SHSU Residence Hall Phones

• General Information
• Voice Mail Set-Up
• Voice Mail Use
• Bearkat Village & Sam Houston Village Phone Information

General Information

Sam Houston State University 's telephone system provides voice mail capability. Many of the rooms share a phone line with another room. For instance, four suitemates may share one phone line. This shared line is assigned a number we're calling your primary number. When you call someone who has caller I.D., only your primary number will display to them.

Each student receives his/her personal phone number. Your personal phone number will be assigned to you when you are first assigned your room. Even if you change rooms or residence halls in the future, you will be able to keep your same personal phone number. This is the phone number you'll want to give your friends and relatives. You'll receive voice mail through this personal phone number. Your personal phone number is the one that will be listed in the campus directory.

The main campus phone is 936-294-1111. If you can't find the on-campus number you need in this directory, call the University on-campus operators by dialing 0. You may also look up on-campus numbers on the Web page search option. If you do not want your directory information listed in our phone directory or on the Web, you may request that exclusion with the SamInfo Web link.

Your area code will be 936. You may call the Helpdesk at 41950 from your room if you are unsure what the phone number in your room is. You may also look your number up with the SamInfo link. You may also call the Helpdesk if you have a problem with your voice mail or your phone line.

To make a local call, dial 9 . Information about making long distance phone calls can be found below.

The phone voice mail service has a tutorial. Listen carefully to the instructions and you will be able to enter the information necessary to set up your voice mail, listen to your messages, save or delete messages, and set up your personal greeting for your voice mail.

Initial Use of Voice Mail

1. Dial 5555 or press Messages. This # is how you will access your voice mail each time.
2. Enter your 5-digit personal telephone number, followed by the # sign.
3. Next enter your 5-digit personal telephone number again; this time as your initial password followed by the # sign.
4. Your first time to use voice mail will take you automatically into the Tutorial. If you are accessing it later, you will want to Select Mailbox Setup to make the changes to make it your personal answering machine. These include Changing your Password, Recording Your Name, and Recording your Personal Greeting (Outgoing Message).
   • Changing Your Password: It is important that you change your password immediately to ensure you are the only one that can access it----as all passwords are set at the beginning of the Fall semester to your personal phone number. This should be a 4-6 digit number that you can easily remember.
   • Recording Your Personal Greeting: This is your outgoing message that callers to your personal phone number will hear.
   • Recording Your Name: This differs from your outgoing message. This is used when you MAKE calls. Your Name will be used when you leave a message on someone else's on-campus phone. You may record the message under Recording Your Name to include your name and personal phone number. If you don't enter your name, your primary number will precede your message to them---rather than your voice saying your name.

Using Voice Mail

From the Cisco phones, either push the Messages button or dial 5555. If you are not on a Cisco phone, then dial 62100. If you are dialing from an off-campus location, dial (936) 496-2100. Next, enter your password. The password is set to your 5-digit extension by default. After you first use the voice mail system, you have to set up your messages and such. Follow the instructions. Keep in mind that to delete a message, press 7 instead of 3. To change your password, press 0. Then, press 5 and follow the voice prompts. 

After hearing your messages, you may choose to delete, hear them again, or store them temporarily. The messages will be stored for one week, and then erased by the service.

If you forget your password for your voice mail you may call the Helpdesk at extension 41950. You will need to provide your name, primary and personal telephone numbers, and room location. To help ensure only you request this, please call from your room---so that we may cross-check you are the owner of that number.

You may contact the Helpdesk at 41950 with problems with your telephone line or voice mail.