Issue date: 7/31/08 Section: NEWS

The U.S. Postal Service in the University Union will transition to a new provider before the fall semester . Photo Credit Bo Joplin

The U.S. Postal Service office in the University Union is changing to a new provider, Pitney Bowes.

The post office will end its window service at 1 p.m. Aug. 1 and will remain closed for 10 days. Mail will continue to be placed in mailboxes until Aug. 4, and boxes will begin being removed around noon on Aug. 5. All mail service for current personal box holders will be available in Crumley Hall, and mail for department box holders will be available through UNT Intercampus Mail Services in the Union. Departments will continue to have the same box number, rate and location.

Physics senior Sean Guthrie said he looks forward to the change.

"It will be a little confusing with the transfer of mail, but I am not nervous about it," Guthrie said.

Chuck Fuller, vice president of business services said there were a lot of complaints from students and faculty about waiting in line and the service window closing at 1 p.m.

"There was only one person working the counter with a campus of 30,000, and the new provider is shooting to minimize the wait time," Fuller said.

The current hours for the USPS service window in the Union are 11 a.m. until 1 p.m. Monday through Friday. The new provider's hours will also include 7:30 a.m. until 4 p.m. on Friday.

"There will be a lot of changes like window service will be open Monday through Thursday, 7:30 a.m. until 6 p.m., offer four service hours on Saturday and won't close the window at lunch like now," Fuller said.

Fuller said the new mailboxes would be installed in the same configuration and numbering. According to UNT's Web site, in time, students and faculty will need to change their mailing address from "P.O." to a prefix such as "PMB" and exchange the USPS key for one issued by Pitney Bowes.

Pitney Bowes is a Stanford, Conn.-based manufacturer of software, hardware and mail services. Fuller said he found that Virginia Tech University and Southern Methodist University use Pitney Bowes and are pleased with the company.

Environmental philosophy junior Job Weatherly said the change is positive.

"I am all for it. I think it is a great idea because hopefully it will provide more hours," Weatherly said.

Pitney Bowes will have the same services as USPS and more, such as UPS or Fed Ex services available at the window. Window service will begin and boxed mail will be returned to assigned boxes on Monday, Aug. 11.

"There was not great hours and it was not a good fit for what is needed on campus," Fuller said. "The business was inferior to what we wanted for our customers."

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