Student Mail Services, currently located in the student union beside the Army ROTC office and adjacent to the McAlister dining hall, is moving to Dillard Hall. 
John Gilbert, the client executive for Mail Services, explained the project to Clemson Undergraduate Student Senate at their weekly Monday night meeting. 
The updated student post office will include 322 new rear-load lockers, 236 dynamic smart mailboxes and 500 high-density mailboxes that function via a folder-barcode system for mail storage and retrieval. 
The rear-load lockers will make it easier for staff to input packages into the lockers and notify students when they have a delivery. Dynamic smart lockers are mailboxes that students can access unassisted with their TigerOne cards. 
No additional staff will be needed to accommodate the new SMS operation because of the increased number of smart lockers, according to Gilbert. 
The new SMS will be located on the top floor of Dillard Hall. The space will be split to accommodate both the post office and classrooms. Gilbert is concerned about the use of the shared space, fearing that there is an “unideal noise factor” that has the potential to disrupt instruction in the classrooms located near the office. 
The new post office will offer students a more convenient method of retrieving their mail. Students will have 24-hour access to the mail lobby, including on weekends, except when there is a campus-wide special event, such as a home football game. 
Gilbert explained numerous other benefits that will result from the relocation of SMS to Dillard Hall to create an “improved student experience.” 
With the new location and improved package throughput, the number of packages that will be received by SMS and distributed to students is expected to increase at least 15 times the current rate. Further, the time students wait to receive their packages will decrease by 75%. The new SMS will also reduce the overall environmental footprint of the service as the new system will prioritize organization and efficiency. 
Unfortunately, the parking situation at the new SMS location will be “no better than the current predicament,” according to Gilbert. The only way to access the facility via motor vehicle will be through an alleyway behind Dillard and McAlister. 
The need for an updated student mail service is crucial as Clemson continues to grow both in population and size. Clemson had 30,000 packages delivered in September 2022 alone, which is an 8% increase from last year. 
The relocation of the mailing service is a part of a four-phase renovation. The initial three phases included the addition of the dynamic mailboxes behind the Douthit Hills Hub and next to the Schlitter dining hall of east campus. 
Phase four of the SMS renovation is expected to be completed by May 2023.