Campus Address Scheme
1. Overview. For University Mail Services purposes, three lines of the address are critical. In addition, the University graphic standards specify the use and form of the University name. Thus the following four lines will always be present:
| Components | Example |
|---|---|
| University name per Graphics Standards Department Name Delivery Address City State Zip+4 |
(Shield) The University of Memphis Department of Communication 143 Theatre/Communication Bldg Memphis TN 38152-3150 |
The Department Name must be one of the “Approved Department Names” as included on the Official University Address List. For United States Postal Service (USPS) purposes the Delivery Address line and the City State Zip+4 line must be the bottom two lines of an address. University Mail Services recommends that the Department Name be the third line from the bottom. A mailing address will frequently include more lines of addressing, such as an individual name or the name of a sub-unit or activity within the department. These additional lines should go above the four lines displayed above. (On preprinted return addresses, University graphic standards require that the University name be shown first.)
2. Zip +4 codes. Zip code 38152 is assigned only to The University of Memphis. A zip+ 4 code has been assigned to each building. On the main campus these numbers begin with a “3” and on South Campus they begin with a “4.” Student residence buildings in the Carpenter Complex also have +4 codes beginning with a “4.” (Some +4 codes previously used beginning with a “6” are invalid.)
3. Delivery address. In most cases the “delivery address” is the number of the reception or entry room (without the word “room”) followed by the building name. Several alternatives were seriously considered for establishing standard delivery addresses. The need to include the physical location of the department as part of the official address was a significant factor in the final scheme used. Our delivery addresses with room number and building name correspond to the street number and street name on a residential address. Our delivery addresses are included in the USPS' national database of valid addresses.
4. Building names. Most delivery addresses use the building name as the equivalent of the “street” name. The building names used have been styled as closely as possible to the official building names, within the twenty-eight spaces that USPS utilizes. Single letters from proper names (as in J. M. Smith) in the building names were not used; people will often add the period after the letter and USPS does not want periods in the address line. The word “Chemistry” was added to the Smith Chemistry Bldg to help clarify the difference from Nellie Angel Smith Hall. The street address of “330 Deloach St” was used rather than the “Fogelman Executive Center” building name at the urging of the Fogelman Executive Conference Center due to the large number of visitors who need to locate that facility on maps. Some buildings where the standard street address is the only “name” of the building use the street number
and name as the delivery address.
5. South Campus delivery addresses. On South Campus the assigned street numbers and names are being used. Many of the buildings have official names that include “Building Number #.” The number was the one assigned by the former VA hospital and in many instances one cannot find the number on a building. Most buildings already have the street numbers posted.
6. Postal Station addresses. A few departments located away from the main campus or south campus pick up mail from University Mail Services. As a delivery address for these departments we have assigned a delivery address of “## Campus Postal Station.” This will provide a valid delivery address and avoid confusion that it is the physical location of the department.
7. Department names. All addresses should include a department name as approved for mail purposes. The name should be either a “primary department name” or a “secondary department name” as explained in the following paragraphs.
8. Primary Department Name. This is an identified University department, unit, or activity for which University Mail Services will divide (sort) incoming USPS and campus mail into a separate bundle for delivery purposes. This is the lowest level of breakdown or separation that will be made by University Mail Services. The “primary” name is usually the official or formal name of the unit. These are identified with a “P” on the official address list.
9. Secondary Department Name. This is an additional form of the department name assigned for some Primary Departments. This is a shorter or alternative name for a unit that will be acceptable as the department address name for the unit. University Mail Services will recognize the secondary name the same as the primary name in sorting mail. Mail addressed to the primary and secondary names will be commingled and delivered as one. These are identified with an “S” on the official address list.
The University Financial Records System (FRS) includes a table and related names of all “departments.” This same table is used by the Human Resources System. Some mailings will be produced using these department names. If the department name as styled in the FRS table does not match a primary mail department name, a secondary mail department name has been included that does match.
10. Individual names or other address components. A University address can include other lines not shown above, such as the name and title of an individual, a title such as “Director of Graduate Programs,” the title of an activity such as “Workshop on Home Safety,” the name of an organization affiliated with the department, or any other similar additional addressing identification. These additional lines of address would be used within the department to direct the mail to the proper person. As long as an official department name, delivery address, and city state zip +4 are shown as the bottom three lines of the address no special approval is needed for the additional address components. This also applies to return addresses.
11. Addressing conventions. Address components should use standard USPS abbreviations and style conventions as much as possible. Thus “Building” will be shown as “Bldg,” “Suite” will be shown as “Ste,” and punctuation will be omitted on the bottom three lines of the address. The delivery address line should be used exactly as specified, including exactly how the building name is shown. (University Mail Services strongly recommends that the exact, cryptic mailing address be printed as the return address on envelopes and on business cards. On letterheads where the format needs to be more formal, words can be spelled out in full and standard punctuation used.)