This booklet is a general information manual of policies and procedures for the University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point Mail Services. To ensure efficient and expedient handling of the mail, it is important that the users of this service be informed of, and observe the basic guidelines outlined in this booklet.
The Mail Services department handles All University academic and administrative mail (incoming, outgoing, interdepartmental, etc.). Mail is received, sorted and delivered by staff members Monday through Friday excluding legal holidays.
The mail center is open from 7:00 a.m. to 3:45 p.m. each working day. The telephone number at Mail Services is (715) 346-3102. The e-mail address is mailto://mailserv@uwsp.edu. The fax number is (715) 346-2845. The Mail Services office is located in Room #116 of the Maintenance and Material Bldg. (1848 Maria Drive) and their mail stop is; Mail Services, M & M Building.

INCOMING MAIL

All classes of mail are picked up at the downtown post office by 9:00 a.m. each scheduled workday. Mail is sorted according to the campus address and delivered to the scheduled campus mail stops between 9:30 a.m. and 2:00 p.m. (Check the delivery schedule at your building's mail stop for the specific delivery time.) To expedite sorting and delivery, it is important that all incoming mail be addressed correctly and completely. The address should include the recipient's name and department name, University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point, 2100 Main Street, Stevens Point, WI 54481. The Stevens Point U.S. Postal Service delivers all incoming mail for students directly to the various residence halls. Should Mail Services receive a piece of expedited mail (Federal Express, Airborne, etc.) before the delivery staff leaves on it's scheduled morning route, the piece will be included in the department mail.

INTERCAMPUS MAIL

Intercampus mail is picked up and delivered twice daily to the scheduled campus mail stops. Campus mail should be sent in the reusable, interdepartmental (brown) envelopes. The address on the campus envelope must be completely filled out to include the addressees full name and department. DO NOT USE ROOM NUMBERS. If you use labels in addressing campus mail, place the label over the previous four (4) names on the envelop, thereby saving four (4) additional spaces.
If large mailings are being sent and it is necessary to use the regular #10 white business envelops, mark each envelope "Campus Mail" in bold letters. Band separately by department or building. When addressing business envelopes for intercampus distribution, the oneline format is preferred. Please avoid multiple lines of address information on intercampus mail prepared in this manner since it can be mistaken for U.S. mail. Address parallel to the short side of the enveloped to avoid confusion. This will allow the mail staff to identify the envelope properly and speed its delivery through the system.

**Mail Services does not seal on campus mail. Intercampus envelopes cannot be forwarded to the U.S. Mail system.  Do not use these envelopes for off-campus mail.**

OUTGOING MAIL PROCESSING

All off-campus mail picked up by Mail Services staff is processed and ready to leave campus by 2:45 p.m. each business day. In order to meet processing deadlines, all out going mail must be received at Mail Services by no later than 2:45 p.m. Mail not received by that time will be processed on the next business day. (If you are "running late", call the department and let them know that you will be bringing in late mail. However, mail must be received no later than 2:45 p.m. if it is to be processed during the current business day).
All outgoing mail must have the proper return address on each enveloped to include the sender's department name and account number. Single sheets of paper folded and labeled will not be accepted by Mail Services. This mail does not feed through the meter. Single sheets must be put in envelopes in order to be metered. Also the Post Office will not accept anything that is stapled, mail must be tabbed.

First class mail in regular #10 white business envelopes can be left unsealed with the flaps up and over lapping if they contain three (3) inserts or less. The postage machine will automatically seal the envelopes when postage is affixed. Large envelopes or those containing more than three (3) inserts, must be sealed by the sender.

Any department sending more than five (5) pieces of outgoing mail is asked to secure the mailing with rubberbands. Do not place large quantities of mail loose in the drop box at you mail stop.
Postcards acceptable for the U.S. Postal Service must be 3 1/2" X 5" minimum to 4 1/4" X 6" maximum. Postcards must be separated by in-town and out-of-town addresses.
Any envelope larger than 6 1/8" x 11 1/2" is classified as "flats". Mailings in this category may be sent First, Third, or Library class. If you desire that your flat be classified as Third or Fourth class, please mark the envelope accordingly.

