Property Control
Property Control is responsible for the asset management of the University's movable equipment. This includes assets purchased with State, Federal and Private funds, including donated assets. The University conducts annual inventory beginning the month of October each year. All departments are required to complete annual inventories of their movable assets in accordance with Louisiana State Law. Contact the Property Control Office at 482-6441 if you have any questions concerning movable property.
Custody
Each Department Head to whom equipment is entrusted shall be the custodian of such equipment and shall be responsible for all equipment within his/her Department until relieved of this responsibility. He/She shall be relieved of this responsibility for a specific piece of equipment when that item has been properly transferred to some other department or otherwise disposed of (see section on TRANSFER or DISPOSITION). While equipment is in his/her custody, he/she will insure its proper utilization and take precautions to prevent its loss, theft, damage, or destruction by vandalism.
Inventory
All equipment which is acquired, whether through purchase, donation, or transfer, shall become the property of the University (and of the State). If such equipment has a value of $1000 or more, it will be tagged with a State Property Control Tag and all pertinent information about the item, including its description, location, acquisition date and cost, serial number and other useful information will be recorded for inventory purposes. The record will become a permanent part of the University's inventory file of equipment.
Usage
Equipment belonging to the University shall only be used for University-Related Purposes. At no time will it be used for personal reasons or to promote personal gain, nor may individuals not associated with the University use the equipment. Equipment usage for individuals or groups who "rent" University facilities will be determined by the terms of contracted agreement.
When equipment is to be loaned to a University employee for use in a department other than the one to which the equipment is assigned, a custody receipt should be prepared in duplicate and signed by both the Department Head in charge of the equipment and the University employee borrowing the equipment. One copy should be retained within a control file in the department until the equipment is returned, and the other copy given to the University employee who borrowed the equipment. The borrower should produce his/her copy of the custody receipt when asked to do so by personnel of the University Police Department or other appropriate members of the University faculty and/or staff.
In the event that a University Student or an officially approved University organization is to be allowed to borrow University equipment for University-related purposes, the transaction must have prior written approval by the Department Head responsible for the equipment, his/her Dean or Director, and the Vice-President in charge of the area. The University-Related usage must be clearly articulated on the custody receipt, and copies of the form should be distributed to all individuals involved and to the University Property Manager. The student or individual from the University organization who has possession of the University equipment which has been borrowed must have a copy of the custody receipt in his/her possession at all times.
Removal From Campus
Equipment will not be removed from the department to which it is assigned without written approval of that Department Head. The University employee using the equipment away from its assigned location must be conducting "approved" University business and the equipment must be necessary for the successful conclusion of that business (e.g. audio-visual equipment used by High School Relations, University automobiles driven to meeting for which travel request has been executed and approved, etc.) In cases where University equipment is used regularly for University business off-campus, one-time approval through the normal administrative system to the appropriate Vice-President may be obtained. Infrequent off-campus use of University equipment must be approved for each such use through normal administrative channels up to the appropriate Vice-President. A copy of the custody receipt with these proper approvals should be carried at all times by the University employee who takes the equipment off-campus.
Transfer on Disposition
All transfers of equipment between departments and ALL dispositions of equipment will be made ONLY with the prior written approval of the University Property Manager. Only in special instances where time constraints are such that written follow-up for transfers of equipment between departments can be utilized. No member of the faculty, staff, or student body will TRASH, SCRAP, DISMANTLE, DONATE, TRADE-IN, TRANSFER OR SELL University Equipment.
Stolen Equipment
When equipment is stolen (or believed to be stolen) from a given department, it is the responsibility of the Department Head to, as soon as possible, report the theft to the University Police Department in writing. This theft notification must request a written police report concerning the theft. A copy of the Department Head's written request should be sent to the University Property Manager. The University Police Department is required to send the University Property Manager a copy of the completed police report. However, it is still ultimately the Department Head's responsibility to insure that a copy of the completed police report is sent to the University Property Manager. Once the report is received, it is attached to a BF-11 Disposition Form and sent to State Property Control in Baton Rouge requesting that the item be removed from the University's inventory. Thus, if a police report is not received for each stolen item, the item cannot be removed from the departmental inventory.
Physical Inventory Procedures
Physical inventory is performed annually. The Property Control Manager (PCM) performs a reconciliation of LPAA to the UL system property data at the time of Certification. The UL data is then separated by department and the inventory lists, together with instructions, are distributed to individual departments who conduct the inventory. The inventory lists have items inventoried, and the individuals are instructed to indicate any items not found and any additional items located that are not on the listing. The individuals are instructed to make any change to the location of the item if necessary. Results are reported to Property Control. For items not located, inquiry is made and the list is re-sent to the department for further review. Property Control compiles the information and sends the results to the administration for approval prior to submission to LPAA with the certification.
Federal Property
If the property is purchased with restricted funds, the purchase order indicates that restricted fund account number. The number may represent a federal fund restricted or nonfederal restricted fund. The property is accounted and inventoried like that of other movable property, with the exception that the restricted number is also included. The computer program can categorize movable property by restricted number if necessary. If federal property is disposed of, the property manager requests grant information to assure disposition is in accordance with grant provisions.
Authority
The above policies are in conformance with Article 7, Section 14 of the Constitution of the State of Louisiana and State Property Control Regulations.