Commencement Assistants
Ceremony Schedules
May 15, 2024
9:30 A.M.
College of Podiatric Medicine
College of Osteopathic Medicine of the Pacific
Assistants Arrive: 7:30 a.m.
Seating Begins: 8:30 a.m.
Doors Close: 9:20 a.m.
3:00 P.M.
Seating Begins: 2:00 p.m.
Doors Close: 2:50 p.m.
May 16, 2024
9:30 A.M.
College of Pharmacy
College of Dental Medicine
Assistants Arrive: 7:30 a.m.
Seating Begins: 8:30 a.m.
Doors Close: 9:20 a.m.
3:00 P.M.
College of Optometry
College of Graduate Nursing
Seating Begins: 2:00 p.m.
Doors Close: 2:50 p.m.
May 17, 2024
9:30 A.M.
College of Veterinary Medicine
Assistants Arrive: 7:30 a.m.
Seating Begins: 8:30 a.m.
Doors Close: 9:20 a.m.
May 24, 2024
9:00 A.M.
College of Health Sciences – Northwest
Assistants Arrive: 7:00 a.m.
Seating Begins: 8:00 a.m.
Doors close: 8:50 a.m.
1:00 P.M.
College of Osteopathic Medicine of the Pacific – Northwest
Seating Begins: 12:00 p.m.
Doors Close: 12:50 p.m.
Countdown to the first ceremony!
Welcome
Please see the appropriate categories below for more information regarding the Lebanon and Pomona ceremonies.
Before Commencement
MEETINGS
- For team meetings, please speak to your team lead.
DRESS CODE
- Please wear nice, but comfortable, clothes (dress, slacks, or solid color capris for women, white shirt with a collar and dark slacks for men). No jeans or capris.
- You are encouraged to wear comfortable shoes, but no tennis shoes or flip-flops.
Before Commencement
MEETINGS
- Attend your individual team meeting – watch for an e-mail from your team lead for date and time. You will receive your robe at this meeting.
- Attend the General Commencement Assistants Meeting:
Date: May 10, 2023
Time: 3:00 p.m.
Location: TBA
HOTEL AND TRAVEL
- If necessary, hotel accommodations will be made on your behalf by your department or college.
- Please note that your vehicle is not covered by the University’s auto policy. Auto insurance is a requirement for all drivers using their own vehicles for university business.
DRESS CODE
- Please wear nice, but comfortable, clothes (dress, slacks, or solid color capris for women, white shirt with a collar and dark slacks for men). No jeans.
- You are encouraged to wear comfortable shoes, but no tennis shoes or flip-flops.
- Be sure to bring your white robe and your WesternU ID badge with you.
- You may want to wear a small purse to hold personal items – if it will not show under the robe.
During Commencement
PARKING & VALIDATION
- If you are staying overnight at one of the Pasadena Hotels your parking fee is added to your room charge. Upon check-in, you must present your parking ticket to the front desk and ask for a parking keycard. You will be required to surrender your keycard to the parking attendant when you leave for the last time.
- If you are not staying overnight, park in Sheraton Hotel Parking (off Euclid from E. Green St.) and get a parking pass. You can validate your parking pass in the Gold Room.
WHEN AND WHERE TO REPORT
- Report to the Gold Room and sign the Assistant Sign-in Sheet.
- Please be on time, however, if you are running late, please call your team lead. For arrival times, please see the ceremony schedule listed above.
- Breakfast will be provided at the Masonic Temple (200 S. Euclid Ave.), so be sure to arrive in time to enjoy breakfast before reporting to your team lead.
LUNCH
- If you are working two ceremonies per day, then lunch will be provided at the Masonic Temple (200 S. Euclid Ave.).
- Lunch tickets are not required but you will need to sign-in at the Masonic Temple.
- Lunch will not be provided on Friday; however, you are eligible to receive a per diem. See the “Post-Event” tab for reimbursement information.
PLEASE NOTE
- Auditorium doors will close to allow for the Academic Procession (graduates and faculty marching in) and will re-open after the National Anthem and Invocation. Late arriving guests will be admitted after the Invocation. They will not miss the ceremony.
- Late arriving graduates will be admitted immediately, please direct them to Hall C.
- Only STAFF assigned to the Hall C Team should be in Hall C – no family/guests/additional staff.
- If you have any questions or problems during the ceremonies, please see your team lead first. Your team lead, with your input, will handle situations that arise in your area.
Immediately following Commencement, sign the Assistant Sign-out Sheet in the Gold Room. After you are finished working your last ceremony, return your robe and name badge to the Gold Room.
Time Cards
- Non-Exempt employees are paid for their travel time to and from the PCA minus their regular commute. Include the travel time on your regular time card.
Example: If it normally takes you 1/2 hour to commute from home to WesternU, but it takes you 45 minutes to commute to the PCA, 15 minutes of your travel time will be paid as worked time.
Mileage
- Employees are paid mileage at a rate of 65.5 cents per mile. If you carpool, only the driver is eligible for mileage reimbursement. Mileage reimbursement is calculated as the distance from the University to the destination. Mileage is paid by your department/college.
Example: If traveling from WesternU to PCA you will be reimbursed for:
One-way: 28 miles
Round trip: 56 miles
How to Get Reimbursed
- As a reminder WesternU uses the travel program Concur Expense, and to request a travel advance/trip report for Commencement you must go through this program.
- The first step is to complete your profile at www.concursolutions.com if you haven’t already. Please work with your supervisor/director of operations for specifics.
Breakfast (not applicable): A catered breakfast is provided and is therefore not reimbursable.
Lunch (Friday Only): Employees staying overnight on Thursday and working on Friday will be reimbursed for the purchase of their lunch; alcohol is not eligible. If applicable, use foapal 1100-1306-70823-40, once the trip report is submitted in Concur it will electronically route to the appropriate approval designee.
Dinner: Employees staying overnight will be reimbursed by their department/college for the purchase of their dinner; alcohol is not eligible.
- Only one method of reimbursement will be applicable for the entire trip report. If you are missing one dinner receipt you will not get reimbursed for that meal and a missing receipt declaration cannot be submitted in lieu of a lost receipt.
- If using receipts be sure to save your itemized receipts.
OPTION #1: CASH ADVANCE Prior to Travel
STANDARD PER DIEM
Breakfast = $0.00
Lunch (Fri. Only) = $13.00
Dinner = $24.00
Mileage = $0.655/mile
OPTION #2: REIMBURSEMENT After Travel
WITHOUT RECEIPTS PER DIEM
Breakfast = $0.00
Lunch (Fri. Only) = $13.00
Dinner = $24.00
Mileage = $0.655/mile
WITH ITEMIZED RECEIPTS PER DIEM
Breakfast = $0.00
Lunch (Fri. Only) = $18.00
Dinner = $36.00
Mileage = $0.655/mile
Pasadena Civic Auditorium
300 East Green St.
Pasadena, CA 91101
Please see the map below for the locations that you will be visiting the most while in Pasadena.
Boulder Falls Center
605 Mullins Dr.
Lebanon, OR 97355
Please see the map below for the locations that you will be visiting the most while in Lebanon.