SUBJECT: USE OF UNIVERSITY NON-WIRELESS AND WIRELESS TELEPHONES, TELEPHONE LINES, FASCIMILE MACHINES AND COMPUTERS

APPLICABILITY: ALL FACULTY, STAFF AND STUDENTS

1. Purpose: To establish a policy concerning the use of university telephones, telephone lines, facsimile machines, and the computer for electronic messages for reasons other than official university business and to establish a policy for the use of university-provided or employee wireless telephones.

2. General Policy: It is the policy of the University that university telephones, telephone lines, fax machines, and computers are available for faculty and staff members and student employees to use in carrying out official university business. Except as provided below, long distance calls, transmissions, and electronic mail messages that are not related to official university business should be avoided. In addition, special rules for the use of cell phones are provided in section 5 below.

The placing and receiving of phone calls from university-provided phones, faxes, or electronic mail messages for reasons other than official university business should be very infrequent and are permissible only if proper supervisory approval is granted. Faculty and staff should make every effort to minimize receiving calls, faxes, or electronic mail messages unrelated to university business while at work. Abuse of these privileges may subject a faculty member, staff member or student employee to disciplinary action under applicable policies. For complete information concerning sending messages to the university community through GroupWise E-mail, please refer to Group E-mail Guidelines.

Faculty and staff members may need to occasionally use university telephones, telephone lines, fax machines, and computers for personal reasons. Normally, such use should not result in additional costs or damage nor hinder the day-to-day operation of an office. Incidental use of such equipment is not considered to be a misapplication of State property, and is permissible so long as it does not unduly interfere with the individual’s assigned responsibilities or the normal functioning of an office. Use of such items is considered to be a misapplication of State equipment if it results in additional costs being incurred or damage to the equipment, hinders day-to-day operations, or is otherwise deemed to be excessive or inappropriate.

3. Long Distance Personal Calls by Faculty, Staff and Students: Long distance calls include any call that is not local or free of charge to the University, including calls made via Metro lines. In instances where it is necessary to place a personal long distance call over a University phone, a personal telephone credit card must be used or the call must be collect or charged to a third party. Occasionally a personal long distance call may occur by accident or may be necessary in the case of a personal emergency. When such a situation arises, the call (s) must be reimbursed promptly through the Purchasing and Payment Services Department, Special Payment Section (who acts as a neutral third party in the collection of such reimbursements). Long distance personal calls that are billed to the University should not occur routinely or on a regular basis; if so, regardless of the time of day, dollar amount, or the callers intent to reimburse the call (s), they are strictly prohibited and may subject the faculty member, staff member or student employee to disciplinary action under applicable policies. Telecommunications records are periodically reviewed by the Department of Internal Audit for compliance with this policy and established accounting procedures.

4. State Telephone System Use: State employees may be held liable for the cost difference between a non-state telecommunications system call (i.e. regular long distance carrier like AT&T, Sprint, and Verizon) and a system call (i.e. TexAn network.) (From Article IX, Sec 123 of the 1995 Appropriations Act.) Calls placed using the main campus telephone system are automatically routed over the TexAn network or an alternative network (Metro, Premium, etc.). However, calls placed from off-campus locations (grant project sites, field/remote offices, etc.) where the University of North Texas pays for the telephone services may require the dialing of a special code, in some circumstances, to access the TexAn network. Per the University of North Texas, Payment Services Division, policy guidelines, all telephone services, both on and off campus, must be coordinated through the University of North Texas Telecommunications Office. Departments utilizing telephone services at off-campus sites will be provided with the proper dialing procedures and are responsible for informing their employees about them.

5. Cell phones: The purpose of this section is to establish University policy regarding payments of allowances for the use of personal cell phones in conducting University business and, under limited conditions, for the provision of university-provided cell phones to employees. This policy is intended to provide an alternative to the need for many employees to carry two cell phones (for university and personal use), to simplify payments and associated record keeping, and to eliminate potential problems over personal use of University-provided cell phones.  

GENERAL AVAILABILITY

The University will cease providing University-owned cell phones to employees, except as prescribed below, as soon as practicable after the adoption of this policy. It will, however, continue to provide an allowance for charges incurred as the result of an employee’s use of a personal cell phone for official business when the employee has an official state business need for the phone.

BASIC CELL PHONE ALLOWANCE 

The University will provide an allowance to regular retirement-eligible faculty and staff members for the use of a personal cell phone for official business purposes. Examples of official state business reasons why an employee may need a cell phone include but are not limited to: the employee travels frequently, the employee is frequently out of the office, the employee uses the phone on job sites where wired phones are not available, or the employee is a member of key personnel who are needed in the event of an emergency.

