There are fewer cell phones ringing at Kansas University these days.

“We’ve gone through every cell phone that was out there and turned a bunch of them off,” said Barry Swanson, director of business services and purchasing.

KU has shut off roughly 300 phones in recent months in accordance with a new cell phone policy. That leaves the number of university-sponsored phones at 150 with the process still ongoing, Swanson said.

It’s not meant to be a cost-saving measure – though that will be one result, said Lindy Eakin, vice provost for administration and finance. Rather, the move is KU’s attempt to institute policies to prevent abuse.

“It’s trying to rationalize and bring some order to things,” Eakin said.

Swanson said the changes have been a bit controversial.

All university cell phones must be approved by a committee. Cell phones are approved for employees who fit one of three criteria:

l They perform the majority of their duties in the field and a land-line phone would be inefficient. Examples would be Facilities Operations staff and information technology staff.

l They must be accessible in case of emergency. Examples: the chancellor, director of university relations and director of public safety.

l Their jobs require periodic travel or emergency contact. Example: admissions recruiters.

“A lot of executive types are not getting cell phones,” Swanson said. “Just because you’re in position of higher authority doesn’t mean you need a cell phone.”

Swanson would not say Friday which employees or specific departments have cell phones. He said phones are permitted only for those who meet the criteria.

Eakin, who does not have a university cell phone, said there have been about a dozen or fewer appeals for those who’ve had their phones shut off.

Swanson said he didn’t qualify for a university cell phone, and he didn’t want one anyway.

“It’s just a personal choice for me,” he said. “The hassle factor, it’s just not worth it.”

Doug Riat, director of Facilities Operations, said he has some problems with the changes.

In the hours following the March 12 microburst storm, Riat said he made several calls to a staffer who was essential to the cleanup. Little did Riat know that the staffer had previously been required to turn his university cell phone in.

“I didn’t know he was using his personal cell phone,” Riat said. “He was key to the cleanup in the aftermath of the storm.”

Riat said his department fared pretty well in the policy change. Two of about 30 cell phones were shut off. But both cell phones were useful.

One was used for the recycling program. Staff recycle in a spot where there’s no land line, he said. The other phone was used by housekeeping.

He said he thought some incorrectly assumed that various personnel spent the bulk of their time in the office.

“I thought we had evolved to the point where we had improved communications … using the cell phone and the technology that was available to us,” he said. “I’m not sure why we’d take away that tech and those opportunities to improve.”