1. Overview

   This policy outlines the approach that Ohio university uses for dealing with the United States mail and the inter-office mail.

   Ohio university operates a mailing service for the delivery and processing of U.S. mail to and from the United States post office, provides shipping services, and handles the exchange of inter-office communications. The volume of mail handled and the geographical expanse of the campus operations require an orderly and efficient distribution system.

2. U. S. mail

   1. Incoming U.S. mail

      All incoming express, priority, and first class mail is delivered to departments on the same day the mail is received by the university. Residence halls receive mail directly from the Athens post office.

      Incoming mail to the university should be addressed in the format below. Please use this format for the return address on outgoing mail:

      University departments and individuals should also encourage individuals, institutions, or business firms to follow the above example when communicating with Ohio university. A department name on incoming mail is necessary to ensure delivery.

      1. Line 1: name of individual
      2. Line 2: department
      3. Line 3: building and room number
      4. Line 4: Ohio university
      5. Line 5: Athens, OH 45701-2979

   2. Outgoing mail

      University mail services provides all of the services that the United States postal service offers, except for C.O.D.'s. All outgoing mail, with the exception of "Standard A" bulk mailings, is processed and delivered to the post office on the same day. All shipments of parcels and express items are processed by university mail services and picked up by couriers (e.g., UPS) on the same day.

      The following points are important for the addressing of U.S. mail. Using a specific addressing format will improve the efficiency of service. For addressing outgoing mail, please be sure to use the format below:

      1. First line: optional endorsement or "attention line"
      2. Second line: name of recipient
      3. Next-to-last line: delivery address or box number, followed by apartment number, suite number, or unit office number. (If, for example, the apartment number cannot fit on the next-to-last line, it should be placed on the line above.)
      4. Last line: should only include city, state, and ZIP code.

   3. Excluded mailings

      The university cannot, financially or legally, condone the use of its employees, postage or materials for the preparation of any mailing that cannot be construed as official university business.

      Examples of mailings that cannot be made and charged with university funds include:

      1. Communications of a personal nature, as opposed to official university business.
      2. Advertisements that are not official university business.
      3. Announcements related to the sale of personal property.
      4. Meeting notices or other business of groups and organizations that are not financially supported directly with university funds.

3. Inter-office mail

   1. Delivery schedule

      Inter-office mail, is delivered via daily and bi-weekly intervals to all campus departments based on volume. Inter-office mail collected on the daily route will be delivered the next scheduled service delivery day for the department.

   2. Types of inter-office mail

      There are two types of inter-office mail:

      1. Mail addressed to an individual. This mail should be in campus envelopes or folded to business envelope size and marked "Campus Mail." Identify the mail with the individual's complete campus address:

         Name
         Department
         Building and room number

      2. Official announcements or notices for mail distribution to all departments, faculty, and staff.

   3. Individual mail

      Mail addressed to an individual should preferably enter the system in a standard inter-office mail envelope. The individual's name, department, and building should appear on the envelope. Any previous addresses on the envelope should be eliminated. The two sizes of available inter-office mail envelopes are 4" x 9" and 10" x 13". These envelopes, when available, can be obtained from mail services. They may also be ordered through any office supply store.

   4. Announcements and notices

      The size of announcements and notices for general distribution to all offices and departments should be either 5.5" x 8.5" or 8.5" x 11". The Ohio university mail service should be given advance notice of the distribution requirements. The documents to be distributed should arrive at the mail service no later than the day prior to the date of requested distribution. Address labels for such mailing should be generated in department order to expedite delivery.

   5. Exclusions

      The Ohio university mail service does not deliver inter-office mail to or from students. Delivery of U.S. mail to off-campus housing units and residence halls is made only by the Athens post office. Additionally, inter-office mail must be official university business. Communications of a personal nature, advertisements that are not university business, announcements related to the sale of personal property, meeting notices, or other mailings from businesses, groups, or organizations that are not financially supported with university funds are excluded from using the university inter-office mail system.

   6. Regional campus mail

      All mail addressed to regional (branch) campuses must be sorted separately, by regional campus, with a regional campus mail slip attached to each campus' bundle. All departments' mail for each regional campus will be combined and sent via next day delivery.

4. Delivery and collection schedules

   Ohio university mail services delivers mail via daily and bi-weekly intervals to all campus departments based on volume. All U.S. mail that is received from the Athens post office is sorted same day and delivered based on scheduled service intervals.

   Departments who have parcels, large quantities of first-class mail, or bulk mailings should contact mail services to make arrangements to have the mail collected and handled with special attention.

5. Bulk mailings

   The U. S. postal service requires that all bulk mailings be processed in a manner that meets specific rules and regulations prior to being accepted for delivery by the U.S. postal service. Failure to meet these processing rules and requirements may delay delivery or result in the mail being returned.

   University mail services provides an automated bulk mail preparation service for all departments who utilize this classification of mail. Mail services can prepare bulk mailings to meet all USPS requirements, including presorting and address barcoding. These automated services provide postage discounts to the departments and improve delivery time. Mail services can generate barcoded address labels from departmental address files, or can print the barcoded address directly on the mail-piece if the piece is designed to meet certain specifications.

   In addition to the automated bulk mail preparation service, mail services does provide an address labeling service that includes labeling multiple pieces for inter-office distribution and direct impression printing of inter-office addresses on specifically designed pieces. Contact mail services for information on these and other available services.

6. Postage chargebacks

   University mail services provides an accurate and detailed accounting of departmental postage costs.

   1. All outgoing U.S. mail must have a "Departmental U.S. Mail Charges" form attached; a "Shipping Request Form" can be used for parcels.
   2. The form must be secured or banded to each bundle of mail that is collected by the mail services staff. Please be sure the correct account number appears on the form. Outgoing mail that does not have the charge form attached may be delayed or incorrectly billed.
   3. All questions should be directed to mail services.

Forms, References, and History

1. Forms

   The following forms are specific to this policy:

   1. "Departmental U.S. Mail Charges" forms can be generated online, linked from /mail.
   2. The "Shipping Request Form" is available online, linked from /mail. 

2. References

   There are no external items that are particularly relevant to this policy.

3. History

   Draft versions of this policy that were circulated for review, their cover memos, their forms, and Reviewers' comments on them are available on the

   Prior versions of this policy were approved on:

   1. July 15, 2016 (re-formatted)
   2. October 18, 2007
   3. January 11, 1979
   4. April 6, 1977