Policies

Property Control Policy

Policy Purpose

Farmingdale State College (FSC) is responsible for maintaining an effective system of internal controls to safeguard College property from loss, damage, theft, and misuse. The purpose of this policy is to provide guidance for properly managing College property, including tagging, inventorying, storing and disposing of College equipment and assets.

Persons Affected

Faculty, Staff, Students, Third-Parties

Policy Statement

The SUNY Procedure 7595: Property Control System Manual is intended to facilitate proper and timely reporting of state equipment transactions and safeguard against loss. The Property Control System (PCS) Manual sets forth procedures for tagging, inventorying, and disposing property and outlines criteria for including property and equipment in the PCS application, Real Asset Management System (RAM). The Research Foundation for the State University of New York Property Management Handbook describes policies and procedures related to property management for the SUNY Research Foundation (RF). Items considered property of the state of New York and SUNY RF are acquired through procurement, donation, or fabrication.

The College’s Property Control Coordinator (PCC) facilitates the College’s compliance with SUNY’s PCS and SUNY RF’s property management policies and procedures and is responsible recording inventory in RAM. Procedures for entering data in RAM, defining RAM data fields, and performing RAM processing and reporting functions are outlined in the SUNY RAM User Guide.

All College property entered into RAM will be assigned an asset number and inventory tag will be generated; RF inventory tags for College property purchased through the RF and state inventory tags for College property purchased with other state funds.

The following items purchased are required to be recorded in RAM and assigned either a state or SUNY RF inventory tag by the PCC:

1. Equipment with an original cost of $5,000 and above with a life expectancy greater than 1 year
2. Equipment under $5,000 that is walkable or vulnerable to theft or misuse, regardless of its perceived value (e.g., laptops, iPads, switches, unmounted TVs, cameras, tablets, copiers, fax machines)
3. Equipment below $5,000 that the PCC and/or the College’s RF Grant Specialist has identified to be of high value, vulnerable to theft or misuse, or in accordance to other policies.

For property purchased with state funds that do not require a state inventory tag, an ownership tag must be affixed to the property by the department. The PCC will issue these ownership tags to departments.

All College employees are responsible for safeguarding College property against theft, loss, and misuse. University Police and the Property Control Coordinator should be notified immediately of theft, loss, or misuse of College property.

Each department head is required to designate a Property Control Designee to serve as a liaison to the PCC. Property Control Designees may or may not be the employee responsible for the maintenance of some or all the department’s property. For SUNY RF property, designees would be those responsible for maintenance of each item.

Designees are responsible for:

1. Affixing ownership tags on property that do not require inventory tags or coordinating this process with the employee responsible for maintaining the property
2. Notifying the PCC of changes in property status and location
3. Assist with providing or coordinating access to property for tagging and inventory functions
4. Assist with participating in or coordinating verifying data included in required reports

The PCC is responsible for conducting College-wide inventories to ensure that College assets are appropriately located, properly tagged, accurately documented, and well-maintained. Asset tags serve as a tracking system for Property Control and as a tool for auditors when reviewing the College’s inventory. Accurate documentation of the equipment's location and destination is crucial. On a biennial basis, the PCC will conduct a physical inspection of all College property that have a state or RF inventory tag.

On the alternating years, the PCC will require designees to verify the location and condition of inventory. Assets that are not located during this inventory should be promptly reported to the PCC and, if necessary, to University Police. Department heads and designees are required to comply with the requests of these annual inventories. The PCC will notify area Vice Presidents of noncompliance with inventory requests for appropriate follow up action.

All property that is suspected or detected to be lost or stolen should be immediately reported to University Police, the PCC, and the College’s Grant Specialist for SUNY RF property.

No state property may be relocated, loaned, donated, disposed of or permanently removed from campus without prior authorization from the PCC. State property may only be used off campus for business purposes and requires prior approval from the PCC. Procedures for transferring, relocating, disposing, and using property off campus are outlined in the procedures section of this policy.

Procedures

Tagging

1. The Purchasing Department is responsible for notifying the PCC of all College property purchased.
2. The College’s Grant Specialist is responsible for notifying the PCC of all items purchased by the Research Foundation.
3. For donated property, a Request to Accept a Gift-In-Kind Donation Form must be submitted for approval prior to accepting donated property. The Gift Acceptance Policy must be followed when accepting donated property. Once the Foundation has formally accepted the donation, the item becomes state property, and all state regulations and procedures apply.
4. The PCC will contact the designee or purchaser if the property purchased or donated requires a state or SUNY RF inventory tag and if a New Asset Receipt Form is required to be submitted. To view examples of inventory and ownership tags, visit the Property Control web page.
5. The designee or purchaser is required to contact the PCC once the property is in their possession to schedule tagging of state or SUNY RF inventory tags.
6. Designees or purchasers must affix an ownership tag to property purchased that does not require a state inventory tag. This is not applicable to RF purchases.

Transfer/Relocation/Off Campus Use of Property

1. For College property purchased through the RF, a SUNY RF Property Status Change Request Form must be submitted prior to transferring property between departments, relocating property (even within the department), or using the property off campus.
2. Designees are required to submit a Property Control System Transfer Form prior to transferring College property between departments or relocating property within the department to different buildings or rooms.
3. For College property being used off campus (i.e. laptop), the designee or responsible employee must submit the Off-Campus Use Form to the PCC prior to off campus use.

Disposal/Surplus

Technology Equipment

1. If technology equipment (i.e. laptops, ipads) is no longer needed, the department must contact the Helpdesk.
2. The Helpdesk will coordinate the retrieval of equipment from the department and remove hard drives if necessary.
3. The Helpdesk will then submit a Report of Surplus/Disposal Property Form or a SUNY RF Property Status Change Request Form for property with an RF inventory tag to the PCC.

Other Property

1. If the department no longer requires equipment, furniture, or other property, the department must complete a Report of Surplus/Disposal Property Form or a SUNY RF Property Status Change Request Form for property with an RF inventory tag.
2. The PCC will submit a work order to arrange for the disposal of property, transfer, or storage of surplus property. Departments and designees are prohibited from disposing property themselves.
3. The PCC will offer surplus items to other departments on campus, then to SUNY campuses. If no interest is expressed, the equipment will be processed through OGS. If it remains unclaimed, the PCC will coordinate the disposal of property in an environmentally sound manner.

Related Documents

SUNY Procedure 7595: Property Control System Manual

Research Foundation for the State University of New York Property Management Handbook

Report of Disposal/Surplus Property Form

SUNY RAM User Guide

Property Control Transfer Form

Off Campus Use Form

New Asset Receipt Form

Request to Accept a Gift-In-Kind Donation

Property Control Program

Gift Acceptance Policy

SUNY RF Property Status Change Request Form

Responsible Office

Facilities Operations

Policy History

Approval Date: 2/4/2025