Residential Mail Procedures

Residential Mail Procedures Residential Mail Services Owens Hall Rm 23 150 Kent Street Blacksburg, VA 24061 Phone: (540) 231-4085 mailservices@vt.edu Hours: 8:00am 5:00pm Monday through Friday www.mailservices.vt.edu

Residential Mail Procedures Table of Contents General information...3 Sending and receiving mail on campus...4-7 Campus mail...7 Packages...8 Changing your address...8

Residential Mail Procedures The following procedures have been establishes by the University as guide lines for the distribution and processing of student mail on campus. Residential Mail Services provides mail service from the United States Post Office for all students living on campus. General Information Daily mail service Monday through Friday includes: 1. Delivery and pick-up of U.S. mail, campus mail, and rejected mail. 2. Distribution to dormitory mail boxes for all first class mail, second class mail, endorsed bulk mail, campus mail from departments, administrative offices, and student organizations. 3. Email notification will be issued for insured mail, express mail, and packages which may be picked up at 23 Owens Hall. 4. Forwarding and directory service will be given to first class mail, insured mail, priority mail, express mail, and packages in these classes only if a change of address is received through Residential Housing and on HOKIESPA at www.hokiespa.vt.edu. 5. Letters and packages that are bulk endorsed will not be forwarded and will not receive directory service. 6. Mail boxes are not to be used for Personal Business. Mail delivery and pick-up service in Mail rooms is Monday through Friday. Due to the volume of mail received on any given day and the time the mail is received from the U.S. Post Office, there is not a set time for distribution to mail boxes. Mail is distributed by name and box number. All mail, magazines, and packages need to have your full name, dorm, and room number on it. Pieces of mail received without your name will be returned to sender. Please empty your mailbox out weekly at a minimum.

Receiving Mail To receive mail, have your mail addressed correctly (See examples below of correctly and incorrectly addressed mail). Correctly Addressed Student Name Residential hall name, RM # Street number, Street name Blacksburg, VA 24061- plus four number** *Federal automation recognizes W not WEST, E not EAST, M not Main. If your dormitory is West, East, or Main, you must use W, E, or M in the address: otherwise mail will be returned to sender as undeliverable as addressed. **24061 is designated for Virginia Tech. Student addresses with Virginia Tech in the address will slow down mail delivery to the dormitories. The zip code for Residential Halls is 24061-XXXX. See the following pages for a listing of locations that you will receive your mail according to your residence hall.

IF YOU LIVE IN: Ambler Johnston West Ambler Johnston East Cochrane Harper New Hall West YOU WILL RECEIVE YOUR MAIL AT: Mail will be delivered to Ambler Johnston Package Pickup 23 Owens Hall Barringer Johnson Miles Newman O Shag Vawter Mail will be delivered to Newman Mail Room Packages will need to be picked up from 23 Owens Hall East Campbell Main Eggleston West Eggleston New Residence East New Residence West Payne Slusher Tower Slusher Mail at Peddrew-Yates Mail Room Package Pickup 23 Owens Hall Brodie Rasche Thomas Monteith Mail will be delivered to each dorm. Package Pickup at 23 Owens Hall

IF YOU LIVE IN: YOU WILL RECEIVE YOUR MAIL AT: Donaldson Brown You will receive mail at DB, but you must pick up Packages from 23 Owens Hall. Main Campbell You will receive mail at Main Campbell, but you must pickup packages from 23 Owens Hall Lee You will receive mail at Lee, but you must pickup packages from 23 Owens Hall Pritchard You will receive mail at Pritchard, but you must pickup packages from 23 Owens Hall Special Purpose Housing (Oak Lane) You will get mail in each house, but you must pickup your packages at 23 Owens Hall.

Sending Mail Each dorm has two (2) mail slots: 1. Outgoing Mail- This mail requires postage and goes to the United States Post Office. If this mail does not have postage, it will be returned if there is a return address. If there is no return address, mail will go to the dead letter file of the United States Post Office. Mail placed in the slot after 2:00p.m. will be processed the next business day. 2. Rejected Campus Mail- Rejected Mail is mail that you receive that does not belong to you and is being returned. Campus Mail is mail that stays on campus and is for official business with campus departments and administrative offices. Be sure to: Put a stamp on outgoing mail Put your name and return address in the upper left hand corner of all mail. Campus Mail 1. May be used by students for official business to departments and administrative offices only. No stamp is required. A return address is required on campus mail. Mail must be put into the campus mail slot. Campus mail may not be used for student to student mail. This mail must have a stamp and be processed through the United States Post Office. 2. May be used by student organizations to send notices to their members only if prepared properly (See example below). Student organization mailings must be approved by Residential Mail Service prior to distribution. For approval, bring a copy of the mailing and a desired distribution date to Residential Mail 23 Owens Hall. Student Organizations are limited to three (3) mailings per semester. 3. May not be used for advertising or solicitation of new members. 4. May not be used for mass mailings. Student Organization Mailing: Member s names and address Folded letter size Sort by dorm, then by box number Return address of organization (must be on campus) Campus mailings not meeting the above guidelines will not be distributed to student mail boxes.

Packages Any articles too large to fit into mail boxes or any particles with DO NOT BEND, or DO NOT FOLD, will be treated as packages. 1. Email Notification will be sent to the name and address that appears on the package. 2. Bring ID to 23 Owens Hall to receive package. If the name on the package does not match the ID, the package will be returned to sender. 3. Package pick-up hours are 8a.m. 5p.m. Monday through Friday. After one month packages that are not picked up will be returned to sender. Three emails notifications will be sent to the students VT email account before returning to sender. Changing your address This includes from room to room, dorm to dorm, off campus, home or other locations. Make sure the address that you want to receive mail at is updated on HOKIESPA at www.hokiespa.vt.edu. If you do not, all mail will be returned to sender. Notify all publishers and correspondents at least 6 to 8 weeks prior to each move to receive your: 1. Newspapers 2. Magazines 3. CDs Note: We do not forward these items off campus. Forwarding and directory service will be given to: 1. First Class 2. Insured 3. Express 4. Priority 5. Certified After six months all mail will be returned to sender. Notify all correspondents of your change of address each time you move. If you have questions concerning mail procedures, please contact Residential Mail at 231-4085.