A new addition to the Student Center, the Amazon Locker is a self-service kiosk that allows students and faculty to send their Amazon packages to a secure, convenient place.
According to Lady Cox, assistant vice president for student engagement, students told her they had ordered packages that were too big to fit in their mailbox at their apartment complex. Students who live in homes said they have to wait until the end of the day to get their package, which is left on their doorstep.
“Part of my job is just to improve the student experience as much as I can,” Cox said. “I’m constantly talking to companies about innovative technologies and services for students.”
Cox said she contacted Amazon for a solution that she saw on another campus, and they informed her of Amazon Lockers.
According to Amazon’s website, students and faculty are able to ship packages directly to the kiosk by choosing the student center address at checkout. Whenever the package arrives, they will receive an email notification with a code to access their locker. Additionally, students can use Amazon Locker to return products, even if they didn’t ship the product to the kiosk.
Austin Chandler, SGA executive vice president of initiatives, spoke to SGA Cabinet and Senate at their Aug. 27 meeting last semester to get feedback from students at the request of student affairs.
“We’re (SGA) supposed to be the mouthpiece and the voice for the students, trying to represent all areas of campus,” Chandler said. “It’s kind of asking if this is a program or something that they would want, and we got very positive feedback.”
The kiosk is offered at no cost to students and faculty. The central location allows students to grab their package in between classes or whenever they can without having to leave campus, Chandler said. Students who live on campus can also benefit from the new addition.
According to Dee Sneed, director of campus services, on-campus students have their mail stored in a mailroom for their residence hall, which closes at 4:45 p.m. Students who ship their package to the Amazon Locker can retrieve it at any time that the Student Center is open.
Chandler said he hopes that students are responsive to the kiosk, considering how normal it is for students and faculty to have packages delivered to them.
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