Mail Services

Campus Mail is sorted and delivered by name of individual and department. As a result, each department is responsible for forwarding mail received for individuals who have moved or departed.

 For employees who have moved to another department within the University, completely cross out the old address on the mail piece and write "FORWARD TO" along with the department the individual transferred to. Place the item with your outgoing campus mail.

If the new address for an individual is not known, completely cross out the old address on the mail piece and write "RETURN TO SENDER, NO FORWARDING ADDRESS" and place the item with your outgoing mail.

For inter-campus mail ensure that each piece includes the recipient’s name and department. Inter-campus department barcode is not needed for inter-campus mail.

Mail to APO/FPO addresses, Guam, and Puerto Rico is considered domestic mail and does not require international postage.

Domestic mail pieces should be bundled with your department barcode* and facing the same direction. It must have complete addresses and return addresses or it will be rejected by the USPS. To avoid using a barcode for each individual piece of mail, you can bundle your mail pieces together and use one barcode per bundle. The barcode is found easier if it is placed on the back of the last mail piece. Many departments even use their barcode label to seal the envelope. Only one barcode is needed per bundle of mail.

If two different departments are sharing the same stationary and using different departmental barcodes other than what the stationary displays Mail Services needs to be informed ahead of time in the interest of all departments involved. This helps avoid confusion and contested charges at the end of the month.

International mail pieces should have the appropriate up to date customs form filled out. Forms must be filled out with blue or black ink. The correct form to be used is determined by the weight of the mail piece.

*Please do not put department mail barcode in the top right corner of the mail piece this is where postage is applied.

*If a department mail barcode is needed send a barcode request to mailservices@txstate.edu with your cost and fund number (copy the account manager of your department in the e-mail). You can also have your department barcode made smaller or in a different format by request.

*If your department mail barcode needs updating (new account numbers assigned) please email mailservices@txstate.edu the old account numbers which need to be locked in both meter machines as well as the new account numbers that need to be created in both meter machines. Your department will be emailed the updated mail barcode.

University on-campus mail is mail that originates on campus and has an on-campus destination address. University on campus mail is delivered no later than the business day after it is picked up (excluding bad weather days).

The use of interdepartmental envelopes is strongly encouraged. If stationery envelopes are used for University mail, the sender should provide a return address in the upper left-hand corner of the envelope and write "CAMPUS MAIL" prominently on the envelope where a stamp would normally be placed. If University mail is not in an envelope, the sender should fold and seal the mail piece with tabs or tape.

The address on University mail should be written or printed using this format:

Name

Department Name

Room Number and Building

Mail being sent off-campus must conform to USPS standards.

Mail should not contain any item that could injure employees and/or result in damage to metering and processing equipment. Examples of items that should not be placed in envelopes include glass chips, lapel pins, metal pieces, paper clips, pencils, pens, and sand. Staples should not be used to attach mail to an envelope. If an enclosure does not fit properly in a window envelope, an envelope without a window should be used; staples should not be used to prevent slippage of the address from window view.

In addition, mail being sent via the USPS should have a University return address including the department name. Mail that is sent using metered postage should not be placed in red/black envelopes since the postage indicia is red and will not show up on red/black envelopes. When sending Priority Mail® items, it is recommended that customers use Priority Mail® envelopes and boxes, which are available from the USPS.