From libraries to the SUPe Store, most operations at The University of Alabama run smoothly and enhance the student experience with little inconvenience. Last year, the mail service on campus was a glaring exception to this rule. In fact, it was nothing short of pathetic.
It lacked adequate staff and funding to the point that picking up a package at the Ferguson Center required at least an hour-long commitment to reach one of the overworked staff members. If a package needed to be delivered, the actual address varied depending on the delivery company. Given that most online orders do not typically let you know who is delivering packages, much less decide, the results of this division were problematic.
My textbooks were lost for a month because UPS delivered them to the Ferguson mail center, which then forwarded it to the USPS regional center, and another order of mine was simply returned to the sender because USPS attempted to deliver it to the Paty Package Center.
The fact that the number of students using the mail service on campus began to plummet was not surprising. Even though it meant a drive, I found it easier to send my mail to a friend’s house, rather than brave the chaos of the Capstone’s mail system.
I do not consider it an exaggeration to say that practically anything would have been better than that service; it was essentially nonfunctional. As such, I was excited to discover that the University plans not only to take over the campus mail system from USPS, but also completely overhaul it.
The largest reform is the change in management, with the University taking the lead instead of contracting out. Instead of having multiple different delivery sites, students can now be sure that their package will be delivered to the correct spot and will not be rejected. Additionally, students will be able to hold the University much more accountable for the quality of its service than USPS.
The University also plans to redesign the operations. By hiring additional staff members to handle a higher number of students and implement a texting service to ensure that students know when they actually have mail, the wait time should be dramatically reduced.
In short, it seems that the University has heard student concerns and is taking logical, effective steps to address them. Their plan is not just a suitable replacement for the broken system; it is a great overhaul that hopefully will bring a necessary service back to the students.
These reforms were desperately needed and are most certainly welcome. With this campus continuing to expand in size, it is good to see tangible efforts being taken to mitigate some of the accompanying growing pains. As long as the University can ensure that it doesn’t fall victim to the same overflow problems as USPS, the student body, as well as its mail, should be in good shape.
I know that I plan to return to campus mail. Perhaps many other students will as well.