The employee’s department head as well as the Dean or Vice President responsible for the department must approve the request for the allowance and provide funding for the allowance. To receive the cell phone allowance, the employee must complete a Cell Phone Allowance/Purchase Request form justifying the need and sign the form indicating that he/she has read and understands this policy.  The department head’s signature on the form authorizes the payroll department to establish the allotment covering the cell phone allowance.

The employee is responsible for contracting with a cell phone service provider, for paying any initial plan charges, for the purchase of the cell phone itself, and for paying the plan’s monthly bills. The University will pay an initial allowance for the purchase of the communication instrument equal to 50% of the purchase price of the instrument, but not to exceed $150 for PDA’s (personal digital assistants) and $50 for non-PDA instruments. The employee must submit a purchase receipt or invoice itemizing the purchase price of the instrument. An employee is eligible to receive this allowance every 36 months if he/she chooses to upgrade his/her communication instrument.

The University will provide a flat-rate monthly allowance, independent of the cell phone provider selected by the employee, of $10 for text messaging (to replace a pager service), either $20, $30, or $40 per month for employees using only basic voice services, and an additional $40 per month for employees using advanced data services (email and web services), for an approved request. Employees requesting allowances or purchase allowances for advanced voice and data services must justify their request and show why their position at the University requires the advanced services. The allowance amounts shown above will be reviewed annually by the Telecommunications department and may be adjusted to reflect changes in available rate plans and instrument costs.

The Telecommunications department will send a list of persons receiving reimbursements under this policy to the Vice President to whom each person receiving a reimbursement reports annually. The Vice President is required to review eligibility and basic cell phone allowances of employees on their lists and to verify the employees’ eligibility for reimbursement by having the employees demonstrate that they are still utilizing cell phone service for business purposes at the reimbursement level (i.e., $20, $30 or $40) for which they are being reimbursed. (Employees may present copies of their cell phone bills to demonstrate continuing eligibility.) The certified lists must be returned to the Telecommunications department by the deadline dates indicated on the forms, at which time Telecommunications will notify Payroll of employees whose reimbursements have been deleted. Changes to reimbursement rates (e.g., from $20 to $30 or $30 to $40) must be submitted by the employees’ departments on payroll authorization forms. It is the responsibility of the employee to inform the department head of any changes in his/her status or need for the use of the phone.

All monthly allowances and instrument purchase allowances will be paid as miscellaneous additions to the employee’s regular paycheck and are subject to FICA and tax withholding. Employees may choose to detail their cell phone expenses as a business expense when filing income tax forms.

The cellular phone acquired by the employee is considered to be the personal property of the employee and accordingly shall be used in any way the employee deems appropriate. Any service contract the employee might enter into regarding the acquisition or operation of the cell phone is personal to the employee. The University shall have no obligation nor make any guarantees with respect to such contract to the employee or the service provider.   

EXCEPTIONAL CELL PHONE ALLOWANCE 

If an employee requires an allowance greater than the amounts provided under the basic cell phone allowance, he/she must submit an Exceptional Cell Phone Allowance/ Purchase Request form giving detailed justification by itemizing the total cost of the requested plan, the total minutes available in the plan, identifying the number of minutes used for University business (highlighting calls on a current phone bill if possible) and specifying the percentage of the total bill that is being requested. This exception does not apply to the allowance provided to purchase a communication instrument. All requests for Exceptional Cell Phone Allowances must be approved by the Vice President for Finance and Business Affairs. Once approved, the Exceptional Cell Phone Allowance form must be re-submitted annually with the justification updated and a representative cell phone bill attached and the request must be reviewed and approved by the department head. Exceptional Cell Phone Allowance forms are sent to the Telecommunications department after approval by the Vice President for Finance and Business Affairs.  The Telecommunications department will randomly audit a sample of those forms for accuracy of the calculations used to determine eligibility for the allowance authorized. It is the responsibility of the employee to inform the department head of any changes in his/her status or need for the use of the phone.

The employee is responsible for contracting with a cell phone service provider, for paying any initial plan charges, for the purchase of the cell phone itself, and for paying the plan’s monthly bills. The University will pay an initial allowance for the purchase of the telephone instrument equal to 50% of the purchase price of the instrument, but not to exceed $150 for PDA’s (personal digital assistants) and $50 for non-PDA instruments. The employee must submit a purchase receipt or invoice itemizing the purchase price of the instrument. An employee is eligible to receive this allowance every 36 months if they choose to upgrade their telephone instrument.

