How to access your assigned Oxy mailbox and more.
Dear Incoming Students,
Welcome to the Occidental College Postal Operations Center! The POC is operated by Occidental College staff and student workers.
The Department Manager is Victor Chico and the Supervisor is Evan Salce. You can reach them by email at vchico@oxy.edu and salce@oxy.edu. For general inquiries, you may email postalcenter@oxy.edu or call (323) 259-2894.
Location and Hours of Operation
Location: Johnson Student Center 1st floor, through the double glass doors next to the Bookstore.
Academic hours: Monday through Friday, 10 AM—4 PM.
Summer hours: Monday through Friday, 11 AM—4 PM. We are closed on weekdays and holidays.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
The answers to many common questions can be found on the Postal Operations FAQ page.
Mailbox Number and Combination
What/Where is my Mailbox Number?
1.) Log in to myOxy.edu — click on "Student Services" tab (left sidebar) — Under "My Personal Info" click on "Update Address and Phones" or
2.) Log in to myOxy.edu — click on "Directories & Search" (left sidebar) — Student Search and type in your name.
What is my Mailbox Combination?
Please come to the POC window during regular business hours to retrieve your mailbox combination. Upon your arrival, you will also receive instructions about how to open your mailbox with your combo.
It is highly recommended that students check their mailbox daily. If you receive mis-delivered mail, please return it to a POC staff member or insert them in the "Campus Mail" mail slot next to the counter window—do not throw away.
How to Correctly Address Mail
Do not use nicknames or pen names. Improperly addressed mail may be refused and returned to sender. Please notify your friends, family and vendors of the proper way to address your mail and packages, shown just below:
First & Last Name
Occidental College, #___(insert box number here. Do not use "P.O. Box" or "Box #" as they are exclusive with the USPS)
1600 Campus Road
Los Angeles, CA 90041-2214
Receipt of Incoming Packages Via the Postal Center
The POC utilizes an automated tracking system that will generate information about your package and send you an email. At the top of the email is the location where you can pick up your packages, either from the Stockroom at Facilities or the Postal Operations Center (POC) in the Johnson Student Center. When you arrive to pick up your parcel(s) at the Oxy POC, please have your Student ID ready and (when you are instructed to), sign legibly on the digital signing pad on the leftmost side of the POC's front counter.
If you receive an email notification indicating that perishable items are waiting for you, please pick up ASAP. We do not refrigerate perishable items. Our staff will attempt to make a courtesy call to you about perishables we receive, but please note that this is not a standard POC policy. This is one of several reasons why you should check your campus emails regularly.
We do not allow for the delivery of on-campus parcels. This means that anyone wanting to bring you a parcel that is not shipped directly to the Oxy POC (e.g. they may wish to drop it off at the Oxy POC for delivery to a registered Oxy student), must bring it to you directly. The Oxy POC will not accept these kinds of deliveries for security reasons.
Due to heightened security measures, USPS postal inspectors are allowed to inspect any and all parcels. Please be sure you are not ordering or receiving prohibited items. Firearms and sharp weapons of any kind are not allowed on campus. For your protection, please do not send or receive cash over mail, as you do so at your own risk. The Oxy POC is not responsible for missing cash sent to you through the mail. Please have your family send money directly to your bank account instead.
Alcohol cannot be shipped from the Oxy POC. For students expecting any incoming alcohol in the mail, you must be able to provide evidence of being 21 years of age or older. Failure to do so will result in the parcel being turned over to the Dean of Students Office.
"I've tracked online that my package is at the College but I did not get an Oxy POC email."
We receive many packages from a multitude of private carriers like UPS, FedEx, DHL, etc., as well as items from the United States Postal Service (USPS). These items are delivered either to the Oxy POC or the Facilities Stockroom and will need to be logged and processed. So, even though a website may indicate that your package is on campus, it may not be ready for you to pick up. Please be patient and keep an eye out for your Postal Operations or Stockroom email. If you still do not receive an email, please ask a mail clerk at our counter for assistance in tracking down your package(s).
Outgoing Mail Services
Mail bearing a stamp may be dropped off to the left of our front counter (in the "Stamped Mail" slot), or we can meter your outgoing mail, if you require additional stamps. All USPS mail leaves campus at 4:00 PM, Monday—Friday. UPS and FedEx pick up at 3:30 PM, Monday—Friday. Outgoing packages must arrive no later than 3:00 PM for the Postal Operations Center to process the same day. We do not hold packages overnight for you to ship the next day.
At the end of Spring Semester, when shipping packages home using UPS or FedEx, we ask that you arrive no later than 2 PM to give our office enough time to process your parcels. Please keep in mind that we accept cash or checks, no debit or credit cards.
Shipping Materials
The POC does not sell shipping supplies such as bubble wrap, popcorn and other packaging materials. You can obtain some of these packing items from the Bookstore, Office Depot, Home Depot, Staples or a USPS office. We do offer flat rate Priority boxes and flats for USPS shipments. We also have FedEx and UPS boxes and padded envelopes for your mailing needs.
When choosing to ship through the Oxy POC, please keep in mind that we are not a full-service USPS center, so for items we cannot process, you can head to the Eagle Rock Post Office located at 7435 N Figueroa Street, Los Angeles, CA 90041.
How to Properly Address Outgoing Mail
Addressing mail properly is important for mail delivery. The return address (sender info) goes in the upper left-hand corner of a letter/package and the recipient's address goes in the middle (center) of the letter/package.
Due to heightened security measures, USPS requires that all packages have return addresses on them. Mail weighing 13 ounces or more must be hand-delivered to an Oxy Mail Clerk at the window or dropped off at a USPS office.
Thank you for your careful attention to this message regarding the Oxy Postal Operations Center. As always, if you have any further questions, please let us know via email at admission@oxy.edu or at postalcenter@oxy.edu.
Regards,
Oxy Admission