The following items are considered non-mailable in regular #10 business envelopes:

• Lapel pins,
• Keys,
• Paper clips,
• pens,
• metal pieces, etc.

Items of this type must be mailed in padded envelopes as they will not only cause damage to the automated mailing machine, but could also cause injury to mail center staff members.
All outgoing First class mail should have typewritten or computer printed addresses or address labels. Handwritten addresses cannot be sorted by OCR readers and as such is not eligible for postage discounts and may result in delivery delays due to the need for the mail to be hand sorted by the Post Office.
DO NOT use Permit #19 (3rd Class Nonprofit Permit) envelopes for 1st class mailings. If these envelopes are the only ones available to you, the Permit #19 must be completely covered and the envelope must have appropriate postage affixed. The Post Office will not allow Mail Services to meter over the permit. Misuse of Permit #19 envelopes could result in the campus losing its nonprofit mail privileges.

DISTIBUTION POLICIES

Communications that are unsigned, "want-ad" type of notices, or promotional material will not be accepted for distribution. No political material will be distributed. No material from off-campus or non-chartered student organizations will be accepted for distribution.
Campus Mail Services will deliver to mail receiving points the following types of communications not addressed to individuals, but designated for distribution to Faculty/Staff.
Official publications, notices or bulletins of University departments, administrative offices, official committees, or recognized student organizations. The communication must be signed by the members or members of the staff who take responsibility for the contents.
Information (professional) literature when signed by a member or members of the staff who take responsibility for its content.
If you are preparing material for a campus distribution you will need the following quantities of material:
* Faculty Staff - 840 pieces
* Staff - 455 pieces

PERSONAL MAIL

Outgoing personal mail will be picked up by Mail Services staff at regular mail stops. Each piece must have the appropriate amount of postage affixed, be sealed, and be banded and separated from University mail.
Incoming personal mail to our physical address may be opened by Mail Services staff to identify checks and payments and determine appropriate delivery address. For this reason, you should have personal mail and correspondence directed to you home address or a post office box. All mail addressed to the University's physical address becomes the property of the University.

INTERNATIONAL MAIL

Most items are mailable to foreign countries. However there are certain restrictions. It is important that mailers contact Mail Serviced to determine proper classification and documentation required.
If customs regulations are not followed and documentation is not exact, the item will be impounded by customs until the addressee makes arrangements for clearance and the payment of whatever duties required for release of the item. Customs rules apply and are identical regardless of whether the mail is sent by USPS or other couriers. The last line of any foreign address should be the country name spelled out in capital letters, in English.

Global Priority mail is also offered. Any questions about rates can be answered by mail services staff at extension 3102.

Express mail is an extremely reliable and fast delivery service available from the US Postal Service. It reaches all major markets in the US and 84 foreign countries. Express mail provides for shipment of letters, documents and other mailable items, and carries document reconstruction insurance at no additional cost. You may mail up to 70 pounds. Express Mail is delivered by the Post Office seven days a week at no extra charge.
Domestic Overnight Delivery is guaranteed by the US Postal Service (to most locations) and provides for a full postage refund if the item is not delivered on time. No guarantees are offered by the USPS for foreign service since they have no control of the delivery system. There is also no provision for a refund of postage for foreign mail.
Envelopes and address labels for the above services are available from the Mail Services office.

CERTIFIED MAIL

Certified mail provides you with a mailing receipt and a record of delivery is maintained at the recipient's Post Office for two (2) years. A return receipt to provide you with proof of delivery can be obtained for an additional fee. Certified mail is available only for First Class mail. No insurance coverage is provided. A numbered label and completed receipt must be affixed. Labels and forms for this service are available at the Mail Services office.

