Administrative Mail

Services Overview

Administrative Mail services Departments, Faculty and Staff from Morningside and Manhatanville campuses. 

Administrative Mail Services

Receiving Administrative Mail

Incoming University mail destined to the Morningside and Manhattanville campus should be addressed in the following format. The complete street address of the applicable campus building must be included.

Columbia University
Personal Name
Program, Title, or Department
Mail Code ####
Street Address, Room Number
New York, NY Zip Code

Example: 

Columbia University
John W. Doe
Administrative Mail 
Mail Code 5701
1202 Amsterdam Ave
New York, NY 10027

Mail Codes

A mail code must be included on all incoming USPS mail. If not included, mail may be delayed or not delivered. The mail code must be written above the street address; including it elsewhere in the address may result in a misread by USPS scanning equipment and possible delays in delivery.

Packages

Administrative Mail delivers packages sent via the United States Postal Service (USPS); certified and registered mail requires a signature. Outside couriers such as FedEx and UPS deliver directly to offices.

A delivery confirmation from the USPS only confirms delivery to the post office of the applicable zip code (i.e. the Manhattanville branch post office, for 10027); it does not confirm delivery to the University. From the date of confirmed delivery to the post office, please anticipate an additional 1-3 business days for Administrative Mail to receive and process the package.

Delivery and Usage Protocols

Incoming mail that is too large to fit inside a departmental mailbox is delivered directly to the department, when necessary. Certified mail and mail that requires a delivery signature is also delivered directly to the department.

Misdirected mail should be placed in a campus or departmental mailbox.

Personal items should not be sent to one’s departmental address. Administrative Mail is not responsible for items that do not pertain to official University business.

Intercampus Mail

When sending intercampus mail always include the receiving department's 4 digit Mail Code (see Columbia University directory). The Administrative Mail Room distributes intercampus mail to all Morningside departments, Manhattanville buildings, Barnard College, Harlem Hospital, CUMC, Lamont Doherty, Teachers College, and the Interchurch Center. For questions concerning intercampus mail please call 212-854-9686.

Metered Mail

Upon request Administrative Mail meters outgoing mail destined to off-campus locations. Requests are made by completing and appending a Mail Meter Request Form to applicable mail pieces, and are processed within 24 business hours. Postage fees are charged to the applicable departmental account. Outgoing mail is metered on a daily basis.

Drop Procedures

Domestic mail must be bundled separately from international mail. Deposit bundled mail with request form attached, in the large boxes labeled “Outgoing Postal Mail” located in your building’s central mailbox area. Outgoing mail may also be brought to the Administrative Mail office for processing.

Mail metering machines can seal regular #10 envelopes; all other envelopes must be sealed before being dropped for pick-up. Any sensitive or confidential items should be sealed, regardless of size, before they are dropped.

Terms of Mail Metering Service

All outgoing mail must be official University business and must include a Columbia University return address. Personal mail such as utility and credit card statements will be returned to the originating department. Any variance from this policy requires a written request for waiver from a department chair or director.