University Policy: IT Asset Management Policy

Policy Category: Information Technology Policies

Subject: Managing the Lifecycle of University-Owned IT Assets

Responsible Executive: Vice President & Chief Information Officer

Office Responsible for Review of this Policy: Office of Information Technology

Supplemental Documents: Standard Workstation Information, IT Asset Request Guide,

Managing IT Assets in ServiceNow

Related University Policies: Information Technology Security Policies, Computer Use and
Copyright

I. SCOPE

This policy governs the management and lifecycle of information technology assets (“IT Assets”)
owned by American University (“University”), excluding the Washington College of Law (“WCL”)
and WAMU, with a unit cost or gift value equal to or greater than $500. Every school, department,
or unit must adhere to the guidelines stated in this policy to acquire, record, manage, and dispose of
University IT Assets.

While the University may assign an IT Asset to a faculty, staff member or public area for academic
or administrative use, the IT Asset remains the property of the University throughout its lifecycle,
from initial acquisition and provisioning to the end of its useful life.

II. POLICY STATEMENT

A. The University has established policies and procedures that detail the standards for lifecycle
management of University IT Assets. Responsibility for proper care of the IT Assets is
shared between the faculty or staff member to which it has been assigned, the department,
the University technical support partners, and the Office of Information Technology
(“OIT”).

B. The main goals of the IT Asset Management Policy are to: 1) serve as effective stewards of
the University’s IT equipment by tracking and managing the IT Assets; 2) maintain an
accurate IT Asset inventory to optimize usage and workplace productivity; 3) standardize
supported models and configurations to offer efficiency gains through simplified technical
support and maintenance requirements; and 4) reduce waste and ensure that IT Assets are
encrypted and properly wiped of University data prior to reallocation and disposal.

1
III. DEFINITIONS
IT Asset: Any financially valuable component (a unit cost or gift value equal to or greater than $500)
that contributes to the delivery of an IT product or service.

NextGen Lifecycle Replacement Fund: University-provided central funding used to replace a single
workstation for all full-time faculty and staff every four years. No charges are incurred by the
department for the lifecycle replacement, if it is a standard workstation configuration that serves as a
primary workstation.

Non-Standard IT Asset: A special component or device or equipment that is neither purchased nor
supported by OIT.

Peripherals: Computer components such as monitors, personal printers, flash drives, external drives,
keyboards, or mice that are not individually tracked.

Primary Workstation: A workstation assigned and used by a specific University faculty or staff
member as their main computer, and not shared with others.

Standard IT Assets: Assets that are subject to inventory tagging and management: desktop and laptop
workstations, digital signage players, tablets, multifunction devices (print/copy/scan), network
printers, and servers.

Username: A name that uniquely identifies an individual on the University computer system.

Workstation: A desktop or laptop computer and the associated peripherals issued to faculty and staff
members to perform certain job functions at the University.

IV. POLICY

A. Standard IT Assets

OIT offers new, used and lifecycle replacement (NextGen) computers and accompanying
peripherals to certain full-time faculty and staff members to perform their jobs at the University,
based on the NextGen Lifecycle Replacement Fund guidelines.

1. Primary workstations are included in the NextGen Lifecycle Replacement Fund.

2. Multiple workstations are not included in the NextGen Lifecycle Replacement Fund because
they are not permitted for the same individual, without proper justification and approval by
the department head and/or budget manager. When approved, other funding sources must
be used to obtain and procure additional workstations.

OIT implements standard workstation configurations to provide the best possible support for its
customers, while also being fiscally responsible. Standard IT Asset purchases and NextGen Lifecycle
Replacement Fund requests should be submitted to OIT via the Computer Request page on the
Help & Services Portal.

2
B. Non-Standard IT Assets

Purchase requests for non-standard IT Assets should be directed to the Procurement & Contracts
Department via email at [email protected]. It is important to note that non-standard IT Assets or
those funded by grant, start-up, or departmental funds without coordination from OIT will not be
eligible for NextGen Lifecycle Replacement Fund and will be subject to the following support
limitations:

1. Hardware repairs will not be performed for non-standard IT Assets, as staff are certified and
trained to only repair and configure Dell and Apple models.
2. Non-standard IT Assets may not be compatible with the University IT Asset infrastructure,
so it is always best to consult with OIT prior to making a non-standard IT Asset purchase.

C. Used IT Assets

The University promotes sustainability and reduces costs by reusing IT Assets, when appropriate.
Used IT Assets will not be replaced with new IT Assets. Used IT Assets may be requested in the
following situations:

1. Shared-use workstation for presentations or basic office applications.

2. Workstations for part-time staff.
3. Temporary loaner workstations.

D. Lifecycle Replacement Eligibility

Eligible desktop and laptop workstations will be replaced through the centralized NextGen Lifecycle
Replacement Fund for full-time faculty and staff members, provided that the following criteria are
met:

1. The current date must be on or after the workstation’s replacement eligibility date.
2. The workstation must be currently listed in the IT Asset inventory and assigned as the
primary workstation for a full-time University faculty or staff member.
3. The new workstation must conform to a like-kind standard configuration (for example, an
old Dell desktop may be replaced with a new Dell desktop, or an old Apple laptop may be
replaced with a new Apple laptop, etc.). Customized workstation replacement requests or
changes from one type of workstation to another type require justification and budget
approval because the department will be charged for the difference in cost.

