For Alcorn State University (ASU) students receiving a package now comes with a new requirement: having a mailbox.
In previous years, students were heavily encouraged to obtain a mailbox, but it was not required to receive packages through the University’s post office. This year, ASU has made having a mailbox a requirement for package delivery, changing how students receive their mail and how post office employees manage incoming packages.
Nayana Tripplett, a Junior at Alcorn, reflected on the difference between the current process and previous years, when having a mailbox was encouraged but not required. “I think with the P.O. box this year, it’ll be easier for us to get our mail,” Tripplett said.
The previous package pickup system relied heavily on daily lists maintained by post office employees. Geraldean Hared, Manager of Alcorn’s Post Office, said employees had to hand type and print lists containing approximately 200 student’s names each day.
When students arrived to pick up their packages, employees would use the list to locate their names and mark them off after the package was distributed. The system sometimes created difficulties for both employees and students. With hundreds of names on the daily lists, there were instances in which students picked up packages that belonged to someone else. The process also required students to present their Gold Card when picking up a package.
Forgetting a Gold Card meant a student could not receive their package until they returned with it. Students also faced concerns about what could happen if their Gold Card was lost or stolen, since the card was part of the package pickup process. The new mailbox requirement changes how most packages are distributed. Students can now go directly to their assigned mailbox to retrieve packages that fit inside, reducing the need for employees to manually check students off of a daily list.
“We changed things around because it will make it easier for the students to go to their mailbox, and get their slips and we’ll provide the package,” Hared said. She also stated that the new process has made package distribution easier for both employees and students by reducing the amount of manual work required to keep track of packages. However, not every package can fit inside of a mailbox. When a package is too large, the post office will continue to hold it for the student to pick up.
