8.1.7 Voice Communications

Policy Tracking	Date
Approved
Revised	March 10, 2010
Reviewed

Telephone Usage: Blue Ridge Community College telephones, voice-mail, fax machines, and similar equipment are intended for educational or business purposes only. Personal calls should be kept to a minimum. Blue Ridge Community College telephones provide direct local access between the Henderson County Campus and the Transylvania County Campus. Charges incurred for personal long distance calls, either placed directly from a Blue Ridge Community College telephone or charged to a Blue Ridge Community College calling card, are the responsibility of the caller.
Personal Communication Devices: The College may provide personal communications devices (cell phones, pagers, etc.) for the sole purpose of performing essential job duties. The President or his/her designee shall identify positions that require such devices. At no time shall such devices be used by anyone other than a Blue Ridge Community College employee. Those who are issued devices are responsible for their safekeeping and may be charged for the cost to replace them if lost or stolen.
Adding or Moving Telephones: All requests for new telephone lines or the relocation of desk set units for staff and faculty must be approved by the appropriate College Vice President before a new line is added or the current desk set is relocated. Requests are submitted to the IT Department using an Information Systems Access Request form.
Voice-mail Accounts: Employee voice-mail accounts and passwords are assigned by the IT Department. Voice-mail messages can be accessed by an employee from a remote location. Guidelines for the use of voice-mail are available in the Handbook. Voice-mail greetings should be brief and shall not contain any language which would reflect unfavorably upon on the College. Employees should update voice-mail greetings when they will be unavailable to reply to calls for an extended period.
Faxing: Blue Ridge Community College facsimile transmission (fax) machines are intended for educational or business purposes only. Fax machines are maintained by the IT Division.
Telephone Service for the Hearing Impaired: A telecommunication system for the hearing impaired will be maintained by the College at designated locations.
Blue Ridge Community College telephones shall not be used to send unwanted, threatening, abusive, harassing, obscene, or pornographic messages. These actions may also be considered workplace harassment (Ref.P&P Sec. 3.15.1).