University of Central Oklahoma Mail Operations Guide

Mail Piece Design and Mail Processes for UCO Mail Services

Contents Office Hours ............................................................................................................. 1 Outgoing Mail .......................................................................................................... 1 FEDEX/UPS/DHL ....................................................................................................... 2 Outgoing Mail Permit ............................................................................................... 2 Sorting Mail .............................................................................................................. 3 Mail Piece Design ..................................................................................................... 3 Student Mail............................................................................................................. 4 Bulk Business Mail.................................................................................................... 4 Business Reply Mail (Postage Paid Mail) .................................................................. 5 Ancillary Service Endorsement ................................................................................ 5 Address Correction .................................................................................................. 6 Postage Billing .......................................................................................................... 6

Mail/Print Services Outgoing Mail/Postage Billing: Nigh University Center Mail/Print Contract Coordinator (Megan Matthews) – 974-2733 [email protected]

RK Black Office Printing & Retail Mail: Nigh University Center – Room 146 Printing Desk – 974-2301 Package Shipping/Bulk Mail/Post Office (Allen Hardnack) – 974-2732 [email protected]

Office Hours RK Black Office is open from 8:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. Monday – Friday. Please note that RKB does not follow the University closures due to weather or holiday breaks.

Outgoing Mail On Monday – Thursday, all letter mail that qualifies for the presorted discounted postage rate (most letters and large envelopes) must be in to RK Black by 1:30 pm or it will go out the following day. Mail that does not qualify for the discounted rate: Packages, Library/Media, Priority, & Express will go out by 4:00 p.m. same day. On Friday, all mail received will go out by the end of the day. Note: All mail will also go out by the end of the day prior to a Holiday. PLEASE NOTE OUTGOING MAIL TO BE METERED TO AN ORG NEEDS TO HAVE AN OUTGOING MAILING PERMIT ATTACHED FOR ACCURATE BILLING. 1

FEDEX/UPS/DHL Inventory and Receiving has closed their account for UPS shipments. If you are needing to ship or receive UPS, FedEx, or DHL and are needing to bill to an ORG#, please contact the RKB Office Mail Desk (x2732) to organize the appropriate account number and label for the shipment. Packages to be mailed out UPS/FedEx/DHL need to be dropped off with RK Black Office no later than 3:30 pm to go out the same day. Those that have a prepaid label must be dropped off no later than 4:00 pm.

Outgoing Mail Permit The mail services on campus has been divided between retail mail and campus mail, with retail mail being managed by RK Black Office. RKB Office manages all of the outgoing mail and the involvement of a third party has required a reevaluation of the billing procedures in an effort to ensure an auditable process. As a result, UCO has implemented a process with options to meet our campus customers’ needs. a) For bulk mail or to use old letterhead: 1. Customers can use a mail permit. i. This permit is available on the Mail Services and RKB Office website as a fillable PDF ii. Carbon forms can be distributed upon request b) Preprinted Letterhead Envelopes 1. New letterhead envelopes can contain a designated billing Org number. Note that if for some reason an Outgoing Mailing Permit is not filled out or an Org number is not printed on the envelope, RK Black Office will still process the mail and the department that is listed on the return address will be billed accordingly. This process is not best as it is open for more user errors.

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Sorting Mail The following types of mail should be separated and each grouped and rubber banded together: Campus mail, stamped outgoing mail, mail requiring postage, residential student mail, and international mail. RK Black’s mail processing equipment will seal letter sized envelopes automatically. Please present your envelopes with the flaps down. However, if mailing in larger envelopes (called flats), bulk business mail, or letters in odd shaped envelopes (i.e., invitations), you will need to seal them before sending them to us. Please do not use envelopes with clasps as they can damage postal equipment. Double post cards must be taped or tabbed shut.

Mail Piece Design Remember that your mail piece may be the first thing the receiver sees representing UCO. Try to convey a professional image of the University. Tri-fold single paper piece mailings are not recommended. They get stuck in postal equipment, tear and, therefore, waste your postage dollars. Staples in mail pieces are not permitted by the USPS. All outgoing mail must contain a UCO return address with UCO listed before your departmental name. It must contain the physical address of the university in order to comply with our postage meter regulations. It is important that you have all stationery envelopes approved to meet USPS mail piece design regulations before printing. This will save you the time and expense of reprint or returns.

