Student Telephone Quick Reference Guide

Services & Dialing

How do I sign up for telephone service?

Contact PAETEC CampusLink to sign up for telephone service at Northwestern.

Do I need to sign a telecommunications agreement?

While individual students will not sign telecommunications agreements, Greek houses do.

Do I need a landline if I only want to use my cell phone?

NUIT highly recommends that every student room have a landline phone to plug into the phone jack for 911 calls and other emergencies. So even if your cell phone is the primary way you call, make sure to bring an inexpensive desk phone. You will want to use it to conveniently make room-to-room calls (no PBN needed).

Do I need to bring my own telephone to campus?

You or one of your roommates will need to provide a touch-tone telephone. Cordless telephones are not recommended because privacy cannot be assured. If you wish, you may also bring an answering machine.

Only one telephone line will be provided to each room. All telecommunications devices should be plugged into the outlet marked with the purple icon. The other outlets are for personal computers.

Where do I find my phone number?

If you live in a University residence hall, the telephone number for your room is printed on your Residence and Board Contract. If you live in a Greek house, a list of room numbers and corresponding telephone numbers has been given to the Greek house. Telephone numbers are permanently assigned to a specific room and may not be moved from one room or hall to another.

How do I make an outgoing call?

Please consult the Residence Hall Telephone Tent Card for specific dialing instructions.

Do I have call waiting?

Yes, you are provided with call waiting.

You can cancel call waiting temporarily to prevent interruptions during outgoing calls. To cancel call waiting for an outgoing call, press *70. You will hear two beeps followed by a dial tone when call waiting has been successfully cancelled. Place the call to the other party. When your connection is terminated, call waiting is reactivated automatically.

Does NUIT block calls?

The following types of calls are blocked because they cannot be billed to your PBN:

• Incoming third-party billing calls
• Incoming collect calls
• Outgoing calls to 9 + 1 + 900 + Telephone Number (Pay-per-Call services)
• Outgoing calls to 9 + 1 + 700 + Telephone Number (special carrier services)
• Outgoing calls to 9 + 976 + Telephone Number (recorded messages)
• Attempts to have calls made through other carriers billed to your room or PBN

Can I make/accept collect calls?

Because there is no way to easily identify which roommate would accept an incoming collect call, collect calls placed to your room will be blocked, as they are to nearly all other University telephones.

There are no restrictions on "outgoing" collect calls (collect calls made from the NU Campus Network to locations outside the Network).

How can I report harassing or obscene phone calls?

Harassment by telephone is a violation of Illinois State Law. Report harassing or abusive calls to the Northwestern University Police for investigation at 1-3254.

Billing & Rates

What is PAETEC?

NUIT has contracted PAETEC Communications, Inc., as its billing agent for residence hall telephone services. PAETEC specializes in providing billing services for University students.

What is a PBN?

After you sign up for the PAETEC telephone service, you will receive a Personal Billing Number (PBN) which gives you the freedom to place calls and receive an individualized bill. On-campus calls do not require the use of a PBN. If you live in an undergraduate residence hall, you can use your PBN from the telephone in your Greek house or residence hall room and in rooms in other undergraduate residence halls.

Do not share your PBN with anyone! By using your PBN, you agree to pay for all calls placed with your PBN whether or not you made them. Therefore, you should treat your PBN like a credit card and protect it.

Whatif I lose my PBN?

If you lose or forget your PBN, or suspect that your PBN has been stolen, contact Customer Care immediately. PAETEC will disable your original PBN and a new PBN will be assigned.

What is my calling budget?

A $250 credit limit has been automatically set to help you manage your calling budget. If you exceed your credit limit, your PBN may be deactivated within 24 hours. Your PBN will be reinstated within 24 hours only after full payment is received. If you wish to lower your credit limit of have questions about how your credit limit works, please contact Customer Care. Please remember, you are responsible for all charges on your account including calls placed with your PBN and other additional charges which may exceed your credit limit.

Is it my responsibility to cancel my telephone service?

How do I pay my bill?

You can pay your bill in one of three ways:

• By Web: Payment can be made with American Express, Discover, MasterCard, or VISA on the Web at www.campuslink.paetec.com

• By Mail: Mail payments in the return envelope. Please allow 7 to 10 business days for the payment to reach PAETEC by the due date. Please make your check or money order payable to PAETEC/Campuslink and be sure to include your account number on your check. Mail your payment to:

  PAETEC/Campuslink (NWU)
  1530 Eisenhower Place
  Ann Arbor, MI 48108
  
  
• By Phone: Payment can be made by phone with American Express, Discover, MasterCard, or VISA by calling PAETEC Customer Care.

Are there any late fees?

What are the rates for domestic and international long-distance rates?

Can I use another carrier's service?

You may use other carriers' services to make calling-card, credit-card, collect, and third-party billing calls. However, you must have an appropriate means of paying for these calls. Only direct-dialed calls (calls dialed using 9 + 1 + Area Code + Telephone Number, followed by your PBN) can be included in your monthly statement from PAETEC. No other calls can be billed to your NU telephone number or PBN.

How do I change my mailing address for billing?

If your prefer to have your bill sent to a different location, please call Customer Care or complete the address change information on the reverse side of the remittance slip you include with payment. Please note that it may take up to two billing cycles for your address change to be completed.

What happens if I fail to make a payment?

