Student Accountability & Conflict Resolution

Oller-Kelly carries empathy from fraternity life background to student accountability

By Megan Khor, Student Communications Assistant for Student Affairs
 

When Amanda Oller-Kelly was announced as the Dedication to Students award recipient this spring at the divisional awards and recognition event, she was surprised. As the associate director of Student Accountability & Conflict Resolution, she is not used to receiving immediate gratification.  

Oller-Kelly manages student behavioral and academic integrity concerns across campus. Her day-to-day work involves meeting with students, collaborating with faculty across different departments of student affairs and serving as an administrative hearing officer, including cases involving sexual and interpersonal violence. 

Due to this, students rarely walk into her office on their best days; they often arrive because they have to. 

“Where I get the most gratification is just knowing that we are doing everything we can to help a student get on the right path,” Oller-Kelly said. “It’s about being able to help them have those self-growth moments and give them the resources that set them up for long term success. Usually, they don’t email to thank us, but I’d like to think we are having that impact.” 

Oller-Kelly’s journey to UNC Charlotte consists of over a decade of experience in student affairs. Born in the Chicago area, she originally planned to become a high school history teacher. This aspiration led her to pursue bachelor’s degrees in psychology, anthropology and leadership studies at the University of Iowa. During that time, Oller-Kelly joined a small sorority on campus, which led her to leadership roles and, eventually, an internship at Iowa’s Fraternity and Sorority Life office. 

As she became more involved, Oller-Kelly’s curiosity grew, eventually asking her FSL coordinator about the role. She recalls her coordinator’s excitement when teaching her the ropes. It was then that Oller-Kelly realized this was the field she wanted to pursue, leading her to a masters degree in student affairs and higher education administration.

Oller-Kelly went on to work as the associate director of fraternity and sorority Life at Big Ten institutions like Purdue University and Northwestern University for a total of seven years. While she loved working with student organizations and advising student leaders, the demanding nature of the role led her to consider a career pivot. When her partner later relocated to Charlotte in 2023, Oller-Kelly set her sights on a new position at UNC Charlotte, seeking a transition into student conduct. 

Having worked at both private universities and public institutions, she describes UNC Charlotte as her “goldilocks school.” What drew her to Charlotte specifically was its innovative and adaptable culture. Unlike Big Ten universities that already have long-standing traditions, she appreciates that Charlotte is constantly evolving, listening to feedback and intentionally growing to meet the needs of its growing student body. 

Since student conduct was a new area for her, stepping into her current role in summer 2023 naturally brought some initial nerves. 

“I came from a space where I felt like a content expert. I knew the things, the processes — throw me into a situation and I could direct myself out,” Oller-Kelly said. “When I came here it felt a little bit like, wow, now I have to learn this new whole skillset. Can I do it?” 

Despite the nerves, Oller-Kelly said her extensive background in student organization advising, risk management and harm reduction helped her seamlessly translate into the new position. 

While navigating the complex web of behavioral challenges and student crises can be a challenge, Oller-Kelly enjoys being able to guide students through difficult experiences. Every student who enters her office comes in as an individual with a unique story, meaning no two cases or solutions are ever the same. Her thought process in navigating students through those tough moments stays deeply rooted in empathy and restorative accountability rather than quick judgment.

“Usually, if a student is in our office, they’re not trying to break a rule. There’s usually some sort of circumstances that surround their lives that inform their behavior,” Oller-Kelly said. 

Looking at a student’s holistic self to figure out what next steps look like often‌ requires extensive collaboration across campus. Sometimes including Housing and Residence Life, Title IX or academic departments to ensure a student receives complete support. 

“There are all these layers to how we respond, what’s the best process to respond and what a student needs. I think getting to work through all those complexities is my favorite part of the job because no situation is the same … You never get bored, that’s for sure,” she said with a laugh.

Oller-Kelly’s nomination noted that her impact stems from just that, her ability to approach every student with empathy, consistency and respect. 

“I know this is an individual award, but we couldn’t do what we do without the environment we have as a team. Our whole student accountability team, and really our whole dean of students team and all of our campus partners, really share that same dedication and commitment to our processes and what we do,” Oller-Kelly said. 

Although taking center stage isn’t something she seeks out, the award serves as a meaningful affirmation of the work happening behind the scenes. 

“While my name may have been on this award, I think we all share the same level of commitment and investment. It’s really great to work with such fun and committed people here at UNC Charlotte across all of our units that are equally as committed to our student’s success.”