Order of precedence

At SFU events, the speaking order and recognition order follow established protocols. These guidelines ensure respect for tradition and consistency across the university. 

In cases where an event requires a different approach, exceptions may be considered. For guidance, please reach out to protocol@sfu.ca.

Speaking order at an event

The speaking order sets the tone for an event. This section outlines who speaks first and how Indigenous leaders, elected officials, and SFU representatives fit into the program sequence.

Indigenous Elder

  • A Traditional Welcome by an Indigenous Elder opens the event.
  • The Elder may be introduced by the emcee or begin the program directly.
  • If no Elder is present, the first speaker must offer a thoughtful land acknowledgement.

Emcee/host

  • Usually a VP, Dean, or professional host; occasionally the President or Chancellor.
  • Provides the welcome, recognitions, and event housekeeping.

Government representatives

  1. Federal: Governor General, Prime Minister, Members of Parliament
  2. Provincial: Lieutenant Governor, Premier, MLAs
  3. Indigenous: Chief of host Nation or designated Elder/Matriarch
  4. Municipal: Mayor or City Councillor

Notes:

  • Introduce elected officials in rank order (federal → provincial → municipal) by SFU leaders in rank order (Chancellor → President → Provost → VP).
  • Typically, only one representative per level of government speaks — the highest-ranking or most relevant.
  • At government-announcement events, elected officials speak early in the program. 
  • At institutional or community events, elected officials may speak after senior SFU leaders.
  • It is acceptable to decline additional speaking requests from officials when a logical fit does not exist (ie. someone of the same rank is alread speaking, or the person is not related to a goverment sponsored or funded undertaking).

SFU internals

  1. Chancellor / President / Provost — major remarks, keynote
  2. VPs / Deans — welcome or area context
  3. Faculty / Researchers — subject matter experts
  4. Alumni / Students — student or community perspectives

Recognition order in speaking notes

Recognitions honour individuals who contribute to the event or represent key institutions. This section outlines the recommended order for acknowledging dignitaries and special guests.

SFU leadership

  1. Chancellor (include only if they are not speaking at the event)
  2. President (include only if they are not speaking at the event)
  3. Past Presidents and Chancellors

Board of Governors

  1. Board Chair
  2. Other current members of the Board of Governors
  3. Past Board Chairs (Board Chair Emeriti) 

Alumni Council

  1. Chair

VPs or Deans (optional)

  1. VPs
  2. Deans

Note: Depending on the event and how long the list of recognitions is, VPs and/or Deans could be recognized.

Award recipients

  1. Honorary degrees (at SFU events they should be introduced as Dr. ______ )

  2. Other award recipients pertinent to the event (DCLA, CDSA, OAA, etc)

Government

  1. Governor General

  2. Prime Minister

  3. Lieutenant Governor

  4. Premier

  5. Federal reps

    Ministers

    MPs from party in power (alphabetical)

    MPs from opposition party (alphabetical)

    Other

  6. Consuls General

  7. Provincial reps

    Ministers

    MLAs from party in power (alphabetical)

    MLAs from opposition party (alphabetical)

    Other

    Note: Indigenous Chiefs should be recognized at same level as provincial MLAs, with Chiefs of Host First Nations acknowledged first, followed by leaders from other Nations. 

  8. Municipal reps

    Host City Mayor

    Mayors from other cities

    City Councillors (host city first)

External guests of honour

  1. Leaders of other academic institutions
  2. Corporate or organizational partners
  3. Major donors
  4. VIPs not covered in categories above

Notes

For large events, you can group recognitions into categories rather than naming every person.

For example: 

  • “Joining us tonight are members of our Board of Governors along with a number of past Board Chairs”. 

  • “We have a number of Honorary Degree recipients in the room – I ask you to please stand and be acknowledged.”

  • “We’re pleased to welcome Mayor Smith from Surrey, along with a number of Surrey City Councillors.”