The university announced in 2008 that the branch of the US Postal Service in the Carolyn P. Brown University Center would close as an official post office branch. The university paid the salaries of the employees and all other bills associated with the operation of the branch, while receiving rent from the US Postal Service. The arrangement resulted in an approximate $25,000 annual gap in what UT paid and the rent received from the USPS. The USPS did not agree to a raise in rent, so as part of the cost-cutting measures implemented following the budget cuts of 2008, the affiliation with the USPS was terminated. A branch of the US Post Office had been on campus since 1902.
The Student Government Association passed a bill in early 2009 asking the university “to examine the postal needs of the UT area, replace [the post office] with a comparable service of the same function, and add more blue mail boxes around campus for outgoing mail.” UT responded that no decision had been made but that proposals were being developed for another vendor to lease the space and provide shipping and mail services. UT announced that the post-office-box function would be retained. Ultimately, a USPS Contract Station remained in the university center.