Mail

Items Transported

General Services delivers medical records, x-rays, medical specimens, non-narcotic drugs, and other accountable items requiring tracking and a signature transfer. The service is available between designated facilities. We strive to deliver accountable items within 8 working hours.

Items that will not be transported:

• Animals
• Personal mail or items
• Office supplies
• Cash or checks
• Bulky or heavy items

We recommend that departments not located at the 3601 4th street address use their physical address to get their mail and items delivered by USPS, FedEx, UPS, and other carriers.

USPS Mailing Services

First Class Mail

First class is used for normal correspondence. The advantages of first class are faster delivery times, free forwarding or return of undeliverable items, and the ability to be sealed against inspection.

Priority Mail

All first class mail is eligible to be mailed Priority. First class mail weighing over 13 ounces automatically upgrades to Priority mail. Priority mail is best known as the 1-3 day service. Delivery averages 2-3 days but is not guaranteed.  Special Priority packaging for letters and packages is available from Mail Services.

Express Mail

Express Mail is the overnight delivery service available from the U.S. Postal Service. Express Mail packages may be tracked to verify date and time of delivery. Unless waived by the sender, all Express Mail items must be signed for by the recipient. Although all zip codes are not guaranteed for overnight delivery, full refund of postage is available from the USPS if the item is not delivered within its guaranteed time. Check overnight availability. The package insurance of $500.00 is provided with the cost of Express Mail for the reconstruction of lost or damaged documents. The Postal Service's liability for negotiable currency is limited to $15.00.

Standard Mail

Standard Mail is mail weighing 16 ounces or less. Most large mailings of 200 pieces or more are eligible for marketing mail. Marketing mail usually consists of printed matter such as newsletters, booklets, and catalogs. It is a less expensive rate, but forwarding or return of undeliverable items will be charged at first class rates by the US Postal Service. All pieces in the mailing must be of the same weight and content. Contact Automation Bulk Mail for more information or questions.

Retail Ground (Formerly Parcel Post)

Retail Ground is matter weighing 16 ounces or more. Retail Ground is divided into special rate groups for library mail, media mail and parcels. Each piece of retail ground mail must meet eligibility requirements and weigh less than 70 lbs.

International Mail

Most items are eligible to be mailed to foreign countries, however there are restrictions that vary by country. Letters, documents, and printed matter can be mailed internationally without customs documentation if they weigh less than 16 ounces.  Any item weighing 16 ounces or more must bear the appropriate signed customs forms or it will be returned to the sender by the U.S. Postal Service. Please contact Mail Services for restrictions and for the correct customs forms.  International mail may be sent by air or economy (surface) rates.  Airmail is generally delivered within 7-10 days. Economy (surface) rate mail can take up to 4 weeks for delivery.

Business Reply Mail

Business Reply Mail (BRM) enables departments to pay for return postage when requesting a reply from correspondents. The reply can be in the form of envelopes, cards, labels or detachable self-mailers and the department pays postage only on the pieces returned to the department.  HSC Mail Services maintains a BRM permit and account with the U.S. Postal Service.  The USPS charges a small accounting fee per piece. If you wish to use BRM, please contact Mail Services or the HSC Printing Center to have your mail piece properly designed.

Courtesy Reply Mail

Courtesy Reply Mail (CRM) is used when the sender wants to enclose a return envelope, but does not wish to pay the return postage. Most often used for bill payments, subscription renewals, RSVP, etc. CRM is First class Mail and generally faster than plain envelopes and postcards. Automation compatible envelopes can be designed by the HSC Printing Center.

Postage Due Mail

HSC Mail Services maintains a postage due account with the U.S. Postal Service to cover insufficient postage on any mail piece addressed to TTUHSC departments. Mail pieces addressed to any HSC department that bears insufficient postage will be billed to that department plus a .20 cent accounting fee per piece.

Size Dimensions

Postcards

Each card mailed as a postcard must be rectangular in shape. Minimum size is 3.5 inches high, 5 inches wide and 0.007 inches thick. Maximum size is 4.25 inches high, 6 inches long and 0.0095 inches thick. Double or folded cards must be mailed at letter rates.

Letter Mail

Minimum size for a letter is 5 inches long, 3.5 inches high, and 0.007 inch thick. Maximum size is 11.5 inches long, 6.125 inches high, and 0.25 inches thick.

Letter envelopes eclipsing these dimensions and weighing 1 ounce or less are charged an additional $0.12 oversize fee.

