Telephone Services
The telephone system at Rhode Island College consists of a Meridian 1 Option 81C system manufactured by Northern Telecom, Inc. It is a digital PBX that offers voice messaging, call accounting, and management components.
The campus telephones consist of a combination of digital and analogue sets. Instructions on the use of these instruments, as well as the use of voice messaging, can be obtained from Telephone Services.
Telephone Operator Services
The switchboard operator will assist callers in reaching any member of the college community. However, before calling, please refer to your Campus Directory. The campus operators (located in the Henry Barnard 225) answer incoming and on-campus calls from 7am to 7pm Monday through Friday. They can provide on-campus directory assistance for new listings. Please do not call the switchboard with technical questions relating to telephones or reports of malfunctions. These types of questions or concerns should be directed to the Help Desk at extension 8803 between the hours of 8am and 5pm, Monday through Friday. Coordinates billing functions for office phones, pagers, and cell phones.
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Voice Mail Accounts
Requesting a new account
Call the Help Desk at 456-8803 and make a request for a new account. Please specify who you are and the phone. Please be advised that at least one week notice it required.
Resetting a voice mail account or password
You must first call the Help Desk at 456-8803 and ask them to reset the account or pass code for the Voice Mail Box. Telephone Services will usually reset it within 24 hours assigning a temporary pass code of which you will be notified. Once you access your Voice Mail Box via the temporary pass code, press 84 for User Options and listen for the prompt to change the temporary pass code to a private pass code of your choice.
Secondary Voice Mailboxes
Mailboxes assigned to those who do not have an individual extension. To request a secondary voice mailbox contact the Help Desk at 456-8803 providing the individual's name and department. A caller wanting to leave a message in a secondary mailbox will dial 456-1998, enter the secondary mailbox number and press the # key. To retrieve your messages dial 456-1999, enter the secondary mailbox number, and your pass code.
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Reporting a problem with your telephone
For College departmental and office phones
If you are experiencing a problem with your telephone line, please test your telephone equipment on another outlet to determine whether the problem is in the line or the equipment. If the problem appears to be in the telephone line please report the trouble to Help Desk at 456-8803.
Telephone Services does not repair or service privately owned telephone equipment. Telephone Services will repair the College's lines and equipment at no charge; however, a fee may be assessed for user-caused damages.
For Resident Students
If you are a student residing in the dorms, your private phone line in your room is provided by Verizon. You must contact Verizon directly at 555-1611 to report a problem.
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Requesting a new phone, fax, or modem line
Call the Help Desk at 456-8803 and make a request for a new phone. Please specify who you are and location of the phone (include building, room and if there is a phone jack) and due date. Please be advised that at least one week notice it required. Please note that this office is NOT responsible for the assignment of cell phones. To place a request for a cell phone/pager permission is required from Information Services.
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Requesting a new phone in the residence halls
Students receive their telephone service from Verizon. To order a phone line, contact Verizon directly at 1-888-225-8520.
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Moving an existing phone
Call the Help Desk at 456-8803 and schedule a move date for both your computer and telephone. Please specify where you are moving from (include building, room and jack number), where you will be moving to (include new building, room and jack number), and estimated time frame. Please be advised that at least one week notice it required for a timely move.
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Harassing, Threatening, Obscene and Annoyance Calls
If you receive harassing, threatening or obscene calls you should contact the Department of Safety & Security at 456-8201 immediately.
In an emergency such as a bomb threat, threat against person or property, etc., contact Safety & Security and make a note of the date, time and duration of the call. Note of the caller's gender, any identifying voice characteristics (tone, tempo, speed, pitch and volume) and, of course, anything the caller said. This information will be helpful in trying to track down the caller and respond to the incident effectively.
In the case of annoyance calls, please contact the Office of Telephone Services at 456-9585. Annoyance calls include such things as unsolicited fax messages, 'runaway fax machines' that repeatedly dial your number, computer calls to your voice line and other non-malicious, non-threatening calls.
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Emergency (Blue Light) Telephone Locations
The Rhode Island College campus has 52 Emergency (Blue Light) Telephones including the locations below:
- Front Side Recreation Center
- Back Side Whipple Hall
- Parking Lot B
- Art Center
- Front Side Fogarty Life Science
- Back Side Gaige Hall
- Back Side Murray Center
- DDC under bridge w/Student Union
- Front Side Thorpe
- Front Side Browne
- Front Side Willard
- Front Side Weber
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