Policy-Technology Equipment End-of-Use
What is the policy for Technology Equipment End of Use?
Purpose
Procedures
Scope
This policy provides guidelines for the disposition of university-owned technology equipment (computers, storage, printers, network equipment, video cameras and equipment, etc.) when it is no longer required by the current user. The objective of this policy is to ensure that university assets are utilized as efficiently as possible, and disposed of in a secure, fair, efficient, and transparent manner.
This policy applies to the Faculty of Engineering and Applied Science (FEAS) with the exception of technology equipment purchased for research.
When equipment is no longer needed by its current user, typically because of replacement or change of requirements, the disposition of that equipment will be handled in the following order:
Recycle Procedures
1
REUSE:
- The FEAS IT Group determines if the equipment can be put to use in another area of the Faculty or for a different user within the next three months, because of an immediate need or a reasonable expectation of need. In this case, the equipment is turned over to IT for secure wipe, update, and redeployment.
IT may also determine whether the equipment has reached end-of-life and has no value, or re-deployment would create unacceptable risk due to manufacturer end-of-support. In this case, IT can proceed directly to step 4.
2
SELL:
- If the equipment does not have a business use as determined in step 1, it will be made available for purchase at current market value. A third-party service will be used by the FEAS IT Group to determine that value. Where the service provides a range of values, the mid-point will be used as the value. If the value is less than $100 it will be considered to be $0.
- The equipment will then be offered for sale by IT to the following groups, in order, using university email:
- the current user for 2 business days, then
- other staff in the current user’s business unit (who will be given 2 business days to respond to the email, after which a random draw will be made of all respondents), then
- other staff in the broader Faculty (who will be given 2 business days to respond to the email, after which a random draw will be made of all respondents).
3
GIVE AWAY:
- If not purchased, the equipment will be listed by the FEAS IT Group on the university’s free equipment reuse service (https://reuseit.queensu.ca) for a period of one month to determine if someone else on campus can make use of it.
If the equipment is not disposed of after the steps above,
4
Dispose:
- DISPOSE: the FEAS IT Group will follow university electronics recycling procedures to dispose of it.
Requirement to securely wipe storage
1
Securely wipe storage
Regardless of disposition, whether the equipment is being reused, sold, or given away (even to the current user), the hardware must be provided to the FEAS IT Group who will wipe the storage and install only an appropriate operating system that the new owner has a legal license for. This ensures that any university-licensed software and sensitive documents are removed.
Version History
- 1.0 For comments
- 1.1 Edited following input from PH
- 1.2.1 Edited following input from SK
- 1.2.2 Added research exemption