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Campus Mail

Mail services delivers both intercampus and intracampus mailings:

  • Intercampus (campus-to-campus): Mail will be delivered to recipient within two working days of receipt in the mail stream.
  • Intracampus (same-campus): Mail will be delivered within one working day (excluding mail which must pass through other McGaw Medical Center mail rooms).
  • Evanston mail codes
  • Chicago mail codes

The mail centers operates eight hours a day, Monday through Friday. Please be mindful of this schedule when mailing time-sensitive notices for meetings, seminars, and other activities.

  1. Use interdepartmental envelopes
  2. Fill in all envelope blanks, including mail code
  3. Mail Services picks up mail from various campus locations
  4. Campus mail is transported to its destination

1. Use interdepartmental envelopes

Use the interdepartmental envelopes for internal mailing needs. Addressing campus mail on white envelopes is not recommended because it may be mistaken for U.S. mail and sent to the Post Office. Used envelopes are sometimes available in Mail Services; contact your campus mailroom. New envelopes can also be ordered through Office Max. OfficeMax is Northwestern's Preferred Vendor for office supplies.

2. Fill in all envelope blanks, including mail code

The interdepartmental envelopes are used repeatedly for internal mailings so please make sure that all previous markings have been crossed out. Please type or print legibly, fill in all blanks, and refrain from using acronyms.

The mail code is a four-digit number associated with a campus address. Evanston campus mail codes are the same as the plus-four portion of the U.S. Postal Service's ZIP + 4 codes. Chicago campus mail codes are alphanumeric and should appear next to a department or division name on stationery or letterhead. See Evanston's mail codes or Chicago's mail codes.

3. Mail Services picks up mail from various campus locations

Evanston campus service locations

  • Student residence halls
  • Greek houses
  • 1801 Maple
  • Traffic Safety School - 990 Grove
  • DUNU Center - 1007 Church Street, 1880 Oak, 1603 Orrington, 1033 University Place
  • 1800 Sherman

Areas not serviced by Mail Services: Hillel Center, Seabury-Western Theological Seminary, Sheil Center

Chicago campus service locations

  • Northwestern Memorial Hospital
  • Passavant Pavilion
  • Prentice Women's Hospital
  • Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago
  • Wesley Pavilion
  • 680 North Lake Shore Drive
  • 645 Michigan Avenue
  • 676 North Michigan Avenue
  • 303 East Ohio (Time-Life Building)
  • 222 East Superior
  • Other University addresses in Streeterville

4. Campus mail is transported to its destination

Mail to a location within the same campus will be delivered within one working day (excluding mail that must pass through other McGaw Medical Center mail rooms). Mail to a location on another campus will be delivered within two working days of receipt in the mail stream.

Campus mail is transported between Evanston and Chicago campuses twice a day based on the following schedule:

Departure from Chicago Arrival in Evanston
9:30 a.m. 11:00 a.m.
1:30 p.m. 3:30 p.m.*

 

Departure from Evanston Arrival in Chicago
11:30 a.m. 12:30 p.m.
12:30 p.m. 1:30 p.m.*

*May not be delivered until the next business day

Misdelivered Mail

If you receive mail that is delivered to an individual no longer in your department (but still at Northwestern) or if the mail was delivered to your department in error, complete the Evanston Misdelivered Mail Form (pdf) or Chicago Misdelivered Mail Form (pdf).

Personal Mail

Employees may not use the campus mail system for receiving or sending personal mail. For more information on this policy, see Question #2 on our Frequently Asked Questions page.

Special Types of Campus Mail

Certain types of campus mail require special handling:

Confidential Correspondence

Insert confidential correspondence into a plain envelope (free of any previous markings) and seal. Mark the envelope "Personal and Confidential" or "To be Opened by Addressee Only." Insert this envelope into an interdepartmental envelope with the proper address information. This ensures against misdirection or lack of proper security.

Mass Campus Mailings

Mass campus mailings may be sent without envelopes by putting the delivery address directly on the letter or flyer. When ordering labels for mass campus mailings, request that they are printed in address order, and keep them in order when labeling and sending your mailing.

Mail Services can pick up the mass mailing in portions, as it is completed. If a department prefers that the entire mailing is distributed on the same day, advise Mail Services to hold all portions until the mailing is complete.

Items Requiring Special Packaging

Items such as metal pieces, glass parts, chemicals, etc., cannot be mailed in envelopes. They require special packing before mailing or shipping. Contact Mail Services to determine the most appropriate handling method.