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Frequently Asked Questions

Acquiring Surplus Property

Duke does not offer a public access retail store. Approved non-profit organizations and Duke Staff may visit the Surplus Donation Site at specified times. Please email Surplus to request the current donation calendar or check the availability of a specific item.

Visitation to the Surplus Donation Site is limited and scheduled on a monthly basis.  The majority of available items include office and school related furnishings.  We do not have a list of available items, as our inventory changes every day.  Duke departments may view medical and research surplus by appointment only. Please email Surplus to request the current donation calendar or schedule an appointment to view medical and research surplus. Surplus property will be provided for Duke department use at no charge.

All items must be processed through the Online Surplus Asset Disposition Tool and received by Surplus prior to donation.  If you would like to recommend a non-profit organization that you feel may benefit from surplus property donations, please email Surplus.

Duke does not offer a public access retail store. Approved non-profit organizations and Duke Staff may visit the Surplus Donation Site at specified times. Please email Surplus(link sends e-mail) to request the current donation calendar or check the availability of a specific item.

Disposing Of Surplus Property

All surplus property must be entered into the Online Surplus Asset Disposition Tool.  Step-by-step instructions for this site are available.  Please review the instructions thoroughly to assist you with entering your department’s profile information and surplus items.  Once you have registered your department with the Online Surplus Asset Disposition Tool, please enter each surplus item with as much detail as possible.

Please contact Surplus for assistance adding new users to your department’s profile.

Yes.  Regardless of the value of the item, all property purchased by Duke must be tracked and therefore every item must be entered into the Online Surplus Asset Disposition Tool.

In order to effectively track all property purchased by Duke, computers, computer equipment and items with the ability to store data must be entered individually with serial numbers provided for each item. In addition to computers and data-storage equipment, any item with an asset tag must be entered separately. Items that do not have asset tags or the ability to store data may be entered in groups of like items.

All surplus property must be entered into the Online Surplus Asset Disposition Tool. Drop-off requests should be made several days in advance so we can schedule someone to be available on-site to receive your delivery.  Please email Surplus to coordinate your delivery.

No. Giving surplus Duke property to faculty and staff for personal use is not permitted. It can create tax and liability implications and cause conflicts of interest. Our formalized programs have been established to support Duke’s strategic plans for community involvement, global health, and sustainability. All property must be processed through the Online Surplus Asset Disposition Tool and donated to Duke departments and approved non-profit organizations. We are happy to provide a list of organizations in the area that employees with specific needs can contact to request donations.

No. Purchasing Duke property by faculty and staff is prohibited. It can create issues concerning the collection and distribution of sales tax, liability release documentation, and asset reporting. Selling equipment denies the established programs which were designed to support Duke’s strategic plans for community involvement, global health, and sustainability.

No. All surplus should be logged into the Online Surplus Asset Disposition Tool for collection with an indication of whether or not the item is working within the tool.  Once on-site, the best disposal method will be determined according to mandated environmental regulations. If you are unsure about how an item should be disposed of, please contact Surplus.

No. Giving surplus property to Duke faculty and staff for personal use is not permitted. It can create tax and liability implications and cause conflicts of interest. Programs have been established to support Duke’s strategic plans for community involvement, global health, and sustainability. All assets must be processed online through the Online Surplus Asset Disposition Tool and donated to approved non-profit organizations. We are happy to provide a list of organizations in the area that employees with specific needs can contact to request donations.

Each department may have its own procedures about equipment cannibalization, so start there. If you receive approval, log the item to be cannibalized in the Online Surplus Asset Disposition Tool.  Depending on the value and nature of the equipment, you may be advised that Duke staff will pick up the remaining parts.  You may be asked to remove the Duke asset tag, send it to Plant Accounting, and dispose of the remainder of the equipment yourself.

No. All items must be entered into the Online Surplus Asset Disposition Tool. Should there be a last minute request while the collection crew is onsite, please enter the information online immediately as a new request and call 919-684-3781 for an updated manifest to give the movers.

It is your responsibility to keep any item that can store data in a secure location until collection.  All devices with the ability to store data (computers, laptops, cell phones, flash drives, servers, hard drives, etc.) must be accounted for (even if previously wiped by the department). Items should be set aside and specialized equipment should be labeled. Operating manuals should be included if they are available. You will not need to remove asset tags or notify Plant Accounting.

The only exceptions are for items acquired via the Excess Federal Government Property program or equipment titled to the Federal Government. These are not that common, but special permission is required from the granting agency before the equipment can be disposed of. For more information, contact Sponsored Programs to begin the process. You can also review the GAP for more information about this process.  If you need assistance regarding these exceptions, please contact Surplus.

Surplus Computer Information

All Duke devices with the ability to store data (computers, laptops, cell phones, flash drives, servers, etc.) must be tracked and properly accounted for.  Computers, laptops, tablets, hard drives, servers, and arrays are tracked by serial number.  They must be keyed individually with serial numbers provided for each item.  It is your responsibility to keep any item that can store data in a secure location until collection.  Monitors and peripherals without the ability to store data can be entered in groups by type. Visit the Online Surplus Asset Disposition Tool and complete all of the required fields, adding as much identifying information as possible for each item.  Step-by-step instructions for this site are available.

