Barnard College Barnard College

Receiving Your Mail and Packages

Updates for Spring 2021 Semester

Closing of mailboxes for students not living in College residences during the 2021 Spring Semester

The following are procedures detailing how the College handles student mail over the Spring Semester 2021 for those students that are not living in campus residences or are on leave during the academic year.

In keeping with the College’s Covid-19 protocols, all students that are not residing in College residences halls during the 2021 spring semester may not receive mail or packages to their campus mailbox.

Students not living in College residential halls should have their mail and packages delivered directly to their current residence to avoid unnecessary delays in delivery. If items have already been shipped to your student mailbox, we shall make the necessary arraignments for you to receive your items on a limited case-by-case basis.

Incoming Letter Mail

  • While in quarantine all first class mail will be delivered Monday - Friday to your dorm. After your quarantine period has ended, normal mail delivery services will resume as described below.

Letter mail is delivered to Barnard Monday-Friday and is generally placed into student mailboxes by noon. To the extent that space permits, Mail Services will also use your mailbox for large envelopes and small packages that do not require a signature. If an item does not fit, we will treat it like a signature-required item.

Incoming Package Mail

  • Packages are brought to Barnard at various times throughout the day. When you receive a package or item requiring a signature, you are automatically sent an automated email from mailer@witstracking.com, and a printed notification slip is placed in your mailbox. The email is simply an alert to you from our package tracking software that we have received and processed a package for you, whereas the mailbox notice indicates that the package is ready for pickup at the service window or at an alternate location noted on the printed notification slip.
  • While in quarantine for any reason, Mail Services will hold all packages until you are able to pick them up once you have been cleared to end your quarantine.

    After your quarantine period has ended, normal package delivery services will resume as described below.

    You must present your Barnard I.D. and your printed Notification Slip at the service window to retrieve your package. Please do not come to the service window until you receive the notification slip.
  • Under exceptional circumstance, you may ask another student to pick up a package for you. In those cases, you must send an email to Mail Services (mailservices@barnard.edu) giving the full name of the person who will act as your proxy for that item only—this is not a general proxy. You must send this email from your Barnard email account, and your proxy must present his/her I.D. at the service window.
  • Carts and hand-trucks may be borrowed for up to 30 minutes for the 600, 616 and 620 residences and for up to 45 minutes for Plimpton Hall. Your Barnard ID will be kept at the service window until the cart or hand truck is returned. All borrowed items must be returned at least 15 minutes before Mail Services closes. Carts and hand trucks provided by Mail Services will be sanitized after each use once they are returned to Mail Services.
  • Perishable packages must be picked up from the Student Mail Services window within 24 hours of notification of delivery.

Delivery Confirmation Issues

  • Many companies use USPS Delivery Confirmation as their preferred shipping method. “Delivery Confirmation” is something of a misnomer. At present, most Delivery Confirmation items do not require a signature or even an acceptance scan at Barnard. When the USPS web site tells you that such an item has been “delivered,” it means that it has arrived at the local Post Office, not at Barnard. For this reason, we do not accept Delivery Confirmation by itself as proof that an item has been received at Barnard.

Proper Use of Mailboxes

  • Barnard College issues mailboxes and mailbox combinations to Barnard students only. Students are not permitted to use these boxes for relatives or guests. Incoming mail for non-Barnard students is "Returned to Sender." Similarly, combinations should not be given to others for "convenience." An open or improperly closed box invites problems; students should close mailboxes tightly and spin the combination. If a mailbox does not close or lock properly, please notify Mail Services immediately so that it may be repaired.

Package Notification

  • Barnard's package tracking software ("WITS") provides email notification of package arrivals. You should never reply to these emails, which are automatically generated. In your email index, the following headers should appear:

Subject: WITS Automated Email
From: mailer@witstracking.com