To Can Isik, a professor’s responsibilities can be summed up in three portions: 60 percent is teaching, 30 percent is research and 10 percent is service.

Isik, associate dean of Syracuse University’s College of Engineering and Computer Science, spends his 10 percent serving the University Senate as moderator and chair of the Agenda Committee. Isik replaced Doug Armstrong, a professor of anthropology, in both positions after Armstrong resigned due to research responsibilities.

Even though service is usually a small part of a professor’s job, being chair and moderator can be overwhelming, Tej Bhatia, a member of the Agenda Committee, said.

“There are just so many issues,” Bhatia said. “I would have never been involved in them except on such committees.”

From complex reports analyzing Syracuse University’s budget to lengthy debates on academic freedom, Isik must remain an unbiased figure during all sessions. He is charged with running the meetings, so knowing senate bylaws is crucial to making sure that discussion and the agenda stay on track.

“They don’t tell us how to run the meeting,” Isik said. “But it’s not brain surgery.”

Isik said he relies on the eight bylaws to help him regulate motions, amendments, committee structure and other areas. If something isn’t covered in the bylaws, he’ll refer to a book titled Robert’s Rules of Order, which lays out the parliamentary guidelines of running a meeting.

Isik keeps his torn, faded copy close to him during the senate meetings. It was passed on to him by a retiring colleague years ago, he said. His appointment as chair and moderator is only a small event in his lengthy history at SU, which stretches back to 1985. He served on the Agenda Committee in 1999 and is also involved in the SU chapter of the American Association of University Professors.

Isik was selected unanimously by the Agenda Committee, mostly due to his experience, Malcom Ingram, a member of the committee, said.

“There really was no discussion. Everyone just voted immediately,” Ingram said. “There was no question that he wasn’t absolutely up for the job.”

Each senate session is different, but Isik has entered during one of the busier semesters in recent years, Bhatia said. The introduction of a new chancellor has brought on a slew of university-wide changes, such as the Syracuse Fast Forward initiative and revisions to promotion and appointment policies, which were widely debated among senators.

“In a way, (Isik) rescued all of us,” Bhatia said. “It’s not easy to step in under those circumstances, so you really have to have courage to do that.”

Isik maintains that he wouldn’t have assumed the position if he couldn’t manage it. He said almost every senate committee works intensely on their reports, so sometimes that service can end up consuming more than 10 percent of their time.

“No matter how many times you serve in the senate, it’s a learning experience,” Isik said.

Published on January 14, 2015 at 12:01 am

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