Jonathan Massey ventured into uncharted territory when he became the first non-chancellor to fill the role of University Senate’s presiding officer — or in other words, the USen taskmaster — last September.

For five years, Massey watched Chancellor Nancy Cantor run the presiding officer position, calling on speakers, directing conversation and sometimes heated debate, and keeping the senate on task. That all changed when Massey became the main test subject for a pilot program. USen tested if an individual besides the chancellor could fill USen’s presiding officer position and moderate meetings more efficiently.

Though Massey is the first non-chancellor in the position — one that affects the flow, length and tenor of the meetings — SU leadership applauds a job well done.

‘He’s truly helped be able to shape discussions and really keep them going,’ said Cantor, who works with Massey on the Agenda Committee. ‘He’s done a very good job of balancing, giving people their voice, but also making sure that enough people can speak.’

Indeed, the average length of a Massey-run meeting in the 2010-11 year was shortened in comparison to the long meetings of last year. With his eye on the clock, Massey worked above all else in the interest of time, even in the face of heated speeches or criticism on a few occasions.

In the fall, Massey will hand over the reigns as USen’s presiding officer when he takes a sabbatical to focus on his ongoing research in organic architecture in the United States. His departure also leaves the Agenda Committee chair position, which he currently fills, open for next year.

Up until 2010, the chancellor moderated USen meetings, a job mandated in the USen bylaws. But as recently as last year, Cantor would find herself in an awkward position — having to field questions that focused on her and her decisions. She suggested to other Agenda Committee members that they separate her role to allow another individual to take the podium.

The Agenda Committee’s main charge is to run the meetings, and its members agreed that the individual elected as the committee’s chair should serve as USen’s presiding officer as well.

Massey was part of the presiding officer discussions, but he did not know he would be elected the Agenda Committee’s chair prior to the first USen meeting on Sept. 15. When he was elected the chair, Massey became presiding officer by default. The unexpected job made him a focal point and leading figure, for better or for worse, of every meeting since.

Massey’s service within USen stretches back to 2002, and some of his greatest effects on the governing body predate his stint as presiding officer.

Within a year of joining USen, Massey was elected to the LGBT Concerns Committee, and he then served as co-chair from 2006 to 2008. In those two years, two key policies developed under his leadership: the LGBT studies minor and a revised same-sex domestic partner benefit package. Both policies were instrumental in supporting SU’s LGBT community, and Massey said he had some of his best times working on the committee.

‘What I liked about LGBT Concerns was that the discussions were constructive and productive, but there was a lot of laughter, and people were very happy to work together,’ Massey said. ‘It was an enjoyable way to learn more about the university and to start contributing to university governance.’

It was in this committee that Massey really began to get a feel for administrative positions, he said. He didn’t lead the charge on the LGBT studies minor or revised benefit package. But by giving reports, presenting cases and affirming the benefits package changes, Massey helped get these initiatives over various hurdles, he said.

His intense work and collaboration with other members on the LGBT Concerns Committee also instilled a great amount of pride in his USen work, Massey said.

‘It inspired in me the idea, perhaps delusional, that committee service can also be intellectually engaging and enjoyable,’ he said.

After serving on the LGBT Concerns Committee, Massey worked as an Agenda Committee member from 2009 to 2010. He took the reigns as Agenda Committee chair and presiding officer in fall 2010.

Massey’s policies and actions have been well received by some colleagues, including Curricula Committee chair Barbara Kwasnik. Massey tries his best to be attentive and responsive to questions and comments on the floor, Kwasnik said in an email.

‘It’s not easy to set the right tone, but he seems to have the ability to do just that,’ Kwasnik said. ‘Since we both sit near the podium, I’ve watched him interact with various speakers. He puts them at ease and is always respectful and supportive, especially when the person is perhaps a bit unsure.’

As Massey’s tenure as presiding officer comes to a close, his experience may leave a legacy — one in which the Senate Agenda Committee chair continues to fill the presiding officer position. It’s a practice Cantor said she believes will continue as well.

bjweight@syr.edu

Published on April 19, 2011 at 12:00 pm