Faculty/Staff Voice Mail Features Call Sender: This feature allows you to be connected to the extension that sent you a message by quickly pressing 8 8 after the message is played.

Message Locator: Enables you to find out if a message that you have sent has been heard. After you have accessed your mailbox, press 3 to locate messages. Then, enter the mailbox number you sent a message to, which usually is the 7-digit telephone number. The system will then give you a status of the message.

System Distribution List: This is a voice mail list, like a group list, that can have up to 300 mailboxes. With this type of list, you can record one message from your mailbox and then send that message to every mailbox on the list. This is an easy, efficient way to get information to everyone in a department quickly. Contact the Mason Mail Administrator with a listing of all of the people and extensions in your department. A listing will be created for you.

Mailbox Message Capacity
Maximum greeting length: 2:00 minutes
Maximum message length: 5:00 minutes
Maximum messages (new and archived): 40
New messages kept: 30 days
Saved messages kept: 30 days
Outcalling: Allowed
Maximum number of group lists: 15
Number of destinations per list: 25
Deletion warning: System automatically deletes messages over 30 days old

Call Processing Summaries: Departments with voice mail menus can be provided with monthly and/or weekly activity reports. These reports show what callers press once they reach the voice mail menu and are helpful in determining the effectiveness of an application. Contact the Mason Mail Administrator to request these summaries.

Skip a Greeting: During the playing of the greeting, press #. This will send you directly to the tone to leave a message. (This does not work if the mailbox has an extended absence greeting recorded.) To skip a message, press #.

Rewind: During the playing of the message, press 1 to rewind 10 seconds. To rewind to the beginning of a message, press 1 1.

Pause: During the playing of a message, press 2 to pause the message. Press 2 again to restart the message.

Fast Forward: During the playing of the message, press 3 to fast forward 10 seconds. To fast forward to the end of a message, press 3 3.

Slow Down: During the playing of the message, press 4 to slow down the playback of the message. Press 4 4 to play the message at the slowest setting.

Envelope: During the playing of the message or immediately after the end, press 5 to hear the sender (subscriber is on our voice mail system or outside caller if not), the date and time of the message, the length, and the status (private or urgent).

Speed Up: During the playing of the message, press 6 to accelerate playback speed. Press 6 6 to play at the fastest setting.

Normal Volume: To play the message at the normal volume, press 8.

Louder Volume: To play the message at a louder volume, press 9.

Forward: Will send a copy of a message into another mailbox:
  • At the end of the message that you want to forward, press 6
  • Enter the mailbox number where you want to send the message
    * If you don't know the mailbox number, you can press the # key and then dial by name (last name first) using the telephone keypad.
  • Press #
Transfer a Caller into a Mailbox:
  • With the caller on the line, press the TRANSFER button (or LINK button on a single line set)
  • Dial extension 3-4455
  • When you hear, "Welcome..." dial the 5-digit extension of the person for whom the caller wants to leave a voice message
  • Press the TRANSFER button (or LINK button) again. The caller will hear the voice mail greeting

Express Messaging top
Express messaging is used to transfer a caller directly into a voice mailbox. When a caller asks to be transferred to someone's voice mailbox, follow these steps:

Multi-line phone (2008 or 2616)
  • With the caller on the line, press the Conference or Transfer key.
  • Dial extension 3-4455 for Expess Messaging.
  • When the line connects and you hear, "Please enter the 5-digit extension of the person you are calling followed by the # sign," enter the 5-digit extension (you can enter the 5-digit extension as soon as the 3-4455 line connects).
  • You will then hear the greeting that is recorded on that 5-digit extension.
  • Press the Conference or Transfer key again. The caller will hear the greeting.
  • Hang up your handset.
Single-line phone (8009 or 8314)
  • With the caller on the line, press the Link key.
  • Dial extension 3-4455 for Express Messaging.
  • When the line connects and you hear, "Please enter the 5-digit extension of the person you are calling followed by the # sign," enter the 5-digit extension (you can enter the 5-digit extension as soon as the 3-4455 line connects).
  • You will then hear the greeting that is recorded on that 5-digit extension.
  • Press the Link key again. The caller will hear the greeting.
  • Hang up your handset.

Voice Mail Greetings top

To change your greeting:


Away from your desk, but in the office: access your mailbox then press 4, 3, and finally 1.

Sample: Hello, this is Sally Jones in the Telecom Administration Department at George Mason University. I'm away from my desk at the moment, but please leave a detailed message at the tone and I'll return your call as soon as possible.

If your call requires immediate assistance, please press 0 and your call will be transferred to our Administrative Assistant at extension 3-xxxx.
On the phone: access your mailbox then press 4, 3, and finally 1.
Sample: Hello, this is Sally Jones in the Telecom Administration Department at George Mason University. I am currently on the phone, but if you'll leave a detailed message at the tone, I'll return your call as soon as possible.

If your call requires immediate assistance, please press 0 and your call will be transferred to our Administrative Assistant at extension 3-xxxx.
Extended Absence Greeting (out of the office) for an extended absence greeting, access your mailbox and press 4, 3, and then 2:
Sample: Hello, this is Sally Jones in the Telecom Administration Department at George Mason University. I will be out of the office today, April 1. Please leave a detailed message at the tone and I'll return your call tomorrow; or, press 0 and your call will be transferred to our Administrative Assistant at extension 3-xxxx.

-OR-

Sample: Hello, this is Sally Jones in the Telecom Administration Department at George Mason University. I will be out of the office until Monday, April 1, but I will be checking my messages daily, so please leave a detailed message at the tone.

