In this photo, packages are pictured in a UConn mail room. The university has received about four times as many packages as usual this fall, university spokesperson Stephanie Reitz said. (Mei Buzzell/The Daily Campus)
Many campuses across the U.S such as the University of Colorado and Arizona State University have seen a shift in the students’ mail habits. As a result, some of the universities took drastic measures such as removing mailboxes as well as redesigning their premises to create a storage space for packages.
Many campuses across the U.S such as the University of Colorado and Arizona State University have seen a shift in the students’ mail habits. As a result, some of the universities took drastic measures such as removing mailboxes as well as redesigning their premises to create a storage space for packages. Other universities have also contracted franchise companies to handle the students’ packages.
According to The Daily Camera, for over two years, the University of Colorado has seen a rise of 15 percent in the number of packages processed through Housing and Dinning services. The University of Colorado outsourced UPS to handle all student mail services in 2013 as it found the task to be overwhelming.
Additionally, Arizona State University has seen the number of packages process rise from 60,614 in 2009-10 to 113,140 in 2014-15. Lauren Teich, the general executive for UPS at the two campuses, said that that was an 86 percent increase. The Arizona state university has also outsourced the same UPS franchise owner to handle the mailboxes, Denver Post reported.
On the other hand, the changing mail habits have negatively affected the U.S Postal Service. The U.S Postal Service reported that first-class single-piece mail volume as well as bearing postage stamps have declined 53 percent from 45.9 billion pieces in 2005 to approximately 21.5 billion in 2014. However, the postal service statistics also indicated that the package volumes grew to 21 percent between 2008 and 2013.
Despite the decrease in numbers of letters from home, bills and other traditional mails, students are doing more of online shopping. As a result, online vendors such as Amazon are capitalizing on students’ instant needs for almost everything.
There is also the necessity for handling larger parcels and the need for larger rooms to store their packages. Schools and franchise companies are also increasing storage facilities and the necessary equipment to scan the packages. Teich said that the campus planned on adapting to the changes as needed.
Source: Campuses Across The U.S. Begin to Adapt to Students’ Changing Mail Habits : News : ISchoolGuide