Students living on campus will be required to purchase a post office box at the soon-to-be-renovated post office starting next semester at $70 per year.
 
The regulation comes with the University’s new mail carrier, which will take over operations from the United States Postal Service.
 
The University will hand over operations to Ricoh USA because  the USPS office on campus was one of six Baton Rouge locations recommended for closure by USPS, according to Director of University Auxiliary Services Jason Tolliver.
 
The $70 standard box with the new provider is an increase from the $44 per year for a basic P.O. box with USPS, according to Tolliver.
Tolliver said Ricoh will offer a “one-stop” center for mailing, copying and printing along with numerous improvements over the current mail center, which has been housed in a group of trailers behind the Faculty Club since last year.
 
“One of the things we [hoped for] was the ability to enhance the retail experience for the customer,” Tolliver said.
 
The new post office will feature a self-service mailing center that will help students get their mailing business finished more quickly, Tolliver said.
 
Ricoh will also offer other features like an online notification system that will alert students when they receive mail.
 
The move will come with some unwelcome changes, as some University departments will no longer receive mail delivered to their desks. Tolliver said departments will have a box in the new office, although details have yet to be finalized.
 
Tolliver said in addition to the recommendation for closure by USPS, University budget cuts also had a bearing on the situation.
 
“The University is dealing with budget cuts and looking for ways we can be more efficient, and one of the areas we identified is campus mail,” Tolliver said.
 
Tolliver said the change will save the University $400,000 annually, and the new company will pay $133,000 annual rent along with $350,000 to renovate the post office area on the first floor of the Student Union.
 
In addition to the savings, Tolliver said the carrier switch will also give a “modest gain” back to the University.
 
Tolliver said the switch is part of long-term plans to convert the Copy and Mail Center to a student lounge to serve students waiting for buses in the vicinity.
 
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Contact Xerxes A. Wilson at
[email protected]