Beginning with the fall semester of 2008, telephone service will no longer be automatically provided in the residence hall student rooms and Corps of Cadets student rooms. So that adequate phone service will be available for personal or emergency use, students will have access to a "public hallway phone" on every residential floor of every building and live-in staff will be provided with a land line phone in their rooms, apartments and offices.

Over the last few years the Department of Residence Life has found that most students use cellular phone service as their sole/primary voice communication with family and friends. Surveys completed in the fall of 2006 show over 97% of students have cell phones. It seems the need for land line service has declined to such a point that it is no longer necessary, or fiscally responsible, for the Department of Residence Life to spend approximately USD $800,000 per year on services students use infrequently. Eliminating local land line phone service in student rooms is a sound fiscal decision that will allow us to reduce operating costs, thereby minimizing rate increases passed along to residents.

Residents who prefer local land line phone service may request installation of the service by submitting an online Application to Connect New Landline Telephone Serviceto the Department of Residence Life, Office of Facilities and Operations. The cost for local land line telephone service beginning with the Fall semester of 2008 has been set at a non-refundable price of USD $90.00 for the Fall and Spring semesters, or USD $45.00 for either the Spring semester or the Summer.

Applications for telephone service for the fall semester of 2008 will not be accepted until after June 1, 2008. When the online application is active, all students who have applied to live on campus will be sent a notification to their TAMU email account.

For all questions about local telephone service in the residence halls, please refer to the Frequently Asked Questions below, or contact the Department of Residence Life Office of Facilities & Operations, at 979.862.3150 or facilities-operations@housing.tamu.edu

Frequently Asked Questions

1. How do I subscribe to local telephone service for my room?

2. How much does it cost to subscribe to local telephone service in my room?

3. What if both roommates want local telephone service?

4. How long will it take for the local telephone service to be activated in my room?

5. How will I know my telephone number, and when will it be issued to me?

6. Is a telephone instrument included in the local telephone subscription price?

7. What features are included in the subscription price for local telephone service?

8. How do I dial on-campus and off-campus numbers with my telephone?

9. Can I get long distance service with my local telephone service in my room?

10. Can I get voice mail service with my local telephone service in my room?

11. How do I disconnect the local telephone service if I no longer want it?

12. What do I need to do if I move rooms after my phone service is activated?

13. What do I do if I am experiencing problems with my local telephone service?

14. Where are the public hallway phones located in each building?

15. Can I make long distance calls from the public hallways phones?

Download the Local Telephone Service FAQ in Adobe Acrobat PDF Format.