Services

Delivery Procedures for USPS and Campus Mail

Each morning both USPS and campus mail are delivered and picked-up from all approved University offices (mail stops) located on--or contiguous to--the main campus by Campus Mail Service.

Campus mail carriers are not authorized to change the location of an office's mail stop or to add a new mail stop to their route. Requests for changes or additions to mail delivery routes must be submitted to Campus Mail Service on a Campus Mail Service Request form.

It is the responsibility of administrative and academic departments to distribute mail to the divisions within their mail stops.

What is campus mail?

Campus mail is defined as mail that normally originates and terminates within the campus environment. Items included are inter-departmental correspondence (non-USPS mail) and notices, bulletins, and circulars that are only distributed within the University.

What is permissible in campus mail?

The following classifications of non-USPS mail originating on the campus--or directed to University personnel--may be processed as campus mail if properly addressed and presented with all necessary approvals:

• inter-office communications
• University department circulars and bulletins

The following classifications are examples of mail which will not be accepted either at Campus Mail Service or by its carriers:

• any material, if stamped, which would be prohibited by federal postal regulations
• personal unstamped mail involving non-university organizations
• personal greetings
• literature, circulars, or notices originated by non-University organizations
• personal books
• petitions, money solicitations, and membership recruitment not originated by the University administration
• election or campaign literature of a partisan nature
• correspondence violating policies of the Board of Trustees of Southern Illinois University
• items of material value such as money, money orders, checks, etc.
• unstamped commercial solicitations
• unstamped advertisements for the sale of personal or real property

Addressing campus mail

Use manila-colored campus mail envelopes for mail bearing a campus address. Campus Mail envelopes are available from Printing/Duplicating Services in three sizes.

Campus mail may be addressed with the addressees' name and departmental 4-digit mailcode. The mailcode is to be entered in the "To" section of the campus mail envelope. Addresses may be typed or legibly handwritten. Mail that does not conform to this policy may be delayed one day in its delivery. Note: Upon the written request from a fiscal officer to the supervisor of Campus Mail Service, permission may be given to process 100 or more uniform pieces of campus mail without a return address (see Bulletins & Circular Regulations).

Forwarding Mail

University departments are responsible for forwarding mail addressed to former department employees. First class mail can be forwarded without additional postage.

To prepare the mailpiece for forwarding, draw a line through the incorrect address, readdress the mailpiece to the addressee's new address, and return it to Campus Mail Service. Do not remove or cover the old address.

Mail opened by mistake

If mail is opened by mistake, the mailpiece should be marked "Opened by mistake at (department's name)" and returned to Campus Mail Service for redistribution. Mail received at the University with incorrect address or incomplete address will be returned to USPS on a daily basis.

The University has delegated to Campus Mail Service the responsibility for ensuring that only letters of valid student or faculty organizations addressed to campus destinations are carried. This policy confirms that outside interests will not be allowed to use the internal mail system to distribute mail.

Private use of the service to advertise goods and services is not permissible.

To request an inter-office distribution, the University department or organization must submit a completed Campus Mail Service request form signed by the fiscal officer of the account. A sample of the mail piece must accompany the service request.

The contents of the mail piece should not be of a personal nature or to benefit any business or vendor.

The purpose of the event must be clearly communicated and in larger type than any co-sponsor names or logos. Co-sponsor information must be incidental to the main purpose, and any proceeds must benefit the University. References to co-sponsors should be limited to no more than one-third of the mail piece.

All unaddressed, unstamped notices, circulars, or bulletins distributed through Campus Mail Service should be a minimum of 5-1/2 by 8-1/2" in size and materials must be clearly legible. Whenever possible each piece should indicate in the text the names(s) and department of the individual(s) that originated the item. All requests for the distribution of unaddressed material must be made on a Campus Mail Service Request form, signed by the customer and the appropriate administrative officer of the area requesting the dissemination of the material.

Permission may be given to process 100 or more uniform pieces of campus mail without a return address if:

• all pieces are brought to Campus Mail Service
• the material can be addressed more economically by some mechanical method which would preclude the designation of a return piece
• the pieces are collated according to mailcode
• a separate Campus Mail Service Request form is submitted for each mailing in advance of the mailing date

When mailings consist of 100+ pieces, the following guidelines must be followed to prevent processing delay:

• all mailings are restricted to University business
• addresses must include department and mailcode
• mailing must be arranged in numerical order by mailcode
• multiple pieces destined for the same mailcode should be rubber-banded

Campus Mail Service affixes postage to outgoing mail for any University organization that has an operating account with the University. Organizations must submit information for their active accounts to Campus Mail Service so that they can be added to the billing system. Postage costs are charged to the University account that has been indicated by the attachment of a barcode slip copied from an original provided to them by Campus Mail Service. A barcode with the correct Department Postage Number (DPN) must be attached to the correct batch of mail in order for Campus Mail Service to properly process it and the return address must be an identifiable official University return address.

