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Mission: The mission of the Central Surplus Program is to support the prudent stewardship of surplus property by reusing quality surplus items generated on campus prior to considering the purchase of new items and properly facilitating the sale, donation or disposal of equipment, while also ensuring that federal acquisition, funding and disposal regulations are met.

Item(s) that departments no longer use must be turned over to the Surplus Program so the University capital asset records can be updated and the item(s) can be redistributed to other departments, sold, donated, or scrapped. Purchasing manages this program to ensure that federal acquisition, funding and disposal regulations are met.

No University property may be removed from the campus for personal use, re-sale or other unofficial use unless processed through the University's Purchasing Department. This includes discarded items as well as equipment or supplies that are in use. Also included are in-use or discarded items from students and tenants or visitors. No items may be removed from dumpsters, garbage cans or any other disposal location for personal use or sale. Refer to official Facilities Policy.

Furniture: Stand alone units and accessories such as, chairs, filing cabinets, one piece metal bookcases, tables, returns for desk, etc., that have no immediate use within the department.

Computers: Computer equipment for which a department has no current use and does not intend to use. This covers desktop computers and peripherals, laptops, etc.

Important Note: Unless there are compelling reasons, University employees are not permitted to purchase their old computers. The primary reason is a concern about confidential, high risk data and other software programs that may be on the computers. All computers released by campus departments must pass through a standard disk wiping process before they can be sold, donated or disposed via the Surplus Program. If an employee wants to purchase a computer, they may purchase it from the Surplus Program after the appropriate disk wiping process has been completed.

Specialized Equipment:

• Vehicles - automobiles, trucks, golf carts, boats, tractors, buses, vans, construction equipment, etc.
• Maintenance and Shop Equipment - vacuum cleaners, floor buffers, fire extinguishers, lawn mowers and mower decks, snow plows, blowers and blades, leaf catchers, table saws, drill presses, lathes, auto repair equipment, floor jacks, welders, ladders and other aerial equipment, etc.

Scientific Equipment:

• Specialized Office Equipment/Non-computer - fax machines, adding machines, typewriters, answering machines, etc.
• Audio Visual Equipment - microfilm readers/printers, photographic, television, VCR, tape players/recorders, camcorders, Dictaphones, overhead projectors, etc.
• Small tools - hand held power or manual tools.
• Household and Commercial Appliances - refrigerators, freezers, washing machines, dryers, free standing stoves, DFS commercial appliances, etc.
• Mainframes, supercomputers, etc. - non-administrative desktop computing equipment.

• New online Surplus Forms have been developed on the View/Submit Items to Surplus (University Net Id Required)
• (Password Protected - Permission required by Surplus Manager) web page page which will be completed by the departmental representative.
• These forms will be protected by established security tables. Submission of these forms will update the current surplus inventory and database. All fields must be completed before submission of the form. If not, the entry will be sent back tot he department for correction.

The Central Surplus Submission form will be used in this case:

• Items entered into the central surplus system:
  In this case, the department relinquishes its surplus item(s) to the central surplus system. The surplus program will take possession of the item(s) and will be responsible for advertising, display, pickup, and ultimate disposal. The surplus item(s) will be transferred out of the department as soon as arrangements can be made with Building Services. Building Services will not pick up items that are not submitted into the central surplus system (Must be submitted via Surplus, not the Building Services Move Request Form). The item(s) will be available to other University departments at no cost. Departments will not receive any funds once they have relinquished ownership. Each piece of Equipment should be identified as to its current condition. Any piece of Equipment in poor or unusable condition should be disposed of upon the approval of the Central Surplus Manager. The Central Surplus Manager will contact the department with instructions to scrap that item, once the action is recorded in the system.

Special Considerations for Departments

• Purchasing New Equipment:
  Departments may want to review the web listing before a new purchase is authorized for common equipment such as furniture. There will be a published cost to refurbish items. For example, a department may need file cabinets. They may locate them on the listing; however, they may be the wrong color. The cabinets may be repainted for the department and the department will give the program manager an account number for these charges.
  Note: Federally funded contracts/grants require recipients to consider available surplus before acquiring new equipment.
  
