SFU President, Andrew Petter, invites members of the community to nominate an individual or individuals meriting the President’s Distinguished Community Leadership Award (DCL Award). The award is presented annually in the spring at a special celebratory dinner.

President’s Distinguished Community Leadership Awards are given to an exceptional individual or individuals in recognition of their distinguished contribution to the public good within their community. Award recipients share SFU’s commitment to engaged leadership, and serve as an inspiration and role model to our students, graduates, and our community.

The Selection Committee is composed of previous recipients of this award, who make a recommendation to the SFU President.

Nomination Packages

All nominations must be submitted in writing and normally include the following:

1.  A nomination form completed by the nominator.

2.  A letter of nomination (maximum 2 pages) addressing the following:

• How the nominee exemplifies the following qualities characterizing Distinguished Community Leadership:
  • expression and execution of high purpose and service to the community at large
  • impact in the community which authority alone would not explain
  • innovative approaches to community concerns and aspirations
  • persistent effort
  • contribution to the creation of a strong sense of community
• Why the nominee’s community leadership is outstanding.

3.  A current curriculum vitae or equivalent, including the nominee's current contact information, email address and connection to SFU (if any).

4.  Links to online information, or other attachments such as news articles, publications, etc., that would help the Committee's evaluation.

Selection Guidelines

• Nominations will be reviewed in terms of whether the nominee personifies engaged leadership and exemplifies the personal and professional characteristics of engagement to which SFU is committed (see www.sfu.ca/engage.html).
• Nominations should reflect the social and cultural diversity of Canada and SFU.
• Serving Canadian politicians will not normally be considered.
• DCL Awards are not awarded posthumously or in absentia.

It is the task of the Committee to investigate and judge each nominee's relative merits and make recommendations to the President. The following questions can guide the deliberations on assessing candidates for this award:

• Does this nominee represent the engagement values SFU celebrates?
• In what ways is this nominee's leadership truly outstanding?
• In what ways has the community benefited by the nominee's contributions?
• Has this person been recognized previously, by either SFU or another organization?
• Is it appropriate for SFU to honour this person at this time?

Confidentiality

Nominations are reviewed by the Selection Committee in accordance with the award Terms of Reference and the selection guidelines. The selection of President’s DCL Award recipients requires the utmost care and confidentiality. Nominators should not discuss nominations with the nominee.

All recommendations for DCL Awards received by SFU are held in strict confidence from the time they are received and are kept confidential in order to protect the privacy of nominees. When a recipient has been approved by the President and has accepted the award, the SFU community and the nominator will be informed.

Due to the need for strict confidentiality, nominators should not seek letters of support or reference. The Senior Director, Advancement, on behalf of the Committee, will contact the nominator should further information be required. Unfortunately, not all nominations are successful in any given year. The Committee may keep nominations active for a period of three years and additional material may be added to the nomination.

Please address your nomination to:

Ms. Chris Arnet
Senior Director, Advancement
Simon Fraser University
Strand Hall Room 2118
8888 University Drive
Burnaby, BC
V5A 1S6

Nomination packages may be submitted electronically to dclaward@sfu.ca.

For further information, contact Judith Reaugh, Assistant to the Senior Director, Advancement at 778-782-5311 or refer to the President’s Distinguished Community Leadership Award website at www.sfu.ca/advancement/dcla.html

For a complete list of past President’s Distinguished Community Leadership Award recipients, please visit: www.sfu.ca/advancement/dcla.html.