If a department utilizes more than one account for postage charges, mail for each account should be separated and a DPN attached for each account before it is picked up by a Campus Mail Service mail carrier. Indicate on all mail, other than first class pieces, the class of mail desired (refer to Classes of Mail).

Large quantities of outgoing mail requiring metered postage must be separated into domestic and international. Letter envelopes sent to Campus Mail Service that require sealing must be stacked with their flaps closed and facing the same direction. Any flats, or larger envelopes, should be sealed before they arrive at Campus Mail Service because the postage equipment cannot seal them.

First Class Mail

First class mail includes typewritten or handwritten material, carbon copies, form letters which have typed or handwritten insertions, and magnetic data tapes or computer diskettes.

First Class Presort

Qualifying first class letters containing at least 500 pieces of identical first class domestic mail may qualify for a cent discount if properly sorted and bundled by zip-code. For complete instructions, contact Campus Mail Service.

Registered Mail

Registered mail is available for the protection and insurance of first class mail. The fee depends on the value declared. Mail containing loose coins may not be registered unless the coinage is securely taped to a card.

Registered mail must be kept separate from the regular mail to insure proper handling. It should also be labeled, to be registered. Mail to be registered should be enclosed in a campus mail envelope and addressed to Campus Mail Service, 6899, Attention - Meter Supervisor.

A complete return address is required on registered mail. Registered mail cannot be sealed with any tape other than brown, glue-backed paper tape. Letters may not be attached on the outside of registered mail.

Registered mailpieces needing to be forwarded to another on-campus office--or to an off-campus address--should be endorsed to show the forwarding address and returned to Campus Mail Service, 6899, to be redirected.

Certified Mail

Certified mail provides proof of mailing only and can be used on mail that first class postage is paid. No insurance coverage is provided and foreign mail may not be certified.

Certified mail must be kept separate from the regular mail to insure proper handling. A complete return address is required on all certified mail. Certified mail must be sealed. It should also be labeled, to be certified.

Send mailpieces to be certified to Campus Mail Service, 6899, to the attention of the meter supervisor.

Certified mail needing forwarded to another on-campus office-- or to an off-campus address--should be returned to the Campus Mail Service, 6899, in a campus mail envelope and marked, special handling.

Second Class Mail

Second class mail is a special rate provided for papers, pamphlets, books, etc. These materials must be published on a regular basis with a minimum of four issues each year. Applications to mail at the second class rate must be filed with Campus Mail Service. For additional information, contact Campus Mail Service.

Standard Mail (A)

Bulk Rate

Two hundred or more identical pieces of domestic printed matter can be mailed at a reduced rate if properly sorted. Contact Campus Mail Service prior to printing the mail piece if you plan to use bulk mail. A member of the Campus Mail Service staff will explain the procedures and requirements involved. A Postage Service Request form, as well as a CASS Certification Sheet and an unaddressed sample is required for all bulk rate mailings.

1. A Postage Service Request Form with fiscal officer signature.
2. A Departmental Postage Number (DPN) stapled to the upper right-hand corner of the Postage Service Request.
3. A Zip Code Verification Form. By signing this form, you state that all of the zip codes to which the pieces of your mailing are being sent are accurate and up-to-date. 
4. Bulk mail instructions (below).
5. A sample of the pieces to be mailed.

All mailings that are not properly prepared will be held and the mailer will be asked to come to Campus Mail Service for instructions and assistance. If you have any questions concerning the above instructions please call Campus Mail Service at 453-5348.

WHAT QUALIFIES FOR BULK MAIL
A bulk mailing must contain a minimum of 200 pieces of identical domestic material reproduced by some process other than handwriting or typewriting. Each piece must have a correct zip code number and be separated according to the separation procedure contained in these instructions. All pieces of the mailing must be verified and corrected where necessary with the use of at least one of the following USPS approved methods: USPS Zip Code Directory or Cass Certification.
NOTE: Bulk mail is not preferential mail and therefore is usually a slow method of communication. A minimum of 1 to 2 weeks should be allowed for nationwide delivery.

WHO CAN USE BULK MAIL
Any organization which has a university account number is eligible to use the university bulk mail permit.

