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The University of Texas at Tyler
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Faces Behind the Scenes: UT Tyler Mail Services
Editor’s Note: Many staff work behind the scenes at The University of Texas at Tyler. In this four-part summer feature series, “Faces Behind the Scenes,” we will highlight some of the “unsung heroes” within the UT Tyler Physical Plant.
Above: Matt Izard serves as the UT Tyler Mail Services and Central Receiving supervisor. Middle: Izard in his office and in the mail room with Page Chapman and Ryan Lilly, mail clerks. Below: Some of the UT Tyler Physical Plant staff members gather for a photo.
The University of Texas at Tyler Mail Services handles all internal and external mail. Central Receiving receives and distributes goods bought with purchase orders and all overnight packages excluding express mail.
There’s no job too small, large or bizarre the three-member department can’t handle.
Led by supervisor Matt Izard, the trio runs like clockwork and sees varied items and people daily. Mail is picked up once in the morning and delivered to the post office once in the afternoon. All mail is processed by 3:45 p.m. each work day to meet post office deadlines. Two afternoon routes cover all internal packages and mail. The UT Tyler Physical Plant dock also greets all couriers and freight trucks.
“It’s pretty much a daily routine with a little extra stuff thrown in once in awhile,” said Izard, who celebrates 10 years with the university this month and also serves as the UT Tyler Physical Plant’s designated safety liaison. “It’s about interdepartmental communication. I think some may think we’re better staffed than we are, but we get the job done – we make it happen.”
Izard also handles monthly billing shipping, manages postal permits and accounts and oversees the UT Tyler Central Receiving and its warehouse, where surplus capital inventory is held.
“We get anything as small as paper clips to computers – and large equipment for some of the labs, like biology and engineering,” he said of the standard packages he sees.
During the last fiscal year, the department delivered about 17,000 packages. The department saw an incoming mail volume of 232,350, and more than 145,000 pieces of mail were metered and sent to the post office.
As far as the bizarre, one package received didn’t surprise Izard and his crew too much, especially working with the UT Tyler biology department.
“We read the label and realized they were cats to be dissected. I would say that’s the weirdest thing we’ve handled. I’ve heard from the biology supervisor that they’re cats that have died a natural death or they’re road kill. They don’t chase Fluffy down or anything like that,” he said with a grin.
Indeed, Izard sees varied items and people on the job, but that’s one thing he enjoys about it.
“This is a job where you get to see a lot of people and you get to meet new people all the time,” Izard explained. “The campus is beautiful – I’ve always thought that. I actually used to come up here before I started working here and go for walks with my girlfriend then – now my wife. I’m proud of the campus. It’s a great place to work.”
Izard also is a UT Tyler student. He utilizes the university’s Staff Development Scholarship Program, which provides employees full tuition and fee coverage up to six credit hours each term toward a UT Tyler degree.
He is pursuing a bachelor of science in business management.
One of the 15 campuses of the UT System, UT Tyler offers excellence in teaching, research, artistic performance and community service. More than 90 undergraduate and graduate degrees are available at UT Tyler, which has an enrollment of more than 6,000 high-ability students at its campuses in Tyler, Longview and Palestine.
Faces Behind the Scenes Feature Series:
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