  
• Sales or Trade-ins to Outside Vendors/Companies:
  These policies do not prohibit sales or trade-ins to establishments external to the University. These sales must be approved by the Surplus Program manager and may not be a University employee or their business. All sales or transfers must be documented with the Release and Waiver and Bill of Sale forms, which should clearly indicate the conditions of the transfer and copies must be submitted to the Surplus Manager.
  
  
• Policy for Professors Retiring from Princeton University to Purchase Computers and/or Laptops
  Faculty members are permitted to purchase their computers or laptops upon retirement or at the end of their employment at Princeton University. In order to safeguard the University’s data, the following steps must be taken:
  
  1. The Department Manager must notify the Surplus Coordinator that a professor is retiring and wants to purchase their computer or laptop. The Department Manager is responsible for providing the make, model and specs of the unit in question.

  2. The Surplus Coordinator will supply the Department Manager with the sale price (including 7% sales tax), a bill of sale, and a waiver for signature of the Faculty member.

  3. If the sale price is agreed upon, the Department or Faculty member will be responsible to wipe the unit and arrange delivery of the unit to Surplus for confirmation that the unit has been sufficiently wiped prior to the sale being completed to remove any operating software and proprietary data.*

  4. The Surplus Coordinator will ensure that the mandatory wiping process has been completed by the Department. Upon confirmation that the wiping process has been completed, the Department or Faculty member will be responsible for picking up the unit in Surplus and providing the completed paperwork, including payment, to the Surplus Coordinator.
  

  * Note: If the data is unique to the Faculty member’s research or work, a sale can be made with the stipulation that the Department Manager acknowledge the fact the data will be remaining with the unit and consequently will not jeopardize Princeton University.
  
  
• Proceedure When Professors/Researchers Leave the University and Want to Take Equipment With Them:
  Purchasing and ORPA work together to establish a fair market value for equipment leaving the University with departing faculty and to ensure that the transfer takes place in accordance with sponsored projects and grants. Faculty who are not taking research grants with them to another institution may still purchase equipment bought on grants, or with University startup funds, when leaving the University, provided that both the Department and ORPA approve the request in advance. A formal procedure has been established for handling all requests for equipment leaving with departing faculty.
  
  
• Equipment Purchased on Sponsored Research - Grants:
  O.R.P.A. must submit a final property report to the sponsor. If they do not respond within three months, Princeton has title to the items. On certain grants the government will declare that the equipment is government-owned at the start of the project. In these cases the equipment cannot be sold. For equipment purchased with government funds, O.R.P.A. must confirm that the University has title, or if any special conditions apply to the disposal or sale of the equipment before it can be entered into the Central Surplus System or disposed of.
  Note: Federally funded contracts/grants require recipients to consider available surplus before acquiring new equipment.
  
  
• Equipment Purchased on Sponsored Research - Contracts:
  The sponsor has 12 months to notify Princeton that they want title to the equipment. After this point the equipment becomes property of the University. O.R.P.A. must confirm that the University has title to equipment purchased with non-government sponsored research funds before it can be entered into the Central Surplus System or disposed.
  Note: Federally funded contracts/grants require recipients to consider available surplus before acquiring new equipment.
  
  
• Temporary Storage Availability:
  Occasionally a department will have need for temporary storage space for equipment or furniture they will need in the near future, but at present do not have the storage space. In these cases, the surplus program can not provide ample storage space. However, the Purchasing Department will provide current storage rates, based on contracts in place, with outside vendors. Any movement of furniture or equipment must be reported to the Surplus Manager so that the location of the item can be properly recorded in the University’s capital asset system.
  
  
• Sale of Surplus Inventory:
  Items declared and turned over to Surplus may be sold to employees. The employee must sign a Bill of Sale and Release and Waiver forms. (Checks should be made payable to The Princeton University Board of Trustees).
  
