* This information replaces PRO 303 Use and Maintenance of Equipment & FIS 410-24 Use of University Property / Facilities for Personal Use
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PRO 303: Use and Maintenance of Equipment
- Effective: 03/01/1979
- Revised: 03/07/2016
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Equipment on the OSU inventory is intended for institutional use and not for private purposes. Use may be additionally restricted by the terms of the research contract or grant for which the equipment was acquired, if applicable (see PRO 900: Sponsored Research and Federal Property). Equipment should only be used by properly trained personnel and only for the manufacturer's intended purposes, and not misused.
Non-required equipment that has not been used for a substantial period of time should be made available to others or sent to Surplus Property for disposal.
Capital equipment should be maintained by department personnel or outside vendors in accordance with the manufacturer’s recommended maintenance schedules. Maintenance schedules should be followed for equipment currently in use and equipment in storage. Records of maintenance performed should be kept for each item of capital equipment. Maintenance may include:
- Periodic inspection,
- Regularly scheduled lubrication,
- Protection from exposure,
- Routine cleaning,
- Proper cleaning prior to storage, and
- Associated record keeping.
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Maintenance records must be kept for agency-owned equipment (e.g., federally owned equipment belonging to DOD, NASA, DOE, etc.).
See PRO 1002: Inventory Records Maintenance
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FIS 410-25: Use of University Property / Facilities for Personal Use
- Effective: 01/01/2003
- Revised: 12/0/2008
The Oregon Government Standards and Practices Commission and the Assistant Attorney General issued an advisory opinion in July 1998 regarding the use of agency equipment by an employee. ORS 244.040(1)(a) specifically prohibits all public officials in the State of Oregon from using their official position to obtain financial benefit because of holding the position. This provision applies equally to elected persona, compensated public employees, and uncompensated persons who volunteer their time to a public entity.
Agency equipment is interpreted to include all publicly owned property or other resources of a government body such as photocopiers, fax machines, and document scanners.
A public agency’s telephones are intended to be used only for official business of the agency. However, there are occasions when public officials may use their employing agency’s telephones for personal purposes without such usage being at odds with the law. It is normal practice by both public and private employers to permit employees to use business telephones to talk to family members, make medical appointments, schedule service technicians, confer with children’s schools, and take care of any variety of matters which can only be accomplished during working hours. Personal long distance calls, even if the employee intends to reimburse the public agency for the cost of such calls, should not be charged to an OSU index. Employees should use personal calling cards for such calls. If any costs for personal usage are charged to OSU, they must be reimbursed.
The statutory considerations relating to the use of cellular telephones is essentially the same as that which applies to regular telephones. Public agency’s cellular phones are not for the convenience or personal use of employees. If public employees desire to have the convenience of a cellular telephone while on duty to make the types of routine personal calls cited in the section relating to telephones above, the employees must acquire and pay for their own personal cellular service.
The statutory considerations for computers are essentially the same as for both telephones and cellular phones cited above.
For further information see the complete Oregon Government Standards and Practices Commission Advisory Opinion No.98A-1003.