SLC Negotiates Productions Policy

YU students returned from winter break to find signs posted around the cafeteria proclaiming that as of February 5, YU Productions Services would no longer be accepting packages for students in non-dormitory housing, and that any such packages sent to them would be returned to sender. Many off-campus students were taken aback by the brazenness of the flier, and that they were only notified by these fliers in the caf a week before the changes were scheduled to take place. Productions though, responded by saying that they sent out an email to students who lived in off-campus housing announcing the changes. This email however, was only sent to students living in the official YU owned off-campus housing, so most students did not receive the email.

Additionally, Productions pointed out that the policy had always been to reject packages from students living in off-campus housing, and they had only been doing a favor for these students by accepting these packages.  These students though, were abusing the privilege. Productions was receiving shipments from people’s wedding registries, as well as shipments of diapers and other baby supplies. These packages crowded the tiny mail room, making it difficult for its employees to move around. Productions is also understaffed, and was no longer able to shoulder the additional workload.

The students’ complaints about the brazenness of the fliers, and that they were not informed about the enforcement of the policy, were heard the Wilf Campus Student Life Committee. Eli Shavalian, President of the SLC, and Shalom Willner, Student Liaison to Productions, met with Productions Services to resolve the issue. Their first move was to propose that Productions hold off until the end of February on enforcing the policy of not accepting the packages from off-campus housing, which was accepted. They proposed new guidelines to solve both Productions’ issues of too many packages and understaffing, as well as the off-campus students’ complaints. Below are some of the new policies that will be implemented by Productions Services as a result of the meetings:

1. The shelf life of packages will be two weeks. After two weeks have passed, an unclaimed package will be returned to sender. The current policy for shelf life of packages is four weeks, which was deemed excessively long. Reducing the shelf life will lead to more room for packages in productions.

2. Any package larger than the size of a mini-fridge will be returned to sender. This policy solves the problem of off-campus students shipping their new furniture from their wedding registry and their baby supplies to productions, and should make more room for student packages. As Shavalian explained, “Productions services exists for students to ship supplies they need for school.”

3. Off-campus students will be allowed to send their packages to Productions Services as long as they meet the previous two guidelines.

For packages larger than those specified by the new guidelines, students are advised to use the USPS Post Office or the UPS Store, both located on 181st Street.

These new guidelines (as well as stricter enforcement of no package receipt for alumni) should help solve the problems faced by both the off-campus students and Productions.  The new guidelines should be in place by the end of February.