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
- 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.
- 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.
- Wear regalia.
- Please contact your college coordinator or the graduate coordinator if interested in volunteering to be Marshal.
- 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.
- 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.