E. Lifecycle Replacement Ineligibility

Certain desktop and laptop workstations are not eligible for replacement through the centralized
NextGen Lifecycle Replacement Fund:

1. Desktop and laptop workstations purchased by WCL and WAMU;

3
 2. Non-standard IT Assets purchased through the Procurement & Contracts Department,
without coordination from OIT;
3. All research workstations purchased solely with grant or start-up funds;
4. Workstations issued as used or loaner equipment;
5. Secondary workstations that are kept after receiving a replacement (as justified and approved
by the department);

Eligible for
Lifecycle
Workstation Replacement Scenario Who Pays
Replacement
Every 4 Years
An eligible lifecycle replacement for a primary- Centralized Yes
use, standard workstation assigned to a full-time NextGen
faculty or staff member Lifecycle
Replacement
Fund
Newly created full-time staff and faculty positions Departmental Yes
will be issued a single workstation funds received
when position
approved
New departmental, University-approved Departmental Yes
computer labs funds
New standard workstations acquired for faculty Start-up or grant No
research purposes funds
Non-standard IT Assets Start-up, grant, or No
departmental
funds
IT Assets acquired without coordination from Start-up, grant, or No
OIT departmental
funds

Charges will be incurred by the department associated with NextGen Lifecycle Replacement Fund in
the following circumstances:

a. Upgrades to standard configurations, such as additional memory or a larger hard drive.

b. The difference in cost when switching from a desktop workstation to a laptop with docking
station.

F. Asset Transfer & Offboarding

On or before their last day of employment, departing faculty and staff members must return all
University-owned IT assets to HR or its designee. HR or its designee is responsible for ensuring that
all University-owned IT assets are collected from the departing faculty or staff member and returned
to OIT for reallocation. (See the HR separation checklist for guidance.)

If University-owned IT assets are not returned prior to the last day of employment of the faculty or
staff member, the faculty or staff member must either physically return or ship the IT Asset back to

4
the department as soon as possible. Failure to return an IT Asset shall be deemed a conversion of
University property. The University may charge the faculty or staff member for the replacement cost
of the IT Asset. The University may also commence legal proceedings against the faculty or staff
member to recover the property. When faculty or staff members transfer between University
departments, all IT Assets must remain with the original department.

G. Workstation Configuration

All standard and non-standard workstations must be configured to comply with the Information
Technology Security Policies. Workstation configurations may be performed either by OIT or the
departmental technology support partner.

H. Asset Tracking

The University’s IT Assets are managed and tracked within a centralized inventory database,
employing the following principles:

1. All IT Assets must have a University IT Asset number assigned and mapped to the
device’s serial number.
2. Prior to deployment, OIT staff shall enter the assigned IT Asset number into the IT
Asset tracking database.
3. Each IT Asset record shall include purchase and device information including:

i. Year of purchase
ii. Make, model, and description
iii. Asset Class
iv. Serial number
v. IT Asset number
vi. Warranty information
vii. Replacement eligibility
viii. Physical Location
ix. Department
x. Assigned to
xi. Purpose
xii. Date assigned

4. All IT Assets maintained in the IT Asset tracking database inventory shall be located in
the central OIT stockroom or in the custody of the assigned faculty or staff member.
5. The assigned faculty or staff member must immediately notify University Police of any
lost or stolen University IT Assets.
6. All University faculty and staff members may review their assigned IT Assets by
accessing the My Assets page via the Help and Services Portal to ensure that all assigned
IT Assets are in their possession.
7. Inventory corrections, such as missing IT Assets, reassigned IT Assets, or changes to the
IT Asset’s purpose or usage, should be reported to the OIT Help Desk at
[email protected].

5
I. Lost, Stolen or Damaged IT Assets

The University does not insure IT Assets for replacement if the IT Asset is lost, stolen, or damaged.
If a University IT Asset is lost, stolen or damaged, it is critical that it be reported to the University
Police as soon as possible. A replacement IT Asset will be assigned upon request; however, the
assigned faculty or staff member’s department will be charged for the full cost of the replacement.

J. Asset Return, Recycling, & Disposal

1. Replaced or surplus IT Assets must be returned to OIT for reallocation or green recycling.
In order to return an IT Asset, you must submit a Hardware Recycling Pick-up Request to
arrange for a pick up. IT Assets due to be returned will appear in the Assets Pending
Return section of the My Assets page via the Help and Services Portal.

2. At the end of the useful life, all IT Assets and peripherals are recycled through the
University’s contracted disposal vendor.

3. When disposing of any IT Asset, sensitive data must be removed prior to disposal. OIT shall
determine the type of data destruction protocol that should be used for erasure. Minimally,
data shall be removed using low level formatting. For media storing confidential or
personally identifiable information (PII) that is not being repurposed, such media shall be
physically destroyed prior to disposal. The University’s contracted disposal vendor assumes
all responsibility for properly erasing any information contained within hard drives that
cannot be erased by OIT. Procedures governing data security are adhered to for the secure
disposal of IT Assets and peripherals prior to recycling or disposal.

K. Donation / Buyback

The University does not allow University IT Assets to be purchased by faculty, staff, or students.
Neither faculty nor staff members may donate any IT Assets to outside organizations because such
donation could impact the University’s tax status, affect software licensing restrictions, and
potentially risk data privacy.

L. Enforcement

Any University faculty or staff member found in violation of this policy may be subject to
disciplinary action, up to and including termination.

V. EFFECTIVE DATE AND REVISIONS

This policy is effective on March 1, 2021.

This policy was reviewed or revised on January 29, 2021.