Residential Mail and Care Packages
Whether you’re a loved one sending a care package, or you’re ordering something from Amazon to send to yourself, it’s very important to format and program in the correct address to avoid potential delivery delays. The following information is intended to give you some resources and pointers to simplify this process. Does following all of these guarantee that your package will never be delayed? Of course not, we live in a land of many uncertainties. This will, however, ensure that the shipment arrives in as timely a manner as possible.
Formatting your address
Upon being accepted to and assigned a room in the Residence Halls, students will also be assigned a four digit RSC (Residential Service Center) Mailbox number. This number is different than your dormroom number and should be included as part of your formal school address to expidite your mail’s arrival. The address format that should be used for students living in the Residence Halls is –
[YOUR STUDENT’S FULL NAME]
Western Oregon University
347 Monmouth Ave N, RSC Box #XXXX
Monmouth, OR 97361
Obviously no one is perfect and your address might be formatted incorrectly. Don’t stress about this; we will do our absolute best to get your shipment to you – it just might be a little late. If you have concerns about the location of one of your shipments, please contact us by filling out our “Where’s my Mail?” form as completely as possible.
How WOU Mail Works
USPS Paper Mail
- Paper mail (envelopes, periodicals, postcards) for residential students are picked up every morning and sorted by University Mail Services employees.
- Staff sorts this mail and places it into the corresponding RSC Box between 11am and 12 noon Monday – Friday.
- If you are experience problems with your assigned RSC box, check in with staff at the RSC front desk for assistance.
Packages and Boxes
- Packages shipped by USPS, UPS FedEx, Amazon or DHL are delivered to University Mail Services in the Welcome Center where they are sorted and logged then delivered to the Residential Service Center for student pick up.
- Students will receive an email from rsc@wou.edu when their package is ready for pick up.
- Please note that there will be a delay from the time the shipment arrives to campus and when it is ready for pick up! If you have any questions, please contact University Mail Services (mailroom@wou.edu) or the Residential Service Center (rsc@wou.edu)
- If you have not received a package that you were expecting, please fill out this form as completely as possible and someone will contact you soon! Where’s my Mail?
What happens to mail when I leave for Spring or Winter Break?
During Winter Break and Spring Break mail and packages will still be received and logged and will be here for you to collect upon your return!
What happens to mail when I move out?
When you move out, whether it is for Summer Break or any other time during the year, Mail Services will attempt to forward your mail for up to a year after you have moved out. For more information on how mail is forwarded, click here!
Troubleshooting Tips and FAQ's
Sending money, identification or gift cards to your student on campus? Why not send it with tracking?
All mail that is sent through UPS, FedEx, DHL or USPS with tracking is logged into an internal system that is used to notify your student of the arrival of their package or letter. This not only gives the sender a time and date of arrival, but also gives the recipient more tools in tracking any valuables that they know are on the way! It is strongly recommended that all items of value be insured or tracked when being sent through the mail. University Mail Services has no way to track mail being sent without tracking numbers.
“I entered the address that you gave me, but it’s coming up with an error message- what do I do?”
Sometimes, vendors’ websites can focus on the “Box” section of the RSC Box # part of the address and flag it as invalid. This is usually when the vendor mistakes the RSC Box for a PO Box (or Post Office Box), and the vendor has opted not to ship to PO Boxes. The easiest way that I’ve found around this error message is to simply remove the word “Box” from the address. As long as the address contains your student’s full name, the proper street number (347) and the number of their box, it will reach them.
“I’ve been living in the Residence Halls for a while, but still haven’t received any mail- where is it?”
Sometimes it is assumed that students’ mail will be delivered directly to their Residence Hall, or even their room. For your (or your students’) safety and security, access to the inside of Residence Life buildings are limited to authorized personnel, so couriers such as USPS, UPS and FedEx cannot deliver packages directly to the halls/rooms. Parcels addressed to the students living in the Residence Halls will be delivered to a central location and then will be available pick up when the RSC is open.
