Digital Mail FAQ
Below are Frequently Asked Questions about Digital Mail at NJIT:
What is digital mail?
In short: We pick up your mail at the post office and bring it to our Piscataway facility where it is security opened and scanned. The system emails the envelope and its content (as an attached pdf file) to you digitally via the NJIT email system. We then security destroy the physical mail in 30 days (unless you reply to us that you want it physically delivered to you).
Who is digital mail for?
Digital mail is for NJIT employees and affiliates who receive their mail thru the NJIT mailroom.
Will Resident Students get their mail digitally?
No. Resident student mail is delivered directly to the residence halls.
Is it legal to open my mail?
Yes. Federal law prohibits the obstruction of mail delivery. However, according to the U.S. Postal Service, mail is delivered when it reaches the workplace. Accordingly, employers do not violate federal law if they open personal mail addressed to employees or departments. NJIT mailroom management encourages faculty, staff, students and affiliates to NOT have personal mail sent to the NJIT mailroom as this mail is opened and scanned.
How are we insuring confidentiality?
The Millennium Group’s employees have all executed confidentiality agreements and have been trained on HIPAA and PII compliance. The facility the services are conducted at is certified as a HITRUST (high trust) facility, which sets the global standard for data confidentiality practices and procedures.
I receive mail that should NOT be opened. How will that be handled?
Mail that is marked on the envelope as: PERSONAL, PRIVATE, CONFIDENTIAL or DO_NOT_OPEN is removed at the start of the process and is physically delivered to you as usual. This is intended to accommodate items such as transcripts, official RFP’s, medical documents, etc.
How long are digital images stored?
The system securely stores a thumbnail image of only the envelope for up to one year for reporting purposes. Content images are deleted nightly within the system and are not stored or retrievable.
We receive mail addressed to our department. How is this handled?
If there is no identifiable employee name, the software will look for a department name. The email will then be sent to the department’s designated contact email address. That person would then forward the email as needed – similarly to the way they forward physical mail.
What happens if the system cannot identify where a piece of mail is supposed to go?
If nothing is identifiable, the system will flag the mail and an operator will investigate who should receive the email. This is similar to how physical mail routing is investigated.
Where are the e-mails coming from?
The system uses an NJIT email address of: digitalmail@NJIT.edu to send the email. The email does not leave the NJIT email environment and so email blocking is not an issue.
How does the system know who I am?
We security load a file provided by NJIT on a nightly basis that includes name, department and email address of all NJIT employees and affiliates.
What if I get someone else’s mail?
In this rare instance, please reply to the email that “this is not my mail”, then delete the email. TMG Piscataway staff will investigate and route the email to the correct person/department. We will also let that person/department know about the miscommunication.
How are magazines and catalogs handled?
Magazine and catalogs that are addressed to an individual will be pulled early in the process and will be delivered as they would normally be.
Will inter-office mail be digitized?
No. Interoffice mail will be physically delivered as usual.
What if I want my physical mail delivered to me after I get the digital email?
When you receive the email, simply reply to the email with “physically deliver this mail to me”. Upon receipt, we will seal and physically delivered it to you within two business days. Please remember that you only have 30 calendar days to make this request before the mail is securely destroyed.
What if I am getting a check?
Mail containing checks will be digitized and emailed to you. In this case, however, the mail (and check) will automatically be sealed and physically delivered to you without your needing to request this via a reply email.
What eventually happens to the physical mail?
After scanning, the mail is reassembled and securely stored for 30 calendar days. After 30 days, the mail is security destroyed.
What are my options?
- Do nothing – your mail will be digitally scanned starting on Monday, 2/1/21.
- Request to “opt out” of the digital mail system by sending an email to robert.gjini@njit.edu. You will need approval from your department head as well as your division Vice President. If approved, your mail will be pulled early in the process and will be delivered to you on a daily basis without being digitized.
- Request the “envelope only” scan option by sending an email to the NJIT mailroom supervisor at tc58@njit.edu. With this option, your initial digital email will contain a scan of the envelope only. You will then have 5 business days to reply to the email requesting that your mail be physically delivered without being opened. If you do not reply within 5 days, your mail will be opened and digitally emailed as usual.