By ADIA REYNOLDS
Tiger Media Network
Processing incoming mail for students on campus is a big undertaking. According to Director of Residential Life RJ Schnack, there are at least 100 packages coming into each of the main residence halls every day.
According to Schnack, the mail system on-campus receives letters and packages from USPS, UPS, FedEx, FedEx Express, Amazon, and more. The mail system is staffed by around 45 people who organize the mail and 10-12 people who hand out mail at the front desks in each building. This shift work is part of the Community Assistant’s responsibilities.
“Our goal is to have all mail sorted by 5 p.m. each day,” Schnack said.
However, some students have experienced issues with receiving their mail on time, or at all, as well as difficulty communicating with student staff who assist with delivering campus mail.
Ainsley Green reported not only frequent mail system issues but also dismissive behavior from staff. In a case where Green did not receive a package that had been delivered, she said the assistant didn’t do anything to help when she contacted them multiple times.
“The desk worker at the time was very rude, and didn’t even bother to go into the back and check,” she said.
Green contacted the Etsy small business through which she purchased the item, and they said the item had been shipped. Green followed the trail through UPS, who provided a receipt to prove that the package had arrived and been signed for at Victor E. Village.
“My package showed up four weeks later—four weeks too late,” Green said. “By that time I’d already spent the money to buy a replacement.”
Students Maddi Black and Malachi Drennan have also dealt with issues related to timely delivery.
“I’m missing my mail that was delivered almost a week ago,” Black said.
“I’m missing some important paperwork that I needed for the past week,” Drennan added.
According to Schnack, the process of sorting and delivering campus mail is complex.
“When a package is received a staff member will first log it, then write a pink slip. The slip is delivered to the students’ inbox, and students then come to the counter to receive the package,” he said.
The two primary pick-up locations are Victor E. Village and McMindes. Schnack said Wooster Apartments and Stadium Place operate independently, receiving their mail just like a real house or apartment.
Schnack revealed the plethora of reasons students may not receive their packages.
“People put nicknames, not full names. Or they put the wrong room number, no building specified, etc.,” he said.
He encourages students to double-check that packages from home or being delivered from online stores have the correct mailing addresses. Each residential building has a unique address, and students should not simply use the university address.
For those students experiencing delivery issues, Schnack said they should report the package with its tracking number and where it was supposed to be delivered to residential life staff.
Schnack also reminds students that it takes 1-2 days for mail to be processed and to add that time to the pre-existing wait time associated with each state.