Equipment Custodians
Equipment Custodians are responsible for the following duties:
- Manage, Maintain and Monitor Inventorial Equipment. The Equipment Custodian is appointed by his or her department to actively monitor all the department’s inventorial equipment throughout the capital asset life cycle, from the point of acquisition and until final disposition.
- Locate and Tag New Equipment with Property Tags. The Equipment Custodian is the contact person for the department. When new equipment is added to a department's inventory Equipment Management will forward property tags and an Inventory Information Sheet to the department's Equipment Custodian. Upon receipt the Equipment Custodian will proceed to locate the new equipment, verify that the information on the attached Inventory Information Sheet is accurate, and attach the property tag to the new equipment. The Equipment Custodian will also obtain the serial number and room location for the equipment and later use this information to complete the equipment record in the EMS online database.
- Processes Inventories. The Equipment Custodian performs departmental inventories by physically locating the departments inventorial equipment and updating the EMS online database. An online verification of the accuracy of the records in the EMS online database is required annually by Equipment Custodians. Additionally, every two years the department's Equipment Custodian must complete a physical inventory in which they locate and verify the entire departments equipment inventory.
- Records and Reports Transfers and Disposition Transactions. The Equipment Custodian submits Online Equipment Inventory Modification Request (EIMR) to report appropriate transfers and disposition of equipment. Please note that often these transactions will require approval by the Outside Funding Agency, Equipment Manager, Surplus Administrator, Sponsored Programs Administration, or other involved parties.
- Records and Reports Changes in Equipment. The Equipment Custodian records or reports changes to equipment data in the EMS online database as the result of known changes, inventories, or sample audits.
- Control Agency Equipment. The Equipment Custodian coordinates with Equipment Management to tag new agency equipment. The Equipment Custodian coordinates any change in activity for agency equipment with Equipment Management or Sponsored Programs Administration and obtains the sponsor's prior approval for any disposition or transfer action.
Equipment Responsibility
The head of the custodial department and the Principal Investigator have primary responsibility for the care, maintenance, records, physical inventory, control, and disposition of inventorial equipment and other university or extramurally funded property.
Department managers whose units have inventorial equipment need to assign custodial responsibility for the equipment to a staff member. This individual, the Department Equipment Custodian, will be responsible for tagging and tracking inventorial equipment, performing the biennial inventory, and handling or assisting with other equipment related matters, e.g. transfers, loans, and disposal in compliance with related equipment policy.
In addition, departments are assigned custody codes. Every custody code must be assigned to a Department Equipment Custodian. The Department Equipment Custodians can have more than one custody code. Every piece of equipment is assigned to a custody code. You can request a current list of custody codes at the DFA Service Catalog.
You can also submit a request at the DFA Service Catalog to manage any changes in the custodial responsibility of equipment in your department.
- Appoint a new custodian
- Remove an existing custodian
- Request a new custody code
- Discontinue an existing custody code
- Move a custody code from one division to another
Complete the Custody Code and Custodian Maintenance Form and submit via the DFA Service Catalog.
