TEL 1.10 - Telecommunications Equipment 
                                    and Services 

Purpose  Scope  Policy  Procedure  Appendix A:        (Telecommunications         Service Requests)

Major revisions were made to this policy effective April 7, 1998.  Revisions are not marked due to the numerous modifications made. Revisions include the addition of Appendix A. Department head approval is required PRIOR to pager or cellular activation or lease. No personal calls should be made on cellular telephones except in an emergency, as determined by the department. For these emergency cases, reimbursement policies are printed on the cover of the monthly "Notification of Charges."

A. Purpose.

Establishes university policy and procedures regarding telecommunications equipment and services.

Applies to all university departments and activities.

1.   General Statement.

All university telecommunications services, facilities, and equipment shall be provided and/or coordinated through the Telecommunications Department. With the exclusion of FAX machines, university departments must purchase or lease all telecommunications equipment or off-campus transmission facilities through the Telecommunications Department.

Note: Although FAX machines require the use of a dedicated telephone line installed by the Telecommunications Department and may include a telephone handset, FAX machines are purchased through the university purchasing system and not through the Telecommunications Department.

(See PUR 1.10, Appendix B, for instructions regarding the purchase of FAX machines.)

2.    Telecommunications Service Requests.

Requests for telecommunications equipment and services require department head approval and must be made in accordance with Appendix A of this procedure. Department head approval and university account number to be charged are required prior to pager or cellular activation or lease. (See Policy statement 4.)

3.    Financial Responsibility.

• Equipment and Services.

Financial responsibility for all telecommunications equipment and related services belongs to the requesting university department (excluding repairs as noted below).
• Repairs.

All telephones and other telecommunications equipment purchased or leased through the Telecommunications Department (with the exception of cordless telephones, cellular telephones, and paging equipment) will be repaired at no cost to the requesting university department.
• Replacement.

Replacement of any telecommunications equipment resulting from damage, loss, or theft is the responsibility of the department to which the equipment was assigned.

4.    Cellular Telephones and Paging Equipment.

a.   Approval and Justification for Use.    Department head approval is required prior to pager or cellular activation or lease. Department heads must justify the issuance of cellular telephones or paging equipment by indicating the intended purpose for which the equipment will be used. Because charges are based on measured use, no personal calls should be made on cellular telephones except in an emergency as determined by the department. Employees must reimburse the university for emergency personal cellular calls as specified in the telephone use policy.

b.     Return/Transfer of Equipment.    When an employee transfers to another university department, exits university employment, or no longer requires use of such equipment, it is the responsibility of the department head to retrieve cellular phones and paging equipment assigned to that employee. Department heads are also responsible for notifying the Telecommunications Department when the custody of such equipment is transferred to another employee. During the formal university exit process, the department head will verify that such equipment has been collected from permanent employees.

c.     Theft, Loss, or Damage.    Departments are required to report any theft or loss of cellular phones and paging equipment to the Telecommunications Department immediately (or no later than 72 hours after receipt of the information or evidence) so that cellular or pager service can be deactivated.

1.   Requests for Telecommunications Equipment and Services.

• Submit non-emergency requests using one of the options below:
• E-mail message (e-mail address: TELCOMWORK)
• Memo from the department head addressed to the Telecommunications Department
• In emergency situations, requests may be made by telephone.
• Indicate if an estimate is required prior to the work being done.
• See Appendix A in this procedure for special instructions regarding specific telecommunications service requests.

2.    Requests for Repair of Telephones and Paging Equipment.

• Between the hours of 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. on Monday through Friday, contact Operator Services (extension 0) to request repairs to telephone equipment, cellular phones, and pagers. Operator Services will contact a telecommunications technician and make all arrangements for repair.
• For non-emergency repairs occurring after 5 p.m. Monday through Friday or on weekends, dial 910-962-3028.
• For emergency repairs after hours or on weekends, dial extension 0.

3.    Response Time.

• Response time for out-of-service telephones is two hours.
• All other repair requests will be completed within 24 hours.
• Response time for other telecommunications services may vary; however, unless an emergency exists or an earlier deadline is essential, normally an average of ten working days may be expected from the time the request is submitted until the service change is effected.
• Departments should plan their service/repair requests according to the response times listed above.
• Direct questions regarding the response time for a specific service to the Telecommunications Department.

4.     Billing.

• When the requested service or equipment installation is completed, Telecommunications will send a Telecommunications Work Order/ Invoice form to the requesting department indicating the total charges.
• The requesting department will indicate the appropriate account number(s) to be charged, the department head will approve the Telecommunications Work Order/Invoice, and the department will return the signed original invoice to the Telecommunications Department within five working days of receipt of the invoice.
• Charges will be posted to university departments through the decentralized billing system.