Policy Statement Cell Phone & Home Internet

The university recognizes that cell phones have become a very common business tool allowing employees to carry out their job responsibilities while away from the office. Employees that frequently travel or work outside the office and need to be accessible for business reasons may benefit from a university provided cell phone plan. However, it is also recognized that cell phones are commonly used for personal purposes which the university does not support.

For an employee to be reimbursed for the cost of a cell phone plan, the individual must demonstrate that a cell phone plan is an integral part of their job and that they could not effectively carry out their job responsibilities without it. Only in situations where a cell phone satisfies a clear and substantial need of a job, will a cell phone be supported and paid for by the university.

In addition, as a general rule, the university will only pay for the basic plan offered by the carrier of choice.  Any additional coverage beyond a basic plan needs further justification detailing a sound business reason.  A Communication Authorization Form should be filled out in its entirety for any cell phone reimbursement, citing business justifications along with proper signatures.

For your reference the Purchasing Office has negotiated preferred pricing. Refer to the Purchasing website and choose Cell Phone from the commodity dropdown. Note that the pricing, or the vendor, may change from time to time based on preferable rates negotiated by Purchasing.

Driver Responsibility Clause:

Use of University-owned cell phones while driving is prohibited. In case of emergency, drivers should pull over to the side of the road before using a cell phone, even if the driver is using an ear piece.

A Communication Authorization and Reimbursement Form needs to be completed and routed to the appropriate school official for approval before a cell phone plan can be established. This form requires the employee to identify the business need and how a cell phone is an essential tool in carrying out their job responsibilities. Any additional coverage beyond a basic plan should be clearly justified on this form. A school dean, executive associate dean (EAD) or vice president must approve all requests, signifying their acceptance that the cell phone has a legitimate business use and is a necessary part of an employee's job. The completed form should be sent to Accounts Payable, TAB, Medford Campus for direct deposit input, recordkeeping and periodic compliance reviews.

Payment of the cell phone monthly bill will be the responsibility of the employee. Accounts Payable will use the Communication Authorization and Payment Form to identify the payment amount and the associated Dept ID/Account to charge. Although the cell phone plans have been developed under the university's umbrella, the employee will be responsible for payment of the monthly bill.

The process works as follows:

• Each cell phone plan has a predetermined fee. Before the 10th of every month, Accounts Payable will deposit the predetermined fee into the employee's bank account on file. An email notification of the deposit will be sent to the employee.
  
• If the employee wishes to purchase additional equipment or services, such as a higher end phone or additional minutes, they are directly responsible for the additional cost.
  
• If the monthly charge is in excess of the predetermined fee, the individual is responsible for the additional cost. The only exception to this is when the additional cost is related to business use. Reimbursement for the additional cost should be processed via a Business Expense Reimbursement Form. School EAD or division vice president approval will be required for a reimbursement of this type.
  
• If an employee can demonstrate that they consistently (3 consecutive months) exceed the predetermined fee as part of ongoing university business, the cell phone plan should be adjusted to a phone plan consistent with the employees need.

Lastly, once a plan has been approved by the proper official, the authorized plan and related reimbursement from the university cannot be altered without their consent. This means that a new Communication Authorization and Reimbursement Form must be completed and properly approved before any cell phone plan enhancements or changes take place.

Direct Connect Phones:

In almost all cases, the cost of cell phone plans, as outlined above (including free phones), is much less than direct connect phone plans. However, there may be limited instances in which a direct connect plan makes sense.

To request a direct connect phone, complete a Communication Authorization and Reimbursement Form and make a notation in the Cell Phone Plan block that this is a direct connect plan. In the Business Purpose section, additional information is necessary to justify a direct connect plan. Of primary importance is demonstrating that a cell phone is an integral part of a job. In addition, given the direct connect feature allows for quick and direct communication with others, the justification must identify, by position, those in the university that will be included in your direct connect network. Simply having a direct connect phone, with no peers in the university to connect with, is not appropriate. Lastly, given the additional cost of direct connect plans and phones, a business justification must be presented to warrant the purchase of the phone. All of this must be approved by the school dean, EAD or division vice president.

Pocket PC, Palm Pilot, Blackberry or other cellular PDA Device:

As a rule, these devices will not be supported by the University. In rare circumstances a school EAD or division vice president can approve the use of such a device. In these cases, the requestor must provide a clear business justification which identifies the need for such a device. Reimbursement will be done similar to cell phone plans as described above. Approval from a school EAD or division vice president is necessary for reimbursement.

Home Internet:

Home internet access is considered a personal expense and will not be reimbursed by the university. Internet access on a university provided business laptop is deemed to be a legitimate expense as long as a compelling business need can be demonstrated, such as extensive travel on university business or if a job requires the employee to be out of the office frequently. The individual requesting internet support on a business laptop should secure approval from their school dean, EAD or division vice president via the Communication Authorization and Reimbursement Form. This approval process should identify the service level required by the internet provider along with the monthly cost. Payment for internet access should be done via the Procurement Card. The completed form should be sent to Accounts Payable for record keeping purposes.

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