Information Technology Services: Use of Telecommunications Equipment Policy

Washington State law prohibits the use of State-owned equipment and facilities, including telephones, FAXes, cellular phones, State telephone credit cards and long distance services for any purpose except for official State business.

Long Distance and Credit Card Usage

University faculty and staff are responsible for long distance calls made and charged to their telephone extensions or State-issued telephone credit cards. Personal long distance calls cannot be charged to University extensions, authorization numbers or credit cards; these calls must be charged to the employees own credit card or home phone number. Abuse of this policy will result in disciplinary action and penalties.

Department heads should review monthly long distance bills for all departmental staff. These accounts are audited periodically by our Internal Auditor. Questionable calls should be reported to that office.

It is strongly recommended that individuals keep a record of all long distance calls placed through University or State facilities, whether on-campus or when using a State-issued credit card. A log of calls provides the best response to any inquiry about long distance usage.

Cellular Telephone Usage

Cellular telephones are billed for both incoming and outgoing calls on a cost per minute basis. University faculty and staff are responsible for calls made and received on University cellular phones. Personal calls cannot be made and charged to cellular phone accounts.

Although it is sometimes impossible to prevent a personal call from coming into a cellular telephone, especially when one is forwarding calls from their desk phone, incoming personal calls are to be discouraged, and not permitted on a regular basis.

Recommendations

To protect yourself, we recommend the following practices:

1. Keep your CWU long distance authorization code confidential. Do not let anyone else know your number.
2. Keep your State-issued telephone credit card confidential. At public telephones, do not let anyone see your credit card, or the numbers you dial on the telephone.
3. Keep a log of all long distance calls, including credit card and cellular calls when possible. Don't endanger yourself or other passengers in your automobile by trying to talk on the cellular phone and, at the same time, making a call log entry. Instead, at your next convenience record the call in your log.
4. Cancel your long distance authorization number and/or credit card if you change departments, leave your employment with the University or no longer need this calling capability.
5. Keep your cellular telephone (if you have one) out of sight when not in use in order to avoid theft.
6. Discourage incoming personal calls on cellular telephone equipment.

If you become aware of a telephone abuse problem, or a potential abuse of fraud problem, contact the Internal Auditor Department.