California State University East Bay
Department:
Shipping and Receiving
Procedure No: 6
Date Issued:
August 1, 2011
SUBJECT:
Mail Services Receipt and Processing
PURPOSE:
To provide instructions on the receipt, handling and processing of mail and security
related issues.
____________________________________________________________________________________
I. OBJECTIVE
To expeditiously process and deliver all mail for the campus departments and to be aware of security
requirements for mail handling.
II.POLICY
All Express shipments delivered by any of the express delivery carriers shall be delivered within one (1)
hour of receipt.
III.PROCEDURE
A.
Distribution Schedule
Current mail service on the campus includes the pick-up and delivery of both U.S. mail and inter-office
mail once daily. Time of pick-up will vary depending on the location of your area along the route and the
amount of mail which has to be processed before deliveries start. Ordinarily, mail delivery and pick-up
routes begin at 10 A.M.
B.
Express Mail
Express Mail or other overnight service will be delivered to the department on the mail run or ASAP
following its receipt. Please notify Receiving if you are expecting an urgent package.
C.
Inbound U.S. Postal Service Mail
Receiving personnel pick up University mail from the Hayward Main Post Office by 7:00 A.M. each work
day. On Mondays, after three-day week-ends or holidays, the volume is substantially higher and the
mail run maybe delayed to accommodate the increased load.
1
D.
Outbound Mail
1. Within the size and weight limits of First Class mail, any unspecified piece placed in the mail pick-up
box will be sent as First Class mail.
The U.S. Postal Service size and weight limits are:
 Minimum height & length - 3-1/2" x 5".
 Maximum height & length limited to 108" in combined length and circumference.
 Maximum weight - 70 lbs.
2. Items larger than routine mail will be evaluated by Mail Services personnel to determine the lowest
cost method for processing unless otherwise instructed by the department. Departments may be
required to pay any difference in cost from operating budgets if they elect to send mail by a more costly
method.
3. The University's first class mail is turned over to a firm specializing in the "Pre-Sort" business after it is
processed through Mail Services. Mail is sorted according to ZIP Code by this firm and delivered to the
post office by noon the following day. This will save approximately 10 percent of the normal postage
cost and does not normally slow delivery to the addressee. Departments may be required to pay the
difference in cost of first class should they require special handling through the post office directly.
4. Faculty and Staff may request any of the following special services on first class mail:





Certified Mail - This provides a record of the mailing and for a slightly higher fee will provide a
record of delivery. There is no option for insurance coverage.
Overnight Delivery -The University uses U.P.S. (United Parcel Service) for overnight
deliveries. Departments may obtain materials necessary to send overnight mail by contacting
Mail Services. Bills of Lading must be completely filled out including: return address and
department name, account number to be charged, authorized signature, and delivery
address in full, including zip code.
NOTE: Overnight Mail must be in the mail room by 3:30 p.m. to ensure processing for the
same day.
NOTE: Only US Postal Express Mail can be delivered to post office boxes. Contact mail
services for other options if you do not have a street address.
2-Day Priority Mail - 2-Day Priority Mail is a cost effective alternative to overnight mail
service. It is available through the US Post Office and most other carriers. It is 95% effective
to major metropolitan areas and it is especially useful when you cannot wait the delivery
2
time required for first-class mail, but do not absolutely require overnight delivery. However,
there is no tracking capability when using the U.S.P.S.
Bulk Mailings -Extremely low rates are available for all mailings of identical pieces, separately addressed
to different addresses in quantities of 200 or more when no item weighs over 3.973 ounces or when a
group of identical items each weigh over 3.973 ounces but less than 16 ounces and the overall total
weight is 50 pounds or more. The current basic rate is approximately 17 cents each up to one ounce.
Bulk mailed letters and circulars normally take from 3 to 7 days longer for delivery than first class mail.
With proper planning, the department and the University can realize significant savings.
The U.S. Postal Service has very specific and strictly enforced regulations on the preparation and
processing of bulk mail. When a University activity anticipates a mailing which might qualify for the bulk
rate, assistance should be requested from Mail Services personnel. The following guidelines should be
employed for processing bulk mailings:

Request for Bulk Mailing Services (Form 1-900-75) (PDF) must be completed and submitted with
the bulk mailing.

A minimum quantity of 200 pieces identical in weight is required.

All pieces must be sealed and affixed with the bulk permit indicia. This may be hand stamped or
printed on department envelopes in advance for those departments which intend to use bulk
mail services regularly. Bulk mail permit indicia stamps may be loaned from Mail Services upon
request.

All bulk mailings must be assembled in ascending ZIP Code order and should be loosely packed
into postal trays (available upon request from the mail room) or other suitable container. Only
one level of mail is allowed in each container.

