A Primer on 4C, CBU & Horizontal University Mailboxes

College campuses, educational organizations and universities across America are renovating, updating, and improving their university mailboxes for their students and staff.

The reason is that the onslaught of cyber-attacks on email correspondence and internet systems has prompted many universities and college campuses to return to a less risky form of communication:  standard mail.

This article seeks to educate and inform university purchasers and prospective buyers as they seek the most appropriate university mailboxes for their context.

UPDATE: 4C Pedestal Mailboxes have been discontinued as of November 30, 2020. The USPS Cluster Box Unit (CBU) Mailbox is now the standard for all multi-family mail delivery.

Private Use Horizontal Mailboxes

For purchasing agents seeking to replace or install new university mailboxes in a mailroom, private use horizontal mailboxes (also called private commercial mailboxes) provide the most extensive number of possible mailbox configurations. These horizontal university mailboxes are available in both front-loading and rear-loading configurations.

Front Loading University Mailboxes

Available with up to 60 student/staff mailboxes per unit, front-loading university mailboxes allow mailroom clerks the ability to open the entire front of the mailbox unit to deliver mail into individual student or staff boxes.

Rear Loading University Mailboxes

Rear-loading mailbox units are loaded in the same manner as the front loading version except the mail clerk simply stands in the space behind the wall to load the mailbox units from the rear. Some universities also choose to add an optional rear cover for the rear-loading mailbox units.  The two types of rear mailbox covers available include:

1. Those that lift off for mail delivery
2. And those that can be moved by hinges for the clerk to deliver mail

Mailbox Door Sizes

All horizontal university mailboxes, regardless of whether rear loading or front-loading, are available in six different student mailbox door sizes.  For scenarios where college or university staff receives larger mail volume than students, mailbox door sizes can be custom arrayed in the required sizing by the experts at the nation’s leading provider of university mailboxes,  The MailboxWorks.

Mailbox Finishes, ID Tags & Locks

University mailboxes are also available in a wide assortment of finishes including anodized aluminum, antique brown, antique copper, black, blonde gold, dark bronze, gold, gold speck, postal grey, sandstone, and silver speck.  Additional features include a variety of options for student/staff door identification tags like black fill engraving, engraved window tabs, and slots in mailbox doors.  Five pin cylinder cam locks are standard but combination locks are also available.

Private Distribution 4C University Mailboxes

Another great option for universities and colleges who are renovating or installing new mailrooms is the private distribution 4C university mailboxes.  These 4C university mailboxes from The MailboxWorks’s Auth Florence group eliminate the frustration of managing mailrooms.  Like the horizontal counterparts above, the 4C university mailboxes are available in both front-loading and rear-loading options.

Both options are available with a wide array of student/staff mailbox compartments and are customizable.  Like the horizontal university mailboxes, the 4C mailboxes are available in 11 different finishes (although offered finishes are different) and include  antique bronze, antique copper, black, blonde gold, dark bronze, forest green, gold speck, postal grey, sandstone, silver speck, and white.  Additionally these 4C university mailboxes include tenant door locks or optional combination locks as well as five options on student/staff mailbox door identification.

One reason many universities are considering 4C university mailboxes is that these units can also be mounted and installed outdoors in The MailboxWork’s optional Vario outdoor mail centers.

See also our article on Dorm & Campus Mailboxes.

CBU University Mailboxes

Another option for colleges and universities desiring outdoor mailbox locations for their student and/or staff mail centers is the ubiquitous cluster box mailboxes (also called CBU mailboxes).  CBU university mailboxes can be mounted and placed outdoors anywhere on campus, which has the net effect of avoiding the use of valuable indoor space.

Available in 8, 12, 13, and 16 student/staff mail compartments, these CBU university mailboxes can be used for either US Postal Service delivery or private on-campus mail distribution.  For purchasing agents wishing to augment the attractiveness of the CBU mailboxes, these cluster box units are also available with classic architectural accessories that allow the mailbox units to coordinate with their surroundings. See our blog article entitled, “Tips for Upgrading the Look of Florence CBU Mailboxes.”

Regardless of what type of university mailboxes are selected, The MailboxWorks offers significant discounts for quantity purchases, fast shipping, and top-notch mailbox expertise for configuring 4C, CBU and front loading or rear loading horizontal university mailboxes.

Categorized in: Commercial Mailboxes