Go Back to Miscellaneous Menu
9.1 Introduction
This policy provides guidelines for the acquisition and application of landline and wireless telephone services, equipment and accessories for Tennessee Technological University. Procurement of any equipment peripherals or services shall be in accordance with the University’s Purchasing Policies and Procedures, and will be acquired by the Telecommunications Office.
9.2 Local Service and Long Distance for Landline Phones (1+)
All University landline telephones have the capacity for both local and long distance service. Academic and administrative officers may determine which departmental phones have access to direct dialed long distance or restricted access enabling local and on-campus dialing only. Bills are processed and distributed monthly to each department. It is the responsibility of the academic or administrative officer to review the monthly telephone bills to insure that all 1+ calls are initiated for the purpose of conducting University business only. All employees should be informed that personal long distance calls are prohibited.
All residential units have on-campus and local telephone service. Students are required to obtain an authorization code from Telecommunications to access long distance from the residence hall room or apartment.
9.2.1 Local service is provided on all departmental and residential phones to enable immediate access to 9-1-1. Students and employees may dial 911 from any phone on campus and the call will go directly to Putnam County Emergency Services. Simultaneously, a screen will pop up on a computer in the University Police Office. The University Police will respond immediately to the emergency, while Putnam County Emergency Services are in route to the University.
9.3 Calling Cards
Telephone calling cards are assigned to University faculty and administrative staff for the purpose of conducting University business while traveling. These calling cards are to be used for University business only. Telecommunications personnel will assign a calling card upon receipt of a written request from the appropriate academic or administrative officer. Requests submitted by departmental chairpersons or directors must include the signature of the appropriate academic or administrative officer. Employees will be required to sign an acknowledgement stating that calling cards will be used for University business only at the time of issuance.
9.4 Incoming 800 Lines
Incoming 800 lines have been installed in various departments on campus for the purpose of expanding students’ educational opportunities by increasing our accessibility. Other incoming 800 lines were installed to facilitate the business communication needs. Personal calls to an employee on the 800 incoming lines are prohibited.
9.5 Cellular Phone Service
To enable certain employees to complete specific work related assignments and responsibilities, Tennessee Tech University will provide wireless communication devices to facilitate those requirements. Rapid growth and changes in the technology industry will necessitate that all equipment and accessories are routinely evaluated and replaced as needed to meet an acceptable standard of service and reliability. In order to procure and maintain fully functional equipment and appropriate cellular plans, the Telecommunications Office will be responsible for establishing the contracts for service plans, procurement of equipment and accessories, and all billing issues as related to wireless communications.
9.5.1 Compliance
All wireless equipment and service purchases made on behalf of the University shall be in compliance with the University’s Purchasing Policies and Procedures and all state and federal regulations. To meet requirements stated in the Internal Revenue Code section 61, the University will report a taxable fringe benefit adjustment to the earnings of all personnel who are furnished a University owned cellular phone for voice communication. The amount reported will be the base plan for each employee.
If an exception is requested to allow a department to obtain a cellular phone for University business only, negating the IRS requirement for taxing the plan as a fringe benefit to an individual, it must be made in writing to the Vice President for Business and Fiscal Affairs. A detailed explanation must be given to support the justification for an exception to be granted. All other request for cellular plans to be used by individuals should follow the procedures outlined in section 9.5.3 and be submitted through the appropriate vice president.
If an exception is granted, IRS guidelines require that a monthly call log be maintained for each incoming and outgoing call, including but not limited to specific documentation as to the identity of the caller or recipient of the call and the nature of the call as it relates to company business. The call log must coincide with the call detail provided on the monthly cellular bill.
IRS guidelines require that all non-business calls be reimbursed at the average cost of all calls, (i.e. the total of the cellular bill divided by the total number of minutes), plus any applicable taxes. A non-business call must be documented and the University must be reimbursed at the average rate per minute, calculated as the total bill divided by the total minutes billed. Employees may reimburse the University by paying the appropriate amount at the cashier’s window in the Business Office. A copy of the cashier’s receipt must be attached to the corresponding documentation in the departmental records. Excessive and continuous personal use of the business cell phone will result in the service being declared as an employee taxable benefit.
9.5.2 Eligibility
In order for the University to issue an employee with a wireless communication device, one or more of the following criteria must be met:
9.5.2.1 The job requires the employee to be immediately accessible to receive and/or make business calls on a 24-hour basis. This requirement includes, but is not limited to, the President, Vice Presidents, all individuals who serve at the request of the President on the University Emergency Committee, and certain maintenance and support employees as determined necessary by the Director of Facilities and Business Services.
9.5.2.2 Employee’s in administrative or management level positions whose responsibilities require that a considerable amount of time be spent outside of the office, during which time, the employee is required to make and/or receive a large number of business calls to conduct University business.
9.5.2.3 Other employees, whose job responsibilities are crucial to security, including the Director of Environmental Services & Campus Safety, the University Police Chief and designated officers, the Associate Vice President for Information Technology and designated network administrators.
