I.       Purpose

A.      Guidance for Binghamton University and its appropriate departments (Residential and Student Services, Maintenance and Facilities Planning) in establishment and maintaining control over residential equipment as authorized and required by the New York State Department of Audit and Control.

B.      Establish objectives and standards for equipment control.

II.       Objectives

A.      Provide a safeguard against damage and theft.

B.      Maintain an accurate record of equipment assigned by room and student.

C.      Provide standard and uniform procedure of inventory and of condition description of equipment.

D.      Assist in recording necessary maintenance, replacement and disposal of residential equipment. This is done on a Room Condition Card (RCR) filled out by the student occupying the room and checked by a staff member (RA, RD, and CD).

III.       Standards

A.      Assistant Directors in each residential community will be responsible for equipment assigned to each residential community and delegate responsibility for the equipment to the resident director and resident assistant of each residence hall and will assist the Associate Director for Facilities in establishing and maintaining residence hall equipment inventory and control.

B.      System of identification will be affixing label to each item of equipment containing a bar code and inventory number.

C.      Method of residence hall inventory shall be maintaining the Room Condition Report Card (RCR) for each room.

D.      A physical inventory shall be taken at the beginning of the spring semester and whenever a student leaves or changes rooms.  The condition of equipment will be recorded for each student assigned to a room before and after occupancy to maintain responsibility for damage or missing equipment.

IV.       Definitions

A.      Residential Area

1.    Hinman College – Smith, Roosevelt, Lehman, Hughes, Cleveland
2.      Newing College – Bingham, Broome, Chenango, Delaware, Endicott
3.      Dickinson Community – Rafuse, Digman, Champlain, Whitney, Johnson, O’Connor
4.      College-in-the-Woods – Cayuga, Oneida, Onondaga, Seneca, Mohawk
5.      Susquehanna Community – Brandywine House, Glenwood House, Choconut House, Nanticoke House
6.      Hillside Community – Adirondack House, Catskill House, Evangola House, Filmore House, Glimmerglass House, Jones House, Keuka House, Minnewaska House, Nyack House, Rockland House, Saratoga House
7.      Mountainview College – Hunter, Marcy, Windham, Cascade

B. Inventory Items

1.      Equipment – Record on RCR Cards items of furniture and apparatus used repeatedly without impairment of physical condition and have a probable life of more than two (2) years.  The following equipment will be under the residence hall equipment inventory control:

a.   Bed frame
b.   Mattress
c.   Desk
d.   Desk Chair
e.   Dresser
f.   Floor Lamp
g .  Closet/Wardrobe
h.   Smoke Detector
i .   Heat Sensor
j .   Phone
k .  All kitchen equipment found in apartment units
l .   All lounge furniture
m.  Thermostat in locations where they are provided (Mountainview, Mohawk      Hall, Rockland, Saratoga)
n.   Recycle Bins
o.   Vacuum Cleaners (located in the apartment communities)

2. Room features - Record on RCR Card, ex. floor, ceiling, walls, doors, closet, windows, window screens, lights, sockets, window treatments, towel racks and mirrors, entrance light, and radiator.

C. Residence Hall Manpower and Responsibilities

1. Assistant Director of Residential Life for Facilities

a. Development and maintenance of residence hall inventory.
b. Coordinate Assistant Director activities and other assigned personnel involved with residence hall inventory.
c. Coordinate annual inventory.
d. Assist in maintenance, replacement and disposal of residence hall equipment.

2.  Assistant Director of Residential Life (for a residential area)

a. Resonsible for instructing and coordinating the implementation of established residence hall inventory procedure for all Resident Directors and Resident Assistants in their college/community.

3.  Residence Hall Director/Community Director

a.  Maintains all Room Condition Report Cards.
b.  Performs Joint Tours Inspection at the end of each academic year to update RCR Cards and report all damages and charges.

