(Photo/Logan Kirkland)
Beginning July 14, the first floor of Crosby Hall will house a new 2,200-square-foot Pak Mail center. The new facility will have up to 5,000 mailboxes and a package center to serve students, faculty and retirees within the University of Mississippi community.
UM Housing Director Lionel Maten says the new mailing center will offer more services than the campus’ U.S. Postal Service branch, which is scheduled to close permanently Aug. 1 as a result of the $50 million renovations to the Ole Miss Student Union.
“I believe that the service will provide many of the functions that are offered through our university post office as well as additional services,” Maten said. “Students will be able to have money wired to them. Students who are studying abroad will be able to have pictures taken for passports.”
Pak Mail customers with a mailbox will have access to the mailing center 24 hours a day, seven days a week. For others, the center will be staffed 9 a.m.-6 p.m. Mondays through Fridays and 9 a.m.-2 p.m. on Saturdays.
“We were trying to make sure that we were providing the (mailing) service to the students who would be residing in our facilities,” Maten said. “Otherwise, we would have put a lot of pressure on our downtown postal service. We realized this partnership had the potential to really serve the entire community.”
The Pak Mail center will also offer students the option of moving and storing items from their residence hall rooms before arrival in the fall and while they are absent for the summer.
“My experience has been, students really like convenience,” Maten said. “I think this Pak Mail Store will provide that convenience and readily available services that I think students are in need of throughout the year.”
Maten said the area for the new facility is almost complete and close to 400 mailboxes have already arrived. He hopes by the end of July all of the mailboxes will be installed and fully functional.
Designated parking spaces will also be created and available for Ole Miss Pak Mail customers who choose to drive to the center.
This summer, the university began a four-year, $50 million renovation and expansion of its Student Union increasing its size from 97,000 square feet to about 157,000 square feet. The post office there will shut down permanently Aug. 1.
Maten said the new mailboxes are available on a first come, first served basis. He encourages students, faculty, staff and retirees who would like to continue receiving their mail on campus to sign up for a Pak Mail box as soon as possible. For more information on reserving a box visit www.pakmailolemiss.com.