9.5.2.4 Administrative faculty or staff whose primary responsibility includes the recruitment, safety, transport, or supervision of students for academic or athletic purposes, (i.e. Admissions Counselors, the Athletic Director, coaches, coaching staff, and trainers).
In certain instances, restricted funding or budgetary cutbacks may override other provisions for eligibility, when determined necessary by the appropriate vice president.
9.5.3 Procedures for Obtaining Approval
A Cellular Service Agreement form must be completed, signed by the requestor and submitted to the academic or administrative officer for approval. The academic or administrative officer will then forward the agreement form to the appropriate vice president for consideration. If the request is approved, the form will be forwarded on to Telecommunications for processing.
All cellular service plans will provide nationwide coverage (nationwide wireless service is defined as coverage within the continental U.S.) and a standard package with an allowance of approximately 450 to 550 anytime minutes. Additional features such as unlimited nights and weekends or unlimited in-network calling may be included according to the terms of our current contract with a cellular provider.
The standard service plan allowance may be increased to 900 minutes per month or higher for any member serving on the University Emergency Committee. This will also pertain to all athletic coaches or coaching staff, and network security administrators. These individuals have been given prior approval to increase the number of minutes in the monthly plan allowance, if the appropriate academic or administrative officer determines the request to be within the scope of the departmental budget.
Employees requesting service plans with an allowance above the lowest standard base minutes must submit a written request with the Cellular Agreement Form. The request must provide ample and clear justification for an exception to be made by the appropriate vice president. The employee shall explain in detail the reason a larger plan allowance is required to fulfill the requirements of the position.
If an exception is made to increase the plan allowance above the standard plan, the approving vice president may request a copy of the monthly call detail at any time to re-evaluate the necessity of a higher plan. Upon review, a vice president has the authority to recommend a reduction in the monthly plan, at his or her sole discretion, in an effort to insure fiscal responsibility.
9.5.4 Cellular Service Agreement Form
The Cellular Service Agreement Form must be completed in full, before it is sent to the Telecommunications Office. Requests for plans above the standard plan allowance must be accompanied by the written request and approval of the Vice President.
In addition to requests for new service plans, the agreement form must be completed and submitted through the appropriate channels for all individuals who will be assigned existing equipment and service plans. It is the responsibility of the department to submit these forms prior to the new employee accepting responsibility for the wireless cellular device. It is also the responsibility of the department to notify Telecommunications when an employee, who is assigned a wireless device, terminates active employment.
Telecommunications will be responsible for notifying the Payroll Officer in Human Resources of the new assignment. Due to IRS requirements, it is imperative that the University maintains accurate records for reporting a taxable fringe benefit for each employee who carries a University owned cellular phone. Copies of the Cellular Service Agreement Form will be maintained in the Telecommunications Office and in the Human Resources Office.
9.5.5 Applicable Wireless Equipment
Standard cellular phone equipment will be provided for employees to use for wireless communications. All phones shall be equipped with a speakerphone, camera, and rechargeable battery. A car charger and a carrying case with a belt clip will also be included. Other accessories shall be considered as optional equipment and must be requested individually. Ex: Headsets are not included with the phone, but may be ordered at an additional cost. All cellular equipment and accessories must be purchased through the Telecommunications Office.
Employees are not authorized to purchase cellular equipment or accessories at the local retail store; however, there is a provision that will allow Telecommunications to make purchases at the retail store on behalf of other departments. Charges for purchases made for another department will be passed on with the next monthly bill sent to the department. Personal purchases are the sole responsibility of the individual. The University will not provide, loan or sell any cellular or wireless equipment to an individual for personal use.
A PDA Smartphone may be requested when necessary for an employee to carry out specific duties and responsibilities associated with his or her job. The academic or administrative officer for the department requesting the PDA Smartphone should make this request through the appropriate vice president. The request must include clear and specific reasons to justify the substitution. Due to the significantly higher cost of the PDA equipment and the additional monthly charges to be incurred, the academic or administrative officer must identify the source of funding to support the purchase and verify the availability of funds to cover both the purchase of the PDA phone and monthly data plan. If approval is granted, the request should then be forwarded to the Telecommunications Office for processing. Any requests received in Telecommunications that do not include the signature of a Vice President shall be returned to the originating department.
The Telecommunications Office will place an order for the purchase of the PDA and correlating accessories (belt clip and car charger). Upon receipt of the equipment, the employee will be notified to make an appointment to obtain and activate the new equipment. After the new device is activated, it will be the responsibility of the employee to contact the vendors technical support personnel, at an 800 number provided by Telecommunications, for any questions regarding data, usage, and/or service and repair issues.
All PDA phones shall have the unlimited data plan, in addition to the monthly minute allowance for voice communications. The purchase price of PDA equipment will be billed to the departmental account, and the monthly charge for unlimited data will be added to the monthly plan charge.
