UC Davis undergraduate commencement is going uptown, to the Golden 1 Center, in mid-June, and we are inviting staff to participate as Commencement Ambassadors.

This is your chance to be there for our first graduation ceremonies in the sparkling arena, to help make commencement an unforgettable experience. Assignments will include lining up students and directing them to and from the stage.

Note: Golden 1 Center staff, trained in crowd management, guest services and more, will also be working. They will handle logistics for guests. 

Five ceremonies are scheduled from Friday through Sunday, June 16 to 18: one on Friday, and two each on Saturday and Sunday, with up to 1,450 graduates and 9,000 guests per ceremony. (Graduate Studies and professional school commencements will continue to be held on the Davis campus.)

‘Yes’ to Golden 1

In a survey last fall, more than half of the responding undergraduate students said “yes” to the following statement: “I would prefer the ceremonies to be held in Sacramento in a venue like the Golden 1 Center recognizing that I would be able to invite at least six guests to attend the ceremony.” Indeed, each graduate is getting six tickets, compared to four each for undergraduate commencement in the University Credit Union Center.

We are excited for the move, but it’s going to take a lot of us, 75 to 90 ambassadors per ceremony, to pull it off. And we’ve got gifts for you!

As an ambassador, you will receive a $75 Visa gift card, along with a parking voucher; commencement T-shirt and a name tag with lanyard and collectible pin; and a meal and beverages. Students are welcome to sign up, too.

Staff members must have supervisor approval to be an ambassador during hours they would normally be working. If you sign up for a time outside of your work hours, you will be serving as an ambassador on your own time. No compensatory time or overtime will be paid — only the rewards as noted above.

Here are the dates and times:

• Friday, June 16 — 2 p.m.
• Saturday, June 17 — 9 a.m. and 2 p.m.
• Sunday, June 18 (Fathers Day) — 9 a.m. and 2 p.m.

Staff are welcome to sign up for one or more ceremonies. You will receive a parking voucher for each ceremony you sign up for, but only one gift card, T-shirt, lanyard and collectible pin.

Ambassador assignments

Commencement Ambassadors will serve multiple roles, including: graduate support, faculty and staff support, state party support and guest support.

All ambassadors must undergo orientation, either a live session (held remotely) or by watching a recording. The orientation schedule will be posted closer to the events.