Mail Services

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• Process All Campus Mail - Pickup, Sort, Deliver
  
  
• Process all Inbound/Outbound United States Postal Services Mail
  
  
• Process all Inbound United States Postal Services Express Mail
  
  
• Process all Non-Profit Bulk Mail
  
  
• Assign all Campus Route Numbers

Mail Services provides efficient and economical receipt, sorting, and delivery of interoffice and U.S. Postal Service mail for the university.

Primary services are receipt and delivery of USPS mail, pickup and delivery of campus mail, processing of outbound First Class and Non Profit bulk mailings, distribution of accountable mail and packages. In addition, we offer assistance with mail piece design ensuring compliance with postal regulations, mail automation for production mail to include folding and insertion of mail into envelopes along with postage metering.

Process approximately:

• 110,000 pieces of campus mail/month
• 379,000 pieces of USPS mail/month
• 50 pieces of USPS Express mail/month
• 125,000 pieces of bulk mail/month

Mail Services handles the collection and delivery of all official University correspondence between departments. Currently, we provide this service to more than 90 buildings with 460 stops receiving daily service. Mail Services collects, sorts, and delivers more than 4,000 pieces of campus mail each day. The standard delivery time from pick up to drop off is 24 hours.

Separate campus mail from other stamped or metered mail. Do not mix with any other type of mail.

 Campus mail should, whenever possible, be mailed in the standard, white interoffice envelopes. Recycled envelopes can also be obtained from the Mail Center. If other envelopes are used for campus mail, they may go through the postage meter which would incur a cost for your department.

Campus mail should be limited to university business only.

Address campus mail as follows:

TO:         NAME OF INDIVIDUAL

DEPARTMENT - ROUTE NUMBER

FROM:  NAME OF INDIVIDUAL

DEPARTMENT - ROUTE NUMBER

Please print or type using capitalized letters, separate the department from the route number with a dash, here's an example:

TO:         MICHELE R. SMITH

MAIL SERVICES - ROUTE 0102

FROM:  MARSHA R. WATSON

Supply Chain Management - ROUTE 0918

For the convenience of visitors, patients, employees, and students, we also have mail collection boxes in the following locations:

• 2^nd floor Rebecca Sealy Hospital - Mail services entrance B
• John Sealy Hospital - Floors 3 through 10 located near the large elevator bank
• John Sealy Hospital - across from the Starbucks next to the ATM
• Jennie Sealy Hospital - 1st floor next to Einstein Bros. Bagels
• Levin Hall - 3rd Floor South end of the building
• Jamail Student Center - 1st floor

 Mail is picked up from each location daily.

Incoming Mail

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USPS letter mail is delivered directly to Mail Services where it is sorted, bundled, and delivered to your department by one of our mail route carriers.

All USPS parcels are delivered to Mail Services for delivery with your daily campus mail. Parcels sent to a Post Office Box address can be picked up at the Customer Service window. Non-USPS packages are delivered to Materials Management, for example, FedEx, UPS, etc, where they are delivered by the Supply Chain Management Delivery Services team.

All incoming mail received at the University must contain a complete and correct business address as follows:

NAME OF INDIVIDUAL DEPARTMENT - ROUTE

THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS MEDICAL BRANCH

301 University Blvd. CITY STATE ZIP + 4

The last two address lines should always be the street address followed by city, state, and zip + 4.

Outgoing USPS Mail

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Outgoing USPS mail includes stamped and metered mail. Metered mail can be any mail class (except Periodicals) with postage printed by a USPS-approved postage meter. Mail Services provides metering services billed to your department account number for all outgoing USPS mail at no cost except postage.

Guidelines for metered mail

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High-volume mailings should be placed in trays provided by Mail Services. Please do not place high-volume mailings in cardboard boxes or send loose. Proper mailing containers are available through Mail Services by calling 409.747.3268 or by asking your route carrier. Smaller mailings (for example, those you could hold in one hand) should be held together by rubber bands.

Billing for metered mail is charged to the account number that corresponds to your mail route. Any exceptions requiring an alternate account number should include a memo that contains the name of a contact person, contact phone, description of the mailing, and alternate account information.

Separating mail by service class is also important. Outgoing U.S. Mail should be separated from internal campus mail. International mail should be separated from domestic mail. International mail for Canada should be separated from all other international mail. Within each class, please separate mail by weight.

