Volunteer Opportunities

Commencement is the culmination of the hard work of NIU students, faculty and staff. Volunteering at commencement is a great opportunity to celebrate with students, take photos and wish them well in the future.

Volunteer Roles

You can volunteer for several roles. Please sign up for only one role per ceremony.

Please contact the college or graduate school coordinator if you are interested in the roles of faculty marshal or marching faculty as they are responsible for organizing these roles. Note, this information is provided in an email to all faculty each semester and these roles require you to wear regalia. You can order regalia online through April 19, if needed, or contact us for assistance. 

For spring commencement, please complete RSVP by April 29, 2024.

Volunteer for spring 2024 commencement

Greeters welcome guests and graduates, reminding guests of the bag policy and to have tickets ready for scanning. They also distribute programs, answer questions and assist guests as needed. Greeters should:
  • Wear red and black attire.
  • Arrive 90 minutes before the ceremony.
  • Enter through entrance 5 and report to the volunteer coordinator.
  • Feel free to leave after the ceremony starts.

Lineup volunteers help Graduate School and college staff welcome students and give them their marching cards. Lineup volunteers should:
  • Wear red and black attire.
  • Arrive 90 minutes before the ceremony.
  • Enter through entrance 5 and report to the volunteer coordinator.
  • Feel free to leave after the ceremony starts.

Marshals assist graduates during line up and lead them in the processional, conferral and recessional. For specific questions about serving as a faculty marshal of a college or the graduate school ceremony, or information about participating as a marching faculty, please contact the college or graduate school coordinator. This information is provided in an email to all faculty each semester. Rehearsal is required for graduate ceremonies and encouraged for undergraduate ceremonies.
  • Wear regalia.
  • Please contact your college coordinator or the graduate coordinator if interested in volunteering to be Marshal.

Faculty march in the processional and recessional in support of graduating students. 
  • Wear regalia.
  • All eligible tenured, tenure-track, clinical, and instructors were sent information from their college commencement coordinator to participate in this role.
  • All graduate faculty are invited separately to march in the graduate ceremony if you need further information contact the Graduate School at bmartin6@niu.edu.

Readers announce graduate names during ceremonies and serve as members of the platform party. Each graduate hands the reader a marching card with the phonetic spelling of their name. Training is provided. Readers receive a list of eligible graduate names for review a week before the ceremony. Readers should:
  • Wear regalia.
  • Arrive 60 minutes before the ceremony and report to Sheri Voss.
  • Stay for the duration of the ceremony (typically 1-1.5 hours).

Volunteer Parking

Reserved parking is available in lots C3 and C4:

  • Greeters, lineup volunteers, marshals and marching faculty: Park in lot C3. No parking pass needed. Tell the parking attendant your name.
  • Readers: Park in lot C4. A parking pass will be provided.
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