5. Resident Assistant

a.  Assists in the maintenance of the RCR Cards

D.  Utilization of Equipment

If equipment is assigned to a room it is assumed it has a function of being utilized.  Students are not allowed to remove items assigned to their room. This includes putting them into Residential Life storage. Damaged equipment should be recorded on a service request or through the CICS damage billing system.

E. Maintenance Condition of Equipment

All equipment should be maintained in a safe, operable condition.  Equipment not in this condition should be recorded on a Service Request for appropriate action to be taken (repair, disposal) or through the CICS damage billing system.

V. Implementation

A.   Campus Residence Hall Inventory Control Program Coordination will be administered by the Assistant Director of Residential Life for Facilities.

B.  Residence Hall Area control will be managed by assigned Assistant Directors of Residential Life.  The AD will be responsible for implementation of procedure through their Resident Directors/Community Directors and Resident Assistants.

C.  Disposal of Equipment: If any equipment that has been purchased by State Funds and is believed to be surplus (no longer used, nor expected to be used in the future, functional or not) established procedures for disposal must be followed.  Disposal of equipment must follow Office of General Services (OGS) guidelines and procedures.

VI. Forms, Records and Communications

A.  The Room Condition Report Card (RCR Card) is available in the Residential Life Office.  The entering conditions section of the RCR Card will be completed by the student prior to a student occupying a residential room or apartment.  The RCR card will be located in the office of the Resident Director for each residential building.  It will provide all information pertinent to the condition of a room/apartment/lounge and the equipment it contains.  The student will read the appropriate statement on the back of the card and sign it before assuming occupancy of the room/apartment.

B.  Instructions given to students for completion of the RCR Card:

This packet contains the materials (a {color} RCR card and instruction sheets) that you will need to properly complete a Room Condition Report Card (RCR) for your room. At check-in, the Residential Life Staff will instruct you on where to return your RCR card when completed.

NOTE:  It is important that this form be completed accurately and thoroughly.  Please understand that the condition indicated on your RCR card will be the condition against which the room will be evaluated when you vacate the room.  You will be responsible for any change in the condition of your room and billed accordingly.

1. In the left hand corner of the (color) Room Condition Report card you will find your name, hall and room assignment.   Please verify that this information is accurate.

2.  Also on the top left hand side of the card, staff will indicate the side of the room for which you have chosen to be responsible.  If you are in an over-occupied room, you will pick a color and all furniture with this color designation will be the furniture assigned to you.  The staff will ask you to make this choice at check-in and circle the appropriate letter or fill in the appropriate color.

3. Once you have checked in, take your RCR card to your room and complete the requested information before unpacking your belongings.  Inspecting your room before it is filled with your personal belongings will speed the inspection process and make it more accurate.

4. You are responsible for completing the information related to the Entering Condition of your room only. As stated earlier, this information will become the basis for determining any possible charges due to a change in condition of your room.

5. Your RCR card has two sides (front & back).  To complete the information requested, look at the card and find listed in the far left hand column items you may find in your room (NOTE: All items that appear on this form are not necessarily present in all rooms).  For example, on the front side, locate the boxes with the furniture items.  Find the dresser on the side of the room that you chose at the check-in table (i.e. right, left, and color).  When you have located the dresser, look for the inventory number that is on a small sticker with a bar code.  The sticker is normally placed on the back or side of the dresser.  Record the number in the “Item & Bar Code” column on the RCR card next to the number symbol (#).  Now look over the dresser for any damage and record anything you find in the “Entering Condition” column.  Assign to this item a general condition (E, G, P).  When assessing the general condition of an item keep in mind the following as a guideline:

“E”  Excellent – New or recently repaired
“G”  Good – Minimum wear or damage
“P”  Poor – Significant wear or damage

6. Circle E for excellent, G for good, or P for poor for the overall condition of the item.  Be specific with the location of any damage you may find.  You must also state why you believe the condition level you circled is appropriate.  Give a detailed description of the condition (i.e. wall has several paint tears, dresser drawer front is broken, there are several scratches on the right side of the desk top, etc.).  Just circling will not prevent a possible bill at the end of the year.  The comments you provide are necessary to evaluate the true condition of a room or item in the room.

