During the 79th Convention and Brotherhood Weekend held July 29–31, 2021, at The Arizona Biltmore in Phoenix, Arizona, Amanda Samsel was presented with the Order’s Award for Fraternal Excellence. The award recognizes a faculty member, a higher education staff member, or an administrator, for excellence and achievement in support of or service to a member, a group of members, a chapter, or the Order. The award is granted by a majority vote of the Executive Council.
Amanda currently serves as the Director of Student Conduct and Community Standards for the University of Tennessee at Knoxville. Amanda has worked in the student conduct arena for 14 years and has a background in academic dishonesty, behavioral misconduct, Title IX, conduct boards, and student organization misconduct. She has extensive knowledge and expertise surrounding large-scale hazing and alcohol investigations. Previously, Amanda served as the Associate Director of Student Conduct at UT where she helped develop the student organization misconduct process at UT and worked closely with fraternities & sororities, Inter/National Headquarters, and Advisors. Before coming to UT, Amanda served as the Coordinator for Judicial Affairs & Mediation Services at Middle Tennessee State University and an adjunct professor for University Studies. Amanda has a Bachelor of Science in Political Science and a Master of Education in Higher Education & Supervision. She is a member of the National Association of Student Personnel Administrators (NASPA) and the Association for Student Conduct Administrators (ASCA). Amanda is a graduate of the ASCA Donald D. Gehring Academy, the Novak Institute for Hazing Prevention, and MTSU’s mediation training program. Amanda is an alumna member of Alpha Delta Pi sorority and served as the Social Advisor and Standards Advisor for the Epsilon Tau Chapter of Alpha Delta Pi. She is married to her husband, Wes who was present in Phoenix, and they have two kids at home in Knoxville.
During her time at both MTSU and UT, Amanda has been an advocate of the fraternity experience and went above and beyond in her support of The Order even during difficult conduct situations. Over the past several years, Amanda took an uncommon approach in the organizational conduct field by dedicating countless hours of her time to provide mentorship, education, and support to our chapter officers at UT. Amanda’s approach to student conduct centers on a realistic approach to student development and accountability which allows fraternity men to learn and grow from conduct violations while still holding them accountable to the standards of their organization and the institution. Amanda believes in long-term partnerships and relationships not only with the local chapter but also with national organizations. Her understanding, dedication, support, and commitment to the fraternity experience has set her apart among her peers. Amanda sets the standard for partnership with higher ed and has demonstrated time and again that when faced with difficult decisions, relationships matter.
