Policy 

Telephone services provided by Miami University are for University business.  University telephone services are not to be used to support private business practices. Personal long distance calls may not be charged to University accounts.

Use of Cellular Telephones and Photographic Imaging Devices

Classrooms/Exams

Faculty may ban the use of cellular telephones and other communication and storage devices during class periods and/or exam periods. This policy is not meant to conflict with reasonable accommodations for students with disabilities.

Automobiles/Dangerous Equipment

Cellular telephones should not be used in a manner that interferes with the safe operation of a state-owned vehicle or a personal vehicle on University business.  Cellular telephones may not be used by anyone operating dangerous equipment while working for the University.

Restrooms/Locker Rooms

Due to privacy reasons, taking photographic images of any kind, by means of any device, without permission is prohibited in restrooms and locker rooms. Facilities’ managers have the right to ban, by posting appropriate signs, possession of cellular telephones and/or devices with photographic imaging capability from public restrooms and public locker rooms.

Cellular Telephone Service

The University does not provide employees with mobile devices and/or cellular service used at any time for personal communications. Cellular service includes both voice and data services, regardless of the mobile device used (e.g., cell phone, iPad). Employees will be responsible for the purchase of mobile devices and payment of cellular services.

Cellular Service Stipend

The University will provide to eligible employees a monthly cellular service stipend to partially offset the expense of personal cellular service for University activity. The University will establish the amount of the cellular service stipends for the coming fiscal year and any change in the amount will be announced at least ninety (90) days prior to the effective date of the change. Employees may be eligible for a voice-only or a voice and data stipend. The stipend will be included in the employee’s paycheck and is taxable to the employee.

A cellular service stipend may be provided to an employee upon the written approval of his/her department head and may be provided for the following reasons:

• the employee travels frequently on University business;
• the employee has duties that require him/her to be out of the office on a regular basis;
• the employee must be accessible to the University in the event of an emergency; or
• the employee has a job function that requires off-site Internet access.

University-owned Devices and/or University-paid Cellular Service

A University-owned device and/or University-paid cellular service may be provided to an employee, in lieu of a cellular service stipend, upon the written approval of a vice president or the President when the following conditions are met:

• the device and/or cellular service are essential to the employee’s ability to perform his or her duties; and
• the device and/or cellular service are used exclusively for University business.

Department heads are expected to periodically review authorizations for employee cellular service stipends and/or employee use of a University-owned device and/or University-paid cellular service.  Cellular service stipends and cellular devices and services may be withdrawn by the University at any time and for any reason.

Obtaining Cellular Devices/Services

Miami employees may purchase mobile devices and/or cellular service through MiTech. MiTech has negotiated several favorable mobile device pricing and cellular service options with national service providers for employees in need of cellular devices and/or cellular service.

“Employees may obtain assistance with their personal cellular needs from the staff of the MiTech Cellular or visit Cellular Services to review available options.”

Data and Email Storage on Mobile Devices

Employees who use their mobile devices to access Miami email must configure the mobile device to ensure that any email messages sent/received on the device will be retained on Miami’s email servers.

Employees who use their mobile device to access confidential Miami data must configure the device to meet the University’s Mobile Device Security Standards. IT Services will configure each covered employee’s Miami-provided email account to automatically push the security standards to the employee’s device(s), and the employee is responsible for contacting IT Services to resolve any technical issues that prevent the security standards from being successfully applied to the device(s). Upon retirement or separation from employment, employees must ensure that all Miami data is removed from the mobile device.

Employees should conduct all University-related email using their Miami-provided email account.  It is also the responsibility of any employee receiving a mobile stipend or University-paid cellular service to ensure that any records, as defined in Miami’s Records Retention Policy are maintained in accordance with that policy.  These records are University-owned records, may be subject to the Ohio Public Records Act, and the employee may be required to produce them for inspection and copying.  If your mobile device contains files and/or information that qualify as University records, it is your responsibility to maintain those records in accordance with the University’s Records Retention Policy and to produce them upon request.

Related Form(s)

Not applicable.

Additional Resources and Procedures

Websites

• Records Retention Policy
• University’s Mobile Device Security Standards
• Cellular Services

FAQ

Not applicable.

Policy Administration

Next Review Date

7/1/2026

Responsible Officers

Vice President for Information Technology and Chief Information Officer

Legal Reference

Ohio Public Records Act

Compliance Policy

No

Revision History

 Amended July 2022

Reference ID(s)

• MUPIM 19.6
• OAC 3339-19-06

Reviewers

Vice President for Information Technology and Chief Information Officer