Flat Mail (Larger Envelopes)

Minimum size is 11.5 inches long, 6.125 inches high and 0.25 inches thick. Maximum size is 15 inches long, 12 inches high and 0.75 inches thick.

Parcels

Maximum weight is 70 lbs. The length and girth of packages combined mailed through the US Postal Service cannot exceed 108 inches.

Any item larger than the maximum flat size is considered a parcel.

Additional Services

Certified Mail

Need evidence of mailing? Certified mail gives the sender evidence of mailing with a dated mailing receipt. It provides a confirmation number to confirm the date and time of delivery or attempted delivery. Delivery is recorded by the U.S. Postal Service. You can confirm delivery at www.usps.com. No insurance coverage is provided with this service. This service can be applied to First-Class and Priority Mail. For an additional fee, Certified Mail may be combined with a Return Receipt, providing the sender with evidence of delivery with a signature. International and Express Mail cannot be certified.

Return Receipt

Need evidence of delivery? A return receipt can be added to Certified Mail to provide the mailer with evidence of delivery. The Return Receipt card must be completed by the mailer and attached to the article at the time of mailing.

Delivery Confirmation

Need to know when your mail arrived? Delivery confirmation provides a confirmation number to confirm the date, time and zip code of delivery or attempted delivery. Confirm delivery at www.usps.com.

Signature Confirmation

Need to know who accepted your mail? All the benefits of Delivery Confirmation plus a signature. Signature confirmation provides a confirmation number to confirm the date, time and location of delivery or attempted delivery. A signature will be required from the person who accepts your package. You can request to have a letter faxed or mailed to you with a copy of the recipient's signature. Confirm delivery at www.usps.com.

Incoming Mail & Shipments

• Encourage all correspondents to use complete addresses when mailing items to the Health Sciences Center.
  • Complete and properly formatted mail moves through the US Postal Service system faster than mail that must be hand sorted.
  • Incoming mail without the appropriate addressing requirements, including STOP number, may be delayed or returned to sender.
• The following is the USPS accepted format for addressing mail to 3601 4^th Street:

Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center
Your Name
Department Name
3601 4th St STOP XXXX
Lubbock, TX 79430-XXXX (STOP NUMBER)

List of TTUHSC STOP Numbers

If you are using a different physical Address:
Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center
Your Name
Department Name
Street Address
Lubbock, TX 794XX-XXXX

If you want to include your STOP number, place above the street address.

If you want to use dual addresses:
Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center
Your Name
Department Name
Physical Address:
Street Address
Lubbock, TX 794XX-XXXX
Mailing Address:
3601 4th Street STOP XXXX
Lubbock, TX 79430-XXXX (STOP NUMBER)

Return Address

• The return address does not require the sender's name, but a clear designation of the address for undeliverable, returned mail must be evident.
  • This includes name or department, address and/or P.O. Box, STOP number, city, state, and zip code.
• All mail presented to Mail Services for postage must bear an official TTUHSC return address.

Your name or department
TTUHSC
3601 4Tth Street STOP XXXX
Lubbock, TX 79430-XXXX

Departmental and Texas Tech University Campus Mail

• Departmental and TTU campus mail must bear the recipient's name, department, and STOP (TTUHSC), MS (TTU/TTUS) or Mail Code (TTUHSCEP).

Recipient name
Recipient department
STOP XXXX

Inter-Campus Mail

• Mail sent to any other campus will be sent USPS first class mail and should be fully addressed.

Outgoing Mail

• Using the USPS approved format below will ensure the fastest sorting and delivery of your mail.
  • The standardized format includes using all capital letters without punctuation, a uniform left margin, with secondary addresses such as room or apartment numbers on the address line if possible.
  • If mailing to an individual at a business, the recipient name is on the first line, above the name of the business.
  • Mail with dual addresses (both a street address and post office box) is delivered to the address immediately above the city and state. If both addresses are included on the same line, the P.O. Box is the delivery point.
  • The zip code must correspond to the address directly above the city and state.

Recipient name
Company or business name
Street address suit/room/apt #
City, state zip code

When items are addressed with a STOP number, Mail Services and Receiving spend seconds to sort each item. Without the STOP, items are delivered to the department name if listed, then the recipient’s name if listed and found in the directory with valid delivery information. Any listed purchase order number or phone number is also researched. Some research takes longer than others, but all research delays getting your item to you. Use of STOP numbers speeds up delivery and eliminates guesswork.

