As part of your room fee, each residence hall room and apartment is provided with a telephone line and an active dial tone.
Connecting Your Telephone
In Whitmyre Hall, Campus Towers, University Towers, and McCarthy Hall, the phone line is in the yellow connector box labeled with the room number and “V” (for example, Room 125 has phone jack 125V).
In all other traditional residential buildings, the wall jack near the door (in most rooms) must be used to access telephone service.
In the Suites buildings, the telephone jack is always the bottom jack ending in “B,” either in the kitchenette or living room. In the semi-suites the phone jack is located on one side of the room. Each phone jack in the Suites buildings has a label with the phone number on it.
Basic Local Calling Service
Unlimited on-campus and local calling is provided as part of the student room fee.
Special Features
In addition to unlimited local calling, the following features are available on your Centrex telephone line:
- Call Forward Variable: Allows user to direct calls to another Centrex (on-campus) line. Dial 131 and dial “forward to” number.
- Cancel Call Forward: Dial 141 and hang up.
- Call Hold: Depress switch hook, dial pound key (#), lay telephone down or make another call. Return to the original call by hanging up. The phone will ring and you are reconnected to the original call.
- Automatic Callback: Dial the number. If it is busy, depress switch hook, dial 151, hang up, and wait for the call back when the line is free. This feature will remain in effect for up to thirty minutes, unless deactivated or completed sooner.
- Deactivate Callback: Dial 161.
- Call Transfer: Depress switch hook, listen for dial tone, dial desired party, announce transfer, hang up.
- Call Waiting: After hearing the call-waiting signal, depress switch hook, listen for dial tone, dial pound key (#), begin conversation. To return to the original call, hang up and the phone will ring; you are connected to the original call.
- Three-Way Calling: Depress switch hook, dial number, announce call, depress switch hook, talk to both parties.
- Caller ID: User with a display unit (must be purchased separately by the user) can see the number calling in.
Please note: There are several distinct ringing patterns on the new system that you may want to learn. Calls coming from off campus have a different ring from calls within the CENTREX system, and callbacks also have a distinct ring. You may want to become familiar with the various ringing patterns.
Harassing/Abusive Phone Calls
Making harassing or abusive telephone calls is in violation of the University Student Behavior Regulation (C7, Harassment) and the Residence Hall License Agreement for Housing and Dining Services. It is also a crime, punishable by imprisonment or fine, for anyone to make obscene or harassing telephone calls. If you ever receive obscene, abusive, harassing, or threatening calls, follow the suggestions outlined below:
- Hang up at the first obscene word. Hang up if the caller remains silent the second time you say hello. Remember that you control your telephone, not the person calling.
- Do not give any information, such as your name or address, until the caller has been properly identified by you.
- If you dial and reach a wrong number, don’t just hang up. Hang-up calls can be upsetting or unnerving and can even be considered harassing. Please tell the person who answers that you misdialed.
- If harassing/abusive calls persist, use the call-trace feature to track the harassing caller.
Call Trace
Call trace is a feature that traces harassing or abusive telephone calls. If you receive a harassing or abusive telephone call, follow the steps below to use the call-trace feature:
- After receiving the harassing call, hang up your telephone.
- Immediately pick up the receiver to get a dial tone.
- Dial 58. You will hear a confirmation announcement from Verizon.
- Hang up your telephone.
- Write down everything you remember about the call, including the day and time the call was received, and any details about the call (what the caller said, any distinguishing characteristics of the voice, etc.)
- Report the incident to University Police at 724-357-2141 and your residence assistant/student manager or residence director.
Please note: The number of the last call you received will be the number that is traced; that telephone number will be reported to Verizon. If you receive another call before you activate the trace of an unwanted call, the trace feature would trace the second call, not the harassing call. The system will trace only the last call received.
You will not receive the number of the party who called. The results of a successful trace will be provided to Verizon and the University Police. You will need to report the incident to University Police, so they can work with you to investigate the harassing or abusive call. When the alleged caller is identified, University Police will file a judicial referral. University Police may also file criminal charges.
Hang-up calls are not always considered harassing or abusive. Particular attention should be paid to the number of calls you receive and the time of day. A pattern of hang-up calls needs to be developed before the police department intervenes.
Each time you use the call-trace feature, you will be billed $3.00.
Long-Distance Services
Students must bring prepaid phone cards, calling cards from home, or personal cell phones to meet long-distance needs.
Dialing Information
To dial out, follow these directions:
- Emergency (police and fire): Dial 9 + 911
- Other emergencies: Dial 7-2141
- On campus: Dial the last five digits of the campus telephone number. For example, student room numbers will be 3-XXXX; IUP office numbers will be 7-XXXX.
- Local Calls, off campus: Dial 9 + the ten-digit number.
The Communications Help Desk
The Communications Help Desk at 724-357-2714 is available from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., Monday through Friday, to respond to telephone problems and questions.
Telephone Policy
Residents should not accept collect calls on the telephone line in their room, or sign up for any telephone service that bills directly to the telephone number in the student’s room.
