Mail Services

General Information

General Mail Delivery

Every day we process thousands of pieces of incoming and outgoing mail. There are several things that your department can do to expedite your mail:

  • Make sure your mail is addressed properly
  • Call Mail Services for information to help reduce postage costs.

Separate your mail into the following categories before it is picked up:

  • Domestic mail that requires postage
  • International mail that requires postage
  • Stamped mail
  • Interoffice mail

Outgoing U.S. mail that requires postage can either be left for pickup with your campus mail or brought to the mail center. The mail is weighed, posted, and taken to the Post Office. Only mail pertaining to University business can be sent to the mail center for postage.

Letter-size mail does not have to be sealed, but the flaps should be left up (nested). This mail is sealed as it passes through the mailing machine. Envelopes larger than letter size, as well as all international mail, should be sealed before it is given to Mail Services.

Addressing

In order for outside mail to reach you faster, give your complete return address to all senders, including:

Western Connecticut State University
Your Name Department Name
181 White Street
Danbury CT 06810

Standard Mail A

Standard A single-piece mail consists of any mail able matter that is not mailed (or required to be mailed) as First Class Mail, and is less than 16 ounces.

Only University-related material can be sent Standard Mail A Bulk Mail, and the return address must identify Western Connecticut State University.

BusinessReply Mail

Business Reply Mail service enables senders to receive First Class Mail by paying postage on the mail that is returned. The permit holder guarantees payment of the appropriate First Class postage, plus a per-piece handling charge. Business Reply Mail cannot be sent to any foreign country.

Business Reply Mail is a card or envelope that is sent out with mail to solicit a response from the recipient. The Postal Service has strict preparation requirements for Business Reply Mail. Contact Mail Services 7-8274 for the proper format before printing (or reprinting) Business Reply Mail envelopes or cards.

Meter Reply Mail

In some instances, Meter Reply Mail is the most cost-efficient method. For instance, if you are expecting a very high return of your reply pieces, you may spend less by pre-paying postage on all envelopes rather than paying postage and surcharge on the pieces that are returned. For more information, contact Mail Services 7-8274.

Standard Mail B

Standard Mail B, or Parcel Post, consists of any mail able matter that is not mailed (or required to be mailed) as First Class Mail, and weighs 1 pound or more.

There are several sub-categories of Standard Mail B that offer reduced rates for material that meets the necessary qualifications.

Media Mail includes:

  • Books (including books issued to supplement other books) of at least eight printed pages, consisting wholly of reading matter or scholarly bibliography, or reading matter with incidental blank spaces for notations, and containing no advertising matter other than incidental announcements of books
  • 16mm (or narrower) width films, and catalogs of such films of 24 pages or more
  • Printed music, whether in bound form or sheet form
  • Sound recordings

Bound Printed Matter includes:

  • Advertising, promotional, directory, or editorial material, or any combination of these.
  • Securely bound by permanent fastenings such as staples, spiral binding, perfect binding, etc.
  • Sheets of which at least 90% are imprinted by any process other than handwriting or typewriting with letters, characters, figures or images, or any combination of these

Library Rate

Only the following items may be mailed at the Library Rate when loaned or exchanged between schools, colleges, universities, public libraries, and museums:

  • Books
  • Bound volumes of academic thesis
  • Periodicals
  • Printed music
  • Sound recordings