Guidelines for attendees
Scope: These guidelines for attendees apply to all individuals attending open (public) meetings of Simon Fraser University’s (“SFU”) Board of Directors (“Board”).
Objective: These guidelines are intended to ensure healthy engagement at Board meetings, ensuring a respectful, and safe environment for all participants.
1) Board Open Meeting Decorum
a) Individuals in the audience (“Guests”) must refrain from behaviour which disrupts the meeting of the Board. This includes but is not limited to engaging in activity that disturbs, disrupts, or impedes the orderly conduct of the meeting, or that creates any unwelcome physical contact or verbal abuse.
b) Guests may not vote and must not speak other than at the invitation of the Chair. Guests must respect that they are spectators only.
c) Guests must remain silent and refrain from using mobile phones and any other communication/recording devices while the meeting is in session, unless they have received prior written approval for that use from the Board Chair.
d) Guests in the gallery must remain seated in the assigned locations.
e) Guests must not block entrances/exits to the meeting room.
f) Signs and props are not permitted in the meeting room, nor is any item to be affixed to the walls or chairs in the space.
2) Requests to present to the Board
a) Individuals or groups wishing to address the Board on any topic that is not included as an agenda item may do so by following the Board Submission Instructions webpage.
3) Requests to Speak to an agenda item
a) If an individual or group wishes to address the Board on an agenda item, they must submit a request to the Board Office at least three (3) calendar days in advance of a regularly scheduled Board meeting on the Board Submission Instructions webpage. Upon review of proposed questions/comments, the Board Chair may, at their discretion, ask the Board Office to distribute the proposed questions or comments to the members of the Board as part of the Board package. Alternatively, the Board Chair may permit the individual or groups to address the matter in open session. In this circumstance those making such a request are encouraged to designate a single member to speak on behalf of the group. If there are opposing viewpoints on the same issue, the Chair shall permit at least one speaker from each side to speak. Each speaker will generally have no more than two (2) minutes speak on the agenda item, subject to extension at the discretion of the Chair.
4) Addressing the Board
a) When addressing the Board each speaker must provide their name at the beginning of their remarks for the formal record. If a speaker represents an association or group, they must identify the entity they represent.
b) Each speaker should adhere to the time allocated on the agenda when presenting and/or to the suggested time on the “Request to speak to an agenda item” if the Board Chair has permitted the requestor to address the Board.
c) Speakers must discuss only those topics for which they have requested to speak.
Failure to comply with the open Board meeting decorum, use of inappropriate or abusive language toward members of the Board or Board committee or other attendees, and any conduct which will disturb, disrupt or impede the orderly conduct of Board meetings could result in removal from the meeting or disciplinary action, or both. If a disruption continues, the Chair may determine that continuing with the business of the meeting is not reasonable and may adjourn the meeting or move to an alternate location to continue the meeting; in such situations, Guests may not be re‐admitted to the meeting or any future meetings of the Board.