Departments must notify CAA when equipment is disposed of by emailing the Equipment Disposal Form to capitalassets@uchicago.edu. The disposal form should include the asset information as well as disposal method and proper authorizations.
Click here for the University Equipment Disposal Form.
Disposal Methods
- Junk/Discard
- Used for Parts
- Trade-In: Purchase order requests and purchase orders must indicate if equipment is being traded in as part of the purchase. Procurement Services will facilitate trade-ins and authorize the disposal form.
-
Sale: A disposal form must be completed prior to the sale of University equipment. If the sale relates to equipment purchased with federal funds (Ledger 5), the sale and disposal form must be approved by University Research Administration prior to being sent to Procurement Services. Please refer to the Disposal Authorizations section for additional information on order of authorizations. Any sale of University equipment to third parties outside the University, including University employees, requires the prior approval of Financial Services and Procurement Services based upon written recommendation of the head of the department. Procurement Services will facilitate sales and authorize the disposal form. Please note that Procurement Services requires the following documentation to be submitted prior to authorizing an equipment sale:
- A written narrative signed by the department head explaining the reason for the requested sale to the vendor/individual
- Stolen: University Police Department must be notified when equipment is stolen. A security loss report is required to be submitted with the disposal form for all stolen equipment.
- Transferred to another Institution: The transfer of equipment to another institution requires approval of Financial Services based upon written recommendation of the head of the Department or the administrative Dean, Vice President, or Director
The University asset tag should be pulled from the equipment prior to disposal.
Disposal Authorizations
Disposal forms are initiated by the Equipment Coordinator or Executive Administrator and represent departmental approval of the disposal. The form should then be routed to the Associate Dean or other divisional representative for Divisional approval. If the disposal relates to a sale of an item purchased with federal funds (Ledger 5), the form must next be routed to University Research Administration for approval. If the disposal relates to a sale or trade-in, the form should then be sent to Procurement Services for further processing. University Research Administration must sign off on all disposals purchased with federal funds. The final recipient of the form is CAA, who will process the disposal in the University's equipment records.
Additional Requirements for Disposal of Equipment Purchased with Federal Funds
Disposal of assets purchased on Federal funds with a value of $5,000 or more requires the return of proceeds to the Federal government. There may be additional requirements that vary by awarding agency. Please refer to grant and contract agreements for any additional requirements.