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Mailing Services

POLICIES AND PROCEDURES APPROVAL, PREPARATION AND PROCESSING OF COLLEGE MAIL

(June 14, 2011)

  1. The college will require the approval of department administrators on separate large scale and bulk mailings of 250 pieces or more and first class mailings of fifty (50) pieces or more.
  2. The college Mail Room will pick-up and deliver mail at/to designated mail drops once a day.
  3. The college Mail Room will post changes to the normal delivery/pickup schedule at designated mail drops at least three days before such changes are effective.
  4. The college will use a contract Mailing Service to process its one and two ounce pieces, and will use its Mail Room to mail all other pieces, flats and parcels.
  5. First class mail processed through the Mail Room will conform to United States Governmental Postal Service requirements, in terms of to/return addressing, size requirements and restrictions, tabbing criteria, and weight. The United States Postal Service web site may be accessed at: http://www.usps.com/
  6. The college will realize substantial postage savings by using bulk mail, which is processed at a lower rate, than first class mail, on mailings of identical content and format. The college will secure use the necessary meters and permits to use bulk rate services.
  7. The college will NOT use its mail service to distribute outdated mail (including mail with inserted and/or pre-printed materials for events and activities that have passed or are likely to have passed on receipt by recipients).
    1. For large scale first class mailings, the earliest date on the mailed item must be at least seven calendar days from the date of receipt in the mail room.
    2. For bulk mailings, the earliest date on the mailed item must be at least fourteen calendar days prior to the date of receipt in the Mail Room because the Post Office assigns a lower priority to processing bulk mailings.
    3. Departments will be made aware that the lead-time on bulk mailings can be two week or longer, as bulk mailings take a lower priority than first class mailings, and must plan on completing their mailings and submit them for processing, accordingly.
  8. The college has three categories of mail:
    1. Mailings of 50 (fifty) pieces or fewer - no prior approval; letter copies and attachments required on pickup by college Mail Room personnel.
    2. Submittals of 50 (fifty) to 199 pieces (first class mail, not meeting the bulk mail standard), which includes letter text, post cards, and/or an insert or document that is a flyer, mass-produced notice, folder or other inserted piece of mail which contains the same content (other than the name and address of the recipient).
      1. Processed as first class mail since they do not meet the 200 piece bulk mail criterion of the Postal Service.
      2. Do not require PRIOR approval of the Mail Room before submittal.
      3. Require approval by department administrator on the Mail Request Form.
      4. Require submittal of all inserts (letter text, inserted materials), along with approved Mail Request Form, on pickup by Mail Room personnel.
  9. Submittals of 200 pieces or more, which qualify for bulk mail rates
    1. Mailings of 200 or more require prior approval of letters/inserted materials for approval before inserts are ordered and/or reproduced to assure they conform to postal service requirements.
    2. The department administrator must submit a Mail Request Form in time to permit the completion of all subsequent processing (design, ordering, printing, delivery, inserting/tabbing/folding, and mail processing) in a timely manner.
    3. Once all processing is complete, the mail job, a copy of the department administrator's approval, a copy of the approved mail request form, and a file copy of all attachments and inserts, will be accepted by the Mail Room for processing.
  10. Mail that does not conform to Postal Service requirements will not be processed and will be returned to the submitting department.
  11. The Mail Room will date stamp and retain all Mail Request forms.
  12. The Mail Room will notify departments if and when their mail is not delivered to the Post Office within two days of pickup by its staff.
  13. The administrative director of business operations and campus administrators responsible for large scale and bulk mailings may agree to modifications on the requirements above for standardized, recurring and computer-generated bulk and large scale mailings produced by the college.
  14. The administrative director of business operations will work with departmental administrators to assemble a list of all large scale first class and bulk mailings processed annually by the college, to simplify the approval process on recurring mailings.
  15. The college will coordinate the activities of the ordering department, college marketing, college purchasing, the print shop and the mail room because rules governing the preparation and mailing of large scale and bulk mailings are complex.
    1. Ordering departments have primary responsibility for assuring they coordinate their printing and bulk mailing needs.
    2. Departments making large scale first class and bulk mailings must coordinate their activity with the Campus Coordinator of Programs and Facilities (The Mailroom and Warehouse) to determine proper envelop size, address, weight and return request.