Purpose

The purpose of this policy is to provide guidelines and procedures for the proper use of University-owned telephones and services.

Authority

Code of Virginia Section 23.1-1301, as amended, grants authority to the Board of Visitors to make rules and policies concerning the institution. Section 6.01(a)(6) of the Board of Visitors Bylaws grants authority to the President to implement the policies and procedures of the Board relating to University operations.

Old Dominion University has executed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Common-wealth Department of Accounts and Department of the Treasury relating to the decentralization of non-payroll disbursements. The MOU documents the agreement in accordance with the Appropriations Act to delegate the operation of non-payroll disbursement to Old Dominion University as part of a program to grant relief from rules, regulations and reporting requirements in the areas of finance and accounting.

Definitions

Budget Unit Director - The University employee on record with the Office of Finance Data Control as having signature authority and financial management responsibility for a specific budget code.

Collect Call - A call received where the caller is requesting that the University be charged for the call.

Operator Assisted Call - Calls or services requiring the assistance of an outside operator.

Progressive Discipline - A system of increasingly significant measures that are utilized to provide feedback to employees so that they can correct conduct or performance problems.

Supervisor - The management level with the authority to hire, assign work, manage work schedules, approve leave, evaluate, and discipline employees.

Third Party Billing - A call made from a non-University phone but charged to the University.

Scope

This policy applies to all employees, students, volunteers, employees of affiliated organizations who are paid through the University, and visitors to the institution. Employees include all staff, administrators, faculty, full- or part-time, and classified or non-classified persons who are paid by the University. Students include all persons admitted to the University who have not completed a program of study for which they were enrolled; student status continues whether or not the University's programs are in session. Affiliated organizations are separate entities that exist for the benefit of the University through an operating agreement and include the Foundations, the Community Development Corporation, and the Alumni Association. Visitors include vendors and their employees, parents of students, volunteers, guests, uninvited guests and all other persons located on property, owned, leased, or otherwise controlled by the University.

Policy Statement

The University telephone system is available to conduct official business. Abuse of the telephone system including, but not limited to, charging personal long distance phone calls to the University, conducting business related to outside employment or business ownership, making or receiving excessive personal calls, and disclosing confidential information over the phone may result in disciplinary action, including termination.

As a general rule, faculty and staff are discouraged from making or receiving personal telephone calls through the University's telephone system. It is recognized that under certain circumstances, however, an employee may need to make or receive a telephone call of a personal nature from a University phone. Those calls must be held to a minimum in both duration and frequency.

If, on rare occasions, the need arises for an employee to make a personal call that would result in an assessed charge, the employee should use his or her personal cell phone or calling card to place the call. If those options are unavailable, the employee must receive prior approval from his/her supervisor or designee before using a University phone, and any charges resulting from the call must be reimbursed to the University using established procedures.

Collect, operator-assisted and third-party billing calls are prohibited. Any such call will be investigated by the supervisor or designee and charged to the employee who accepted or placed the call.

Procedures

1. Budget Unit Directors are responsible for reviewing the monthly telephone billing reports to ensure compliance with this policy and investigating any questionable calls, such as unexpected charges or unusual frequency of numbers called.

2. Budget Unit Directors noting questionable calls should inquire about the purpose of the call. If the call was for personal reasons, the employee's supervisor should be notified.

3. If the supervisor determines that inappropriate use of University telephones has occurred, he or she will address the issue with the employee using a progressive discipline approach, which may result in sanctions, including termination. The supervisor shall also notify the University Auditor in order to pursue the matter in accordance with University Policy 3003 - Detection, Investigation and Reporting of Fraud and Misuse of University Property/Funds.

Records Retention

Applicable records must be retained and then destroyed in accordance with the Commonwealth's Records Retention Schedules.

Responsible Officer

Associate Vice President for Financial Services

Related Information

Board of Visitors Policy 1450 - Faculty Sanctions

University Policy 1002 - Code of Ethics

University Policy 6600 - Standards of Conduct for Classified Employees

University Policy 6620 - Personal Use of University Materials or Funds