Student Volunteers

SIGGRAPH 2021 will move forward at this time as a virtual-only event. We look forward to celebrating 48 years of advancements in computer graphics and interactive techniques in our virtual venue. We are excited you are submitting your work for consideration. As we finalize our conference plans, visit the About the Conference page for the latest updates.

All SIGGRAPH Student Volunteers must earn their position through our application process. The Student Volunteer application can be found at sv.siggraph.org.

To be considered, applicants are required to complete the entire Student Volunteer application, which asks for enrollment information, contact information, and various several essay responses. Applicants are encouraged to put generous time, effort, and consideration into their applications.

Out of fairness to all applicants, late or incomplete applications will not be considered. There are no exceptions to this rule.

The Team Leader application closes on 29 January 2021 at 22:00 UTC/GMT.

The Student Volunteer application closes on 5 March 2021 at 22:00 UTC/GMT.

After the 29 January 2021 Team Leader application deadline, all Team Leader applicants are considered by the Student Volunteer Subcommittee (SVSC). Team Leader selection notifications will be sent in early February.

After the 5 March 2021 Student Volunteer application deadline, all Student Volunteer applicants are evaluated through a blind jurying process that lasts from February to April. Student Volunteer applications are judged on quality, clarity, proper completion, and thoughtfulness. We’re looking for candidates who can clearly communicate, support, and demonstrate leadership skills, passion for service, enthusiasm, and bring a unique value to collaborate with a diverse and welcoming team.

All Student Volunteer applicants with completed applications will be notified of decisions by 26 April 2021.

• Team Leader applications are due 29 January 2021 at 22:00 UTC/GMT.
• Student Volunteer applications are due 5 March 2021 at 22:00 UTC/GMT.
• Team Leader selections will be announced in early February.
• Student Volunteer acceptance notifications will be sent by 7 May 2021.
• Accepted Student Volunteers will be required to confirm their position in early May.
• Student Volunteer onboarding will take place periodically via email from April–July 2021.

Student Volunteers are responsible for volunteering approximately 20 hours to help provide operational support for SIGGRAPH 2021. In exchange for their service and enthusiasm, Student Volunteers receive a full conference Ultimate registration, networking opportunities, and a number of exclusive Student Volunteer-only perks.

Team Leaders volunteer approximately 60 hours to help provide operational support for SIGGRAPH 2021. In exchange for their service and enthusiasm, Team Leaders receive a full conference Ultimate registration, networking opportunities, and a number of exclusive Student Volunteer-only perks.

If you need to decline your position for any reason, please email SV-s2021@siggraph.org as soon as possible so that we can make preparations for your absence.

Am I eligible to apply to be a Student Volunteer at SIGGRAPH 2021?

You are eligible to apply if you meet the following criteria:

• You will be 18 years of age or older (on or before 30 April 2021).
• You are enrolled as a high school, undergraduate, or graduate student with a minimum of six credit hours at an accredited institution for at least one semester during the 2020–2021 academic year (Summer 2020–Spring 2021).

Am I eligible to apply to be a Team Leader at SIGGRAPH 2020?

You are eligible to apply if you meet the following criteria:

• You will be 18 years of age or older (on or before 30 April 2021).
• You are enrolled as a high school, undergraduate, or graduate student with a minimum of six credit hours at an accredited institution for at least one semester during the 2020–2021 academic year (Summer 2020–Spring 2021).
• You have at least one year of prior experience as a SIGGRAPH Student Volunteer.

How do I apply to be a Student Volunteer?

The online application is available at sv.siggraph.org.

How do I apply to be a Student Volunteer Team Leader?

The online application is available at sv.siggraph.org.

The application for becoming a Team Leader is the same application form you submit to be a Student Volunteer, plus a few additional essay questions. Applicants will be notified of their acceptance for Team Leader positions via email in early February 2021.

Applicants who are not accepted as Team Leaders will still be considered for Student Volunteer positions and will be notified of the final decision by 26 April 2021.

Is there any information about this I can share with my students, classmates, and professors?

Yes! Feel free to share our 2021 Student Volunteers Call for Participation (link) with your colleagues, which provides a general overview of SIGGRAPH and what we look for in Student Volunteers. Also, you can find plenty of information on the official SIGGRAPH 2021 website.