REPLY MAIL

* Business Reply Mail (BRM)
BRM Service enables mailers to receive First Class mail by paying postage only on the mail which is returned. All returned pieces are charged a handling fee in addition to postage.

* Meter Reply Mail
In some instances, Meter Reply Mail is the most cost efficient method since there is no service fee incurred and postage is prepaid. For information on this service please contact Mail Services at extension 3102.
Address correction mailings must have your account code on each piece. This is the only identification the Mail Services office has to identify the department to which the returned piece is to be delivered.

PARCEL SERVICE

• Next Day Air - Letters and Packages
• Second Day Air - Letters and Packages
• Ground Track - Provides a Tracking Label
• 3 Day Select
• Confirmation of Delivery
• COD Delivery

ADDRESSING FOR SUCCESS

• Type or machine-print all address information.
• Make sure print is clear and sharp.
• Ensure address characters don't touch or overlap.
• Black ink on a white background is best.
• Maintain a uniform left margin.
• Use upper-case letters
• Omit all punctuation
• Include floor, suite and apartment numbers whenever possible.
• Put the city, state and ZIP Code or ZIP +4 code in that order on the last line. If there's not enough room, you can put the ZIP Code or Zip + 4 code alone on the bottom line.
• Use standard two-letter state abbreviations.
• When using window envelopes, make sue the complete address is always visible, even when the insert moves.
• Leave one or two spaces between words and between the state abbreviation and ZIP Code or ZIP + 4 code.

DUAL ADDRESSING

Dual addressing is when a piece of mail has two delivery points in the address block. This type of addressing is not recommended. If you need to use a dual address, keep in mind the mailpiece will be delivered to the delivery point on the line above the city, state and ZIP Code.

Using the correct address format will help get you letter to its destination. Many firms have both a street address and a post office box. If you desire, you may use both in an address. However, the mail will always be delivered to the address immediately above the city, state, and ZIP Code line. Example

If you include a ZIP + 4 code be certain it is correct for the delivery address.

POSTAL SIZE STANDARDIZATION

LETTERS: Letter size mail consists of those pieces with the following dimensions:
MINIMUM 3 1/2" X 5"
MAXIMUM 6 1/8" X 11 1/2"

First Class mail pieces weighing 1 oz. or less will be subject to a surcharge if:
1. They exceed 6 1/8" X 11 1/2";
2. The length to height ratio doesn't fall between 1.3 : 1 and 2.5:1 inclusive;
3. Letter envelope thickness exceeds 1/4".

POSTCARDS: Post cards must have a thickness of at least .007".

Minimum size for postcard rate is 3 1/2" X 5" X .007" thick
Maximum size for postcard rate is 4 1/4 X 6" X .016" thick.
For cards larger than regulation size, 1st Class letter rates will be charged.

STANDARD ADDRESS ABBREVIATIONS

TWO-LETTER STATE AND POSSESSION ABBREVIATIONS

BULK MAIL SERVICES

Requirements:  A minimum of 200 pieces or 50 lbs. is needed.  All pieces must be identical in size and weight.  The maximum weight per piece is 3.3 ounces for letters and 16 ounces for flats.  No personal messages are allowed in the mail or on the envelope.  Personalized salutations are allowed.  Each piece must have the University's bulk mail permit printed in the postage area.

Services include:

• Address cleansing

• Validating addresses for delivery

• Check address moves or changes and update as necessary

• Duplicate address detection

• Tabbing or sealing

• Delivery to the Post Office

• Return updated lists including the move updates

Inserting:

• Available for letter size mail envelopes (#10), up to 6 X 9 (flaps on top).
• Fold and insert up to six pieces including inserts; i.e. pre-folded flyers, reply envelopes or cards.  Minimum size of insert is width: 3.5" and length: 5".

Contact Bulk Mail Services for rates and further details at (715) 346-4295.

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