All monthly allowances and instrument purchase allowances will be paid as miscellaneous additions to the employee’s regular paycheck and are subject to FICA and tax withholding. Employees may choose to detail their cell phone expenses as a business expense when filing income tax forms.

The cellular phone acquired by the employee is considered to be the personal property of the employee and accordingly shall be used in any way the employee deems appropriate. Any service contract the employee might enter into regarding the acquisition or operation of the cell phone is personal to the employee. The University shall have no obligation or make any guarantees with respect to such contract to the employee or the service provider.

CONVERTING UNIVERSITY-OWNED CELL PHONES TO PERSONAL PLANS

Employees holding University-owned cell phones as of the date of the implementation of this policy may choose to convert the plan to a personal cell phone account.  The employees must request this option within two months of this policy’s approval. The employee must arrange for the transfer of the phone plan from a University-provided plan to their personal plan, and the employee must pay taxes associated with their personal phone plan. The University Telecommunications Department should be contacted for assistance in making the transition to a personal plan. Note: most cell phone providers offer a discount to University employees: the current discount rate will be listed on the Telecommunications Department web site.

When transferring service to a personal account, employees may purchase the University owned phone at the current fair market rate for the cell phone, as determined by the University.

UNIVERSITY-OWNED CELL PHONES AND PLANS 

The University will provide university-owned cell phones only for groups of UNT employees that have a demonstrated need for the frequent use of a cell phone. Examples of groups that might qualify for the issuance of a university-owned phone are groups responsible for infrastructure support (facilities, data communications, etc.,) key on-call personnel, and public safety personnel. Users are encouraged to utilize two-way radio-like cell phones, where possible, that don’t have the capability to place or receive traditional cell phone calls. These instruments should, where possible, be distributed to employees on a daily basis and stored in secure locations on campus at night. If there is a specific need to utilize traditional cell phones, the requestor is responsible for estimating the required number of minutes that will be required each month on the Request for a University Owned Cell Phone request form. The requesting department will pay for monthly plans for use of the phone in the conduct of University business. University-owned cell phones provided under this policy may not be used for personal business except in emergency situations. If such use results in excessive minute charges, the employee must reimburse the University for such charges. Plans selected under this option should include a reasonable estimate of the number of minutes that are expected to be used per month, and the employee’s department head should review the phone usage annually to determine whether the phone is still needed for University business and determine if the most cost-effective plan is in effect. 

Student employees, including graduate assistants and research assistants, may be issued cell phones under this policy when a specific business-related need to do so is identified. As with other employees issued a cell phone, the authorizing department authority should scrutinize the student employees' cell phone bills on a frequent basis.

To receive a University-owned cell phone, the employee must complete a University-Owned Cell Phone Request form justifying the need and sign the form indicating that he/she has read and understands this policy.  The department head and Dean/VP signatures on the form authorize the transfer of funds to the Telecommunications department to pay for the phone and costs of the plan. Any requests for a University provided cell phone must be approved by the Vice President for Finance and Business Affairs. 

Employees holding University-owned cell phones as of the date of the implementation of this policy must have their continuing use of those phones authorized by following the application procedures outlined above. Such authorization must be completed within two months of the policy’s approval.

The department head is required to review eligibility of employees using University owned cell phones on an annual basis and to certify the continuing eligibility of the phone on a University-Owned Cell Phone Request form. Random audits of the cell phone usage will be performed on an annual basis by the Telecommunications department to insure that the phones are being used only for official state/university business. It is the responsibility of the employee to inform the department head of any changes in his/her status or need for the use a University owned cell phone.

EXCEPTIONS 

Special circumstances of an employee’s job responsibilities at the University may justify exceptions to the standard policy above. Any exception to the policy must be approved by the Vice President for Finance and Business Affairs. 

SEE ALSO: UNIVERSITY OF NORTH TEXAS POLICY MANUAL:

Volume I, PERSONNEL, Ethics Policy, Number 1.2.9, Section 8, System Property and Services, Item 8.3, Telephones; and, Performance Counseling and Discipline Policy, Number 1.7.1, Section 3, Definition of Minor Rule Violations, Item 20, Engaging in excessive visiting, personal conversations, or use of the telephone for personal use.

Volume II, ADMINISTRATIVE & FISCAL, University Mail Services Policy, Number 6.1.1, Section G, Personal Mail.