When is the deadline to submit an application to be a Student Volunteer?

The deadline for all completed Student Volunteer applications is 5 March 2021, 22:00 UTC/GMT. (Convert to your time zone.) Please note you will be required to upload proof that you have taken a minimum of six credit hours at your institution in the 2020–2021 academic year (e.g., transcript, proof of enrollment from your university registrar, etc.). Students who applied to the 2020 Student Volunteer Program are eligible to apply with the same email used in this year’s submission form. We recommend you allow ample time to gather this information from your institution before the due date. Without this documentation, your application will be marked as incomplete. Please comply with the submission deadlines and ensure that you submit your application by the appropriate day and time.

When is the deadline to submit an application to be a SIGGRAPH Student Volunteer Team Leader?

The deadline for all completed Team Leader applications is 29 January 2021, 22:00 UTC/GMT. (Convert to your time zone.) Please note you will be required to upload proof that you have taken a minimum of six credit hours at your institution in the 2020–2021 academic year (e.g., transcript, proof of enrollment from your university registrar, etc.). sStudents who applied to the 2020 Student Volunteer Program are eligible to apply with the same email used in this year’s submission form. We recommend you allow ample time to gather this information from your institution before the due date. Without this documentation, your application will be marked as incomplete. Please comply with the submission deadlines and ensure that you submit your application by the appropriate day and time.

Are late, partial, or incomplete submissions considered?

No. Due to the high volume of applicants, we cannot accept any late or incomplete applications. Thank you for your understanding.

My school does not issue transcripts. What should I use for proof of student status instead?

Documents required for the application include a current transcript (official or unofficial) or an enrollment verification letter from your institution’s registrar. This is to confirm that you were enrolled with a minimum of six credit hours for at least one semester during the 2020–2021 academic year (Summer 2020–Spring 2021).

For international students unable to provide the document in English, please upload the original as a PDF. If you have any questions about this, please contact the Student Volunteer Subcommittee at SV-s2021@siggraph.org.

When and how will I be notified if I have been accepted as a Student Volunteer?

All applicants who submit a completed application will be notified via email by 26 April 2021.

When and how will I be notified if I have been accepted as a Team Leader?

Applicants will be notified of their acceptance for Team Leader positions via email in early February 2021.

My email address will be changing soon. How can I notify you of the update?

You can change your contact information, including your email address, through the online submission system at any time. sStudents who applied to the 2020 Student Volunteer Program are eligible to apply with the same email used in this year’s submission form.

Who will jury my Student Volunteer application?

Student Volunteer applications are juried by the Student Volunteer Subcommittee and Team Leaders. They are evaluated individually on a blind basis, meaning a Student Volunteer applicant’s identity will not be revealed until after all Student Volunteer applications have been juried and appropriately scored. This ensures an unbiased evaluation across all applications.

Who will jury my Team Leader application?

Team Leader applications are juried by the Student Volunteer Subcommittee. They are evaluated individually and Team Leader selections will be sent in early February. If you are not selected for a Team Leader position, your application will return to the Student Volunteer application pool and will be juried in the next phase.

What criteria will my application be evaluated on?

Student Volunteer applications are as diverse as the thousands of applicants from around the world who make up our team. Apart from overall completion, eligibility, and proof of enrollment, there is no hard criteria we look for in Student Volunteer applications. Instead, we evaluate applications based on quality, clarity, inclusion, and passion for SIGGRAPH. We are looking for volunteers who can clearly communicate their leadership skills, dedication to service, take initiative, enthusiasm, passion, and the value they will uniquely bring to a team.

For Team Leaders in particular, we are looking to identify individuals who are interested in growth, show commitment towards diversity and inclusion efforts, have a history of great performance as a Student Volunteer, and can be trusted with a greater level of responsibility and decision-making authority.

What should I mention in my Student Volunteer application?

If you have experiences in leadership roles, volunteerism, and other service-focused endeavors, we’d love to hear about them. Student Volunteer applications that communicate clear examples of past experiences that make you exceptional volunteer material are extremely helpful to our jurying team. We’re looking to build a very skilled and diverse team from the best of the best, and that effort begins with your ability to communicate your qualifications.

