Volunteers

When you help to make the December Ceremony special for our students & families, you will enjoy the following in return:

• Paid time off equivalent to one-half (1/2) your standard work day to use by June 30, 2024. Refer to “Time Off Guidelines” section below.
• Thank you gift of 1 movie ticket
• Thank you gift of 40 Awardco points for all benefits-eligible staff
• Share your Cornell pride with our graduates and families

Volunteer Check-in and What to Wear

Please bring your ID to show at Volunteer Check-in in Barton Hall.

We are providing a light-weight red jacket for all to wear. If you have your own red jacket feel free to wear it. Name tags will be provided at check-in as well.

You may wear dark colored slacks, jeans, skirt or dress. Sneakers or comfortable shoes are suggested as you’ll be on your feet for a few hours.

Please do not bring large backpacks or other bags as we will not have room to store them.

It will be wintertime so dress with layers as some duties may be near the entrances.

On Sunday morning, parking is open and free in all lots on campus and around Barton Hall without requiring a campus parking permit. Volunteers may park in the Hoy Road Parking Garage, the C Lot by the Crescent, or Alumni Field Lot below Tower Road.

Initial training and information about the various roles of all volunteers will take place via zoom on Wednesday, December 13, 2023 at 3:00 – 4:00 p.m. A zoom link will be sent via email a few days prior. Please mark you calendar now.

Also, please plan to attend an important meeting prior to the event to review last minute details. Arrive by 7:45 a.m. to allow time to sign in, receive your usher jacket and nametag, and be ready for an 8:00 a.m. meeting.

Coffee, tea, hot chocolate, water and muffins will be provided. Feel free to bring a personal snack with you.

Before Event – Review Meeting
Sunday, December 17, 2023
8:00-8:30 a.m.
Barton Hall, (temporary volunteer room just inside the Garden Ave entrance)

Time-Off Policy for Volunteers at University Recognition Ceremony for December Graduates, on Sunday, December 17, 2023

The Commencement Committee acknowledges volunteers who help at the University December Recognition Ceremony on Sunday, December 17, 2023, and provides the following guidelines to ensure that staff volunteers are appropriately recognized.

ALL volunteers should inform their immediate supervisor of their decision to volunteer.

Commencement pay guidelines are also viewable on the Working at Cornell website under Pay Practices & Guidelines. Please contact hrpolicy@cornell.edu with any questions.

Eligibility
All regular full-time or part-time non-exempt and exempt staff, including benefits-eligible temporary staff.

If volunteer is not a Cornell University employee or is a County Extension Association employee, these time-off guidelines do not apply. However, all may receive a thank you gift from the Commencement Office for volunteering.

Volunteer Time and Paid Time Off (PTO)
Non-exempt volunteer staff should not record any time in Workday for their volunteer hours on December 17 at the Commencement Event, as this is not paid time. If you have questions about time collection, please contact your payroll representative.

Eligible employees who volunteer at the University Recognition Ceremony in December will be granted paid time off (PTO) equivalent to one-half (1/2) their standard work day. Note that this PTO time is not reflected in Workday as time earned.

Non-exempt employees who are not assisting in an entirely voluntary capacity must be paid for all hours worked during the December 2023 University Commencement Ceremony whether those hours fall outside their normal work schedules and/or result in overtime. Such work hours must be accurately reported in Workday. In this case, a non-exempt employee will not receive the one-half (1/2) paid day off.

Use of Paid Time Off/Workday Procedure
December Commencement PTO must be used by June 30 of the following calendar year, i.e., for December 2023 commencement, paid time off must be used by June 30, 2024.

The paid time off should be scheduled so as not to disrupt normal work activities and must be approved by the volunteer’s immediate supervisor.

Staff should request “Volunteer – Commencement Time Off” via a time off request in Workday when the day off is used.

Please contact hrpolicy@cornell.edu, Workforce Policy and Labor Relations at hrpolicy@cornell.edu with any questions.

Additional Recognition
As an additional thank you to our staff volunteers who help with the Commencement ceremony, university leadership will offer 40 Awardco points and 1 movie ticket.

Awardco points do not apply to Cornell Cooperative Extension employees and Cornell affiliates.

The ceremony will be canceled if Tompkins County roads are CLOSED due to the weather. If canceled, it will not be rescheduled.

See: university operating status

If the weather is questionable, plan to check your text messages that morning for information about whether the event is cancelled or not.

December graduates are invited to participate in the upcoming spring Commencement, regardless of cancellation or attendance in December.