Most Commencement marshals are generally involved in greeting candidates on the field prior to the opening procession and directing them to the proper seating sections. Others have duties on stage, helping to seat the stage party and helping pass out diploma covers to the graduates when they walk. There are about 80 Commencement marshals in total.
Marshal rehearsal is always the Thursday before Commencement, at the Touchdown Terrace at Husky Stadium. It’s not mandatory (we understand faculty have many obligations around this time) but can be quite helpful. You can meet the other marshals, get a general idea of what happens at Commencement, and go out to the field (the stage is set up by that time) to better understand the instructions for your position. If you can’t make the rehearsal we can go over whatever position you are assigned to on the morning of the ceremony.
There is a marshal brunch on the morning of Commencement Day, from 11:00 – 11:55 a.m. Commencement marshals who will be greeting candidates on the field need to be in their starting positions by noon. Marshals who are working on the stage should be in place by 1:15 p.m.
The opening procession starts at 1:30 p.m. and the ceremony runs to about 3:30 p.m. Around 7,000 graduates and 40,000 family members and friends attend – lot of auto and people traffic before and after the ceremony, so it’s a full-day commitment.
To participate, faculty and staff just fill out our Commencement registration/order form at https://www.ubookstore.com/regalia. They can order academic regalia (our office covers the regalia rental cost for all faculty and staff who participate) and request a parking permit. After a marshal signs up, we assign them a marshal position and send online instructions for their position. Regalia orders can be picked up at the University Book Store on the Ave, starting June 3.