Residence Halls

Residence Halls cannot be accessed by those who do not live there; all front doors correspond only to their respective residents’ keys. Students in buildings with keys are given a single set of keys for their respective buildings. Those who have lost a key should fill out the online form as soon as possible to have it replaced for a fee. Lost ID cards are also replaced by the Campus Safety Office for a fee. These fees are not due in cash, but instead appear on the student’s bill at the end of the year/semester.

The Residence Life and Housing Office always recommends that students lock their room doors, in the interest of protecting their property. It is recommended to lock room doors when not present. Some doors, such as suite doors and bedroom doors, lock automatically. The College recommends not propping open external doors or keeping the door open for those who do not live in the building or if an individual does not know them, in the interest of safety for the community.

The current guest policy as defined in the Community Guide notes guests can stay for a maximum of six nights per semester, no more than three consecutive days at a time. Any one host student may have up to two guests at a time. A guest is defined as anyone who is not assigned to live in that space and are staying overnight, generally considered after 11:59pm.

A guest is also considered a PSC student, even if they live in the same building. For example: if Jules lives in Hillside 111 but stays the night with her friend Alix in Hillside 112, she is still considered an overnight guest because she doesn’t live in Hillside 112.

To register a guest, speak to any RA and fill out a guest pass for your guest(s). All overnight guests, including fellow students, must be registered via a guest pass and no more than six per semester will be issued. Please note: abuse or overstay of the guest policy will result in action via the Student Conduct Office. The host student is responsible for all actions of their guest and any guest must be with their host at all times. All roommate(s) and suite mates must agree to the guest pass and sign off on it.

Registration of a guest: https://livepaulsmiths.sharepoint.com/sites/ResidenceLife

Generally speaking, room moves are uncommon and are heavily reliant on circumstance and room availability. Reach out to your RA, and they can best assist with this topic, including potentially facilitating roommate mediation and connecting with Residence Life and Housing.

You need to get a new parking pass each year, in the fall. This process is really easy and requires you to simply go online and register your vehicle with Campus Safety. A new sticker is produced each year. There is no fee for parking, though if you do not have a current parking pass, you will be ticketed.

For all mailroom questions, contact Jill Susice at jsusice@paulsmiths.edu

All on-campus students are given a student mailbox located at the Student Mailroom in the lowest floor of the Student Center. Mailbox numbers for new students typically are distributed to deposit-paid, housed students in late summer before the beginning of the year. There is no additional cost to have a student mailbox.

How Do I Send Mail to the Campus?
Sending mail or packages to your on-campus box is easy! Please be sure to properly address your packages: frequently, family and friends send packages or mail to the College with a student’s residence hall room name or number. This is not how mail is delivered and will slow down the delivery of your mail. Please address your packages with your legal name, as we do not have nicknames on file.

Example:
Student First & Last Name
7777 State Route 30
Student Mailbox (your number here)
Paul Smiths, NY 12970

How Do I Get My Mail?
Traditional mail like letters, magazines, and the like can be accessed via your mailbox whenever you’d like. To pick up a package, you must do so when the Mailroom is open and attended by Mailroom Staff. (Hours for the semester are posted and students are notified at the beginning of the semester.) You will know you have a package by a brightly-colored package slip in your mailbox. This tag should be brought to a Mailroom Staff at the desk, who will ask for ID — your student ID or your legal photo ID. They will get you your package and have you sign for it. Then, are all set!

Can I Ship Items Before I Arrive to Campus?
The answer is: somewhat. Please do not send mail to the campus before you have been given a mailbox number, as it will be returned to sender. Once you have been given your mailbox number, you can send mail and packages to the campus. These items cannot be picked up until the Mailroom has opened for the semester (time to be determined). Do not send time-sensitive items or perishable items before the semester begins! Students often ship mini fridges (under 4 cubic feet), microwaves (under 700w), online purchases, and similar to the Mailroom before arriving to save space in the car. Your package must be correctly addressed to avoid being returned to sender!

Can I Have an On-campus Box if I’m Living Off Campus?
Yes, you can have an on-campus mailbox if you are a current student approved to live off-campus. Email jsusice@paulsmiths.edu to request one, and please do so in advance. If you have moved off-campus, and not immediately requested to keep your former on-campus mailbox, you may lose your former mailbox number and a new one will be re-assigned to you. If you are an off-campus student with no on-campus mailbox and mail is sent to the Student Mailroom, it may be returned to sender. The Mailroom cannot forward packages for off-campus students without additional mailing costs.

I’m Having Trouble Entering the Campus Address on a Website
This happens sometimes! Amazon.com and USPS.com are sometimes challenging to work with for our student mailbox numbers. If this happens to you, try changing the address around a little bit, such as below.

