Working at Commencement

The information listed below is for hired students only. You may not clock-in or work unless you have received a confirmation from Student Employment that you have been hired.

Commencement on the National Mall

Sunday, May 19 (Required for all student staff)

Report by 6:30 a.m., light morning snacks provided, please plan accordingly

Arrive wearing your uniform
Dress for the weather; you may want to wear layers as it will be chilly when you arrive but will warm up throughout the event (wear sunscreen and bring sunglasses)
Wear flat, closed-toe shoes
A fanny pack or small bag is acceptable; there is no storage available onsite. You must carry whatever you bring for the duration of your shift.

Transportation to Commencement on the National Mall:

Metro opens at 7:00 a.m. on Sundays - plan alternate transportation

Shuttles to the National Mall leave from the Mount Vernon Campus Campus Green at 6:00 a.m.
Shuttles to the National Mall leave from the University Student Center (21st Street entrance) at 6:15 a.m.

Safety:

Report suspicious activity to your team lead and provide as much detail as possible.

Wait for directions from your supervisor or any emergency personnel

Dress Code

School Celebrations

Either GW-branded or Solid (no graphics) dark colored long sleeve or short sleeve t-shirt
Black pants, shorts, or skirts (knee length or longer, no leggings)
Commencement Vest (provided when you check in with your manager and collected when you are dismissed by your manager)

Commencement on the National Mall

GW cap: Pick up when you check in at Commencement on the National Mall
Staff polo: Pick up at Student Staff Orientation on May 14
Black pants, shorts, or skirts (knee length or longer, no leggings)

Extended Housing

For those already living on campus in one of the residence halls, be sure to apply for extended housing through the Campus Living eService Portal* by May 2 or you will not be cleared to stay in your dorm after finals.

*Please be advised you must be logged into GW SSO to access the Campus Living eService Portal.

Trainings

All student staff are required to attend both orientations listed below. If you do not attend them your position will be terminated.

School Celebration Student Staff Orientation (All student staff are required to attend)

Monday, May 13, 1:00 p.m. - 2:00 p.m.
Charles E. Smith Center (600 22nd St NW)

Meet your team lead
Learn about your role and responsibilities during the School Celebrations

Commencement Student Staff Orientation (All student staff are required to attend)

Tuesday May 14, 5:30 p.m. - 7:00 p.m.
Dorothy Betts Marvin Theatre, University Student Center

Meet your team lead
Learn about your role and responsibilities at Commencement on the National Mall
Pick up your uniform

Site visit at the National Mall with your team lead - Friday, May 17 or Saturday, May 18

Your team lead will contact you with a final date and time

On-Campus Assignments

Some student staff will be assigned to work on campus at school celebrations or the help desk during Commencement Week and will work shifts up to 4 hours at a time.

On-Campus Events/Celebrations
- Food will NOT be provided
- Bring only items you need to work. You should not be on your phone while you are working.

All students are eligible to be assigned to work on campus and must be available:

Monday, May 13, 12 p.m. - 7 p.m.
Tuesday, May 14, 9:30 a.m. - 1:30 p.m.
Wednesday, May 15, 12 p.m. - 4 p.m.
Thursday, May 16, 7 a.m. - 8 p.m.
Friday, May 17, 7 a.m. - 9 p.m.
Saturday, May 18, 7 a.m. - 9 p.m.
Sunday, May 19, 6:30 a.m. - 8 p.m.

Responsibilities of student staff working at school celebrations:

You must check in with the manager for your event when you arrive and when you leave - they will record your time on the attendance sheets in addition to you clocking in/out via the Time Reporting System.
Scan guest and graduate e-tickets.
Provide direction to guests and graduates.
Always arrive and leave at the designated time or when dismissed by your manager.
Help us provide a great experience for families and graduates.
Protect yourself and others around you. If you see something, say something.
Other duties as assigned.

Time Reporting

It is the university’s policy to pay all employees for time worked in an accurate and timely manner. Employees are required to clock in/out using the university’s Time Reporting System for their jobs.

You will be paid for all training in addition to your work hours.

If you cannot make your shift or are running late, please notify your manager or team lead as soon as possible. The managers should be notified for your assigned school celebration shifts and your team lead should be notified for your shift at Commencement on the National Mall. This information will be provided to you as work assignments become available.

Correcting Errors

If you forgot to clock in/out or made an error, it is your responsibility to notify your supervisor.

Failure to timely notify your supervisor may cause your pay to be incorrect.

If you miss a time punch, send an email with the date and time to your hiring manager.

Any discrepancies will be compared to the physical attendance sheets collected from your managers. The times recorded on the attendance sheets will take precedence.

Instructions for Time Entry

Telephone Time Entry – Clock-in/Clock-out

Please use your cell phone. To access the Time Reporting System, dial 202-994-2274. The system will respond: "Please enter your employee number followed by the pound key".
Enter the eight digits of your GWID followed by #
To record a time stamp press – 1. The system will confirm: "Your time stamp was accepted at { time }".
Enter 0 to end the call or hang up. Attention students who have had an active job prior applying for a Commencement position. Commencement position is your secondary job!

To determine which positions are primary and secondary consult your GWeb employment information.

To clock in for a secondary position:

202-994-2274
enter your GWID followed by #
press 2
enter 6 digit Banner Org XXXXXX, #
enter 8 digit position number 00XXXXXXXX, #. When entering a secondary position that starts with a letter “A” or “B” change the letter to “7”.

To clock out:

202-994-2274
enter your GWID followed by #
press 1

Students holding several active jobs at the University should be aware that hours worked at all jobs are combined. International students may not exceed 20 hours of work per week.

After Commencement on the National Mall

Paychecks

Commencement Week falls on pay period “BW 12” which runs from May 12 - May 25, 2024.

You should expect the paycheck for your time worked on June 7.

Employment Verification

For any future employers looking to verify your employment for the Student Events Assistant I position should be instructed to contact Human Resources.