Florida A&M has entered a partnership with Ricoh Americas Corp. allowing a private company to run the on-campus post office.
Ricoh offers a wide range in document management including the storage, preservation and delivery content throughout an organization. They offer comprehensive solutions to solve general business issues and industry specific solutions.
In a press release announcement made earlier this month, the university praised the Japanese-based company.
“Ricoh has proven best practices in place which they have incorporated at college campuses throughout the nation to bring efficiencies and cost savings to FAMU. Ricoh and FAMU will slowly be making improvements to both the on campus both post office and the delivery of the mail,” said the release.
Ricoh specializes in bringing the most advanced technology to businesses across the country to help with document efficiency, according to their website. Ricoh has worked with many campuses nationwide, including the University of Kentucky.
At the University of Kentucky, IKON, part of Ricoh, worked with the university, hospital and outlying campus sites to improve management in printing services.
The partnership has many positive implications. Mainly, the project between FAMU and Ricoh is aimed at lowering costs. Ricoh has full-time employees in the on-campus post office working with FAMU employees to make these improvements as efficient as possible.
“I feel like it is a very good thing they are doing. If it helps the students, if it helps make everything smoother, and better satisfaction for everyone. I think it is a good move,” said Aaron Johnson, 19, a second-year political science student from Jacksonville. “We [FAMU] are improving in other areas that will help different groups and companies here expand.”
FAMU students and staff should expect to see the changes implemented in the near future. Bernard Reed, site manager from Ricoh, said the team plans to send out emails to inform people of the changes as they are being implemented.
With the improvements to the on-campus post office, mail delivery services are also being improved said both Ricoh and FAMU. The Ricoh team’s overall goal is to improve the efficiency in which mail is delivered and frequency of when people receive their mail.
Students are pleased with the decision to help improve FAMU’s mail system. Some hope the improvements will lead to more students utilizing and trusting the on-campus post office.
Ashleigh Duncan, 18, a first-year environmental science student from Coral Springs, Fla., said she hopes the new post office services don’t increase her overall tuition rate since students who live on campus pay for post office services.
Jaquesta Shoats, 18, a first-year business and accounting student from Pompano Beach, Fla., however, is pleased with the new changes. The post office still has major improvements to make in other areas, she said, including opening the post office on Sundays.