Note: For the virtual conference, we are also seeking students who are fa

miliar in editing software with the ability to troubleshoot digital applications in pre-conference preparations.

Please read each application essay question thoroughly and allow yourself plenty of time to craft a thoughtful answer. Here are some extra essay tips to help for a successful submission!

What should I mention in my Team Leader application?

Team Leaders are Student Volunteers who take on a supervisor role and act as liaisons across the different areas of the conference. If you have experience in leadership roles, customer service, volunteerism, and other service-focused endeavors, we’d love to hear about them. Team Leader applications should communicate clear examples of past experiences that make you exceptional volunteer material.

Can I revise or add information to my application after the submission deadline?

No. All submitted applications are evaluated as your final submission. Edits are not permitted after the submission deadline.

Can I withdraw my Student Volunteer and/or Team Leader application?

Yes. If you wish to withdraw your Student Volunteer and/or Team Leader application, please send an email to SV-s2021@siggraph.org.

I was offered a position to be a Student Volunteer in 2021. What does this mean?

Congratulations! As a Student Volunteer, you will be volunteering approximately 20 hours of your time to help provide online operational support for SIGGRAPH 2021. In exchange for your service and enthusiasm, you receive a full conference badge, networking with industry professionals and international student peers, and a number of exclusive Student Volunteer-only perks.

What will my duties as a Student Volunteer include?

As a Student Volunteer, you commit to volunteering approximately 20 hours of your time pre-conference and during SIGGRAPH 2021. Your shifts will be diverse and can change depending on the needs of the conference, but we always provide you with 24 hours’ notice before this happens.

Be prepared for all sorts of jobs. These tasks may include: video editing, reviewing video content, assisting with closed captioning videos, curating discussions with attendees as well as additional duties in the development leading up and during the conference.

What are the expectations of a Student Volunteer?

Student Volunteers are expected to serve the conference with professionalism, enthusiasm, respect, friendliness, and helpfulness. This includes:

• Treating fellow Student Volunteers, attendees, conference volunteers, and contractors with the highest standards of respect and kindness
• Completing all assigned shifts
• Being punctual and checking in for your shifts at least 15 minutes prior to your scheduled shift time
• Arriving for your shifts prepared and following Team Leader instructions
• Performing your duties to the very best of your abilities

Failure to meet the aforementioned expectations may result in loss of Student Volunteer status and all related benefits.

As this is a virtual conference, do I need to have specific technologies/software to work my shift?

Student Volunteers are expected to use a desktop computer or laptop with access to excellent Wi-Fi and internet connection for communication platforms with voice and video functions and the ability to navigate and operate the virtual conference platform.

Note: Mobile phones and tablets are not recommended to perform your assigned shift but will be useful for communicating with your Team Leader and the SVSC. Students should be dedicating their full attention to their assigned shift until dismissed from their Team Leader.

When will Student Volunteer work schedules be available?

We plan to have schedules available for students to view about two weeks prior to the conference. We will release schedules as early as we can.

Note: Schedules are not final until 24 hours prior to a shift. We try to change schedules as little as possible, but sometimes situations arise that make adding, moving, and/or otherwise rescheduling certain shifts necessary. Students are responsible for checking their schedules daily to receive any schedule updates.

What happens if I have a scheduling conflict with work, school, an opportunity to interview at the conference, etc.?

We cannot schedule around work, school, extracurricular activities, or job interviews. You will only be assigned approximately 20 hours, but your availability during that time must be open. If you do find yourself with an extenuating circumstance, such as an interview for a job or internship, an appointment with a mentor, etc., we will do our best to work with you on your schedule conflict. Most shifts will be between 7:30 am and 6 pm PDT.

How early or late will I be expected to work?

Depending on the duties assigned, students may have shifts that start as early as 7:30 am PDT. Student Volunteers need to report to their assigned team leader at least 15 minutes prior to their shift’s start time to be marked present. Students will then be given their assignments by their Team Leader. Most of the events will be finished around 6 pm PDT. However, there are some shifts that do run later. For duties assigned pre-conference, time constraints will be more relaxed, as they might allow you to work on your own time (e.g. content revision, video editing, etc.)

