Mail Services

CSU Dominguez Hills
1000 East Victoria Street
Carson, CA 90747-0001

Mail Services picks up and delivers mail once daily. A delivery and a pick-up are scheduled each morning. Off-campus mail is picked up by 2:45 p.m., Monday through Friday. There is one U.S.P.S. mailbox located on campus, at the bus stop in front of the campus.

Intra-campus Mail: Intra-campus mail picked up in the morning will be delivered the following business morning; intra-campus mail picked up in the afternoon will be delivered with the next day's morning mail.

Off-campus Mail: Off campus mail received during the day will be processed and picked up by the U.S. Post Office the same day received, with the following exceptions:

• Window Mail Cut Off Time: Mail received at our office window after 2:30 p.m. will be processed the following day.
• Accountable Mail: Certified, Registered, Insured and Express Mail will be mailed the next  business day if received after 2:30 p.m. Arrangements can be made for sender to take their accountable items to the Post Office the same day if the item is received after 2:30 p.m.
• Bulk Mail: Bulk mail is processed and delivered to the post office two to three days after receipt.

U.S. Post Office Turn Around Time by Mail Class

Domestic Express Mail (Expedited Mail Guaranteed): 1 to 2 days, depending on zip code zone, if received before 4:00 p.m. by local post office. All Express items received after 4:00 p.m. are 2 days.

International Express Mail (Expedited not Guaranteed): Estimated time is 4 to 5 days.

Priority Mail Domestic: 2 to 3 days

International Worldpost Priority Mail: 5 to 7 days, not guaranteed

Global Priority Mail: 3 to 5 days, not guaranteed

International Air Mail: 5 days

First Class and Standard Mail (A): 2 to 3 days

Third and Fourth Class Standard Mail (B): 5 to 7 days

Special Book Rate Mail: 2 weeks

Library rate Mail: 2 weeks

Non-Profit Bulk Mail: 2 weeks

International Mail Restriction (See Mail Restrictions dropdown below)

Mail Services provides free Messenger Service Envelopes to campus users upon request. These envelopes serve to protect correspondence from damage, insure confidentiality, and allow staff to easily differentiate campus mail from outgoing letter mail. For these reasons, these envelopes have been established as the approved means to transmit official on-campus interdepartmental correspondence.

Addressing Messenger Envelopes: Messenger envelopes must be addressed by department name and name of person. Items that are too large and do not fit into the Messenger Service Envelope cannot be mailed.

Mailers are urged to return any surplus envelopes back to Mail Services.

Other Intra-campus Mail: Unlabeled/unaddressed flyers for general campus distribution need not be enclosed in Messenger Services Envelopes. Intra-campus mail of this type must be brought to Mail Services for distribution.

Outgoing Mail

Identification: All departments and offices that use campus mail facilities must include their department and mail code as part of the return address on all outgoing mail. Business reply letters and cards, parcels, printed permits, and all other mail requiring postage must also display the department's name and mail code as a part of the return address.

Mail Processing

Letter Mail: Departments mailing two or more letters at one time must bundle mail with a rubber band. If letters are to be machine sealed, letter flaps must over lap one another. Letter mail without an envelope must be tabbed or taped, not stapled. All pre-stamped mail must be sealed and separated from mail that requires machine stamping. International mail must be bundled separately from domestic mail and identified as international mail.

Parcel/Book Mail: All parcel and book mail must be sealed and wrapped by the sender. All pre-stamped mail must be sealed and separated from mail that must stamped. Mail that does not conform to these standards will be returned to the sender for correction.

U.S. Postal Standard Address Format Required for Automated Presort First-Class Discount Rates

Effective July 1, 1996, the U.S. Post Office enacted its Classification Reform to expand the mail volume processed by its automated mail processing equipment. This Classification Reform affects the address quality standards of all letter mail which is submitted for presorted first-class discounts. Letters must conform to the following standards:

Physical Characteristics

Letter-Size:

Card Size:

Shape: It is important that a letter-size mail piece be longer than it is tall (rectangular, not square) so that the mail doesn't tumble during processing.

