Mail Services

Columbia Student Mail Procedures

The following information is provided to ensure secure and accurate delivery of letter mail and packages to Columbia students. Please read carefully and inform your relatives, friends and business correspondents of the appropriate information. If you have any questions or concerns, contact the Columbia University Mail Center at 854-0100.

U.S. Postal Service (USPS) Mail
The Student Mail Center usually receives two deliveries of mail, the first in the morning around 11:00 am and the second around 2:00 pm. Most 1st class mail is received with the morning delivery from the USPS along with small parcels (see Package and Parcel Procedure). Magazines usually arrive with the afternoon delivery.

Mail received before 12:00 pm is boxed before the end of the business day. Mail received after 12:00 pm is typically boxed the same day but may carry over to the next day if volume is high.

Some magazines are too big to fit into the Lerner boxes. These are placed aside and must be picked up separately from boxed mail. The Mail Center will let you know if you receive such publications by placing a notification slip into your mailbox. Please give the slip to a mail representative at the 4th floor mail window on the ramp (not the Package Center), to retrieve your magazine. Newspapers are kept aside. No notification will be issued for daily newspapers/periodicals.

All magazines and newspapers held aside will be kept until the next issue arrives. If not claimed, the old periodical will be sent back.

Packages and Parcels
Packages are scanned in once the Mail Center has taken delivery of them. Students will be able to pick them up only when they are placed into our internal tracking system. Most parcels are kept for a maximum of 14 days. If not picked up within 7 days, a second email will be sent letting the student know his or her package is scheduled for return. The student then has 7 days before that package is returned. Packages cannot be held longer, even if requested.

Please understand that the USPS Delivery Confirmation feature only provides confirmation on packages delivered to a particular ZIP code. It does not confirm receipt at Lerner Hall.

Oversized Parcels
Due to storage limitations, oversized bulk items are kept for a maximum of 7 days. Packages cannot be held longer, even if requested.

Perishables
When a student receives a package that is clearly marked "perishable," a phone call will be made to the student. The student will also receive an email. Perishables are held no longer than 1 week.

The Mail Center cannot assume responsibility for any items that have not been picked up in a timely fashion, or for any items needing refrigeration. Please be sure that your proper address and phone extension are used when receiving perishable items.

Proper use of mailboxes

Columbia University issues mailboxes and mailbox keys to Columbia students only. Students are not permitted to use these boxes for relatives or guests. Incoming mail for non-Columbia students is returned to the sender. Similarly, keys should not be given to others for convenience.

An open or improperly closed box invites problems; students should close mailboxes tightly. If a mailbox does not close or lock properly, please notify the Mail Center immediately so that it can be repaired.

Student Mailbox Stuffings Procedure

Recognized student groups may request to stuff student mailboxes in Lerner Hall with notices, advertisements or flyers. Once approved, the mailbox stuffing can be done manually by the student group during designated times on Fridays and Saturdays (see below). No student groups will have access to the mail centers from September 1st - October 15th. A fee will be charged if the Columbia Student Mail Center staff is needed to stuff the boxes.

Here are the steps a student group must follow:

Submit a Mail Stuffing Authorization Form to the Columbia Student Mail Center either via email or telephone, at least one week prior to the date of the mailbox stuffing.
We strongly recommend that you schedule your mailbox stuffing as far in advance as possible.
The Mail Stuffing Authorization Form must be completed and signed by the individual students who will be stuffing the mailboxes.
All requests must be approved by the manager of the Columbia Student Mail Center.
Contact Tyson Sleete to arrange for a mailbox stuffing: 854-0101 or ts2356@columbia.edu
The fee for Mail Center staff to perform the mailbox stuffing is $550.
Student groups must receive permission for mailbox stuffing from their advisors.

The designated times available for recognized student groups to stuff mailboxes are:

Fridays, 3:00 pm - 5:00 pm
Saturdays, 9:00 am - 11:00 am

We urge groups to book as early as possible. Mailbox stuffing is scheduled on a first-come/first-serve basis.

The Columbia Student Mail Center can provide a listing of students by year, but requests for specific lists must be made prior to stuffing. The Student Mail Center does not provide listings based on race, gender, religion, national origin or major of study.

IMPORTANT GUIDELINES

Students may not exit or re-enter the Mail Center when stuffing mailboxes for a student group. If a student needs to leave, he or she will not be permitted to return.
No mail is to be touched.
No mail is to leave the Mail Center - even if the mail belongs to a participating student, or friends or relatives of that student.

Any student who violates these guidelines will be reported and not allowed to participate in future mailbox stuffing.

The above information is subject to change. Please contact the Columbia University Student Mail Services for current policies.