PC Air Cards are also available to enable wireless connectivity to the internet from a laptop. The employee must follow the same procedures for requesting a cellular phone service plan to request a PC Air Card. The Air Cards have an individual cellular number assigned to them for billing purposes, and the department is responsible for the monthly cost, as well as the purchase price of the card if applicable. The requestor must submit a written request to the approving vice president, providing justification for the need to obtain a PC Air Card and a wireless service plan and a Cellular Service Agreement form. If approved, both documents should be forwarded to Telecommunications for the order to be processed.
9.5.6 Reimbursement for Overage Charges
Overage is defined as any usage above the plan allowance that results in an additional charge above the base plan. It is the University’s policy that the employee, who is assigned a designated cellular phone number, shall reimburse the University for any amount that is billed as overage on the University’s monthly cellular bill for that number. The total amount paid at the Business Office should include all applicable state or federal sales tax. A copy of the receipt should be attached to the departmental copy of the bill for future audits.
9.5.7 Early Termination Fees
Early termination fees, if any, for University provided cellular phones or PDA Smartphones are the responsibility of the department. Departments should contact Telecommunications, in advance, for information regarding early termination fees prior to submitting a request to terminate a cellular plan.
9.5.8 Lost or Stolen Equipment
It is the responsibility of the employee to report a lost or stolen cellular device immediately. During normal business hours, the employee may contact the Telecommunications Office to report the incident. The Telecommunications Office will immediately suspend the service to avoid fraudulent charges being made to the cellular number.
If the incident occurs after hours, the employee must contact the local retail store or the 1 + 800 number for the provider immediately. The employee should ask the provider (i.e. Verizon Wireless) to suspend the service temporarily. The employee is responsible for notifying the Telecommunications Office the next business day about the incident.
Telecommunications will obtain a replacement device for the employee and have the cellular number activated on the new device. This action will completely remove the University’s cellular number from the lost or stolen equipment. It will be the responsibility of the department to pay any costs associated with replacing the wireless device.
9.5.9 Repairs
All service problems should be reported to the Telecommunications Office during normal business hours. Most repair issues will wait until the next business day; however, an employee may be out of town or in an emergency situation that requires immediate attention. If immediate attention is required, the employee may go to the local retail store to see if the phone can be repaired.
If the phone is not repairable, but still under the one-year warranty period (one year from the purchase date), the local retail store should replace the cellular phone at no cost. Since we have a corporate account, the local store cannot apply charges to our corporate account. If an expense is incurred to repair the phone, the employee should wait until the next business day and contact Telecommunications. Telecommunications tries to maintain a small inventory of phones for the purpose of replacing damaged phones. If a phone is not readily available, Telecommunications will order a replacement to be shipped overnight to the University. The user’s department will be responsible for any repair or replacement charges not covered under warranty.
The local retail store will not replace a PDA Smartphone. The user is required to contact the vendor’s technical support number (current vendor number 1+800+922+0204) to report a service issue with a PDA Smartphone. Technical support will require the user to provide specific information. They may also ask the user to follow certain procedures, as directed, to aid them with diagnostic testing to determine what the problem may be and how it might possibly be corrected. If the PDA Smartphone is determined to have an issue that cannot be repaired or corrected over the phone, technical support will send a replacement to the Telecommunications Office. The employee must notify Telecommunications to anticipate the arrival of a replacement PDA phone. Upon receipt of the new PDA, the employee will be contacted to exchange the old equipment for the new equipment. Any charges incurred for repairs or replacement of equipment that is no longer under warranty will be the sole responsibility of the department.
9.6 Desk/Office Phones
Personal calls should be held to a minimum, with the acceptable minimum determined by the appropriate academic or administrative officer in each division of the University.
9.7 Harassing or Threatening Phone Calls
Should any individual (faculty, administrator, staff or student) become the recipient of harassing or potentially threatening telephone calls, the University Police Department should be notified. An officer will complete a report and contact Telecommunications for required assistance to obtain the originating number. If the incoming call(s) originate from an off-campus location, the individual reporting the incident must complete a form provided by the University Police Officer and deliver it to the Cookeville Police Department. If the University’s Telecommunications Office is unable to provide the originating number, the Telecommunications Office will work with the Cookeville Police Department and the University Police Department to obtain the originating number of the call. Once the originating number and any additional information is obtained, the Cookeville Police Department and the University Police Department will provide the threatened individual with the necessary information to proceed further.
9.8 Telephones and Miscellaneous Telecommunications Equipment
All telephones and miscellaneous telecommunications equipment must be purchased through the Telecommunications Office. For specific equipment or apparatus other than that which is provided as standard equipment, the Telecommunications Office is responsible for determining compatibility with the University’s telephone switch and communications systems. The department must submit a request to Telecommunications stating the type of equipment needed. If the equipment meets the appropriate specifications, Telecommunications will procure the optional equipment or peripherals on behalf of the department and re-bill any associated charges back to the department.