Former SFU president Andrew Petter among June’s distinguished honorary degree recipients

Frequently being called ‘Doctor Petter’ posed a dilemma for SFU president emeritus Andrew Petter.

Petter, whose Master of Laws degree from Cambridge is a tertiary teaching degree, says people began referring to him as ‘Doctor Petter’ when he was named SFU president and vice-chancellor in 2010.

“At first, I corrected them,” he said during a recent interview from his home in Victoria. “But after a while I thought, I can’t keep doing this – so I let them call me doctor. But it felt awkward, because I wasn’t.”

All that changes next week when Petter will receive an honorary Doctor of Laws from SFU for a lifetime of contributions to the province in academia, law and politics, as well as his transformative impact on post-secondary education in B.C. and beyond.

SFU’s honorary degree is the highest honour conferred by the university. Degrees are awarded to distinguished individuals in recognition of their scholarly, scientific, or artistic achievement, or in recognition of their contribution to the public good.

“Now, 12 years later, I don’t have to worry,” says Petter, tongue firmly in cheek. “When I’m at SFU, people can call me doctor and I won’t have to correct them or worry that they got it wrong.”

All kidding aside, Petter says that the honorary degree means a great deal to him and that he expects it to be an emotional day.

“I could never have been president of any other university,” he says. “I wouldn’t have wanted to. There’s something unique about Simon Fraser University that drew me and inspired me. And it makes this honour all the more meaningful.”

In what passes for retirement, Petter says he’s entered a stage of exploration to test where he can make the most positive contributions. It’s no surprise that many of the themes he explored as president of SFU continue to be a focus for him.

Among his many roles, he is a regular speaker at national and international education conferences, and serves as a trustee with the University of Central Asia, which was established by the Aga Khan to promote social and economic development in Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan and Tajikistan.

Petter, a former B.C. attorney general and dean of law at the University of Victoria, has also joined well-known law firm Arvay Finlay LLP as associate counsel. The firm focuses on constitutional and public law with respect to matters such as Indigenous issues and human rights.

In addition, Petter chairs Innovate BC, a Crown agency that promotes innovation in the province. And he serves as the SFU representative on Zone Start-ups India, a business accelerator affiliated with the Bombay Stock Exchange Institute (the educational arm of the Bombay Stock Exchange).

“I’m enjoying the luxury of making contributions in various places and diverse areas. For me, the key is finding ways to make a positive difference. It always has been, and it sure beats watching soaps.”