The University foots the bill for several employee cell phones, including personnel from Facility Services, the Office of Telecommunications and the Vet School.
According to the Office of Accounting Services, the University pays for 143 cell phones on campus. Fifteen more cell phone requests are pending. The total cost for these phones is $7,610 a month.
Donna Torres, accounting services executive director, said the University receives only one cell phone bill each month. The Office of Telecommunications pays the bill, then charges the departments for cell phone use.
“Telecommunications pays the bill and also prepares an internal transaction that charges the expense for each of the cell phones,” Torres said.
Torres said employees who want a University-funded cell phone must first make a cell phone request through their dean or department head. The request then must be approved by the chancellor.
Torres said the approval process usually takes less than a week.
Employees must meet certain criteria in order to obtain a University-issued cell phone. Torres said these guidelines are to ensure the proper use of the phones.
“The state of Louisiana wanted to make sure we weren’t using taxpayers’ dollars to pay for cell phones,” Torres said.
One of these criteria is the protection of life and property. Torres said this includes personnel such as law enforcement, personal safety and public welfare; for example, social workers and Coastal Studies employees.
“It’s people that have a need to be in touch and can’t be at a desk all day,” Torres said.
Another criteria is if the cell phone can improve efficiency and effectiveness. Torres said this applies to employees who are on call and must move about during the day, including Facility Services, LSU Police and Computing Services employees.
Torres said deans and department heads are responsible for overseeing cell phone use. Employees must subscribe to a call-detail program to log their calls.
“Everyone who has a cell phone has to sign off and indicate what calls are personal,” Torres said.
University employees use most of the phones, while the number includes other communication equipment such as call boxes and vehicles.
Tammy Millican, Facility Services administrative specialist and user of one of the University-issued cell phones, said the phones are useful to contact supervisors, managers and directors.
“It’s a good means of communication with our directors and can allow use to have private conversations if we need to,” Millican said.
In addition, Millican said the phones provide a better way to contact vendors.
“It’s helped open the lines of communication between us and our customers,” she said.
Marianne Bordelon, Veterinary Medicine accounting specialist, said while she does not have a University-issued phone, other Vet School employees use the phones frequently.
“If a doctor is not available, students have access to the doctors on duty or on call,” Bordelon said.