Student Association officials are supposed to be the “defenders of the students” at Syracuse University. But the irresponsible actions taken by its leaders this semester and the disappointing events of this past week have shown they are not fulfilling the basic principles of that duty.

In handling the entirety of the situation concerning now-resigned Public Relations Director Colin Crowley, the association has lost the trust of the student body. Its lack of professionalism, responsibility, communication, honesty and transparency all contributed to this ultimate loss of respect for those who represent SU students.

When Crowley informed President Allie Curtis and Chief of Staff PJ Alampi he would not be enrolling as a student for the spring semester, his resignation should have been requested immediately. Instead, they allowed Crowley to wrongfully stay in the organization under the same title, with responsibilities given to Co-Director Cara Johnson.

Neither the remainder of the cabinet members nor the general assembly was informed about Crowley’s true status at SA or SU. The student body was also blindsided.

Crowley and other members involved in the situation made an unethical decision. They discarded their responsibility to tell the truth to peers in SA and beyond, a fundamental expectation of SU student leaders.

Under SU’s registered student organization bylaws, a non-student can contribute as an associate member of an organization “if its constitution and by-laws so provide,” but this measure is not included in SA’s constitution. In response, SA should thoroughly update these codes and make them known and accessible to students.

The cabinet has called for the resignation of Curtis. Because she has declined to do so, the assembly will vote for her impeachment Monday. Alampi, Johnson and Ivan Rosales-Robles, who sent an anonymous email to an editor at The Daily Orange and to Curtis about the injustice, are also under investigation for misconduct. Rosales-Robles is the chair of the Student Life Committee.

The overall lack of honesty and ability to professionally address and solve problems does not instill trust in this organization, as transparent, honest leadership is absent from those in the highest positions.

This will hurt the organization in recruiting and retaining members, which was a problem even before this issue unraveled.

By allowing last week, and inevitably this week, to be consumed by the organization’s internal issues, SA will be unable to focus on improving student life at SU.

It is clear the goals of this organization’s members are in the wrong place. If they were less concerned with helping one friend and instead focused on doing their jobs properly, this would not have happened.

Though Curtis and Crowley did not mean to act maliciously toward the student body, they have indeed provided them with unjust leadership – leadership students previously identified with handling their student fees and providing other needed services.

SA must now work to improve its fledgling sense of legitimacy with SU students.