Telephone Usage Policy

ARTICLE V: INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY AND TELECOMMUNICATIONS

Section 1. Telecommunications Policy and Procedures
Policy 1.3: Policy on Telephones and Usage
Issued: March 1, 2004

The intent of this policy is to provide guidelines of consistency for auditing of the Chicago State University’s telephone system and to guard against telephone abuse. 

The telephones at Chicago State University should be used by CSU employees solely for conducting University business or other authorized uses as defined in the policy.

Guidelines for Other Authorized Uses

Within these guidelines, other authorized uses of the University’s telephones are calls that:

1. Are of a reasonable duration and frequency, in accordance with the examples listed under “Examples of Other Authorized Uses” in this section.
2. Do not adversely affect the University or the employee’s performance of his/her official duties.
3. Could not have reasonably been made during non-work hours, in accordance with the examples listed under “Examples of Other Authorized Uses” in this section.

Examples of Other Authorized Uses:

Examples of circumstances that fall under the “Guidelines for Other Authorized Uses” in this section include but are not limited to, the following: Note: In the context of this policy, “brief” means the time it takes to accomplish the purpose of the call.

1. An employee is required to work overtime without advance notice and calls within the local commuting area (the area from which the employee regularly commutes) to advise his or her family of the change in schedule or to make alternate transportation, childcare or eldercare arrangements.
2. An employee makes brief calls to locations within the local commuting area to speak to a spouse, a minor child, an elderly parent (or those responsible for them, for example, school or day care center and nursing home).
3. The employee makes brief calls within the local commuting area that can be reached only during working hours, such as local government agency, babysitter or a physician.
4. An employee makes brief calls to locations within the local commuting area to arrange for emergency repairs to his or her residence or automobile.
5. While on official business, the employee makes a call of three minutes or less to announce safe arrival, delay, or change in plans. The department head may request written confirmation from the employee that a call qualifies under this subsection. Employees who violate the telephone usage policy may be disciplined accordingly.

Authorization for Personal Calls:

A personal call made during working hours also falls under the “Guidelines for Other Authorized Uses” in this section and is permitted if:

1. It is charged to the employee’s home phone number or other non-government number. For example, personal long distance calls.
2. It is made to an “800 or 888” or any other toll-free number.
3. It is charged to the called party of a non-University number.
4. It is charged to a personal calling card or pre-paid phone card
5. It is made from employee’s personal wireless telephone.

Fiscal Officers/Department Managers Responsibilities

The department head is responsible for:

1. Monitoring all use of University telephone calls that appear on the departmental reports beyond the limitations of this policy, and review with employees.
2. Timely review of telephone charges to departmental accounts for conformance with this policy.
3. Departments may approve departmental telephone policies that further restrict the use of departmental telephones, but departmental policies cannot modify or replace this University policy.

Pursuant to policy, each individual employee is required to reimburse CSU’s Telecommunications Department if the call is a non-University business call made outside the guidelines of the above-mentioned policies. In addition, all Bond and Grant Revenue Departments must reimburse the full amount for local and long distance calls.

Employee’s reimbursements should be made at the Cashier’s Office and payable to CSU Telecommunications Department Account #316910. A copy of your payment and billing statement must be submitted to the Telecommunications Department for proper filing and auditor purpose.