How do I apply for other volunteer opportunities at the SIGGRAPH conference?

Please see the Volunteering Opportunities section of the SIGGRAPH 2021 website.

I have been accepted as a Student Volunteer but am no longer able to attend the conference. Who should I notify?

If you need to decline your position for any reason, please email SV-s2021@siggraph.org as soon as possible so that we can make preparations for your absence.

I was not offered a position to be a Student Volunteer in 2021. What are my options?

There are still many avenues to volunteer with SIGGRAPH. SIGGRAPH Asia 2021, in Tokyo, Japan, will be accepting applications through early Fall 2021. You can fill out the Conference Volunteer Form to see if other areas of the conference, such as the International Relations Committee, ACM SIGGRAPH Student Services (S3), Diversity and Inclusion Committee or ACM SIGGRAPH Chapters, need assistance. Students also are offered a considerable discount on registration.

My question is not in these FAQs. Who should I ask?

If your question is not answered on this website, please send a message to the Student Volunteer Subcommittee at SV-s2021@siggraph.org.

I was offered a position to be a Team Leader in 2021. What does this mean?

Congratulations! As a Team Leader, you will be volunteering approximately 60 hours of your time to provide operational support for SIGGRAPH 2021. This includes training and other sessions leading up and through the duration of the conference. In exchange for your service and enthusiasm, you receive a full conference badge, networking opportunities, and a number of exclusive Student Volunteer-only perks. As a Team Leader, you will be committing time to several virtual training sessions in the months preceding the conference, as well as an all-day training session two days prior to the conference.

What will my duties as a Team Leader include?

As a Team Leader, your duties will revolve around making sure the program you are assigned to is properly staffed and has operational support at all times. Your duties will include checking in and dismissing Student Volunteers from their shifts, assigning Student Volunteers their duties, resolving attendee problems, and acting as a liaison between the Student Volunteers and the venue or program you have been tasked to manage. It is worth noting that shifts and work with the Student Volunteers might not be limited to the time during the conference, but in the previous months (May-July) where operational support will be needed.

In this capacity, Team Leaders are entrusted with a supervisory role over Student Volunteers. This means you’ll need to resolve conflicts, answer questions, and make sure that Student Volunteers are comfortable and well supported in their roles.

What are the expectations of a Team Leader?

Above all, Team Leaders are expected to serve their fellow Student Volunteers and the conference with professionalism, enthusiasm, friendliness, and helpfulness. As future leaders of the conference, Team Leaders are expected to take initiative within the Student Volunteers. This means looking out for one another and paying extra attention to the morale and condition of Student Volunteers. Team Leaders are required to participate in extensive training prior to the virtual conference as well as the Student Volunteers program. Team Leaders are expected to take the extra time to make sure all of our team members are well supported.

How early or late will I be expected to work?

Team Leaders can expect their work to last a full day — typically beginning at 7 am and ending around 7 pm PDT. Team Leaders responsible for these venues should expect later hours as well. The physicality of the Team Leader role is very real and can lead to exhaustion if not taken seriously. This is why we take extra care to ensure that Team Leaders have breaks and opportunities to rest throughout the work day.

I have been accepted as a Team Leader but am no longer able to attend the conference. Who should I notify?

If you need to decline your position for any reason, please email SV-s2021@siggraph.org as soon as possible so that we can make preparations for your absence.

I was not offered a position to be a Team Leader in 2021. What are my options?

Your application will still be considered among the pool of Student Volunteer applications. If you wish to withdraw your application from this pool, please email SV-s2021@siggraph.org as soon as possible.

There also are many other avenues to volunteer with SIGGRAPH. SIGGRAPH Asia 2021, in Tokyo, Japan, will be accepting applications through early Fall 2021. You can fill out the Conference Volunteer Form to see if areas of the conference, such as the International Relations Committee or SIGGRAPH Student Services (S3) need assistance. Students also can volunteer year-round for ACM SIGGRAPH in areas such as Student Chapters, or within the Diversity & Inclusion Committee. Further, students are offered a considerable discount on registration.

My question is not in these FAQs. Who should I ask?

If your question is not answered on this website, please send a message to the Student Volunteer Subcommittee at SV-s2021@siggraph.org.