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How to Send Material and Equipment to Surplus Sales

University owned material can be sent to Surplus Sales by completing a Surplus Transfer Request in the Campus Asset Management (CAMS) application.

Access to CAMS is required for processing Surplus Transfer Requests. Each department assigns Department Equipment Custodians (DEC) and/or Department Equipment Administrators (DEA) to use the CAMS application. Your Business Office delegates these roles and responsibilities.  Please contact your Departmental Security Administrator (DSA) to request access. Click here to contact your DSA.

Health System and Medical Center Surplus Transfer Requests are initiated by contacting
Pam Evans (pjevans@health.ucsd.edu).

For questions or issues regarding the CAMS application please contact Jaime Wheat in The Equipment Management Office (jwheat@ucsd.edu).

To learn more about CAMS and creating a STR, view these tutorials:

  • For step by step instructions on how to create a Surplus Transfer Requests (STR), click the Help link from CAMS>Transfers.

How to Create a Surplus Transfer Request -step by step

  • To learn about the STR approval process in CAMS, see Step 6, Approve Surplus Transfer Request (STR), below.

UCSD Inventorial Equipment

Inventorial Equipment has a total acquisition cost of $5,000 or more, and must be tracked in CAMS (Campus Asset Management System). Inventorial equipment funded by a government entity requires contract considerations for inventory control. For a complete listing of definitions for all items the University is required to track, please see the BFB-BUS-29: Management and Control of University Equipment and the property terms of each applicable award.

1. Determine if the equipment is excess (if your department has no further use for the equipment).

  • Check with the Principal Investigator (PI) who has custody of the equipment.
  • If the equipment is not excess, go to alternative Ways to Dispose of Equipment.
  • If the equipment is excess, go to step 2.

2. Determine who has title to the equipment.

  • Check the equipment or property for UCID tags.
    • If you see 2 equipment tags, one white and one gold (UCID and government), the equipment may not be sent to Surplus Sales. Review the Business and Financial Bulletins on disposals of government property, BUS-38 and BUS-29 and contact Equipment Management, for instructions on how to proceed
    • If you see only 1 white tag (UCID bar code), go to step 3.

    or

  • Check CAMS to verify eligibility of the equipment for Surplus Sales by searching the UCID # via status of "ALL."
    • If CAMS has a a title of "Federal Property" in the Title Indicator field, the equipment belongs to the federal government, and may not be sent to Surplus Sales until the title vests with UCSD. Contact Equipment Management, for instructions on how to proceed.
    • CAMS will automatically screen for this. If the asset is under a federal title, the system will not allow the transfer. Go to step 3.

3. Verify that the equipment is free of contamination and sensitive data.

Equipment that may have come in contact with hazardous materials must be certified contamination free before you send it to Surplus Sales. Please contact EH&S at 858-534-2753 if there are any questions.

4. Verify that computers and data-storage devices have been cleansed of sensitive data.

  • Data processing equipment being declared surplus must have all sensitive data removed or wiped. To learn more about sensitive data or how to remove it, read Computer Media Decommissioning Procedures.
  • Affix a label with the following information
    • Name of person who cleansed the machine
    • Data that machine was cleansed
    • Method or program used to cleanse the device
    This certified clean label template (PDF) is available for use.

    Note: Surplus Sales will not accept computers or data-storage devices without a "certified clean" label.

5. Create the Surplus Transfer Request (STR) in CAMS.

  • If you do not have access to CAMS, contact your Department Equipment Administrator (DEA) to submit a Surplus Transfer Request (STR) on your behalf.
  • Once the STR is submitted, it will need to be approved by your Department Equipment Custodian (DEC). The request will be forwarded electronically to Surplus Sales' pickup queue when it has been approved.
  • Note: For Non-Inventorial (NI) items not already created in CAMS, you can create a NI asset by using the "Create New Asset" button. Contact Surplus Sales, (858) 534-2844 for more information or Equipment Management for training.

6. Approve the Surplus Transfer Request (STR)

When the Surplus Transfer Request (STR) is ready for approval, your Department Equipment Custodian (DEC) will receive a system-generated email. To approve a STR, follow these steps:

  • Copy the STR number from the subject line of the email that you received.
  • Access CAMS and login using your Single Sign On User ID.
  • From the SSO Welcome page, click OK at the bottom of the page.
  • The Home Tab Welcome page will display.  Enter the STR number in the Quick Search "Transfer Number" field and click on Search.
  • The Transfers Tab Surplus Detail page will display.  Scroll down to the bottom of the page to view the Assets area.  Click the Approve button once.
  • The screen will re-display, and the Assets section is now called Approve Assets.  Click on the drop down box in the Approval Status column at the right side of the section.
  • Select "Approved."
  • Click the Save button. 

7. Surplus Sales will contact you regarding the acceptance of your equipment.

  • Once the STR is completed and approved by the DEC, the Surplus scheduler will contact the point of contact listed on the request regarding the pickup date and time frame.
  • If Surplus Sales accepts your equipment, check CAMS to see that the equipment's record has been removed from your inventory. You can do a Quick search by the UCID or Non-Inventorial number to check the status of the equipment or property.
Find answers, request services, or get help from our team at the UC San Diego Services & Support portal or call the Finance Help Line at (858) 246-4237.