Mail metering equipment seals all domestic open-side envelopes, such as standard business envelopes. Flaps should be left open and overlapping. Open-ended envelopes, such as coin envelopes or flat-size catalog envelopes, cannot be sealed automatically on metering equipment and should be sealed prior to giving them to Mail Services.

All international mail should be sealed by the sender. Self-mailers or booklets should not be sent to an international address unless placed in a sealed envelope. When addressing international mail, please spell out the country of destination in English, do not abbreviate.

All envelopes with metal clasps should be sealed prior to sending to Mail Services.

All domestic self-mailers should be tabbed (no staples, please), with the fold at the bottom, below the address. This will allow the mail piece to meet automation standards.

All mail sent to Mail Services for metering should face in the same direction and be sorted by size and weight. This will reduce handling time and allow for efficient metering.

Outgoing mail metered by Mail Services must have a complete return address and contain the words “University Of Texas Medical Branch.” This is a Federal regulation identifying the owner of the postage meter.

Make sure your campus address is presented on your outgoing stationery in a way that meets USPS requirements to ensure that it will be used correctly on incoming mail addressed to you, see the incoming mail example. Always use UTMB ZIP Code (77555) plus your department’s 4-digit mail route number.

• Type, machine, or handprint all address information.

• Use upper-case letters

• 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

• Omit all punctuation

• Include floor, suite, and apartment numbers whenever possible

• Put the city, state, and ZIP Code or ZIP+4 in that order on the last line. If there's not enough room, you can put the ZIP Code or ZIP+4 alone on the bottom line

• Use standard two-letter state abbreviations

• When using window envelopes, make sure the complete address is always visible, even when the insert moves

• Leave one space between words and two spaces between the state abbreviation and ZIP Code or ZIP+4 Code

Mail Services bills departments on a monthly basis by direct charge through the campus’ General Ledger. See the section “US Postal Mail” for additional information about billing.

When directing inquiries regarding general ledger entries for postage charges, have your account number, voucher number, and information specific to the mailing in question available.

When your department has a new account that you want Mail Center Operations to use for billing, please call ext. 73268 promptly with the new account number and mail route to which it relates.

When your department has an account number that you want Mail Center Operations to stop using, please call at ext. 73269 promptly with the account number you wish to have de-activated.

Employee mail routes are listed in UTMB’s online directory at: https://www.utmb.edu/directory

Customers are responsible for:

• Completing a Route Request Relocation form and submit it to Mail Services when you or your department moves.
• Department administrators must update mail route information in the appropriate online system if the department moves, an individual moves, or a new employee joins the department.
• Individuals should check the online directory to make sure their mail route is correct. If it isn’t, access the “Edit” feature of the online directory.

Personal mail is defined as any mail not related to UTMB or your position at UTMB such as utility bills, credit card and bank accounts not related to UTMB, and periodicals not related to your position. UTMB requires that all faculty and staff receive their personal mail at home or at a permanent address.

Occasional correspondence from friends and/or colleagues is acceptable. Your UTMB address should never be given as your permanent address unless you live on campus.

It is acceptable to send outgoing personal mail through UTMB Mail Services if you have already provided adequate postage. University postal meters cannot be used to apply postage to personal letters or parcels.

This term was previously called “Nonprofit Bulk Mail”, which is a subclass of Standard Mail available only to qualified organizations specified by U.S. statute. Requirements for nonprofit bulk mail:

• must consist of at least 200 or more identical pieces;
• all pieces must be uniform in size;
• all pieces must be mailed out at the same time;
• each piece must weigh less than 16 ounces and be at least .007” thick (Mail pieces over 4 1/4” by 6” in size must be at least .009” thick.); and
• mail pieces must be presented to Mail Operations in ascending ZIP Code order.

 In order to qualify for nonprofit rates, you must complete the Form for Accepting Non Profit (Bulk) Mailings and submit it to the mail center prior to pick up. Note: The Mail Center provides tubs and trays for bulk mailings. Please call ext. 73268 for more information.

Prior to preparing a large non-profit mailing, be sure to contact Mail Center Operations, at ext. 73268, to verify mail piece formats for compliance with USPS regulations.

