UW Commencement

Access Marshal Instructions

I. Check-in (11:00 a.m.): Bring your UW ID and photo ID with you. (You will be given your credentials at the rehearsal on the Thursday before Commencement.) Proceed to the Touchdown Terrace and pick up the special accommodation passes for disabled students.

II. Pre-Ceremony checks

  • Ensure the stand and steps are set up for the sign language interpreter.
  • Ensure assistive listening device equipment booth is set up in proper location outside section 118.
  • Ensure assistive listening devices are set up in TouchDown Terrace for faculty who wish to use them.
  • Ensure ICA Event Management has set up chairs in lining up areas and on the field near where graduates will enter the stadium, where some students may need to sit while waiting for the procession. (See “10 chairs” on diagram below.)
  • Ensure disability signs are in place.
  • Ensure interpreters are in place.

III. Pre-Procession. You will be positioned at the Faculty/Disabled Student Entrances (see diagram). Triage all last minute disability-related requests for accommodation on the day of the ceremony. Assist other marshals by triaging disability related questions. Candidates with mobility impairment have several options.

  • They can sit in chairs in the lineup areas (see “chairs” locations on map below) and wait for their group to walk to join them.
  • Once a student enters the stanchioned lines, they have to walk all the way to the west end of the field, over to one of the aisles, and back towards the stage.  this might be too far for some.  If they need to limit the distance they walk, they can also sit in chairs on either side of the football field in the stadium (see map below) and wait for their group to enter and join them at that time. (This eliminates the walk from the lineup area.) A marshal will need to assist them. All of the lines in the stadium are stanchioned, with ropes joining the stanchions. A marshal can unclip one of the purple ropes between two stanchions to allow the student to enter one of the outside stanchioned lines. The student can then walk a relatively shorter distance to their seat.

    If this would still be too far to walk, it may be necessary to bring the student back to where the stanchions begin and walk them across the 4 lines of entering students to the other side.  From there they could enter the field by walking close up to the stage (avoiding the stanchioned lines), and continuing directly to a chair in their section (doctoral, master’s, bachelor). Some students may need to wait in the Touchdown Terrace, wait for their group to enter and again, avoiding the stanchioned lines, walk close to the stage and directly to their section.

  • A student could be seated on the field before the procession starts if they feel that they cannot walk in the procession at all, but wish to sit on the field with the other students. Some students have decided to sit in the chairs along the side of the field (see map below) during the ceremony.
  • Sometimes students in wheelchairs prefer to sit along the sides of the field, near the chairs. But they can also join the procession – see below.

IV. Procession: If needed, make sure you have wire clippers needed to detach end chairs to make a space for candidates in wheelchairs. Some seating marshals will also have clippers.
As the candidates march into the stadium, direct candidates in wheelchairs who wish to join the procession to the inside line of candidates (see link to processional diagram below). They can process with the other candidates along the line shown in the diagram. The seating marshals will detach and remove an end chair to allow space for the wheelchair.
The announcer will announce the entrance of each school or college. You can also match the candidate to others in his/her school or college by tassel or hood color. The candidate’s tassel/hood color indicates the candidate’s college (e.g., orange tassel = College of Engineering).

V. Walk to the Stage: Assist students with disabilities in moving to and from the stage. All students use the ramps to the stage. There are no stairs. Candidates in wheelchairs return from the stage to their seats with the students or alongside the field.

Processional Diagram