Mailing should be clearly marked as "Bulk" and separated from other outgoing mail. Pick-up is
available upon request by calling Mail Services at Ext. 53703.
Bulk mailings will be processed on an as soon as possible basis. Normally they will go out within 48 hours
of receipt at Mail Services but departments with especially time sensitive materials should confirm
processing with the Mail Services supervisor.
E.
International mail
International mail, surface and air, must be separated and secured in a bundle with a rubber band or
string. Each bundle should be marked "FOREIGN MAIL".
3
F.
Internal Campus Mail
1. Intra-office (on-campus) mail service is provided once daily at the same time U.S. mail is picked up
and delivered. All sorting bins are cleared daily and delivered to the campus on the normal mail run
beginning at 10 A.M.
2. The Contra Costa Center provides a daily courier between the Hayward campus and the Concord
campus, with limited stops at both locations. Any mail picked up during the mail run or brought to Mail
services before 11:30 A.M. will be assured of the same afternoon delivery to the Contra Costa Center.
Please notify the mail room prior to the mail pick-up if you have mail which may need special attention.
3. Large size boxes or other similar items may be brought to Receiving for the Courier to pick up.

Lined and perforated messenger service envelopes (State of California Form #117) are used for
inter-office mail. These envelopes are available from Mail Services and should be reused until all
address sections have been used. The name of a person should only be used in conjunction with
the departmental name. Without the departmental name, Mail Services must often open the
envelope to determine the delivery point.
G. Stamps
The mail room maintains a stock of First Class one ounce postage stamps for use by University offices for
after hour’s mailings. These are not to be used for any purpose other than approved campus mailings.
Submit a request form by email to Sylvester Donelson.
IV. PRECAUTIONS AND SECURITY
A.
All Receiving staff that are involved with the handling of incoming mail shall be cognizant of the
following guidelines which provide security awareness related to Biological, Chemical, and
Radiological Threats (including Anthrax) and Mail Bombs.
B.
CHARACTERISTICS OF A SUSPICIOUS LETTER OR PACEL
Some typical characteristics include letters or parcels that:








Have any powdery substance on the outside.
Are unexpected or from someone unfamiliar to you.
Have excessive postage, handwritten or poorly typed address, incorrect titles or titles with no
name, or misspellings of common words.
Are addressed to someone no longer with your organization or are otherwise outdated.
Have no return address or have one that can't be verified as legitimate.
Are of unusual weight, given their size, or are lopsided or oddly shaped.
Have an unusual amount of tape on them.
Are marked with restrictive endorsements, such as "Personal" or "Confidential."
4

C.
Have strange odors or stains.
IF YOU RECEIVE A SUSPICIOUS LETTER OR PARCEL IN THE MAIL YOU SHOULD:




D.
Not try to open the mail piece! Handle with care!
Isolate the mail piece immediately.
Evacuate the immediate area.
Call the University Police 9-1-1 to report that you've received a letter or parcel in the mail that
may be a bomb, or contain biological or chemical substances.
IF YOU RECEIVE A SUSPECTED ANTHRAX THREAT BY MAIL:









E.
Do not handle the mail piece or package suspected of contamination. Do not shake or empty the
contents of any suspicious envelope or package;
If possible, double bag the letter or package in zipper-type or zip-lock type plastic bags using
latex gloves, or some other type of container to prevent leakage of contents; If you do not have
a container, then COVER the envelope or package with anything (e.g., clothing, paper, trashcan,
etc.). DO NOT REMOVE THIS COVER;
Then LEAVE the room and CLOSE the door, or section off the area to prevent others from
entering the area (i.e., keep others away);
Notify Support Services Manager, who should immediately contact the University Police. who
will arrange to collect the letter/package and assess the threat situation;
Make sure that damaged or suspicious packages are isolated and the immediate area is
cordoned off.
Ensure that all persons who have touched the mail piece wash their hands with soap and water
to prevent spreading any powder to their face;
List all persons who have touched the letter and/or package. Include contact information and
have this information available for the authorities. Provide the list to the University Police.
Place all items worn when in contact with the suspected mail piece in plastic bags, and have
them available for law enforcement agents. If possible change clothing in the workplace, and DO
NOT let anyone else touch the clothing.
As soon as practical, shower with soap and water.
SUSPICIOUS PACKAGES SHOULD BE ISOLATED
When the mail screening process identifies a suspect item, it is essential to rapidly remove personnel
from the area and the potential hazard from the workflow. The suspect piece should either be left alone
or placed in an area of isolation. University Police and the Support Service Manager should jointly
evaluate the spaces or areas available around the mail center. If the suspect piece is moved, ensure the
location offers a degree of isolation where a parcel may be placed pending verification and/or the arrival
of the police. Here at the CSUEB, the mail operation is relatively remote and suspicious mail is left inplace, pending an evaluation by officials from the Department of Environmental Health and Safety or
the University Police. In selecting and creating the isolation area, the following points should serve as
general guidelines:

The isolation area should be easily accessible from the mail screening area.
5




While hand transporting a suspect postal item from the screening area to the isolation area, it
should not be necessary to move into or through areas of high employee population or heavy
traffic.
If at all possible, access to the isolation area should not involve the opening of doors, climbing of
stairs, or passage through areas of clutter or poor illumination.
The total distance from the mail screening area to the isolation area should not exceed 50 yards.
The isolation area should, whenever possible, be located outdoors and sheltered from the
elements (a covered loading dock or an open shed area).
6