Handle Special Equipment
Learn about the procedures required in handling special equipment at Columbia University.
Details
What is Special Equipment?
Certain types of equipment require special handling procedures because of the way that they are acquired or the type of equipment that has been acquired. This equipment includes:
- Capital gifts-in-kind
- Fabricated equipment
- Found capital equipment
- Government-owned or furnished capital equipment
- Loaned capital equipment
- Lost, stolen, or damaged equipment
- Minor equipment
- Motor vehicles
- Surplus government equipment
- Transfers from other institutions
Use the table below to identify the special handling required for each type of equipment.
- Equipment
- Capital gifts-in-kind
- Special Handling Details
- These types of gifts of equipment are recorded in the University’s ADVANCE gifts system as a gift‐in‐kind. Equipment gifts are also recorded by the Office of the Controller in the e‐PRAIS® inventory system if the equipment meets the University’s capitalization threshold of $5,000 or more with a useful life of two (2) or more years.
- Equipment
- Fabricated equipment
- Special Handling Details
- Capital equipment is treated as a fabrication if it:
- meets the definition of an asset being constructed
- has a defined development period and
- meets the University’s capitalization criteria.
- Equipment
- Found capital equipment
- Special Handling Details
- Found capital equipment is property discovered by a custodial department which does not appear on the University capital equipment inventory records. Custody of found capital equipment is assigned to the user department. The value of found capital equipment will be estimated by Capital Assets Accounting (CAA) and the date found will be used as the date received.
- Equipment
- Government-owned or furnished capital equipment
- Special Handling Details
- Unless otherwise specified in the grant, the title to capital equipment purchased or fabricated with government grant or cooperative agreement funds will vest with Columbia University upon acquisition.
- Equipment
- Loaned capital equipment
- Special Handling Details
- Intramural loan: the custodial department must complete the Equipment Inventory Adjustment (EIA) form and send it to the CAA Property Manager when:
- capital equipment is loaned by one Columbia department to another department, or
- capital equipment is loaned to a faculty member, staff member or student for use at an off-campus location (also requires advance written approval from the department chairperson or an administrative officer)
- Equipment
- Lost, stolen or damaged equipment
- Special Handling Details
- Lost, stolen, damaged, and/or destroyed equipment must be reported to the CAA Property Manager by filling out an EIA form.
- Equipment
- Minor equipment
- Special Handling Details
- Minor equipment includes any item that falls below the University capitalization threshold of $5,000. Such items are considered supplies and are not recorded in the University capital asset database.
- Equipment
- Motor vehicles
- Special Handling Details
- The Office of Risk Management will furnish the CAA Property Manager with all information necessary to record University owned or leased vehicles.
- Equipment
- Surplus government equipment
- Special Handling Details
- Request for acquisitions of capital equipment from government surplus or excess sources must be processed through the CAA Property Manager.
- Equipment
- Transfers from other institutions
- Special Handling Details
- Columbia University occasionally receives property from other universities when faculty members transfer their research to Columbia. Title is vested in the University for each item of equipment transferred into the University unless grant regulations dictate otherwise. If the fair market value of the equipment is $5,000 or more, the capital equipment must be recorded in e‐PRAIS®.
Forms
There are a variety of forms that you can use for special equipment, including:
- Equipment Inventory Adjustment Form
- Fabricated Equipment Profile Application
- Surplus Equipment Bill of Sale
Property and Equipment Manual
For all Columbia University property and equipment policies and information, use the Property and Equipment Manual.
Contact
For questions or inquiries about equipment, contact [email protected].
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