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The Brooklyn College telecommunications system has about 3,000 phone lines and more than 4,000 telephone instruments. Our completely modern, digital communications system is particularly reliable and provides many conveniences, including telephone handsets that provide many useful features. The digital technology allows Telecommunications to serve the Brooklyn College community with 21st-century technology. In addition to answering, installing, and repairing phone voice systems, our office continuously gathers and analyzes campus telecom data to keep our communication systems up and running reliably. Our Distributed Antenna System (DAS) employs contemporary technology to enhance cell phone coverage in previously unreachable areas on the campus.
The operators answer the college’s main consoles and respond to thousands of calls each week. They are on duty from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., Monday through Thursday, and 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Friday. They are often the public’s first contact with the college and are prepared to handle all types of calls. The operators have helped everyone from immigrants about to become American citizens who need directions to the college, to senior alumni who have received letters from the president requesting that they pick up their diplomas, sometimes 60 years after graduation.
Telecommunications administers all telephone calls made and received on campus, including interdepartmental, intradepartmental, domestic, and international calls.
Our technicians ensure that the vast majority of telephone repairs are completed within 24 hours. They are responsible for moving telephones and telephone unit changes. The technicians also work closely with ITS and outside vendors whenever major changes or upgrades are implemented in the phone system.
Our support staff administers and manages daily operations of the department, including projects both large and small and assessment of repair priorities.
The voice mail system operates 24 hours a day, seven days a week, and averages 1,000 incoming calls per day. Telecom uses voice mail to disseminate special or emergency messages for the campus and will record general greetings for major departments, when required. The voice mail system picks up calls in a timely manner, records messages when an extension is unanswered or busy, and directs calls to individual’s voice mail box when the called party is unavailable. Voice mail provides the added benefit of improving internal communications, by allowing employees to send, receive and forward voice messages to each other. It has also enhanced the college’s services to students. We encourage you to consult our voice mail instruction card (PDF).
Telecom administers all campus fax operations.
Telecom generates the Brooklyn College in-house phone directory, which is updated periodically and published on the main college website site. Data is compiled and published for staff, faculty, and administration.
This service allows authorized staff to submit directory change requests to the Office of Telecommunications and manage department office hours.
For offices and departments that experience a very high call volume on a daily basis, Telecommunications can incorporate them into our Automatic Call Distribution (ACD) system. This is a server-based technology that handles calls through a queuing system that directs callers to waiting agents on a first-come, first-served basis. During extremely high call periods, callers who would rather not wait can initiate a callback that holds their place in the queue. An agent will can them back when their call reaches the head of the queue.
Telecommunications no longer provides virtual conference services. Staff and faculty who need a conference call should use CUNY’s Enterprise Zoom services with their CUNYfirst credentials. Call the Helpdesk at 718.951.4357 and select Option 1 should you require assistance setting up your Zoom account.
