Commencement Ambassadors

Celebrate with our graduates and their families at 2026 Commencement.

Commencement Ambassador Invitation

About Commencement Ambassadors

Each year, members of the UMass Amherst staff, retirees, and local community share their time and serve as a team of commencement ambassadors in a variety of indispensable roles that support the celebration of our students' accomplishments.  As an ambassador, you play a key role in making the day amazing! You help our guests to their seats, answer questions, guide graduates into the venue, and maintain an enjoyable atmosphere for the family and friends of our graduates. Serving as a commencement ambassador allows you the opportunity to be there with the graduates, family members, friends, and guests we've all worked so hard to get to this place on their journey at UMass. It may even help you reconnect with and remember why you chose your current position in the community. 

Register Now to Become a Commencement Ambassador

Complete the short registration form to tell us which ceremonies you can support and indicate your preferred role if you're participating in the undergraduate ceremony. Please register by April 20 to stay informed about training sessions. 

Perks for Participating

In addition to the joy of celebrating the class of 2026 and in appreciation for your service to the university, all ambassadors will receive a commencement ambassador polo shirt and refreshments will be provided during your shift. 

Staff members who choose to be commencement ambassadors may be entitled to compensation or comp time for the time spent as an ambassador, pursuant to the terms of their collective bargaining agreement. The commencement fair is a wonderful opportunity for those not designated as essential during commencement weekend to electively contribute some time in support of our graduates and guests.  The commencement fair, however, is not included in the collective bargaining agreement and compensation is not available.

Ambassador Attire

In addition to the polo shirt provided, we ask commencement ambassadors to wear comfortable business casual bottoms and close-toed shoes that maximize movement throughout the venue and safety on the variety of surfaces found on the  surrounding grounds (grass, gravel, pavement, flooring).

Like our graduates and guests, all commencement ambassadors will pass through security check points. We recommend limiting personal belongings to the essentials (keys, mobile phone, sun protection) to increase efficiency at security. 

Ambassador Descriptions

May 6: Commencement Fair Ambassador 

Get in the spirit of the commencement season by staffing a shift at the Commencement Fair. Be there as students pick up their regalia, mingle with Alumni Relations, pose for portraits, decorate their caps, and prepare for the ceremony. Ambassadors assist with directions, cap and gown distribution, and flow of traffic. 

May 9: Doctoral Hooding Ambassadors

Guide graduates or guests to their seats at the Mullins Center, distribute programs, assist with directions, and answer questions. 

May 15: Undergraduate Ceremony Ambassador Roles

• Accessibility Ambassadors

  • Greet guests at the disability services entrance, escort guests to designated accessibility seats, distribute programs and guide guests to shuttles post ceremony. This particular entrance will serve our guests with limited mobility and our guests of honor.

• Golf Cart Ambassadors

  • This assignment provides service for guests with limited mobility. Greet guests at the accessible parking lot, escort guests to the designated accessible entrance, and guide guests to parking post ceremony. Golf cart drivers will attend additional training and must adhere to strict protocols regarding routes and areas of travel. A limited number of drivers is required. 

• Guest Tent Ambassadors

  • Greet honored guests of the platform party as well as guests making use of accommodations for the hearing impaired, escort guests to designated seats, re-direct folks who do not have a reserved seat in the tent, and distribute programs. This particular opportunity is a great match for ambassadors who are practiced in exercising both hospitality and diplomacy. 

• Guest Services and Roaming Ambassadors

  • Welcome guests at the main entrance, distribute programs, direct guests to their seats, and guide them out of the stadium after the ceremony. Guest service ambassadors can also serve as roaming ambassadors, helping guests in the stands or at other positions as needed at the direction of CRUE staff and lead ambassadors. 

• Student Assembly and Seating Ambassadors

  • You will experience the energy and excitement of the graduates as you greet them in Lot 11, escort them into the stadium and onto the field, and direct graduates off the field and to their waiting families when the ceremony is over. Sitting on the field with the graduates puts you in the center of it all!

May 15: Master's and Education Specialist Ambassadors

Guide graduates or guests to their seats at the Mullins Center, distribute programs, assist with directions, and answer questions. 

Training and Day of Details

Ambassadors supporting the Commencement Fair, Doctoral Hooding, and/or Master's and Educational Specialist Ceremony will be invited to a day of briefing where they will receive information about their specific role and location of responsibility prior to the start of the event(s) they are supporting. 

Ambassadors supporting the Undergraduate Commencement Ceremony must attend an online training on May 4 at 12 noon and an on-site overview at McGuirk Stadium (starting in the Hunt Room at the Football Performance Center) on May 13 at 3 p.m. Golf cart ambassadors will receive additional training. Dates and times of trainings are subject to change due to the nature of commencement planning. You will receive email notifications should changes occur. 

Commencement ambassadors will be asked to arrive early to prepare for the events they support. The estimated times of arrival  are listed below, these times will be confirmed at training sessions:

• 9 a.m. for the Commencement Fair on May 6
• 8 a.m. for the Doctoral Hooding on May 9
• 7 a.m for the Master's and Education Specialist Ceremony on May 15 
• 2 p.m. for the Undergraduate Ceremony on May 15

Additional details will be shared with those who register in the weeks leading up to commencement on this page, via email, and in the required undergraduate commencement ambassador trainings on May 4 and May 13.