HOW IS POSTAGE DETERMINED
The amount of postage chargeable on each piece of bulk mail is determined by weight. The basic rate is presently 18.4 cents per letter. If the mailing has 150 or more pieces to the same 3/5 digit zip code, these pieces may qualify at lower rates if an itemized sheet is provided. An itemized sheet is a detailed listing of the number of pieces going to each zip code.

HOW POSTAGE IS APPLIED
Two methods of postage payment are available to bulk mail users:

1) PERMIT INDICIA #15

Users may have bulk mail indicia printed or reproduced in the upper right hand corner of the address side of each piece. Printing press, lithography, or similar devices may make permit imprints. They may not be typewritten or hand-drawn. The imprint must be legible and must be a color that contrasts sufficiently with the paper to make the imprint readable. Contact Campus Mail Service for proper forms of indicia permissible.

2) METER POSTAGE

Campus Mail Service can apply meter postage at the appropriate rate to bulk mailings. Since the application of metered postage requires machine handling, mail of more than average thickness (approx. ¼ ” or more), or mail not enclosed in envelopes must bear the permit #15 indicia to avoid the possibility of damage in machine handling.

Regardless which method is used, the postage cost for the mailing will be charged to the University Account specified on the Postage Service Request Form and billed with the regular monthly postage charges.

WHERE TO BULK MAIL
Bulk mail is only mailed at the Campus Mail Service. Bulk mail should be brought to the Campus Mail Service by the mailer or through arrangement with Transit Service or Campus Mail Parcel Pickup. The mail carriers have been instructed not to pick up bulk mail from routes. In order to provide you with the maximum amount of accuracy in cost determination, Campus Mail Service will need a total count of the number or pieces in each mailing bearing the permit # 15 indicia and a count of any qualifying 3/5 digit presort pieces.

 HOW TO SEPARATE BULK MAIL
All mail intended to be sent at the bulk rate must be separated by zip code using the following two step system. When the instructions call for a “BUNDLE LABEL” it should be approx. the size of the mailed item. See samples below:

SPRINGFIELD                     IL                       ADC CHICAGO                               MIXED
           62701                          628                                 606                                            STATES

INSTRUCTIONS FOR SORTING BULK MAILINGS

STEP 1: Separate 150 or more pieces with the same first 3-digit zip code,(i.e. IL 628, MO 630, etc.). All pieces must be facing the same way. If the mailing has 150 or more. These pieces may qualify for a lower rate provided it is listed on the itemized sheet. Please rubberband all bundles securely.

STEP 2: The remaining pieces are to be labeled MIXED STATES

Envelopes which you wish to have sealed are to be FLAPPED OPEN. Flat-size (i.e. brown manila envelopes) mail must be sealed. Metal closures are not permitted for flat size mailings.

The following types of supplies can be purchased from Campus Mail Service by University departments:

• single and double postcards issued in sets of 50
• business reply stock issued in sets of 50 (long and short envelopes, postcards, and labels)
• perforated postage stamps

USPS postage stamps sold by Campus Mail Service are perforated, identifying them as being purchased with University funds. Perforated postage stamps are available for mailing University letters or parcels when Campus Mail Service is closed.

Postage supplies issued at Campus Mail Service and charged to a University account are for official University business only and are not to be used for personal mail. All requests for postage supplies must be submitted on a Postage Service Request form signed by the fiscal officer of the University account to be charged.

Unserviceable and spoiled stamped envelopes, aerograms, and postcards can be redeemed at Campus Mail Service. Contact Campus Mail Service for additional information.

Campus Mail Service can insure parcel post, books, library material, air-mail parcel post, and printed matter with values from $.01 to $5000.

Insured mail that must be forwarded to some other office on campus--or to an off-campus address--should be endorsed to the new address by the department that received the mail piece. The mail piece should be redirected to Campus Mail Service, 6899, for proper handling.

Unserviceable and spoiled stamped envelopes, aerograms, and postcards can be redeemed at Campus Mail Service. Contact Campus Mail Service for additional information.

Return receipts are available on all mail insured for values in excess of $50 and on all certified and registered mail. A return receipt provides a permanent record that will be signed by the addressee or his agent and returned to the office of origination indicating the mail item was received.

If a piece of international mail weighs more than 16 ounces, a customs form is required by the Post Office that states the contents, sender, and destination of the piece.

Most foreign countries accept registered mail and insured mail, but not certified mail. Articles sent by parcel post require a customs declaration that declares the contents and value.