Operating Policy and Procedure
HSC OP: 55.04, Cellular Telephone and Data Devices
PURPOSE: The purpose of this Health Sciences Center Operating Policy (HSC OP) is to establish University policy regarding the procurement, use and termination of services for cellular telephones (cell phones) and data devices. This OP ensures that the use of these devices, for HSC business, is correctly authorized and monitored, and ensures that TTUHSC is correctly reimbursed for occasional incidental or emergency personal use.
SCOPE: This OP covers all TTUHSC team members and third-party contractors who have been granted the use of university-provided cellular devices at the request of the team member’s TTUHSC department head and with the approval of the Chief Financial officer and their dean or Vice President as appropriate.
REVIEW: This OP will be reviewed every even-numbered year (ENY) in May by the Chief Information Officer (CIO) for the TTU System and the CIO for TTUHSC, with recommendations for revision forwarded to the Vice President and Chief Financial Officer.
POLICY:
1. Procurement
The university may purchase and provide cell phones/data devices and service plans for certain employees or groups of employees who need a university-provided cell phone/data device due to security needs or other operation considerations as determined by the head of each department.
a. Approved Users
(1) The university does not pay individual employees a cell phone equipment or monthly data allowance. The only exception is for those employees with an existing employment contract that explicitly provides for a cell phone allowance.
(2) The following types of team members may be granted the use of university-provided cellular devices at the request of a departmental head:
• Emergency Workers: police, fire, environmental health and safety, and medical center workers
• Facilities Personnel: personnel who must share cellular devices while on duty. In such cases, cellular devices should be assigned to the work group rather than specific individuals
• Research Personnel: researchers who use cellular devices for research purposes
b. Obtaining a Cellular Device
(1) Communication Services is responsible for negotiating and maintaining contracted rates, plans, and equipment prices with preferred service providers.
(2) For new activations or changes to existing services, the University-Provided Wireless Device Request form (Attachment A) must be completed and sent to Communication Services.
(3) The purchase of prepaid cell phones that do not provide printed detailed call information is not allowed. Detailed call information is required to ensure all usage is for official university business.
c. Use of Grant Funds
(1) Equipment purchases of cellular devices cannot be charged directly to grant funds. Grant funds may be used to reimburse TTUHSC for equipment purchases.
(2) All cellular device usage should be directly related to that specific grant and no other business or personal calls are permitted.
(3) Requests and purchases for grant fund reimbursement must be approved by Sponsored Program Accounting and Reporting.
2. Use of University-Provided Cellular Devices
a. Cell phones and data devices should be used for official university business only; they are not for personal use except for incidental or emergency situations.
b. Department heads should annually review current wireless users and determine if the need still exists for employee usage. Upon request, Communication Services will provide reports showing historic usage for each wireless user to assist the department head and employee in determining if the existing calling and data plan still meets the users’ needs.
c. At the discretion of the department head, and provided that:
i. the cellular device is only used for work directly related to a grant and
ii. required signature approvals have been obtained,
an employee may request his/her personal cell phone number be ported to the Texas
Tech owned cell phone or data device to be used for university business.
The Transfer of Wireless Service Agreement from an Individual to Texas Tech form (Attachment
B) must be completed with the required signatures prior to the number being ported.
3. Fees and Billing
a. Usage Fees
(1) For new activations or changes to existing cellular accounts the University-Provided Wireless Device Request form (Attachment A) must be completed and sent to Communication Services.
(2) If it is absolutely necessary to use a TTUHSC-provided cell phone for personal calls or text messages, the costs for such uses must be reimbursed.
b. Reimbursement The department’s FOP/FOAP account manager will receive a monthly statement listing cell phone calls for each wireless user in their area. The account manager is responsible for verifying the calls listed were for the official business of the University.
(1) Review must be completed, and any unauthorized calls reimbursed by the employee by the end of the next billing period following the call.
(2) The formula for reimbursement of non-business calls is the monthly cost of the employee’s plan divided by the number of minutes provided in the plan. This is the cost per minute which is multiplied by the minutes used for non-business purposes.
(3) Reimbursement will be made for all non-business calls regardless of whether the minutes provided by the employee’s plan are exceeded or not.
(4) Text messages will be reimbursed at actual cost according to the current vendor prescribed rate per text message.
4. Service Termination
a. Reassignment or Cancellation
(1) A department head may reassign an existing device to another employee by completing Attachment A to ensure billing and accountability for the device is accurate.
(2) A department head of an employee who has been terminated or who voluntarily terminates their employment or whose duties no longer require the use of a cell phone or data device, is responsible for securing the cell phone or data device from the employee.
(3) If the phone number from a terminated employee’s university-provided cellular account needs to be disconnected, the department head must notify Customer Service at Communication Services that the phone number is no longer needed to ensure the monthly billing is stopped.
b. Porting
(1) At the discretion of the department head, an employee that is terminated or voluntarily
terminates their employment or whose duties no longer require the use of a cell phone
or data device may request their university-provided cellular phone number be ported
to their personal account with a vendor they select.
i. The Transfer of Service from Texas Tech to Individual form (Attachment C) must be
completed with the required signatures prior to the number being ported.
ii. The individual will have three business days to have the number ported to their personal
account before Communication Services has the number disconnected.
5. Violations
Abusing the use of university-provided cellular devices will result in the suspension of cellular phone privileges. Violations may subject employees to disciplinary action up to and including termination in accordance with HSC disciplinary policy.
6. Attachments
• Attachment A: University Provided Wireless Device Request
• Attachment B: Transfer of Service from Individual to TTUHSC
• Attachment C: Transfer of Service from TTUHSC to Individual
Copies of Attachments A, B, and C are located on the Communication Services website at https://www.texastech.edu/offices/information-technology/communication-services/forms.php.
Attachment A - University Provided Wireless Device Request form
Attachment B - Transfer of Wireless Service Agreement from Individual to TTUHSC
Attachment C - Transfer of Wireless Service Agreement from TTUHSC to Individual