If payment in full is not received within 90 days of the original billing date, your account will be transferred to Northwestern University's Office of Student Accounts for collection. This action will restrict your registration for classes and encumber your academic records. To reverse this action, the outstanding balance, plus a $10 Student Accounts Collection Fee, must be paid. To pay, have the Student Telephone Payment receipt validated at the Bursar's office, 619 Clark Street, Evanston (1-5224). Once the receipt is validated, you can deliver it to NUIT's Billing Office at 1800 Sherman Avenue, Suite 206, in Evanston. You can also fax it to 7-6500 (847-467-6500 from outside the NU Campus Network) or return it via campus mail to 1800 Sherman Avenue, Suite 206, Evanston Campus.

It is your responsibility to know the status of your account at all times. If you have not received your current billing statement, it is your responsibility to contact Customer Care to update your mailing information. Failure to make payment on your account will result in the following:

• At 30 days after invoicing, your bill will reflect a previous due balance, and you may be contacted in reference to your balance.
• At 45 days after invoicing, you may receive weekly telephone calls requesting payment in full.
• At 60 days after invoicing, your PBN will be deactivated until full payment is received. At this point, your account moves into PAETEC's internal collections department.
• At 90 days after invoicing, your account will be turned over to the Northwestern's Office of Student Accounts.

What happens to my phone if I move to a different room or Greek house?

If you move to a different room, you must contact PAETEC when you move and inform them of the change to ensure that you will continue to receive your monthly bills from PAETEC.

If you move to a Greek house from a residence hall, you must call PAETEC customer Care at 1-800-962-4772 to have your PBN recoded. In addition, if you already have a PBN and are moving to a Greek house just for the summer, you may continue to use your PBN over the summer. Anyone who moves into a Greek house after the start of school in September and wants a PBN must obtain the PBN from PAETEC.

Who do I contact for billing inquiries and adjustments?

Questions regarding billing of repairs should be referred to NUIT's Billing Office at 7-1000 (847-467-1000 from outside the NU Campus Network). Inquiries concerning all other billing matters should be referred to PAETEC at 1-800-962-4772. If you dispute any charges, call PAETEC immediately after you receive your bill. Verbal requests can be accepted if they are made within 30 days of receipt of the bill.

If you do not receive your bill, call PAETEC to verify your correct billing address and to request a copy of the bill. Inquiries will be handled most efficiently if you call PAETEC. If you cannot reach a PAETEC representative, or if you prefer to speak with NUIT Technology Support Services, call our offices between 8:30 a.m. and 5:00 p.m., Monday through Friday, at 7-5560 (847-467-5560 from outside the NU Campus Network).

Directory & Contact Information

Is there a Northwestern Directory?

Yes, you can access the Northwestern University Online Directory to locate available contact information for Northwestern faculty, staff, and students.

Are other telephone directories provided?

"White Page" and "Yellow Page" directories for Evanston are bulk shipped to your residence hall in September.

Are there charges for Directory Assistance?

There are varying charges for directory assistance calls. To obtain Directory Assistance for Area Codes 224, 312, 331, 630, 708, 773 or 847, dial 9 + 411 + your PBN. For phone numbers outside the Chicago area, dial 9 + 1 + the area code + 555-1212 + your PBN. To obtain international phone numbers, you must use a long-distance calling card or your credit card. These calls will be charged directly to your calling card or credit card.

How do I change my contact information?

Access CAESAR, the Web-enabled Student Enterprise System, to report changes, additions, or deletions to your student information.

Repairs

What if I have problems with my telephone service?

NUIT provides working dial-tone hookup to each residence hall room and sleeping rooms in Greek houses. The outlet marked with the purple icon should provide a dial tone. Should a problem arise with your telephone service, test your outlet to determine the source of the problem(s). Use a telephone and cord that you know are in good working condition and test the outlet in your room marked with the purple icon.

If you are able to call out with the substitute telephone and cord without any difficulties, your telephone or cord is probably the cause of the problem. If the problem recurs with the substitute equipment, the problem is probably with the NU Campus Network. If the problem is making local or long-distance calls with your PBN, the problem may be that your PBN has been deactivated. Call our Service Repair Center at 611 at anytime -- 24 hours a day, 7 days a week -- to report any of the following problems: no dial tone, static, trouble placing campus calls, trouble with call waiting or trouble with incoming calls.

When you call 611, you will be asked for your name, address and room number; your NU ID number; the number of the telephone with the problem, a brief description of the problem; and a working telephone number where you can be reached. NUIT will test the line and attempt to clear the trouble. If it is determined that a technician must be dispatched to your room, an appointment will be made no sooner than the next business day between 8:30 a.m. and 5:00 p.m., Monday through Friday, except for holidays. You must specify a two-hour window during which someone will be available to let the technician in your room.

It is your responsibility to make arrangements to provide access to your telephone outlet for the NUIT technician. Technicians will not enter a room unescorted; you or your designated representative must be available to provide access to your telephone outlets and must remain with the technician throughout the visit. The NUIT technician will leave a summary card detailing the nature of the problem and how it was resolved, as well as the date and time of the visit. If a technician responds during a scheduled time frame and cannot gain entry due to the absence of you or your representative, you will be charged for the visit, and it will be your responsibility to reschedule the repair by calling 611.

Note: NUIT does not repair or replace telephones. Contact the manufacturer or the place of purchase to arrange for repairs.

What are the service repair rates?

Repairs are free of charge unless any of the following apply:

• Repair was required because of vandalism or tempering with NUIT jacks, lines or equipment
• You were not present during the scheduled time frame
• A technician was dispatched and the problem was found to be with your telephone (or other equipment) or its attachment to the jack

When repair charges are applicable, consult the Service and Equipment Charge List. Charges will be billed to the roommate who placed the repair call. The repair charges will appear on that roommate's next monthly billing statement from PAETEC. However, questions regarding billing of repairs should be referred to NUIT's Billing Office at 7-1000.

Note: In the case of an emergency repair, premium rates will apply.