Controller

Equipment and Property Management

The Controller’s Office maintains the official records of Brown University’s purchased property and equipment. This office manages the appropriate recording of equipment purchases, disposals, and biennial inventory counts.

The Associate Vice President and University Controller is designated as the Property Officer of the University with overall responsibility for the disposition of all property. The responsibility for management of property has been delegated to the Property Accounting Specialist. It is within the Controller's Office that official property records are located and the Property Management System is maintained. Overall property management is achieved through the efforts of the Office of the Controller in conjunction with each individual department, center or program.

Please see the University's Property Management Policies for more information.

Disposition of Brown University Surplus Property, Policy on

Surplus Property is defined as University property to be disposed, traded-in, cannibalized, externally donated or transferred, returned to vendor. No item of property, whether purchased with University funds or otherwise acquired, may be surplused without the prior written approval of the Associate Vice President and University Controller or their designee. Sales of equipment between departments are prohibited.

To support and promote sustainability, a furniture trade website called Josiah's Attic has been established. Specific department surplus coordinators have been given access to this site. Surplus Coordinators are typically the person in each department responsible for inventory control.

Equipment Capitalization Policy

Moveable Capital Equipment is tangible, nonexpendable, personal property purchased or borrowed long-term with a unit cost of $5,000 or more and a useful life greater than one year. Equipment fabrication or the aggregate of component parts are also subject to this threshold for the purpose of equipment capitalization.

Please see the Movable Equipment Manual for more information and forms.

The Equipment Purchases- Supplemental Guidance provides guidance on what can be capitalized as equipment as well as some examples on how to set up purchase orders.