Operating Policy and Procedure
HSC OP: 57.01, Mail, Printing, Copying, and Document Services
PURPOSE: The purpose of this Health Sciences Center Operating Policy and Procedure (HSC OP) is to set forth policies and procedures of the services. Terms in this document reflect all campuses; variances that affect the Abilene, Amarillo, Dallas, Lubbock and Odessa campuses are listed individually within the policy.
REVIEW: This HSC OP will be reviewed on February 1 of each odd-numbered year (ONY) by the Director of General Services Lubbock in coordination with Campus Business Operations Officers (CBOO), with recommendations for revisions forwarded through administrative channels to the Executive Vice President for Finance and Operations by March 1.
POLICY/PROCEDURE:
1. Mail Services.
A. Authorization. The United States Postal Service (USPS) responsibility ends with completion of delivery to the authorized agent, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center (TTUHSC) Mail Services. Mail Services is responsible for processing official state outgoing mail by applying the appropriate amount of postage. The rental, purchase, or use of postage equipment or software technology for the affixing of postage is restricted to the responsibility of Mail Services at each campus. Mail Services is the only department authorized to function as permit holder and signature authority for first class, marketing (standard or bulk) mail, and business reply permits. Departments are encouraged to review HSC OP 61.01, Use of TTUHSC Facilities, Equipment, Supplies, and Services for Private Purposes Prohibited, Section 6 Office Supplies, which addresses departmental purchases and use of stamps.
B. Use of provided services. It is the policy of TTUHSC to support internal operations. Departments at all campuses are required to contact mailservice@ttuhsc.edu prior to issuing any solicitation or entering into any agreement with an outside entity for postage or mail preparation services such as folding, inserting, and labeling. More information on available services: https://www.ttuhsc.edu/general-services/mail/.
C. Campus Mail. The campus inter-office mail system is a restricted state service. It is not available for the personal use or private gain by non-university groups for the advertisement of non-university sponsored programs. An officer or employee may not knowingly use or authorize the use of the internal mail system for the distribution of political advertising. Any violation of this law (Election Code, Sec. 255.0031) is an offense (Class A misdemeanor).
D. Outgoing Mail. Use of university postage for personal reasons or by non-official entities is prohibited. TTUHSC must ensure that all mail submitted for dispatch is of an official nature. Therefore, all mail requiring postage and not bearing a valid official university return address will be returned to the sender for correction. Mail Services may return mail to the department with an inadequate mail preparation form notifying the department of corrective action to be taken regarding incorrect preparation. Mail Services will not be responsible for inaccurate postage applied to mail due to improper preparation.
E. International Mail. For outgoing international mail, contact Mail Services for current USPS regulations and customs information. USPS customs forms must be completed online: https://cns.usps.com/cfo-web/labelInformation.shtml.
F. Hazardous Materials/Dangerous Goods (HM/DG) Shipments. Departments and individuals wanting to mail/transport HM/DG are affected by HM/DG regulations. Training is required to legally package and ship any HM/DG. Departments and individuals are encouraged to review HSC OP 75.13, Shipment of Hazardous and Infectious Materials, and contact Safety Services before preparing any HM/DG for transportation.
G. Non-Deliverable Mail. The department head responsible for mail services, or designee, is authorized to open and distribute, or return unidentified or otherwise non-deliverable mail. Unidentified mail is mail that does not have any of the following information in the addressee line or the information is not valid: STOP (for Lubbock only), Department Name, Or Intended Recipient’s Name. Unidentified mail that is marked "Personal" and/or "Confidential", or the intended recipient is unknown, will be returned unopened to the sender.
H. Forwarding First-Class Mail. The department is responsible for forwarding non-departmental business mail to former employees. First class and periodical mail may be forwarded; bulk mail may only be forwarded if it bears a USPS-approved move update endorsement. All other mail is considered undeliverable by the USPS and may be disposed of as waste. If the mail has been opened, the USPS will require additional postage for forwarding. The addressee’s department will be charged for the expense.