If your call requires immediate assistance, please press 0 and your call will be transferred to our Administrative Assistant at extension 3-xxxx.

Press zero feature should be programmed on each voice mailbox in your department. If you are not sure if your mailbox or your department's mailboxes have a zero out feature, contact the Mason Mail Administrator.

Voice Mail Problems top

Delayed Messages: If you share an extension and the message indicator on your phone is not working to indicate new messages, please verify with the people you share your phone with if he/she has checked his/her mail recently. Our voice mail system will turn off the indicator on your extension whenever a mailbox is checked, even if the other mailbox(s) assigned to that extension has new, unheard messages. Therefore, if you share an extension you should ALWAYS check your voice mail for messages, EVEN if there is no indicator light.

Busy Signals: Occasionally you will encounter busy signals when trying to access voice mail. This typically happens at the beginning of each semester and during exam time when student usage is at its peak. Also, in the afternoon between the hours of 2 pm and 5 pm student usage is usually high. Please be patient and try dialing into voice mail again if a busy signal is encountered.

Password Problems: If you are new to the voice mail system and need to set up or initialize your mailbox, you can either click on one of the following:

Single User Extension
Users Who Share an Extension

Or contact the ITU Support Center at extension 3-8870 support@gmu.edu.

Message Indicators: The light on the phone periodically stays on even when there are no new messages in a mailbox or in any of the mailboxes assigned to an extension (if shared). This tends to happen if the entire system has been without power for any length of time. Once the power comes back on, it takes a while for the system to reset the indicators.

QuickStart Guide: top
Voice Mail for a Single User Extension

Your individual mailbox number is your 7-digit telephone number.

To initialize your mailbox:
  • Dial extension 3-4500. Enter the temporary password (the same number as your mailbox).
  • Follow the voice prompts.
To access voice mail from your office (on campus):
  • Dial extension 3-4500. Enter your password.
  • Follow the voice prompts. You will only be given the option to press 1 to listen to messages or 2 to send a message. However, you have several other options you can use at this time. (See users guide.)

To access voice mail from off campus:
  • Dial 703-993-4500, then press (*).
  • Enter your mailbox number.
  • Enter your password, then follow the voice prompts.
To change your password (after mailbox has initially been set up):
  • Dial extension 3-4500. Enter your temporary password and press 4 for Personal Options.
  • Press 2 for Administrative Options.
  • Press 1 for Passwords.
  • Press 1 for Personal Passwords. Follow the prompts to change your password. Choose any 5+-digit number that is easy for you to remember, but difficult for others to guess.
To change your recorded name:
  • Dial extension 3-4500. Enter your password.
  • Press 4 for Personal Options.
  • Press 3 for Greetings.
  • Press 3 to record your name, follow the prompts.
To change your personal greeting:
  • Dial extension 3-4500. Enter your password.
  • Press 4 for Personal Options.
  • Press 3 for Greetings.
  • Press 1 to record your personal greeting, follow the prompts.

Should you require any additional information, refer to the Octel User's Guide or call extension 3-3500.

QuickStart Guide: top
Voice Mail for Those Who Share an Extension

Your individual mailbox number must be assigned to you by the Mason Mail Administrator before you can set up your mailbox.

Please note: after you dial extension 3-4500 and the line connects into the voice mail system, you must ALWAYS PRESS *. You must always ignore the prompt asking for a password. If you do not press * after connecting to extension 3-4500, you will not have access to your mailbox.

Also, you should always check your voice mailbox for messages, even if the light is NOT lit on your telephone. Our voice mail system will turn off the indicator on your telephone whenever a mailbox associated with your line is checked, even if the other mailbox(s) assigned to that extension has new, unheard messages. The light will not go on again until another new message is sent into one of the mailboxes.

To access your voice mail from your office (on campus):
  1. Dial extension 3-4500. (Ignore the system prompt, "Please enter your password.") Press (*), then your mailbox number (xxxxxxx).
  2. Follow the voice prompts. You will only be given the option to press 1 to listen to messages or 2 to send a message. However, you have several other options you can use at this time. (See the Quick Reference Guide for Aria Software.)
To access your voice mail from off campus:
  1. Dial extension 3-4500, then press (*).
  2. Enter your mailbox number (xxxxxxx).
  3. Enter your password, and then follow the voice prompts.
To change your password (after the mailbox has initially been set up):
  1. Dial extension 3-4500, then press (*). Enter your mailbox number (xxxxxxx) and then your password. Press 4 for Personal Options.
  2. Press 2 for Administrative Options, then press 1 to change Administration Options.
  3. Press 1 to change password and then, press 1 again to change your personal password. Choose any 5+-digit number that is easy for you to remember, but difficult for others to guess.
To change your recorded name:
  1. Dial extension 3-4500, then press (*). Enter your mailbox number (xxxxxxx) and then your password.
  2. Press 4 for Personal Options.
  3. Press 3 for Greetings.
  4. Press 3 to record your name. Follow the prompts.
To change your personal greeting:
  1. Dial extension 3-4500, then press (*). Enter your mailbox number (xxxxxxx) and then your password.
  2. Press 4 for Personal Options.
  3. Press 3 for Greetings.
  4. Press 1 to change your personal greeting, and then press 2 to record your personal greeting.
  5. Press 1 to change your greeting when the line is not answered or press 2 to change your greeting when the line is busy.

For additional information, refer to the Quick Reference Guide for Aria Software or call extension 3-3500 and request the User Reference Manual for Octel Aria.