Aspect Ratio: The aspect ratio for letter-size mail provides a measure tool to determine proper length to height ratio. Dividing the length by the height must yield a result between 1.3 and 2.5 (length divided by height= 1.3 to 2.5).

Polywrapping: Polywrap, poly bag and shrinkwrap material are prohibited for use on mailings submitted at automation-based rates.

Tabbing: Letter-size pieces not sealed on all four edges (folded self mailers, booklets, double postcards) must be tabbed to avoid jamming during high speeed processing in postal equipment. For type of tabbing and placement requirements, please see Exhibit 3-3 [PDF].

Ink Acceptance Criteria: The paper stock used to make a mail piece must have ink absorption properties to ensure that the metered postage and waterbased barcode ink will dry without smearing.

Optical Character Read Area (OCR): All address information must be placed within a specific area for machine readability and a barcode clear zone must be provided for barcode application. Please see Exhibit 4-7 [PDF] for mail piece Clear Zones and OCR Read Area.

Placement of Information

Return Address and Endorsements: The return address should be at top third and left half of mail piece. Endorsements such as "Address Correction requested" must be clearly spaced at least 1/4" below the return address. For additional endorsement placement location areas see "Move Update Requirement."

Readability

Readability Insert Shift: Window envelopes and inserts must be designed so that the entire address and a clear space of at least 1/8" appears in the window during the insert's full range of motion within the envelope.

Typography: Address information must be cleanly machine printed with adequate even spacing between characters, words, and other lines of address. Address lines cannot be skewed (slanted) more than 5 degrees. Please see Exhibit 4-15 [PDF] and Exhibit 4-17 [PDF]

Automation Addressing: Addresses on your mail piece need to be machine-printed, with a uniform left margin. The OCR can read a combination of upper and lowercase characters. To conserve character spaces, OCR does not require punctuation.

Logo and Teaser Copy: For example of proper placement of logos and teaser copy see Exhibit 4-19 [PDF] and Exhibit 4-20 [PDF].

Typeface Selection:

Standard Address Format

Type Size: Required type sizes are between 8 and 18 points.

8 points (Minimum)
10 points (Preferred)
12 points (Preferred)
18 points (Maximum)

Display Type: Stylized and script printing may not be used on mail claimed at automation rates. Do not use type styles defined as light, bold, extended, or script-like styles. For OCR readable type forms, see Exhibit 4-21 [PDF].

Contrast: Address information must sharply contrast from the background on which it is printed. Black printing on a white background is recommended. The use of fluorescent or phosphorescent paper or inks is not recommended. Resolve any issue about print, design, and color with Mail Services or postal personnel before producing your mail piece.

Effective September 2008, the Postal Service has required mailers who claim first-class presort or automated rates to demonstrate that they have updated the addresses in their mailing lists within 90 days, or 3 months prior to the mailing date. The four approved updating methods include Address Change Service, National Change of Address, FASTforward, and Ancillary Service Endorsements. In addition, the Ancillary Service endorsements replace the former endorsements that request forwarding or address services.

In order to meet the Move Update requirement, the University has included a move update provision as a part of its first-class presort contract. University Mailers will not be required to perform any additional steps and will continue to receive first-class discount rates. For those mailers who require address change information, please refer to the Ancillary Service Endorsements below.

Ancillary Service Endorsements

Address Service Request: replaces the former endorsements of "Forwarding and Address Correction" and "Forward and Address Correction"

Forward Service Requested: (new)

Return Service Requested: replaces Address Correction Requested and Do Not Forward

Change Service Requested: (new)

For Ancillary Service Endorsements defined and proper endorsement locations, visit our Ancillary Endorsements page here.

Forwarding Mail

All mail received is assumed to be official university business. University employees are encouraged not to use the university as their personal address. Mail received for individuals who no longer are connected with the university must be forwarded by the department where they were formerly employed.

Forwarding Mail Received (not opened): Line out the old address (one line only, so that the old address is readable) and write FORWARD TO with the new address. Forwarded mail of the above type is forwarded for free.

Forwarding Mail Received (opened): Opened mail cannot be forwarded. If the mailer wishes to forward the opened mail item, then mailer must re-label the package and send it at the department's expense.

