Use of University Telecommunications - Telecommunications

I. POLICY AND GENERAL STATEMENT

The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston ("university") provides voice communication services to the university faculty and staff. The university has delegated the responsibility for support, coordination, and billing of voice communication services to the Telecommunication Services Department (Telecommunication Services), within the Communication Services department of Information Technology.

Telecommunication Services has three functions: 1) consulting with its university clients on their voice communications needs and coordinating with voice communication vendors, 2) providing voice communication services where centralized services are economical and efficient and 3) billing and collecting for services and equipment provided.

All voice communication services and equipment provided to the university are state-owned assets administered by Telecommunication Services and are to be used only in support of university business. Personal use must be reimbursed to departmental accounts.

II. PROCEDURE

A. General Procedures for all Services

Any department wishing to add, move, delete, or otherwise change voice communications must contact Telecommunication Services. Telecommunication Services, in conjunction with the department, develops the work order(s) for the work to be accomplished and coordinates that effort with the vendor(s) to satisfy the client's requirements. After determining what service(s) and/or equipment the client requires, Telecommunication Services provides an estimate to the client, then the client enters a requisition into PeopleSoft FMS. Service(s) will be completed after the PO has been processed against the client's account.

Since all voice communication services are billed either monthly or annually, requisitions for the client's account must be entered into PeopleSoft FMS by the end of September of each fiscal year. Each July, Telecommunication Services provides departments with a forecast of the cost of the upcoming years services based on historical utilization and new service rates. Departments are required to enter a requisition for that amount and keep the PO adequately funded during the year.

B. Local Service and Equipment

Telecommunication Services owns and operates the network of Fujitsu F9600 telephone switches on the Houston campus. Upon receipt of a funded request, Telecommunications Services provides a standard telephone with a variety of optional services, like voice mail, three-way calling and speed dialing. Campus telephones can be used for intra-campus 7-digit dialing or local calls. (See below for Long Distance service.) Equipment and services are billed monthly. Adds, moves and changes are billed on a time and materials basis.

C. Long Distance

Telecommunications Services provides the university with local and remote access to long distance service, calling cards and 800 numbers. To secure long distance service, the customer must complete a Long Distance Authorization Form (available from Telecommunication Services). A long distance access and/or security code will be issued to the requestor once the properly authorized form and source of funds has been received by Telecommunication Services. The access and/or security code will allow the user to access long distance from a campus phone and/or remotely depending upon the approved options selected.

Long-distance codes are treated in the same manner as passwords. Long-distance codes are confidential and should NEVER be shared. Each person who has reason to make long-distance telephone calls should have his or her own code. The person who is assigned the access code is held accountable and responsible for all charges made with the access code.

Requests for calling cards and 800 numbers may be made via e-mail or memorandum to Telecommunication Services. When Telecommunication Services has received the properly authorized and funded request, the calling card and/or toll free number will be issued.

University long distance services (dialed with the access code) are billed monthly based on actual usage. Calling card and 800 long distance service charges are passed through from the service provider. Use of the university long distance network is restricted and should only be used in support of university business.

III. CONTACTS