Request a STOP sign

View STOP numbers

Do you need to send a mailing to employees of Texas Tech? Mail Services can provide campus mail addresses for faculty and staff for TTUS, TTU, TTUHSC, and TTUHSCEP. The list can be tweaked by institution, city, division, department, school, job title or function. Call (806) 743-2016 and let us customize a list for you!

The address lists are not available for the personal use or private gain by non-TTUHSC/TTU groups or for the advertisement of non-TTUHSC/TTU sponsored programs. Refer to HSC OP 70.35.

Save money on mass mailings by cleansing the list and taking advantage of automation postage rates. Submit your list to the Printing Center and we’ll make sure the current USPS regulations are met to ensure that your mailing receives the best possible postage rate.

TTUHSC Printing Center has the ability to mail merge lists with text and/or graphics (including variable color and variable photo insertion!) on a variety of papers and envelopes. Individualized mailings can be produced as a self-mailer or letters and envelopes may be individually produced and matched. Envelopes are addressed using state of the art technology.

Variable data printing is also offered in a wide variety of fonts. Variable data usually contains several fields of information, such as name, address, area of study, housing preference, account number, amount owed, etc. This is ideal for customized flyers, letters, fulfillment services, surveys, statements and many other options. TTUHSC Printing Center has software that allows manipulation of variable data to customize output. 

Contact PrintingCenter@ttuhsc.edu or (806) 743-2016 for additional information.

TTUHSC Mail Services–Lubbock is authorized by USPS to mail first-class presort, standard, or non-profit mail utilizing Permit #68 as follows:

• Before using an existing printed piece, Mail Services must check for compliance with USPS regulations, authorize use of the permit and confirm that the Permit 68 funds balance is adequate for the cost of the mailing.
• During the design of a new printed piece, departments must bring in a final draft of the mailing before production begins. Mail Services will check the mailing for compliance with mailing eligibility. If the piece meets eligibility requirements, Mail Services authorizes use of the permit; if not, suggestions will be made for compliance or information about correct mailing rates will be given.
• If a department uses Permit 68 for a mailing and does not use TTUHSC services for printing and/or addressing services, a permit use fee will be charged if not pre-qualified before submission for mailing.
• Each regional campus mail service is to control USPS Permits in a similar manner.

Mail services holds a permit with the U.S. Postal Service that allows HSC departments to mail large mailings (200 pieces or more) at first class, standard or non-profit rates. This service can offer substantial postage savings. Not all mailings are eligible for non-profit status. The basic guidelines for non-profit mailings are:

1. All pieces in the mailing must have the same content and weight.
2. All pieces in the mailing must have the official TTUHSC address as the return address.
3. Mail pieces may not contain any advertisements for hotels, credit cards, airlines, insurance companies, or travel agents, any personal information*, any handwritten or typewritten matter, or any bills or statements of accounts.
4. *Personal Information may not be included in a Standard mail piece unless all of the following conditions are met:
   • The mail piece contains explicit advertising for a product or service for sale or lease or an explicit solicitation for a donation.
   • All of the personal information is directly related to the advertising or solicitation.
   • The exclusive reason for inclusion of all of the personal information is to support the advertising or solicitation in the mail piece.

In order to prevent mailings from being disqualified by the U.S. Postal Service as non-profit, we advise all departments considering a bulk mailing to provide Mail Services with a sample copy before printing.

An authorization to mail at the Nonprofit Standard Mail rates is a privilege reserved by law to authorized organizations. Civil and criminal penalties apply to false, fictitious or fraudulent statements made in connection with a Nonprofit Standard Mail mailing. In order to protect Permit 68, the following rules are in addition to those listed above:

• An authorized organization must not use the Nonprofit Standard Mail rates to send matter on behalf of or produced for an unauthorized organization or entity.
• An authorized organization must make sure that only its own matter is mailed under its Nonprofit Standard Mail authorization.
• An authorized organization must not “rent,” delegate or lend its Nonprofit Standard Mail authorization to any other person or organization.
• An authorized organization must make sure that a postage statement is presented with each mailing and that the signature of the postage statement certifies the eligibility of the mail for the Nonprofit Standard Mail rates.
• Any department using Permit 68 or TTUHSC Nonprofit mailing exemption without proper authorizations will lose their mailing privileges under these categories. It should be noted that the USPS does possess punitive authority in these matters.

NOTE: If a department uses Permit 68 for a mailing and does not use TTUHSC services for printing and/or addressing services, a permit use fee will be charged if not pre-qualified before submission for mailing.