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Duke Postal Retail Operations To Be Adjusted

Self-service and longer hours among changes for East, West campus locations

This automated kiosk and dropbox will be available for use 24 hours a day, seven days a week at the East Campus Union. Photo by Bryan Roth.
This automated kiosk and dropbox will be available for use 24 hours a day, seven days a week at the East Campus Union. Photo by Bryan Roth.
By Bryan Roth

Upcoming changes to Duke-based post offices will allow for longer service hours on West Campus and 24/7 retail transactions on East Campus.

Later this month, Duke Postal Operations will put into effect adjustments resulting from a new contract with by the United States Postal Service (USPS). Changes include moving the purchasing of postage for mail and packages from the current post office location in the Bryan Center to the Duke Computer Store on the lower level of the Bryan Center. In addition, a 24-hour postage kiosk and drop-off box will be installed in the lower level of the East Campus Union.

Under its new contract with USPS, Duke Postal's retail functions require Duke to take over financial responsibility for equipment and inventory from USPS. Shifting postal retail function to Duke University Stores, where infrastructure is already in place, will make the transition easy and efficient, Duke administrators said.

"The biggest benefit is that this means we offer extended hours to our customers," said Mike Trogdon, director of Duke Postal Operations. "We'll also be receiving new equipment from the Postal Service that allows us to become up-to-date with our technology."

In addition, the post office changes will help facilitate future office and department changes as part of major renovation projects involving the West Union.

West Campus Postal Retail ChangesBeginning this month, transactional services like buying postage or shipping packages will move from the postal counter in the student mailbox area of the Bryan Center to the Duke Computer Store. The only change in service will be an end to selling money orders.

With the move, summer service hours for retail transactions will be extended. Postage or shipping purchases will be available from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturdays. Once the academic year resumes in late August, retail transactions will be available from 8:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. on weekdays and 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturdays.

Boxed mail and packages too large for student mailboxes will continue to be picked up at the postal counter from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday to Friday throughout the year.

East Campus Postal Retail ChangesTo allow for greater flexibility for postal customers, the retail operation on East Campus will move to a 24-hour, self-service model with a kiosk that offers postage for envelopes and packages.

The kiosk will also feature a drop-off box that will collect mail to be picked up multiple times a day. The kiosk is similar to automated machines found at USPS locations like the one on Kangaroo Drive by West Campus or the mailroom at Duke Clinic.

Like the West Campus postal counter, students will still be able to pickup boxed mail and packages at the East Campus Union location during regular business hours. The East Campus Union counter is open from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday to Friday.

For more information about postal locations and hours, visit the Duke Postal Operations website.