No. All surplus property with the ability to store data must be picked up by Duke staff regardless of whether your IT department has already wiped it.  Storr and other approved moving vendors are prohibited from picking up items with the ability to store data.  It is a violation of our terms with the vendor for them to handle these items, regardless of content. 

Missing items are documented on a Collection Discrepancy Report provided by the Surplus PC Disk Wiping team.  This is completed at the time of scheduled pick-up and then signed and dated by the department representative on-site.  This document states that an attempt was made to collect the surplus items but equipment identified on the department-entered disposal request is missing.    The paper documentation of missing items is then returned to the Surplus Property Office for follow up with the department in an attempt to reconcile the missing equipment.  If the items cannot be located within 24-hours or a valid explanation cannot be provided, the situation is escalated to the appropriate security leadership office, the Compliance office, and the Associate Vice President for Procurement Services who will then investigate further and determine the best course of action.

Improperly entered orders will be handled in the following manner:
  • Incorrect serial number:  Noted and changed via the Collection Discrepancy Report
  • Incorrect type of item:  Noted and changed via the Collection Discrepancy Report
  • Duplicate items:  Noted and changed via the Collection Discrepancy Report
  • Missing serial numbers:  Requestor is asked to re-enter request
  • Major discrepancy:  Department is asked to re-enter and re-submit the order

All Duke property with the ability to store data must be properly accounted for.  Computers, laptops, tablets, hard drives, servers, and arrays are tracked by serial number and must have this information included on the disposal request.  Additionally, all items with a Duke asset tag must be entered individually with as much identifying information as possible. Items that do not have asset tags or the ability to store data may be entered in groups of like items.

Sales, Trades, And Transfers Of Vehicles And Specialized/Capital Equipment

The Director of Procurement Programs will help facilitate the sale of vehicles and specialized/capital equipment.  Please contact Surplus for assistance.

The Online Surplus Asset Disposition Tool must be used to enter all items being sent to Surplus.  You are required to keep a hard copy of the disposal request for your records. 

No. Duke has decided that donating items to non-profit organizations, both locally and globally, best supports Duke’s strategic plans for community involvement, global health, and sustainability.

No. The Director of Procurement Programs will help facilitate the sale of vehicles and specialized/capital equipment. Property details must be logged into the Online Surplus Asset Disposition Tool. Please email Surplus in advance of any sale process so assets can be properly researched. Selling Duke property, especially capital equipment, can create issues and will require special permission from your Management Center official, Plant Accounting, Sponsored Programs and the Duke Surplus Property Office. Sales tax may need to be charged, collected, and reported. Liability concerns about the transfer must be considered in addition to export controls.

Trade-ins are a good way to help reduce the cost of acquiring a new item. Many vendors will provide a substantial discount when trade-ins are included in the deal. All trade-ins should be documented in the Online Surplus Asset Disposition Tool and on the Purchase Requisition when you purchase the new equipment. Include the asset tag number and description of the item along with the value of the discount as a separate line item. This information will be included on the Purchase Order and Plant Accounting will receive the information from the Purchase Order. Both procedures are necessary to ensure the transaction is properly documented.  If the item being traded is going to anyone other than the vendor it was purchased from, a liability release must be completed.  Please contact Surplus for assistance with trades.

Transferring equipment to the institution where the faculty is moving is common and often required when the federal awards are moving with the faculty member to the new institution. Please contact Surplus for specific process information for your area as approvals need to be collected from the Department Chair, OSP, Plant Accounting, and others depending on affiliation. 

The Surplus Property Office will help facilitate the sale of vehicles and specialized/capital equipment with the proper approvals.  The price will be determined by the Surplus Property Office, and the department will receive all revenue less any advertising, selling and processing expenses.

Scheduling Pick-Ups And Associated Fees

Disposal requests should be submitted between two and three weeks in advance when possible. This will allow more time for  scheduling based on location, fuel efficiency, staff availability and other valuable resources. This will also minimize the cost for pickups as well as moving and storage fees. Disposal requests are typically scheduled to be picked up by Storr within two weeks of receipt.  Please note that Storr is not authorized to pick up items that have the ability to store data.  These requests will be scheduled and picked up by Duke staff within two weeks.

Yes. Expedited service will incur additional charges based on standard moving rates. Please plan ahead.

No.  Approved moving vendors have been advised not to collect surplus property unless they have first received a manifest from the Surplus Property Office detailing all items to be collected. Non-Duke employees should never remove or transport any items with the ability to store data. These items are dispatched to internal staff for collection. 

Duke employees pick up computer equipment with the ability to store data at no charge. Duke has negotiated contract rates with Storr.
  • Computers and like items with the ability to store data are picked up ONLY by Duke Staff within two weeks* of request: No Charge
  • Surplus items, oversized items, items located off the university and medical campus, and items outside of Durham county: Regular vendor rates apply
  • Expedited service: Regular vendor rates apply
*During high volume periods such as year-end and summer, there may be additional wait time.

Stolen Duke Property

If you believe Duke property has been stolen please notify Duke Police immediately. An officer will fill out an incident report and provide you with a copy for your departmental records. Give the police any information you can about the item including asset tag number, serial number, etc. It may not be possible to give that information because of the nature of the transaction so it is important to document as much information as possible. When Plant Accounting conducts a capital equipment inventory, they may be able to ascertain which item was stolen and if the copy of the incident report is available, the department’s property records can be adjusted and will relieve the departmental accountability at that time.