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Mailing Services
On this page…
- Team Members
- Assembly & Packaging
- On-Campus Mail
- Off-Campus Mail
- Purchase of Postage Stamps
- Automated Mail
- Mail Updates
Team Members
- Mailing Service Coordinator: Kevin Hare
- Mailing Specialists: Richard Foster, Roger Vizdal, Theresa Waller, Anthony Hendricks
- Courier: Robert King
- Delivery Driver: Denise Sprinkle
Assembly & Packaging
DPS provides the following preparation and delivery services to the U.S. Postal Service building: bundling in trays or bags; sealing of envelopes; application of postal stickers; application of indicia; completion of postal statement; application of labels; insertion of material into envelopes; production of labels; disk or e-mail submission for inkjet labeling, tabbing, and sorting.
On-Campus Mail
Brown, interdepartmental envelopes are best for mail on the Macomb and Quad Cities campuses. On-campus mail must be separated from off-campus mail and should be addressed as follows:
From: John Doe
To: Jane Doe
Department or Office Name
Use your department name, not room number, in addresses (use room number for clarification only). If your campus mailing has more than 25 pieces, with more than one to any department, please use paper clips or rubber bands to separate. Residence hall mailings should be separated by halls.
Off-Campus Mail
University mail being sent off campus should be enclosed in white envelopes bearing a complete University return address. Include the name of the sending department. Mail should be separated as follows:
- Macomb mail
- out-of-town mail
- foreign and other "special treatment" mail
Arrange unsealed letters with one flap over the next. Extra-thick letters should be sealed. Manila envelopes should be addressed with the clasp on the right (clasped and/or sealed) side. In order for mail to be processed, a completed postage charge slip form must accompany all off-campus mail. Any mailing of over 500 pieces and any other off-campus mailing (excluding international mailings) of 200 or more pieces will be sent automated.
Purchase of Postage Stamps
The state of Illinois requires postage stamps and postcards purchased for official state business to be perforated with an "I." DPS maintains a supply of postage materials for University use. If you need to purchase a large supply of stamps or postcards, please request these prior to the date needed. Purchases of stamps and postcards from any source other than DPS cannot be reimbursed to the department.
Automated Mail
Automated mailings save you time, postage money, and undue stress.
The University requires that all mailings of sufficient quantity and regulation mail-piece size be processed as automated mailings. Mailings that would otherwise qualify for automation but which are not properly prepared for the automated mailing process will be returned to the client for required modification.
All first-class mailings of over 500 pieces and all other off-campus mailing (excluding international mailings) of 200 or more pieces will be sent as automated mail.
An automated mailing is one that has been designed to travel easily and quickly through the mailstream using proper layout, printing, folding, and tabbing techniques. In preparation for automated mailing, DPS performs the following tasks:
- Checks for and removes duplicate addresses
- Compares the submitted addresses to the U.S. Postal Service database and National Change of Address File
- Standardizes the addresses according to the U.S. Postal Service regulations
- Converts 5-digit zip codes to 11-digit zip codes
- Manually reviews all addresses not found in the U.S. Postal Service databases with the goal of correcting errors in the original address submitted
- Prepares U.S. Postal Service reports required for automated mail postage discounts
- Sorts the addresses according to U.S. Postal Service presort requirements
You will save dramatically on postage costs by ensuring that your mail is designed to be "automation compatible" and by having your addresses certified and barcoded. Contact DPS for more information.
First-class automated mailings receive priority treatment, while standard (previously called bulk) automated mailings are processed as time permits.
USPS automation regulations should be followed as the mailer is developed. Call DPS to obtain detailed booklets that describe proper design layouts for various types of mailings.
Take your sample copy to DPS to be reviewed for conformance with USPS regulations. This is the time to determine (in consultation with DPS staff) the class of mail you will use and the profit or nonprofit status of the job. DPS can provide the correct mailing indicia.
Arrange for your mailing list to be sent to DPS to be matched against the USPS master database and certified. Zip+4 and barcoding information will be applied, and the addresses will be presorted as required by automated mailings. Once these steps are completed, the addresses can be applied directly to self-mailers by DPS, used in a mail merge to prepare personalized letters, or used to print self-applied mailing labels.
