The university is moving digital mail operations to its on-campus Mail Services department starting Feb. 16, according to an email sent to The New School faculty and staff on Feb. 12 by Thomas Whalen, vice president of safety and facilities. 

Previously, mail was digitized at an off-campus facility. The switch to the on-campus Mail Services facility will allow “faster delivery and easier access to original copies of mail items,” Whalen’s email said.

All mail arriving on or after Feb. 16 will now be delivered via the new Ricoh Intelligent Business Platform digital mail portal. The current Ricoh portal will remain active for 12 months, allowing faculty and staff to view or download mail received prior to Feb. 16.

 “Don’t worry about your old mail!” the email said.

Faculty and staff will be able to export and print mail directly from the updated portal, according to the email, and Mail Services will keep original copies of mail for 30 days. 

After 30 days, physical mail will be shredded, according to a webpage with further information linked in the email. Faculty and staff can only receive an original copy of the mail if they send an email request to Mail Services.

All campus mail first arrives at the mailroom, according to the webpage. Then, “individual pieces of mail are opened, scanned, and digitized on a secure server,” and the recipient receives an automated message saying they have new mail in their Ricoh portal.

The process includes “PCI compliance,” “strict rules on the presence of personal items and electronics” in the scanning facility, “24/7 video monitoring,” and “electronic audits,” according to the webpage. Ricoh is “fully vetted by The New School’s IT department and complies with all local, state, and federal regulations.”

“Our goal is to make academic and administrative mail delivery faster and more integrated into our campus environment while maintaining our high security and confidentiality standards,” Whalen’s email said.