

Removing Equipment From Campus

PT. XIV:

Theft

PT. XV:

Assignment of Responsibility

PT. XVI:

Change of Property Custodian

PT. XVII:

Important Notes

PT. XVIII:

NSM Guidelines for Disposal of Equipment and Solid Waste in SR1

Review and Responsibility:

• Responsible Party: Director, NSM Business Operations
• Review: Every two years, on or before August 31

Approval:

• Director, NSM Business Operations - Fred McGhee
• Dean, NSM - John Bear
• Date of Dean's Approval: 09/01/2008

XIV: Theft

• The property custodian is responsible for reporting any capital equipment, which is stolen or believed to be stolen to the University of Houston Police Department (UHPD) at 713 743 3333 and Property Management. The property custodian is responsible for ensuring that the "Missing or Stolen Property Report for State Departments, Institutions, Agencies" Form is properly completed and that copies are submitted to both UHPD and Property Management. The property custodian is responsible for reporting any capital equipment, which is stolen or believed to be stolen to:
  • UHPD by a preliminary telephone report to initiate an investigation
  • Property Management by submitting a completed Form PRP-1A (see sample in MAPP 03.03.01) and a completed "Missing or Stolen Property Report for State Departments, Institutions, Agencies" Form to request the lost item's removal from inventory as lost or stolen equipment. If the equipment is not recovered within 60 days, it will be removed from inventory.
• The university is required to report capital equipment losses to the State Auditor. If the State Auditor determines that an employee is responsible for the loss of equipment, the employee will be required to reimburse the state.
• Any unexplained loss of non-capital equipment or expendable supplies should be reported directly to UHPD by the property custodian.
• Any lost or stolen capital equipment that is subsequently recovered should be reported immediately to Property Management and UHPD. The Property Manager will report the recovery to the State Auditor.

XV: Assignment of Responsibility

Each capital or controlled asset should be assigned to an individual using that individual's UH ISO Number. The designated individual may be the property custodian or an individual to whom the property custodian has entrusted the property. The authority to assign property resides with the college or division, and each college or division may determine the appropriate policies for its particular organization.

• Initial Assignment of Responsibility - The Property Manager will prepare and distribute reports of capital and controlled assets to the colleges and divisions. The designated property custodian will automatically be assigned responsibility unless another individual is designated as having been assigned responsibility. The property custodian will also automatically be assigned responsibility for new acquisitions of capital and controlled asset(s). Once the newly acquired asset(s) have been assigned UH inventory tag numbers, the property custodian may designate another individual responsibility for the asset(s).
• Changes to the Assignment of Responsibility - The property custodian should prepare and submit to Property Management a detailed listing of the capital or controlled asset(s) when responsibility is being assigned to another individual. For each asset on this listing, the property custodian should include the UH property inventory tag number, description of the asset, current location of the asset, name, and UH ISO Number of the individual to whom responsibility is being assigned. For each individual to whom responsibility for one, or more, capital or controlled asset is being assigned, the following statement should be attached:
  • I understand that I am under financial liability for loss or damage to this (these) item(s) if the loss or damage results from my negligence, intentional act, or failure to exercise reasonable care, safeguard, maintain, and, service it (them).
  • Signature ________________________________ Date ______________

XVI: Change of Property Custodian

When a new property custodian is appointed, the departmental inventory must be verified and documented by the in-coming and out-going property custodians. The out-going property custodian will forward a signed copy of PRP-6 to Property Management designating a new property custodian. Property Management will provide a current inventory listing at the time of the change.

XVII: Important Notes

At any time, the university's Internal Auditors or the State Auditor's Office may inspect the Property Management records and the physical location of equipment to verify their accuracy. Any employee who fails to comply with an inspection of their records by Internal Auditing or the State Auditor's Office may be considered negligent, and he or she may be liable for any resulting loss or damage to university property.