Mail and Receiving Services

In Mail and Receiving Services we process incoming and outgoing mail at RISD’s mail center, which is located at 20 Washington Place. We also receive freight deliveries at the off-campus warehouse on Kinsley Avenue in Providence. The mailroom team does not handle or process any personal mail.

Mail and packages shipped to campus may take up to 72 business hours from arrival in the mailroom to delivery to the receiving department. The amount of time varies depending on mailroom volume and the time of delivery by the mail service provider.

Please note that the volume of mail and packages is very large at the start of each academic year. Please be patient as we process as quickly as possible. 

Department deliveries of flat mail and small packages are made on Thursday and Friday of each week. If you need something before standard delivery days you may pick it up in the mailroom. Hand trucks are available to you if needed.

We are responsible for the daily delivery of interoffice, USPS and UPS mail, and for the preparation of outgoing mail, and are also available to help members of the RISD community prepare outgoing mail. However, our personnel will not handle personal packages. Our personnel cannot transport office furniture or materials between departments. For help with this type of service, please submit requests to RISD Facilities.

Staff

  • Sandra Amaral

    Mailroom Clerk

  • Thomas Bolvin

    Receiving/Mailroom Clerk

  • Heather Jacques

    Receiving/Mailroom Clerk

  • Zachary Jorgenson

    Receiving/Mailroom Clerk

  • Alison Minutoli

    Receiving/Mailroom Clerk

Mailing items to RISD faculty and staff

All items shipped to faculty and staff should be addressed as follows:

[Faculty/staff name]
Rhode Island School of Design [department name]
20 Washington Place
Providence, RI 02903

Please note:

  • RISD accepts deliveries from the following carriers: USPS, UPS, FedEx, Amazon and DHL. (Please do not ship any items via freight containers.)
  • Campus mail is best reserved for shipping clothing, books and other non-fragile items.
  • Do not ship perishable items by mail. The mailroom will not accept grocery items.
  • The mailroom will not accept items that are not securely packaged (e.g., in grocery bags).
  • Packages should be no larger than 24 x 24 x 24" and weigh no more than 70 lbs.
  • Use new boxes only. Damaged boxes can impede the delivery process.
  • Make sure labels are legible, easy to find and securely affixed to the package.
  • To minimize cost and potential damage, we recommend that incoming students bring electronics, stereos and similar items with them to campus rather than shipping by mail.
  • Similarly, students are advised to purchase televisions and larger appliances locally for safer and more cost-effective shipping.
  • Keep a copy of any tracking information you receive related to your shipment.
     

Outgoing mail

All outgoing mail should be ready for pickup during the time of daily mail delivery. Please separate outgoing mail as follows:

  • Outgoing mail requiring postage should be grouped together with department account number.
  • Certified mail must be sealed with the proper USPS forms attached.
  • Interoffice mail should be separated.
  • Express and all expedited mail should be identified and affixed with an identifier.

Mailing and Receiving Services uses the following approved carriers:

  • USPS and all USPS-provided services: RISD client metered is applied on site in Mail and Receiving Services.
  • UPS and FedEx: account numbers are available for department use for RISD client rate. Please contact us for account numbers.
  • When sending items internationally, please contact Mail and Receiving Services to make arrangements. If your outgoing parcel requires special arrangements (e.g. insurance or signature on delivery), please attach instructions.
  • It is the sender’s responsibility to ensure items are appropriately packaged. Please do not overfill containers. Do not use damaged boxes for packaging purposes.
     

Freight deliveries

Warehouse receiving hours: Tues–Fri 9 am–3 pm or by appointment

Any freight delivery outside normal receiving hours and without a prescheduled appointment will be returned to sender. All costs associated with the return are the responsibility of the purchasing department.

For freight deliveries (deliveries made by tractor trailers and specialty delivery services) of more than 150 pounds or that require special equipment for unloading, the ordering office must inform Procurement Services if a purchasing order (PO) is required. The receiving address for freight deliveries is 350 Kinsley Avenue, Providence, RI 02903.

If you are ordering using a PO or RISD purchasing card, please note our phone number (401 454–6319) and email (mailroom@risd.edu).

In most cases involving palletized or oversized items, we will contact the purchasing department upon delivery. The department will then submit a work request to ensure scheduling of any necessary equipment and personnel for transporting the shipment to campus. The work request must include the desired delivery date, time (estimated) and location (building and room number).
 

Interoffice mail

We deliver department interoffice, flat mail and small packages on Thursdays and Fridays from 10 am–2 pm, excluding university holidays and in the event of severe weather conditions. We will handle emergency deliveries on an as-needed basis, and will deliver packages after the initial mail run is completed. Signatures are required for packages. Department representatives may come to the mailroom to pick up mail at any time.

For each delivery of mail to an office or mail drop-off location, interoffice and outgoing mail is picked up for postage metering and distribution.

Related Content

Links
Documents