  
• Home/Off-Campus Use: Employees may use equipment off-campus, provided that they are employed by the University, a minimum of four (4) hours of work per week is performed off-campus, and department manager approval is received. An Off Campus Use form must be completed and submitted to Purchasing before the equipment may be taken off-site.
  
  
• Internet Auctions:
  These policies do not prohibit Internet auctions, such as E-Bay, to non-employees or establishments external to the University. Internet auctions should only be utilized if the item(s) generally cannot be re-used on campus, which means the item(s) must have been previously posted on the Surplus Bulletin Board for a minimum of 10 business days. All Internet auctions must be posted and managed by the Surplus Program and may not be awarded to a University employee or their business. All auction sales must be documented with the Release and Waiver and Bill of Sale forms. Copies must be submitted to the Surplus Manager. Departments will have total responsibility for: 1. providing digital photo(s) of the item(s), 2. providing the item description(s), 3. determining the bid starting price and auction duration, 4. responding to inquiries while the auction is open for bids, and 5. retaining the surplus item(s) until they are shipped, including all associated costs. At the conclusion of the auction, the department will be responsible for packaging and shipping the item(s) to the buyer as directed by the Surplus Manager. The department will receive the proceeds of the auction, less a 25% administrative management fee and all other auction-related fees. The cost of shipping and packaging the item(s) are typically borne by the buyer.
  
  

What Happens Next-Informational
(Who is notified?, Who gets it next?)

Based on information from the WEB Page form, a database has been developed with information on the product, and date it will be eligible for sale to individuals, etc. All university employees and students will have access to this List of Surplus Products via the Property Management WEB Page.

Who gets it next:

• Surplus Equipment will be available to University departments first. Should any perishable items become surplus, the Capital/Salvage Manager may take the necessary steps to move the items before they perish. This will include opening the availability to individuals as well as departments as the items are received.
  
  
• After the five (5) day period, the item will be available for individual purchase. The item will be eligible for an individual purchase for one * (1) month. Vehicles are excluded from individual purchase due to potential liability. These items will be available on a first-come, first-serve basis. Items will not be held for individuals. Departments may still request an item if it is still available in the individual purchase area. All items in the surplus system will be available "AS IS."
  
  
• After the initial one (1) month and five (5) day period the program manger will use various methods to dispose of said surplus. Surplus exists that may not have value to the University, but it does have value to charities. To the extent possible, these items will be offered to charities. Charities interested in acquiring surplus equipment donations must contact Blanche Scioli (Community and State Affairs) at (609) 258-3204 or bascioli@princeton.edu. She will issue a Needs Assessment form, which will provide the charitable organization's background. The charitable organization will be responsible for the prompt pickup of these items when they become available. Other disposal methods will include employee flea market, bulk sale, trade-ins, or sale for scrap value. No single item should be in the surplus system for more than four (4) months. It will be the responsibility of the Program Manager to ensure movement.
  
  
• Equipment and items transferred, sold, traded-in, given or otherwise disposed of carry no warranty from the University. The University accepts no liability and all transactions are as is and final with no returns. The University does not certify that surplus computers are Year 2000 compliant. It is the buyers responsibility to remedy any Year 2000 problems encountered.
  

How to Obtain Equipment from Central Surplus:

• Departments:
  Departments should visit the Surplus Warehouse to see if they can identify item(s) that fits their need. Surplus is open Tuesday's from 11:00am to 12:00pm for employee purchases, and Tuesday's from 9:00am to 12:00pm for Department transactions, as well as Wednesday's from 10:00am to 2:30pm for all transactions. Furniture items should first be viewed by interested departments in person prior to requesting item(s) to be moved out of the surplus warehouse.

• Individuals:
  Surplus Warehouse is open to the general public and for departments on Wednesdays from 10:00 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. The Surplus Warehouse is located at 755 Alexander Road. Individuals who purchase items must take them the same day, as Surplus will not hold items for personal purchase. Checks should be made payable to The Princeton University Board of Trustees.