Return to Sender

Return to Sender Mail Received (not opened): To return mail for an unknown person or someone who is no longer affiliated with the university to the sender, the mail must not be opened. The department returning the mail item must line out the address (one line only, so the address is readable) and state the reason for return, such as 'unknown at this address', 'no longer affiliated with the university', etc. Mail of this type is returned to the Post Office postage-free.

Refusing Mail

Refusing Unwanted Mail: Departments that wish to return unwanted material mailed to them must write clearly "REFUSED RETURN TO SENDER." Refused mail must be unopened in order for it to be returned to the sender for free. Mail which has been opened must be re- packaged, labeled, and mailed at the department's expense.

Personal and Non-Office Mail: Mail Services cannot pick up or deliver personal mail or non-office mail of any kind. Non-office and personal mail should not be deposited in departmental mail boxes for delivery on-campus or mail facilities for delivery off-campus. Non-official and personal mail may be deposited in U.S.P.S. mailboxes, located in front of Mail Services and in front of the campus near the bus stop.

Mailed at University's Expense: All material mailed at the university's expense must be part of the university's legitimate business. Personal mail, mail which advocates legislative action, and other mail which benefits individuals or promotes non-university organizations may not be mailed at the university's expense.

Non-University Mailers: Requests for mailings of the following nature must be accompanied by a memorandum from the department chairperson or other appropriate individual authorizing the cost and identifying the source of funds enabling the university to recover such costs.

• Mailings for research supported by grants or contracts
• Mailings for all organizations of a self-support nature (i.e., not funded by the University's General Fund)
• Mailings by recognized professional organizations or recognized student organizations or clubs

Employee Organizations: The use of the university mail facilities by recognized employee organizations is limited to the rules and regulations as outlined by the applicable Memorandum of Understanding between the CSU Trustees and the employee organization.

Request for mailings of the following nature cannot be acommodated:

• Greeting cards or party invitations of any kind being sent by employees or departments, except as approved by the President or their designee in the performance of community functions provided by Title 5
• Mail exceeding 50 pounds can not be accepted for mailing

International Mail Restrictions

All international mail or mail addressed to an APO or FPO weighing 16 ounces or over must be taken to a retail clerk at the U.S. Post Office. A properly completed Customs Declaration form (USPS form 2976, or 2976-A) listing the contents, as well as the mailer's name, address, and signature must be attached to all International and APO/FPO mail weighing 16 ounces or more.
Forms are available at Mail Services upon request. Mail Services will insure delivery of the university mailer's item to the Post Office after the form is properly completed and attached to mail.

Business Reply Mail: Business Reply Mail is used when a mailer wishes to send mail and receive a response at no extra cost to the responder. All Business Reply letters and labels must include the sender's Mail Code and Department Name or Program. There have been a number of recent changes made to the Business Reply letter and label formats [PDF], so if you are planning to reprint, please confer with Mail Services (ext. 3809) or Publication (ext. 2001), to review material to insure conformity with United States Postal Service requirements.

• To avoid delay in the processing of your mail, when you have a large mailing, please call Mail Services so that arrangements can be made to pick up your materials.
  
  
• Please use caution when mailing metal objects such as keys, pens, or paper clips through our postage equipment. If you wish to mail these items, place them in a 9" x 12" envelope and indicate SPECIAL HANDLING REQUIRED.
  
  
• Please do not place currency and/or coins in campus or United States mail. Mail Services and The United States Postal Service cannot be liable for currency or coins placed in the mail.
  
  
• The most important component of a campus mail address is the department's name, and for off-campus mail, the department's name and mail code included with the return address.

 We do not sell stamps. Stamps can be purchased from the University Bookstore. For more information, call (310) 243-3829.

Mail Pick-Up: Intra-campus mail picked up in the morning will be delivered with the afternoon mail; intra-campus mail picked up in the afternoon will be delivered with the next day's morning mail. Off-campus mail received during the day will be processed and picked up by the U.S. Post Office the same day it is received.

Sending Mail: To make sure your mail gets out on the same day you mail it, bring it to Mail Services before 2:30 p.m. Mail received after 2:30 p.m. will be processed the following day.