Sending Administrative Mail

The Administrative Mail office is located in the Service Building, Room 101. Enter the Schermerhorn Building and take the elevator to the 2nd floor. Follow the corridor to your right, all the way to the end. You can also enter via the Engineering Terrace parking entrance at 119th Street and Amsterdam.

Sending Administrative Mail

Locations Served

Administrative Mail delivers intercampus mail free of charge to all Morningside Heights campus departments. 

Intercampus mail is also collected for Barnard College, Harlem Hospital, Columbia University Medical Center, The Forum, Jerome L. Greene Science Center, Lamont-Doherty, Lenfest, Prentis Hall, Teachers College, Studebaker, the Nash Building and the Interchurch Center.

Address Format

Morningside Heights Campus

Morningside Heights campus mail should be in the following format:

Personal Name
Program, Title, Department
Building Name
Mail Code

Other Campuses

Other University campuses, including Columbia University Medical Center, Lamont-Doherty and Harlem Hospital, do not use the the Morningside campus  mail code system. Mail to these and other Columbia University locations should be in the following format:

Personal Name
Program, Title, Department
Building Name and Room Number
Street Address
City, State and Zip Code

Mail Codes

A mail code is a four-digit number assigned to each department and office on the Morningside Heights campus. The first two digits represent the building, while the last two digits represent the department or specific location where mail is to be delivered.

To find the mail code of a department, academic building or individual, visit the online University directory and search by the name of the department or an associated staff or faculty member, or contact the Department Administrator. Note that only Morningside campus locations have mail codes.

Upon request Administrative Mail meters outgoing mail destined to off-campus locations. Requests are made by completing and appending a Mail Meter Request Form to applicable mail pieces, and are typically processed within 24 business hours. Postage fees are charged to the applicable departmental account. Outgoing mail is metered on a daily basis.

Drop Procedures

Domestic mail must be bundled separately from international mail. Deposit bundled mail with request form attached, in the large boxes labeled "Outgoing Postal Mail" located in your building's central mailbox area. Outgoing mail may also be brought to the Administrative Mail office for processing.

Mail metering machines can seal regular #10 envelopes; all other envelopes must be sealed before being dropped for pick-up. Any sensitive or confidential items should be sealed, regardless of size, before they are dropped.

Terms of Mail Metering Service

All outgoing mail must be official University business and must include a Columbia University return address. Personal mail such as utility and credit card statements will be returned to the originating department. Any variance from this policy requires a written request for waiver from a department chair or director.

For more information about metered mail, please contact us.

Administrative Mail sends packages via the United States Postal Service (USPS). Packages can be sent via 1st class mail, media mail (book rate), library mail, parcel post, domestic express, air mail, foreign press and international surface mail.

To send a package, complete a Mail Meter Request Form and attach it to the item(s) to be mailed. Any package that does not fit in the administrative mail slots must be dropped off at the Administrative Mail office. Administrative Mail only collects packages destined to campus addresses; packages destined for off-campus locations must be dropped off at the Administrative Mail office.

For expedited service, departments should coordinate delivery directly via USPS or an independent courier. FedEx services are available at a discounted rate at the Student Mail Center. The Student Mail Center accepts payment via credit card, cash, check and Flex.

Administrative Mail coordinates mass mailings for intercampus and University-affiliated deliveries. Mass mailing services are provided for official Columbia University business only, and include on-campus collection, printing, stuffing and delivery. A valid departmental chart string is required for all orders.

  • Minimum mailing size for 1st class mail and presorted mail is 500 pieces.
  • Minimum mailing size for nonprofit mail is 200 pieces.

For more information about mass mailing services, please contact the Bulk Mail Manager.

Columbia Print can provide design and production assistance for mass mailings. For more information on these services, please contact Columbia Print.

Columbia Print provides same-day, intercampus courier service. A valid departmental chart string is required for all requests. For more information, please contact Columbia Print at (212) 854-6594 for additional information.