Undergraduate commencement this year will be the first to follow a plan to consolidate seven ceremonies down to three. Volunteers from campus and the community are needed to help make it happen.

The university is consolidating what used to be seven ceremonies at University Credit Union Center (or U Center), into three outdoor ceremonies in UC Davis Health Stadium, Friday, Saturday and Sunday, June 10, 11 and 12. Organizers are looking for 400-plus volunteers over the course of three days (especially Saturday and Sunday), to help with logistics, ensuring graduates and their guests get to where they need to be.

An estimated 12,500 people, including the graduates, are expected for each ceremony. With gates opening up at 6 a.m., most volunteer shifts begin at 5:30 a.m. and end by 10:30 a.m. In order to avoid traffic congestion and parking impacts, organizers are asking volunteers who need to park their cars to arrive between 4:30-5:00 a.m. to designated spaces in the Hopkins Road lot. 

Wondering why the volunteer shifts start so early? Since the university has never done commencement like this before, organizers want to ensure volunteers are in place before guests and students arrive at 6 a.m. Volunteers that do not need to park, or have one of the few jobs that begin a little later, can arrive by 5:30 a.m.

“As a volunteer, you play a significant role in celebrating our graduates’ educational accomplishments, and we truly appreciate participation from our campus and community,” commencement organizers said.

The sign-up form is here (volunteers can request assignments for limited mobility). The deadline is Friday, June 3. All volunteers will receive breakfast, a commemorative thank you gift and lunch following their shifts. Organizers also ask that volunteers attend two orientations (if possible), one via Zoom and one on site.

 Learn more and sign up  here!