Alternate Address Option (online vendors):
Student First & Last Name
7777 NY-30
#(box number here)
Paul Smiths, NY 12970

If an online vendor continues to give you trouble, please reach out to us at jsusice@paulsmiths.edu and we can try to find other solutions with you to get your package here.

Can Someone Else Pick My Mail Up for Me?
No, only you can pick up your mail. Please do not share your box combination with others. Packages can only be released to the owner of the package via photo ID. If a medical or extenuating circumstance requires mail pickup by others, communicate with Jill Susice at jsusice@paulsmiths.edu.

What Happens if My Mail Is Not Sent Right?
Our Mailroom staff works hard to figure out what belongs to who even if address information isn’t all there. However, incorrectly addressed packages increase the chance a package will be delivered late or returned to sender. Please ensure your full, legal name, correct box number, and correct general address are on the package! Packages and mail that cannot be identified is generally brought to the Office of Residence Life and Housing, where it is then examined to attempt to find the owner. If none can be found, the item is returned to sender.

What Can I Ship to the Mailroom?
Nearly anything can be shipped to the Mailroom, provided it is: legal to ship, legal to have, allowed to be on campus (no weapons, etc.), is not harmful, and not dangerous. We request that items that may cause disruption, such as animal urine and scents, are purchased from reliable suppliers to ensure their intense smells do not leak. Packages should be sent in good condition (well-taped boxes, not overstuffed, etc.) to avoid issues or breaking. Paul Smith’s College and the Student Mailroom are not responsible for items damaged or lost in the shipping process. Student packages and mail are treated with great care in their time at the Mailroom.

Can I Buy Stamps, Send Mail, etc. From Here?
No, you cannot. The Student Mailroom does not sell stamps, package supplies, or mail items/mail out. However, a USPS Post Office is located on campus by Campus Safety that can assist you. The Post Office is open with an attendant with limited hours. You can purchase stamps, shipping supplies, mail packages, buy Post Office Money Orders, and more during these open hours and they accept cash and credit/debit. To mail standard mail, a blue large mailbox sits outside of the Post Office and collects mail Monday through Saturday.

Mail Forwarding
The Student Mailroom is able to forward some mail: generally, unless previously notified, mail addressed to a former student (or someone who has moved off campus) is returned to sender. Packages mailed to the campus in error are taken by the Area Coordinator and reasonable attempts to contact the student/alumni are made. The cost associated with forwarding a package are the responsibility of the student/alumni: packages shipped via USPS are typically able to be forwarded at no cost. If you have mailed a package to the campus in error as a current student between breaks and require it to be forwarded, the above situation stands and you are encouraged to contact jsusice@paulsmiths.edu.

Helpful Facts

• Students sometimes wonder why a package may say it’s delivered but is not yet at the Mailroom. Here’s why! Before your item or mail comes to the Student Mailroom, it first goes through either the on-campus USPS Post Office or goes to our Facilities Department, which sorts and handles all campus mail. Vendors like Amazon will reflect this delivery and say it’s on campus, even though it is not yet in the Mailroom. From Facilities, the mail then comes to the Student Mailroom where it is sorted. In short, if your package says it’s delivered but you do not yet have a package slip, don’t fret! It likely just hasn’t quite made it’s way to you yet.
• If you forget your mailbox number or combination, or struggle to open it, a Mailroom staff member can assist you. If you have forgotten your combination and the Mailroom is not open, email jsusice@paulsmiths.edu via your PSC email and we can resend. Please give us time to respond to you.
• The Mailroom cannot sign for packages via certified mail or similar needs. If a package needs to be officially signed for, you may have a cream-colored tag from USPS in your mailbox describing what to do to pick up that mail. This is really easy with a post office right on campus!
• If you are sending mail with items such as money, gift cards, checks, passports, and other items of value, it is recommended to insure these parcels and/or send via USPS Certified Mail and/or a means that provides tracking information.
• If you are a parent, family member, or friend reading this and considering sending your student a package or care package … definitely do it! It is always a wonderful gesture for students to receive care packages! It is helpful to let students know you plan to send them one, though, so they can be on the lookout for a package. This is especially true with perishable items.

Students are not required to have a cell phone to attend Paul Smith’s College, but it is highly recommended. We suggest students carry a cell phone of some kind so they can be reached in an emergency and have reliable access to connect with on-campus resources if needed. It can be very difficult to get in touch with students if they do not have a working cell phone.

Recommended Providers
We have Verizon and AT&T towers on campus. Service in the immediate Paul Smith’s area is mainly limited to Verizon, and plans from non-Verizon providers often work poorly when heading toward the Saranac Lake and Malone areas.