U.S. Postal Service mail sent to faculty and staff on the UAB campus is sorted by UAB Printing and Mailing staff before being delivered to your office or unit. There are a few common reasons why this process can be delayed, says Paula Blackwell, director of Printing and Mailing.

1. Incoming mail uses incorrect formatting. 

To ensure that your incoming U.S. Postal Service mail reaches you as quickly as possible, have senders use the following format:

FIRST LINE: University of Alabama at Birmingham [you may also abbreviate as UAB]

SECOND LINE: Adminstration Building 110 [you may use official UAB building abbreviations: AB 110]

THIRD LINE: Attn: John Doe

FOURTH LINE: 1720 2nd Avenue South

FIFTH LINE: Birmingham, AL 35294

2. Incoming mail does not use the correct name for the addressee. 

Though this does not happen often, delays can occur if your mail is addressed to a name that does not match the “official” name in UAB’s ACT database. (This is the name on your paycheck.) For example, if a package is addressed to “Brian Williams” instead of “Thomas Williams.” Look up your official name in the Campus Directory here.

3. Incoming mail uses incorrect building abbreviations. 

The directory also includes a list of official building code abbreviations for each UAB building. Be sure that senders use the correct abbreviation.

What you can do: Check incoming mail addresses listed on your website to be sure they follow the format above. You can also contact vendors and others who regularly send you mail to give them the correct address information to use for you.