I. Ownership of Mail / Opening of Mail by Departments. The ownership of mail addressed to this institution or to an individual by name or title at the address of this institution rests with TTUHSC. The legal obligation of the USPS ends with mail delivery to the institution. TTUHSC Mail Services is restricted for official state business use; therefore, personal mail should not be directed to this institution. Mail Services will not separate the mail for an individual in lieu of delivery to the appropriate department. Once mail is received by a department, the department is responsible for the delivery and/or opening of mail. The department chairperson or department head may decide proper procedures for handling incoming mail within their department. It is recommended that items marked “personal” and/or “confidential” be forwarded to the addressee unopened.
J. Postage Due Mail. It is the policy of TTUHSC to accept postage due charges on mail with insufficient postage. The appropriate departmental FOP will be charged. For more information on available mail services: https://www.ttuhsc.edu/general-services/mail
2. Printing. The TTUHSC Printing Center is located in Lubbock and provides design assistance, printing, bindery and bulk mail services to TTUHSC, TTUHSCEP, TTU, TTUS, UMC, state agencies and affiliated partners.
Use of provided services. It is the policy of TTUHSC to support internal operations. Departments at all campuses are required to contact printingcenter@ttuhsc.edu prior to issuing any solicitation or entering into any agreement with an outside entity for printing, graphic design, bindery services, signage, or bulk mail. Information on available services: https://www.ttuhsc.edu/general-services/printing/ .
Copyright Clearance. It is the department’s responsibility to ensure that all material meets copyright clearance prior to reproduction and include appropriate permissions with order when applicable. Departments should review HSC OP 57.02, Guidelines for the Educational Use of Copyrighted Works before requesting the printing or copying of copyrighted work.
Identity Guidelines. It is the department’s responsibility to ensure compliance with institutional guidelines when developing and producing any visual elements for internal or external use: https://brandfolder.com/portals/ttuhsc-1.
3. Promotional items. The TTUHSC Printing Center is located in Lubbock and is an authorized distributor for promotional items including giveaways, premiums, gifts, and awards.
Use of provided services. Departments at all campuses are required to contact promoplace@ttuhsc.edu prior to issuing any solicitation or entering into any agreement with an outside entity for promotional items, awards, and giveaways. For information on available products: https://www.promoplace.com/ttuhsc/.
Apparel. We recommend that you work with Purchasing to obtain apparel. If an apparel item is an Award, Prize or Gift, HSC OP 72.03 must be followed. If the apparel is part of a uniform, they must be purchased on a Purchase Order and follow these guidelines. If the apparel is to be sold, then royalties will be involved per HSC OP 67.04. If apparel items are a true random give-away, TTUHSC Printing Center will provide a quote.
4. Copier Service.
Abilene, Dallas and Permian Basin. Each division leases its own copiers.
Amarillo. General Services is the exclusive provider and controller of copier service for TTUHSC-Amarillo.
Lubbock. General Services is the exclusive provider and controller of copier service for TTUHSC-Lubbock. Exceptions may be granted for off-site locations. Please email swiftprint@ttuhsc.edu for further information. Copy machines including multifunction devices (MFD) not acquired through General Services, and placed in service for HSC departments within the HSC building complex, Southwest campus or Student Wellness Center, fall under the control of Swift Print and are managed according to this policy.
5. Document Services. Instant retrieval and archival needs for document imaging, shredding, and paper recycling services. Laserfiche access and process automation services are also available. For more information, please refer to https://www.ttuhsc.edu/general-services/document-services/.
Use of provided services. Departments at all campuses are required to contact documentservices@ttuhsc.edu before seeking to contract services for a Content Management System (CMS) and archiving and/or digitizing paper records.
6. Shredding of Paper. TTUHSC Departments located in Lubbock are responsible for contacting documentservices@ttuhsc.edu before contracting for shredding services. Departments in Amarillo are responsible for contacting generalservicesama@ttuhsc.edu before contracting for shredding services.
7. Payment for All Services. As per HSC OP 50.17, the services at each campus are responsible for establishing and maintaining rates, fees, and/or handling charges to cover business expenses on service department funds. Departments must provide a FOP with adequate funds to cover all expenses. In Abilene, outgoing mail should contain the assigned department code in lieu of a FOP. All charges will be totaled periodically and billed via the FiTS System, Gateway, or other system that interacts with Banner.
NOTE: If a department fails to provide a valid FOP and multiple attempts to contact the department are required, a $10.00 research fee per item will be assessed for failure to comply.