This content was published: August 31, 2010. Phone numbers, email addresses, and other information may have changed.
PCC has new telephone numbers
Photos and story by James Hill
Last summer, we converted to our PCC “four digit dialing” phone numbers to a new area code (971) and prefix (722) for all campuses and locations. This includes changing the main college phone number (503) 244-6111 to (971) 722-6111. The old PCC telephone numbers with the 503 area code are currently being forwarded to the new (971) 722-XXXX phone numbers and will continue to be forwarded until October 1, 2011. If someone calls your old (503) number, the call is automatically forwarded to the new number.
Staff and faculty will have until October 1, 2011 to get new business cards, change their phone number in printed materials and update contact information. TSS has updated the phone numbers in Banner, the staff directory and main PCC website. The college’s Marketing Department will continue to work with departments and vendors to update printed materials, catalogs, schedules and telephone books.
Frequently Asked Questions
What if a Caller Dials an “Old” PCC Number After the Change?
No problem! Once the change is made for your campus, FOR ONE FULL YEAR (SUMMER 2010 – Fall 2011), calls will be automatically directed to the new number. So if a person calls either the “old” PCC number OR the new one, their call will be automatically routed over to the new number.
The one year window will give the college enough time to communicate the new phone numbers, change any fliers and websites that include the old numbers, and make changes to internal college systems like Banner. Callers who call the “old” number will not be able to tell their call has been re-routed.
When Will The Change Happen?
During the Summer and Fall, Telephone Services will be working behind the scenes to implement this change on a campus-by-campus basis.
But REMEMBER: for one full year, you will be able to use the current number OR the new number to call someone at PCC.
- CLIMB: July 23, 2010
- PMWTC: July 28
- SE Campus: July 30
- Cascade: August 6
- Rock Creek: August 13
- Sylvania: August 20
- New Hillsboro Center: August 27
Why are we making this change? What are the Advantages?
1. Currently, callers must use one of 13 different phone number prefixes, depending on which campus they’re calling, to call someone at PCC. (977, 614, 978, etc.) Under the new system, ALL PCC phone numbers will begin the same way.
2. Only PCC will have phone numbers that start with 971-722. No other entity besides PCC will have these numbers.
3. All of the above will significantly cut down on callers misdialing and getting non-PCC people by mistake.
4. We have outgrown our system of adopting new phone numbers! Every time we add a new campus or location, we have to bring on a whole new prefix in order to get a contiguous set of numbers for our users.
5. If you know someone’s extension, you will easily know how to contact them from off-campus, even if you don’t know which campus they’re on.
All extension numbers – the last 4 digits of all numbers – will stay the same.
Why 971-722?
First, the 971 part – we have to change area codes because a contiguous, PCC-only block of phone numbers is not available to us within the 503 area code. (We have thousands of phones!)
Why 722? If you look at it in terms of the letter equivalents on the telephone keys, it spells “PCC”!
We will send you email updates to let you know when the change is being made for your campus. When the time comes, you can go in and verify that you can call yourself in two ways!
When will phone numbers be updated on the PCC website and other systems?
TSS will update the phone numbers of PCC web pages in September and in Banner and the Staff Directory in October. Marketing will work with departments and vendors to update printed materials, catalogs, schedules and telephone books. You have ONE YEAR to get new business cards, update your personal contact information and to change your phone number anywhere else it may be stored or saved.
Will this affect my PCC cell phone number or outside line?
No – PCC cell phone numbers and any outside phone or fax lines (where you can not use 4-digit dialing) will not be affected by this change.
Question: Are PCC cell phone numbers going to chage from the (503) area code as part of this project?
Answer: PCC cell phones are a leased service from cell phone service providers. PCC has no over control the phone number that a cell phone company hands out to cell phone customers. The PCC owned phone numbers that have been converted are the inter-campus, think four digit dialing, phone numbers.
About James Hill
James G. Hill, an award-winning journalist and public relations writer, is the Director of Public Relations at Portland Community College. A graduate of Portland State University, James has worked as a section editor for the Newberg Graphic... more »