Campus Addresses

There are three important reasons to make this change:

• Improve general public safety response
• Meet new requirements for 911 dispatching services
• Increase accuracy of maps and navigation applications

The rapid advances in technology and the integration of this technology in providing a more accurate and timely response to emergencies has made it necessary to position OU to take advantage of these systems.

Emergency first responders are trained to locate calls for service using street addresses. They rely on highly precise address information provided by computer-aided records systems that also support Global Positioning System (GPS) location assistance. This fact, coupled with the increases in cooperative governmental operations, clearly underscores the need to adopt this new method for addressing OU facilities.

Just as fire or emergency medical services units from other responding agencies may be unfamiliar with our campus, this project will also allow campus visitors to use precise, locatable addresses in their GPS devices. Other benefits will include improved post and parcel delivery as well as improved Geographical Information System (GIS) and mapping abilities.

Official campus mapExcel spreadsheet of addresses

Mail Services recommends that mail is addressed utilizing the following format:

Examples:

Using lines 1-6:

Dr. Folberg
Office of the Dean
OUWB School of Medicine
O'Dowd Hall Rm 428
586 Pioneer Dr.
Rochester, MI 48309-4482

Using lines 3-6:

Communications and Marketing
Anibal House
630 Pioneer Dr.
Rochester, MI 48309-4482

Using lines 1, 4, 5, 6:

My Student
Vandenberg Hall Rm 551 West
502 Meadow Brook Rd.
Rochester, MI 48309-4452

As OU implements its new addresses, you can take these steps to make sure your area is up to date:

• Look up your building's new physical address on the What is my address? tab on this page.
• Learn your new address and use it when calling for police/fire/ems assistance.
• Update your electronic signature on email if it includes your mailing address.
• Check your department and faculty Web pages, and update contact information to reflect the new addresses.
• Inform off-campus colleagues and associates who send you mail.
• Update address information for subscriptions and periodicals.
• P-cards will automatically switch to the new addresses.  You will be notified when to begin using the new addresses for transactions.
• Make sure that any stored (pre-filled) address information with online vendors is updated.
• Use all existing business cards and department letterhead with the old address. The U.S. Postal Service will continue to recognize that address while OU transitions. When you've exhausted those supplies, Printing Services will be happy to assist you in ordering new business cards and letterhead with the proper address.

How do I address mail to an OU building?

Use the What is my address? tab to locate the address and then read the instructions and follow the examples on the How should mail be addressed? tab.

Should I use "room" or "suite" in my address?

The US Postal Service does not allow addresses to use both "rooms" and "suites" in the same building, thus it has been decided that OU will use the "room" designation for all campus addresses.

How do I address buildings that have a "north, south, east, or west" wing or tower?

While some buildings on campus are often referred to by a directional designation, the building itself has only one address. To ensure proper emergency response and mail delivery, please use the directional designation with the address. For example, Room 551 in what is commonly referred to as West Vandenberg Hall should be addressed as:

Vandenberg Hall Rm 551 West
502 Meadow Brook Rd.
Rochester MI 48309

Can I just use my building name during an emergency when I call for help?

Simply using a building name to identify your location will tremendously complicate the response by first responders. This is especially true if you call 911 from a cell phone as there is a chance your call may not be answered directly by OU Police. 911 center personnel will require the caller to identify their location by the locatable street address and specific room within that facility.  Failing to do this may cause significant delays in emergency response!

Should I use ZIP +4 codes?

All OU facilities on main campus share the same city and zip code:
Rochester MI 48309. If you choose to include ZIP +4, please look up your +4 on the What is my address? tab on this page.

Do services such as Google Maps, Mapquest, etc. work with campus addresses?

Unfortunately, it will take some time for the addressing updates to work on mapping services such as Google Maps, MapQuest, Garmin, etc. OU has no control over these services, which all pull their mapping data from different sources. OU representatives are working to reach out to the major services to update them with new and changed addresses.

Do I need to discard my old business cards and stationery and order new?

After February 28th, the USPS will no longer recognize 2200 N. Squirrel Rd. as a valid address. After that date, you must have all stationary and business cards updated to reflect the new address.

Does this change how mail is delivered on campus?

No. Mail will still be delivered by Mail Services. Additionally, this new addressing scheme will assist them to sort mail entering the campus.