Summer 2005
CAMPUS NOTES
Former Union Bookstore Renovated into Student Mailroom
Students will have a central mailroom where they will get their mail and packages starting this fall. The new mailroom, located on the first floor of the MacVittie College Union will function as a community service center in keeping with the purpose and mission of the union, said Vice President for Student and Campus Life Robert Bonfiglio.
College crews turned the former campus bookstore into the 5,500 square foot state-of-the-art mailroom that houses 5,580 mailboxes and 80 parcel lockers, said Thomas R. Underwood, assistant director of purchasing and central services.
"A centralized mailroom will provide for greater security and safety in the mail handling process," said Bonfiglio. "All mail will be handled by a small group of staff members, as opposed to student workers and residence hall staff members assigned to each residence hall. This became a real priority for the College in the wake of fears about contaminated and tampered mail after the Sept. 11, 2001 tragedy."
Moreover, he said, residence hall staff members will now be able to spend more time working directly with residents on personal matters and less time sorting mail. In addition, the mailroom will function as a full-service post office in the way that the individual residence hall mail areas couldn't. Students will be able to purchase stamps, check their e-mail and make copies of their documents in the union, he said.
Access to the mailboxes will coincide with the building hours of the College Union, said Underwood. Service counter hours will be from 8 a.m.-4:15 p.m. Monday-Saturday during the academic year and 8 a.m.-4 p.m. Monday-Friday in the summer.
College-related mail for faculty and staff will continue to be processed through the mailroom at this location. Mail will be picked up and delivered as it is done currently. Faculty and staff mail will not be affected by this change other than the new location, said Underwood.
Students will still need to go to the U.S. Post Office to mail packages, he said. Faculty and staff can send out college-related packages through the mailroom using DHL with their departmental account number. Outgoing UPS packages will still be handled through central receiving. Personal packages will need to be sent out at the U.S. Post Office.
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This crew turned the former bookstore into a modern mailroom for students.
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Photo:
Ron Pretzer
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