Policy on Wireless Devices - Purchase and Use

I. Purpose

To establish guidelines concerning the purchase and use of Wireless Devices provided by New York Medical College (“NYMC” or “the College”).

II. Policy

A. It is the policy of the College to provide a Wireless Device to certain employees of the College with an appropriate business need as determined by the College in accordance with the procedures contained herein and to require that the use of such devices comply with the guidelines of this policy. No payment or reimbursement shall be made by the College for the purchase or service fees of a wireless device which is not owned and provided by the College.

B. It is the policy of the College that a User, while driving a motor vehicle or operating other motorized equipment, including power tools, shall only use a Wireless Device in a hands-free manner regardless of whether the business conducted is personal or College-related. This prohibition includes, but is not limited to, receiving or placing calls, text messaging, surfing the Internet, receiving or responding to emails, checking for phone messages, or any other purpose related to your employment with the College or personally related activity. Users who violate this policy shall be subject to disciplinary actions, up to and including, employment termination. New York State law states that "drivers are prohibited from using portable electronic devices such as cell phone, blackberries, laptops, or other types of electronic two-way messaging systems to send text message or email while driving." Users who are charged with traffic violations resulting from the use of their phone while driving will be solely responsible for all liabilities that result from such actions.

III. Scope

This policy applies to all employees of the College who receive a Wireless Device from the College or who use the College's information services on their personally owned wireless device to access College email accounts, calendars or other College systems and services.

IV. Definitions

A. User - an employee of the College who has been provided with a Wireless Device by the College or who is using the College's information services on their personally owned wireless device to access their College email accounts, calendars or other College systems and services.

B. Wireless Device - collectively cellular phones, smartphones and any other wireless communication device with a data plan.

V. Procedures

A. Requesting/upgrading a College-provided Wireless Device

1. Users/departments requesting a College-provided Wireless Device must complete the Wireless Device Request Form (Attachment I of this policy) providing a primarily non-compensatory business justification, and attaching approval of the User’s direct supervisor and appropriate Vice President or Dean.

2. A primarily non-compensatory business justification is established for the purposes of this policy if there are substantial reasons to the College's benefit such as the College's need to contact the employee at all times for work-related emergencies, the College's need to have access to a key employee beyond the normal working hours given the nature of such employee's responsibilities for the College and the employee's need to conduct College related business at times away from the College's offices or outside of the College's normal work day. A primarily non-compensatory business justification is not established if the purpose is to promote the morale or goodwill of an employee, to attract a prospective employee or as a means of furnishing additional compensation to an employee.

3. The Wireless Device Request Form shall also be used for all requests for upgrades of a Wireless Device or for any nonstandard telephone or data plan features.

4. Once both levels of approval have been obtained, the Wireless Device Request Form and the accompanying approvals shall be sent electronically to the Purchasing Department, which shall process such form after obtaining budgetary approval.

5. Information Services shall provide the User with information on the available wireless devices from the authorized provider for selection by User and purchase the Wireless Device from the authorized provider along with the standard talk plan and the data plan, if applicable.

6. The Wireless Device shall be delivered to the Information Services Department who shall then work with the User to set up the necessary account(s), including security software, and to connect the Wireless Device to an enterprise server.

7. Information Services will provide the User with a copy of this policy and obtain the User’s acknowledgment on the Wireless Device Request Form prior to providing the User possession of the Wireless Device.  A copy of the signed acknowledgment form will be provided to Human Resources and placed in the User's employee file.

8. The User shall be responsible for the security of the College-provided Wireless Device and shall notify the Information Services Department immediately upon discovery that the Wireless Device has been lost or stolen. The Wireless Device shall be immediately deactivated by the User, Information Services or Human Resources. 

B. Employee Separations

1. Users must return any College-provided Wireless Devices to Human Resources no later than the final day of employment.

2. Human Resources will forward the College-provided Wireless Device to Information Services to be wiped clean of all data and information and returned to original factory settings and for termination of the User’s wireless service.

C. Guidelines Governing Use of Wireless Devices by Users

1. Users with access to their College email accounts, calendars or other College systems and services on their personally owned Wireless Device must notify the Information Services Department immediately in the event that their Wireless Device is lost or stolen to activate a security wipe of such Wireless Device.

2. College-provided Wireless Devices remain the property of the College and use of such devices should be primarily for College-related purposes.

3. Users of a Wireless Device have no expectation of privacy with respect to a Wireless Device provided by the College or a personally owned device connected to the College's information systems.  The College reserves the right to access the information available on College-provided Wireless Devices and through the College’s information systems connected to personally owned devices in its sole discretion.

4. Users are prohibited from using their Wireless Device in any illegal, illicit or offensive manner, or in any manner which violates any College policy.  Human Resources and the Office of the General Counsel shall have the authority to issue instructions to the appropriate personnel to activate a security wipe of any User's College-provided Wireless Device.

VI. Departmental Responsibilities

A. Responsibilities of Supervisors and Vice President/Dean:

1. Assess the User's request for a College-provided Wireless Device to ensure that there is a primarily non-compensatory business justification to support the provision of the wireless device.

2. Determine if the necessary funding is available in their respective budget.

3. Provide approval if the use meets the procedures and requirements of this policy.

4. Review annually the need for Wireless Devices within their respective areas.

B. Responsibilities of Information Services:

1. Process the approved Request for Wireless Device Form upon receipt from a requesting department.

2. Purchase the Wireless Device from the authorized provider.

3. Provide the authorized provider with the User's name at the time of purchase/activation.  In the case where the Wireless Device is used by more than one departmental employee/individual, a descriptive word describing the department shall appear as the first name and the department head or administrator's last name shall appear as the last name on the authorized provider's invoice.

4. Prepare and maintain a comprehensive spreadsheet for price monitoring, assessment of various plans, features and additional costs, and verification of accuracy and completeness of monthly billing.

5. Conduct an annual pricing review in conjunction with the authorized provider at the same time each year in order to publicize policy and pricing updates and to determine if a User-specific plan contains unnecessary features.

6. Maintain a master spreadsheet itemizing User data and utilization.

7. Set up a Wireless Device with appropriate access to College information systems.

8. Setup wireless device with the College’s Mobile Device Management (MDM) requirements.

9. Provide technical assistance regarding College-provided Wireless Devices and access to College information services on personally owned devices.

10. Deactivate accounts immediately upon notification that a Wireless Device has been lost or stolen.

11. Erase all data and information on a College-provided Wireless Device and return it to the original factory settings upon receipt from Human Resources.

C. Responsibilities of Human Resources:

1. Maintain a signed copy of the Wireless Device Request Form in User's employee file.

2. Take possession of the Wireless Device on the User's final day of employment and forward it to Information Services.

3. Authorize the use of the security wipe software if needed.

VII. Policy Management

Responsible Executive: Director of Information Services
Responsible Offices: Information Services/Human Resources