Why are we making the change from using 9 to 7 for external calling?

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Shortly after making this change, the Lehigh University Police department started - and have continued - to receive a high number of 911 misdials.  Whether a 911 call is real or a misdial, the police are still required to visit the originating location of each 911 call.  Misdialed 911 calls also strain the Northampton County 911 system and tax other resources which can cause unnecessary delays in services. To address these potentially serious issues, the university has decided to change the outside access digit from 9 to 7.

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Can I continue to use 9 to get an outside line?

Yes, you can continue to use 9 for an outside line until July 19, 2021 at 6:00 p.m. However, we encourage you to begin using 7 immediately to get into the habit before 9 is discontinued.No - the outside access digit 9 was discontinued from use on 7/19/21.  

What about auto-dialers such as fax machines?

During the transition period between June 8th and July 19th, you should Please reprogram any auto-dialing devices such as fax machines. After July 19th, the   After 7/19/21, any auto-dialers that have not been reprogramed for 7 will no longer work. For more information on how to reconfigure some of the common multi-function devices refer to tips for configuring autodialers.

Will I be able to dial 911 using 7?

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What about other types of calls, like international or information - how do I dial them?

Please consult the campus telephone dialing instructions page.