BGSU Information Technology Policies

INTRODUCTION:

Employees of Bowling Green State University whose duties may include the need for cellular services can obtain this service in one of the following manners:

The following policy governs the use of cellular phones and services of BGSU faculty and staff.

POLICY:

General

The policies under the “General” heading apply to all faculty and staff of BGSU regardless of the method of cellular services.

a.      Management for each department will determine the cellular services options for their staff subject to the approval of the divisional vice president

b.      Employees must not store sensitive University data unencrypted on their phone

c.      Any cellular phone that has been used to access the BGSU email system must wipe the data from the phone in the event the phone is deemed lost, stolen, or the phone is no longer going to be used for University purposes. For assistance on remotely wiping a phone, please contact the ITS Technology Support Center (419.372.0999  -  tsc@bgsu.edu - http://www.bgsu.edu/its/tsc/)

1.      Stipend Policy

a.      Employees eligible for a cellular services stipend must complete the “Cellular Services Stipend Authorization” form.

b.      Stipend allowance, including amount, is subject to the approval of the vice president of each division.

c.     Employees must provide their supervisor with the cellular phone number obtained as a result of the stipend.

d.      Employees must retain a cellular services contract for as long as the stipend is provided.

e.     Employees must notify the University if their cellular services contract is cancelled or expires.

f.     Stipends will not be provided for hardware (i.e. employees must purchase their own phones)

g.      Employees are responsible for researching and obtaining a cellular services contract that meets the requirements of the stipend allowance.  Employees can purchase services/features beyond the stipend package if they choose to, however, the employee will be responsible for the additional charges.

h.      Employees are individually responsible for all contractual obligations agreed to in their cellular services contract.  This includes any termination fees.

i.     Employees are responsible for the maintenance of their phone, both hardware and software.

j.      Stipend allowances must be reviewed annually for accuracy and relevancy by the employee’s supervisor

2.      BGSU Owned Phone Policy

a.    Use of the BGSU owned cellular phones must be done so in a manner consistent with the IRS rules for employee cell phones:   http://www.irs.gov/govt/fslg/article/0,,id=167154,00.html

b.     A BGSU owned cellular phone may be issued only to those who have on-call positions and who, furthermore, have responsibility to protect property, health, and safety of the institution.

c.     The employee is required to account for personal calls on the monthly bill.

d.     Charges

i.     The employee must timely reimburse BGSU for the cost of the personal calls, to include a pro rata share of the monthly charge.

ii.     Failure of the employee to timely reimburse BGSU shall result in the personal use of the phone being treated as ordinary taxable income to the employee. This use will be reflected in the employee wage statement and shall be subject to usual income tax withholding.

e.     University owned cellular phones must be returned to the college/department upon termination of employment or duties requiring the use of a cellular phone.

f.     Colleges/Departments are responsible for maintaining the hardware, software, accounts and services for the BGSU owned cellular phones used by their employees.

g.     Colleges/Departments are responsible for assuring that usage of the BGSU owned cellular phones are in compliance with this policy.

h.     Colleges/Departments are responsible for monthly review of the employees' BGSU owned cellular phone bills, and any supporting documentation.

i.     College/Departments must maintain the usage records and supporting documentation to support the exclusion of the phone use from the employee's wages.

3.      Personally Owned Cellular Phones – No Stipend

a.      No reimbursement will be provided for business related calls or data access

ENFORCEMENT AND SANCTIONS

Individuals or entities in violation of the Cellular Services Policy will be referred to the appropriate disciplinary authority for review. 

DEFINITIONS

Sensitive University Data -  Sensitive University Data includes personal information and proprietary information of the University included but not limited to:  Social Security numbers, Driver License numbers, credit card or other financial account numbers, BGSU ID numbers, protected health information, financial data, educational records, intellectual property or research records, donor profiles, or any information that could result in a material risk of identity theft, a violation of the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act, or otherwise harm the legitimate financial and reputational interests of the University if unauthorized access is permitted, whether intentionally or unintentionally.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:

Once printed, this policy may be outdated.  The most recent version of this policy can be found at:  http://www.bgsu.edu/offices/cio/page32228.html

Printable pdf version of this document

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