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Student Mail Starting in the fall of 2016, all student mail was switched over to the virtual mailbox system. Students no longer have mailbox numbers. Their mailing address also differs from that of the rest of UCO. Their address is now: STUDENTS NAME: 50 N. UNIVERSITY DRIVE DORM-ROOM#-BED ASSIGNMENT EDMOND, OK 73034 Campus departments will not be required to apply postage on mail addressed to students living on campus, so please have those separated from your outgoing mail to save postage.

Bulk Business Mail Bulk business mail must contain at least 200 pieces or more of identical mail. These mailings cannot consist of mail of a personal nature, examples being-student grades, checks or billing statements. Bulk business mail is referred to as “marketing” mail. This type of mailing is less expensive but is a slower form of mailing. With a little preplanning, though, you will likely save more than ½ in postage costs over a first class mail piece. Prices change every year, but per price pieces for bulk mail postage will run from $0.105 - $0.192. Please follow these procedures when preparing your bulk mailings: a) Always, when planning a bulk mailing, contact the RK Black Office mail desk at x2732 first, for instructions and to get the correct permit number for your mailing. Every bulk mailing is different and is handled in a variety of ways. You will need to get mail piece design approval and be given an approximate preparation time frame so that your mail will not be delayed and disappointments may be avoided.

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b) If using envelopes for your mailing, they must be sealed. Mail pieces MUST contain the UCO return address information. c) RK Black Office is capable of addressing mail pieces as they are printed, so please contact RK Black Office to take advantage of those print savings. Bulk mail postage can be discounted even further by RK Black printing the mail piece and the addresses all at once. By not taking advantage of this service, you may encumber “hand sorting” fees. Permit imprint mail pieces cannot be mailed in any other way other than in a bulk business mailing (i.e., campus mail, mailings under 200 pieces, in an envelope belonging to UCO or in an envelope owned by an outside source) without marking through the imprint or covering it up. Misuse of the permit imprint could cause UCO to lose this mailing privilege.

Business Reply Mail (Postage Paid Mail) Business Reply Mail can be used but is handled differently than other mail. The USPS charges us a first class postage rate + a handling charge for this type of mail. You may have these printed to accommodate your mailing but there are certain guidelines you will have to follow. Please contact Megan Matthews (x2733) for what we call a “proof” business reply envelope.

Ancillary Service Endorsement If you want undeliverable mail returned for your records you will need to select an Endorsement. Before choosing, be sure that you are aware of what they mean and if you will be charged for the return pieces. For bulk mailings, if you opt out of using the NCOA addressing cleansing and place your own addresses labels, the envelopes must be stamped “Return Services Requested” and return fees must be paid. This is required by the USPS.

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Address Correction Please remember that the RK Black Office and Campus Mail Services cannot be held responsible for incorrect addresses resulting in incorrect delivery of mail. If someone changes departments or box numbers, they can expect a delay of their mail. If it is campus mail, there are numerous data bases on campus creating the labels for this type of mail. If you see that the address is incorrect for you, you will need to contact the department that created the mail piece and ask them to change your address. The main database addresses should be corrected through the Hiring and Benefits department. If it is a direct deposit slip, contact our Payroll Office. If you are responsible for distributing departmental mail, please reroute the mail by writing the correct box number on the mail piece and place it in with your outgoing mail.

Postage Billing Billing for postage is scheduled to be processed the 20th of each month. There will be exceptions for days when the 20th falls on a weekend or holiday. In those events, billing will be done the working business day prior. Postage Billing is submitted by UCO’s Mail/Print Contract Coordinator, Megan Matthews. If you find there is a discrepancy in your bill or you need to transfer a postage charge to a different Org, please contact her at 974-2733 or [email protected].

Personal Mailbox Rentals RK Black Office offers mailbox rentals to anyone living off campus. We have both physical and virtual mailboxes available. The traditional rent is $32.50 every 6 months.

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