The Student Association’s public relations director has resigned after serving in the organization without being enrolled in classes.

Colin Crowley initially notified upper-level SA cabinet members that he could not enroll in spring classes due to financial reasons early in the semester, but was permitted to continue serving as director of the public relations committee in a non-voting capacity.

Crowley said he officially resigned from the position Sunday after he was alerted to a bylaw in the Registered Student Organization guidelines that disqualifies non-students from holding a cabinet title without being enrolled at the university.

Crowley, who is a former columnist for The Daily Orange, began the semester with the intention of being a fully matriculated student, but said he was unable to get his finances in order before the Feb. 4 financial deadline to drop courses. After realizing he would not be able to return as a student, Crowley said he met with SA President Allie Curtis and Chief of Staff PJ Alampi to discuss his position within the organization.

In that conversation, Crowley referred to a passage in the RSO handbook that states “persons may be admitted to associate membership in a recognized student organization if its constitution and by-laws so provide.” Associate members are allowed to provide input to student organizations, but about half a page later, the handbook states, “associate members may not hold office, vote or otherwise conduct official organizational business.”

Crowley said he missed the latter entry in his initial reading of the handbook and was made aware of it recently. He resigned from SA and as president of College Democrats shortly after.

After Crowley pointed to the first entry in the RSO handbook, Curtis decided Crowley could maintain his title, though he would relinquish all of his administrative duties, including his voting privileges and ability to sit in on executive sessions. Junior Cara Johnson, who initially served in an informal capacity as co-chair of the public relations committee, assumed Crowley’s duties. Crowley worked primarily with media relations, such as writing press releases, after the change.

“My goal was to maintain my ability to improve the campus,” he said. “I was an SU student. I’m going to be an SU student. I, in many ways, consider myself an SU student.”

While Crowley said he could have been more open, he doesn’t believe the way he acted was “morally or ethically wrong.”

Aside from Curtis, Alampi and Johnson, cabinet members and general assembly representatives were not made aware that Crowley was not an enrolled student. Assembly and cabinet members were told Crowley’s duties were reassigned to Johnson, but were not provided a reason for the change, Curtis said. Crowley also gave up his position as an assembly representative, he said. 

Curtis said the decision to have Crowley maintain his title as director of public relations was done to preserve his stance within SA, as Crowley intended on continuing his role with the organization in the fall.

“We didn’t have any malicious intent, there was never any negative intentions about trying to keep him in this role,” Curtis said. “It was strictly to protect his own personal occurrences.”

Alampi, who said he recommended Crowley step down in their initial conversation early in the semester, conceded that the organization could have handled the situation better.

“He was operating in a way that students were viewing him in a capacity that he had … when he was voted into office,” Alampi said.

But, Alampi added, Crowley has played an active role during his time in SA, and students should be empathetic to his situation. Crowley acted primarily as a liaison, which is permitted under the RSO handbook associate member guideline, Alampi said.

“When it comes down to it, we all have very difficult situations at home,” Alampi said. “And I ask for the students to recognize that.”

—Editorial Editor Rachael Barillari contributed reporting to this article.

Published on March 27, 2013 at 3:01 am

Contact Debbie: dbtruong@syr.edu | @debbietruong