7. Use the procedure outlined in step #6 for all the items shown on the RCR card.  Note that all items listed with a number symbol (#) next to them, should have a sticker with an inventory number located somewhere on the unit.  If you are unable to locate a sticker with this number, please notify the Residential Life Staff when you return your card to the proper drop off location.  Items that do not have a number symbol will not have an inventory number (i.e. doors, windows, walls, etc).  Again please remember that the RCR card is a two-sided document and both sides must be completed in detail.

8. When you have completed the RCR card, please read the statement located at the bottom of the backside of the card.  After reading the statement, please sign and date the card on the “Student Signature In” line. 

9. You must now return your RCR card to the appropriate location in your building or residential area.  This location will be communicated to you at the check-in table.

NOTE: Your RCR card will be kept on file in the Resident Director’s Office.  If there is a change in the condition of your room during the year, this change must be recorded on your RCR card.  An example of such a change would be the replacement of a specific piece of furniture in your room.  A new note of the inventory number for this piece of furniture and its condition must be made on your RCR card.  Any changes must be dated as to when they were made.

10. If you have any questions about your RCR card or how to complete it   properly, please contact one of the Residential Life Staff members in your building.  A staff member should be available in the building or at the check-in table.

C. Instructions given to Resident Assistants for completion of the RCR Card:

Attached you will find a copy of the RCR card and instructions that will be given to students when they arrive on campus and check into their rooms.  Please read these instructions carefully so that you will know what is expected of each residential student at check-in and be able to answer any questions that they may have.  Below you will find listed your responsibilities as a residential life staff member related to the Room Condition Report Cards and other entering condition cards.  This system will save the Res Life staff a great deal of time at the start of training but it will require staff to be more diligent in monitoring cards when they are returned.  The system is equally dependent on the student checking in and the Res Life staff member helping them with the process.

1. It will be the RA's responsibility to check all student rooms in the building to which they are assigned to make sure that there are no major problems before students arrive. Staff must check to make sure there is the appropriate amount of furniture in the room and that there are no major problems (i.e. structural problems, major damage, major cleanliness issues, etc.). Any problems found must be reported immediately so that appropriate action can be taken.

2. In some areas, RAs will be responsible for doing common area inventory cards (apartment living rooms, suite lounges, apt/suite bathrooms, etc.) where these types of housing accommodations are located. In areas where there are floor bathrooms and or floor lounges, it will be the RA's responsibility to inventory these locations as well. Main lounges and public areas are also assigned to Res Life staff as determined by the Residential Director in each building.

3. The RA will color code the furniture in over-occupied rooms as appropriate before check-in.

4. The side of the room a student lives on still needs to be indicated on the RCR card and this should be done at the check-in table before the student goes to the room. A Res Life staff member will circle the appropriate indicator in the RCR.

5. Staff will be responsible for putting labels on cards as we have done in the past. This will help facilitate students getting a card and has some of the information filled out accurately and prior to their arrival.

6. Each RA must check the form carefully for legibility, thoroughness, signatures and completion of all parts.

7. The RA will be responsible to ensure that all RCRs have been returned by each student on their floor. To help facilitate this, the student's mailbox combination, key card, or ID card will be held in lieu of the form being returned.  It is up to each area to determine what "hook" they wish to use.

8. Resident Directors will be required to review all cards within three weeks of opening, to make sure they have an RCR for each student in their building and that it has been properly completed. If there is a problem, the RD will need to follow up with the appropriate student as needed.

9. RAs/CDs, when appropriate, will complete mid-year check-ins or checkouts.

All variations for the Room Condition Report Cards are available in the Residential Life Office.