Business Reply Mail (BRM) is a service from the USPS that allows you to send any number of reply pieces (envelopes, cards, or self-mailers) and pay only for those that are returned to you.

BRM is the most cost-effective way to provide reply pieces for a wide variety of mailings, including fundraising solicitations, surveys, subscription renewals, etc. No extra services (see USPS Postal Contract Station, Extra Services) may be used in conjunction with BRM. The rate is first-class mail postage plus a surcharge.

Customers must verify all business reply mailing formats with the Mail Center for compliance with USPS specifications prior to printing or reprinting.

Types of Services

When you want to free up valuable staff time and get your materials into the mail stream without delay, Mail Services' high-speed document inserter can meet your needs. It can also insert personalized documents of variable length such as financial statements. Whether you have items that require folding (cut sheets) such as letters; or separate enclosures such as return envelopes, brochures, flyers, or postcards; we can put it all together for you in one continuous manufacturing operation that includes mechanically folding, gathering, and inserting:

Our equipment can fold and insert mail into envelopes ready for metering at a rate of up to 7,000 pieces per hour, depending on the different types of enclosures.

When addressing mail for automation services, type, machine, or handprint all address information.

Specifications Envelopes:

• Number 10, letter-size envelopes must be used
  
• Window envelopes require production testing
  
• Envelope flap size should be between 1-1/4” and 2-1/4”
  
• Minimum Paper Weight: Basis weight of 50 lbs.
  

• Minimum Size: 6” (L) x 4” (W)
  
• Maximum Size: 9-7/8” (L) x 6” (W)
  
• Thickness: 1/2”
  
• Clearance: 1/4” from top of envelope throat to insure flap closure; 1/2’” inside envelope from side-to-side to ensure a smooth fit
  
• Minimum Paper Weight: Basis weight of 25 lbs.
  
• For up to five enclosures, each item (including the envelope) must not weigh more than 2 oz.

• Machine pre-fold all material (you may use our folding services)
  
• Inserts require letter fold (not accordion)
  
• Inserts must be folded separately (not collated)

The United States Postal Service contains a division called the United States Postal Inspection Service. The mission of the United States Postal Inspection Service is to protect the U.S. Postal Service, its employees and its customers from criminal attack, and protect the nation's mail system from criminal misuse. They will conduct joint investigations with other agencies when necessary, and do all that they can to protect their customers. To read more about this division, visit:

https://postalinspectors.uspis.gov/

If you receive a suspicious package in the mail, the first step is to stop touching or moving the package and call Campus Security at ext. 21111

1. What contact information should I use for Mail Services?

For Mail Center Operations, please call ext. 73260.
Mail Services mail route: 0102.

2. Is postage billed to a department?

Yes, using either a Class or Project code.

3. How do I obtain an account number to pay for postage?

Contact your departmental administrator for the account number.

4. If I am going to use a new account number, what do I need to do?

Send Mail Services a letter of authorization that gives you permission to use that new account number. It can be done by email to Rafael Mendoza racmendo@utmb.edu.

5. Will my mail go out today?

Yes, the last pickup is at 5:00 p.m

6. How can I find out mailing requirements or the format for sending business reply mail or a non-profit bulk mailing?

Always check with the Mail Center (call ext. 73260 for assistance) for help with verifying formats and requirements for both bulk mailings and business reply mail. 

7.  What should we do if personnel in our department are moving to another area, we are changing our department's location, or we need to establish a new mail stop?

When updating the changes to phone extensions in HCM employee self-service and the UTMB Online Directory site, be sure to update your mail route as well. You must also complete the Route Relocation Request form and submit it to Mail Services. When the need arises to establish a new mail stop, please contact Mail Services for assistance. In addition, individuals may also verify and/or update their own mail routes and other contact information using the web directory.

8. I have relocated on campus, but my address on the incoming campus or U.S. mail still has my former address. What should I do?

Update your UTMB Online Directory using the edit function, also have your departmental administrator update the mail route for delivery in HCM since this updates the campus mailing lists. On other lists or incoming mail sent via U.S. mail, please notify your correspondents directly so that your address will be updated and your mail delivery expedited.

9.  I would like to ask a question or make a comment regarding the service provided by my Mail Carrier. Whom do I call?

Please call the Mail Services Manager, at ext. 73260.

Non-Profit Mailings

Route Request Relocation