Skip to main content

2022 Faculty Election

Tom Kelley

Running for: Faculty Athletics Committee
  • James Dickson Phillips, Jr. Distinguished Professor
  • School of Law
  • Appointed: 1999
  • J.D., Northeastern University, 1991
  • Candidate Website
UNC Service

I have served on numerous campus-wide committees including Campus and Community Advisory, Faculty Hearings, Chancellor’s Advisory, Committee on Student Conduct, and various Dean Review committees. I am a good committee member. I never turn down a hard assignment. I do my homework, show up, listen carefully to all perspectives, and speak my mind if I have something important to say – even if the University administration does not want to hear it.

Candidate Statement

Many decades ago, I was a student athlete, though not a good one. I played men’s soccer but spent most of my time on the bench. My spouse, a college classmate, was the captain of the women’s ice hockey team. Athletics were a positive force for us and helped shape our college experiences and post-college lives.

My goal, unfashionable as it may be, is to help ensure that student athletes receive the support they require to remain fully committed as students, not just athletes. Although I am a fan of our revenue sports teams, I am particularly interested in the welfare of students playing non-revenue sports. Among other priorities, I would like to use my skills and knowledge as a lawyer to help athletes navigate the new name/image/likeness (NIL) frontier.