Operations and Procedures Manual

IP 3.04 Cellular Phone Usage

It is the intention of Northeastern to reasonably parallel the System President’s Procedure SP 3-125b with an institutional procedure on cellular phone usage and other electronic communication devices.  In conducting College business, employees sometimes find it necessary to use a cellular (cell) phone.  This procedure acknowledges that the use of cellular phones while driving pose a risk to the college employee and/or others.  The following procedure shall govern the use of cell phones by employees when conducting business for the College.

Availability of Cell Phones:

  1. Employees that have need of a cell phone regularly may request that a cell phone be assigned to them.  The employee must obtain written approval from their Department Chair or Vice President, who verifies that the phone is necessary. 
  2. Assignment of phones is subject to availability and approval as determined by Northeastern’s cell phone administrator.
  3. Periodically, the cell phone administrator will evaluate which employees need to have a cell phone.  

Employee’s Responsibilities

When using a cellular phone for or during official college business, the employee agrees to:

  1. Use the phone to conduct state business with only limited and incidental personal use.
  2. Follow any applicable state or local laws governing the use of cell phones while driving.
  3. The use of state or personal cellular phones while driving is discouraged as well as the use of any electronic communication device that might create a distraction (e.g. personal digital assistant, laptop, pager, etc.).  If the employee finds it necessary to make a cell phone call while driving, employees are to stop the vehicle in a safe place.  This includes stopping the car in a safe place while dialing, looking up a number, taking notes, or performing any other task that interferes with driving.  If the employee is stuck in traffic and needs to make a call, the number should be dialed in short sequences when not moving and make maximum use of the memory dial and auto redial features of the phone.  Conversations should end when encountering hazardous driving conditions or if the conversation turns stressful or emotional.  When answering a cell phone call, an employee is to pull off the road, as soon as it is safe to do so, to continue a conversation after the call has been answered.
  4. Reimburse the state for all costs associated with personal use by attaching a check to the cell phone bill when it is presented by the cell phone administrator for payment.
  5. Safeguard the phone.  Replace phone if lost or stolen.  If lost or stolen, report immediately, but employee may be held responsible for calls made while missing.
  6. All repairs, batteries, and new phone requests will be coordinated through the cell phone administrator.

Reference:  BP 3-125 Electronic Communication Policy; SP 3-125b Cellular Phone Usage Procedure