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Mail Services

Please remember that UPMC is not allowed to receive or deliver personal packages that are shipped to the University for employees.
With Amazon now using the USPS for many of their lower-priority packages, we are seeing an increase in Amazon parcels through the USPS. Personal mail/packages will be returned to the sender upon arrival at UPMC. Please update all shipping addresses to reflect your home address for personal packages. Thank you!

Services

UPMC provides the following mail preparation and delivery services

• interdepartmental and US Postal Service (USPS) mail pick-up and delivery
• interdepartmental and USPS mail processing
• stamps and metering
• communication and coordination with the US Postal Service (USPS)
• e-mail, network share, or portable media submission of data for variable data and merging, labeling, tabbing, and/or sorting.
• indicia application
• label production and application
• insertion of material into envelopes and other mailing containers ("stuffing")
  • Please allow ample time for stuffing projects. Call UPMC for a timeline.
• envelope sealing
• metering
• automated mail preparation
• postal statement generation
• bundling of mail in trays or bags

Postage Prices

• On September 5th, 2024, the United States Postal Service ^® filed notice with the Postal Regulatory Commission (PRC) regarding a temporary price change for some package services for the 2024 peak holiday season. This temporary price adjustment, which was approved by the governors of the Postal Service on August 8th, 2024, is to help cover extra handling costs to ensure a successful peak season.

  The temporary rates went into effect at midnight CDT on October 6th, 2024 and will remain in place until midnight CST on January 19th, 2025. Peak-season pricing affects prices on the following commercial and retail domestic competitive parcels with no other products or services affected:

  • Priority Mail Express ^® (PME)
  • Priority Mail ^® (PM)
  • USPS Ground Advantage ^®

   

• The current price for a first-class stamp (1 ounce) is 73 cents.
• Mail that is metered at UPMC is currently 69 cents for a 1-ounce letter.

Interdepartment Mail

• Whenever possible, use interdepartment envelopes (usually brown with multiple spaces for from, to, and department information) for mail on and between the Macomb and Quad Cities campuses
• Address interdepartmental mail as follows:
  From [sender's full name]
  To [recipient's full name]
  Dept [recipient's department name]

  • Use recipient's department name, not building and room number, in addresses
  • UPMC picks up, sorts, and delivers mail by department
• Separate interdepartmental mail from US Postal Service (USPS) mail
• For interdepartment mailings of more than 50 pieces, use paper clips or rubber bands to group pieces by department
• For residence hall mail, use paper clips or rubber bands to group pieces by hall
  • For larger residence hall mailings, contact UHDS

Postage Charge Slips

• Contact UPMC at upm@wiu.edu to request postage charge slips

Outgoing US Postal Service Mail

• UPMC sells standard, first class forever stamps for personal use to individuals who pay cash in person.

• Outgoing University mail should clearly identify Western Illinois University, and its appearance should reflect positively the image of the University as an institution of higher learning:
  • Use official, pre-printed University envelopes for all outgoing, off-campus mail
  • University Guidelines:
    • strongly encourage and, in most cases, require the direct printing of mailing addresses and return addresses on University mail
    • prohibit or restrict the use of address labels on University mailings of 200 or more pieces
      • Contact UPMC for information about automated mail preparation and postage rates
    • strongly discourage the use of mailing labels on University mailings of less than 200 pieces
    • prohibit the use of address labels on windowed envelopes
    • prohibit the use of labels for return addresses
  • Use official combination mailing address–return address labels for small numbers of large envelopes or any number of oddly shaped mailing containers
    • Contact UPMC for information about combination mailing address–return address labels
  • As with official, pre-printed University envelopes and combination mailing address–return address labels, all outgoing University mail should display a complete University return address that includes the name of the sending department
• For all mailings of 200 or more pieces, contact UPMC about automated mail preparation and rates
• Include a completed postage charge slip with all outgoing University mail
• Separate outgoing off-campus mail, on-campus mail, and international mail
• Seal thick envelopes manually to prevent damage to such mail pieces during processing
• Arrange unsealed envelopes with the flaps down for automated mailings. Arrange them with flaps overlapping each other for daily mail.
• Address large envelopes with the sealed end on the right.

Postage Stamps & Postage-Paid Postcards for University Mail

• The state of Illinois requires the purchase of postage stamps endorsed with a perforated "I" for University mail
  • Contact UPMC to purchase postage stamps for University mail
  • The University will not reimburse the purchase of postage stamps from sources other than UPMC
  • Request large supplies of state-endorsed stamps well in advance of the date needed

Automated Mail

• Preparing University mailings of 200 or more pieces for automated mail saves offices and departments time and postage costs and avoids delivery delays
• Consult UPMC throughout the design process of any mailpiece to avoid costly errors and delivery delays and to determine the following:
  • mail class
  • mail sortation
  • non-profit qualification
  • service endorsements
  • indicia
• For all mailings of 200 or more pieces, contact UPMC about automated mail preparation and rates
• Preparing a mailing for automated mail allows the mailing to move efficiently through the mailstream by following US Postal Service (USPS) regulations concerning layout, stock, printing, folding, and tabbing
• UPMC performs the following tasks when preparing mailings for automated mail:
  • Checks for and removes duplicate addresses (when requested)
  • Compares submitted addresses to USPS change of address database
  • Formats addresses according to USPS regulations
  • Generates regulation barcodes from address information
  • Manually reviews all addresses not found in USPS databases in order to correct errors in submitted addresses
  • Prepares reports that the USPS requires for automated mail postage discounts
  • Sorts addresses according to USPS requirements

Contact Info

upm@wiu.edu
www.wiu.edu/upm

Phone: 309-298-1000
Fax: 309-298-2869

University Printing & Mailing Center
Western Illinois University
1 University Circle
Macomb, IL 61455 USA

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