THE PATH TO BECOMING

A DIRECTOR
Eena Singh, she/her/hers

Assistant Dean & Executive Director

UCLA New Student & Transition Programs
 Session Flow
01 About Me: Background, Career Path, & Educational Journey

02 Essential Skills for Director-Level Positions

● What Experiences Translate to these Essential Skills?

03 Personal Takeaways

04 Questions, Thoughts, & Comments

01 HELLO!
About Me: Background, Career
Path, & Educational Journey
The Personal
● South Asian, Immigrant, Woman of Color
The Professional Journey
● Professional Values Deeply Rooted in
● NYU Abu Dhabi - Administrative
Upbringing & Experiences in Higher Ed
Aide → Student Affairs Specialist
● Leadership Centered in Personal and
● USC - Academic Advisor, School of
Professional Growth, Authenticity, Empathy, Business
and Equity-Centered Program Development
● NYU - Program Administrator →
The Educational Journey Assistant Director, Welcome Programs

● UCLA - Bachelor of Arts in Anthropology, ● UCI - Associate Director, Student

Minor in Education
● NYU - Master of Arts in Higher Education
& Student Affairs
● UCLA - Doctoral Candidate in
Educational Leadership EdD Program
Parent Orientation Programs
● UCLA - Assistant Dean & Executive
Director, UCLA New Student & Family
Orientation
● Associations: NASPA & NODA
02
ESSENTIAL
SKILLS
For Director-Level Positions
(and beyond)
 OPERATIONAL DEVELOPMENTAL
01 Project Management 01 Autonomy + Independence

02 Strategic Planning 02 Feedback + Growth Mindset

03 Supervision 03 Collaboration + Relationship

04 Navigating Difficult Situations
05 Budget Development and
Oversight
Building
04 Advocacy + Inclusion
05 Authenticity + Core Values
PROJECT
MANAGEMENT
● Prioritizing by each day,
week, month, year
● Managing both individual
projects and team
projects
● Timelines and deadlines
● Delegation of tasks and
responsibilities
EXPERIENCES TO
SEEK
● Understanding your own
projects, and developing
timelines for tasks
● Creating a new project
● Being a part of, or
overseeing, project
management for the
department
● Offering to help with project
management on a
committee/task force
STRATEGIC
PLANNING
● Reviewing assessment
data to make informed
decisions about short-term
and long-term goals
● Investing time in listening to
feedback and responding
● Alignment of strategic plans
with larger plans with the
Division and the University
EXPERIENCES TO
SEEK
● Developing assessment
tools
● Analyzing data and
producing a report
● Speaking with leadership
about how they do strategic
planning
● Learning what is a current
need versus 6 months, 1
year, and 5 years from now
SUPERVISION EXPERIENCES TO
SEEK
● Supervision of students, ● Building from student staff
graduate students, and/or supervision to graduate
professional staff student supervision to
○ For Director, emphasis professional staff
on supervision of supervision
professional staff ● Managing and leading
● How do you lead, support, others, preferably
empower, and advocate for professional staff, even if this
your team? is in committees
● Understanding HR - your
rights and your employees’
NAVIGATING
DIFFICULT SITUATIONS
● Situations that arise in our
work with students, student
staff, family members, or
colleagues at our
institutions that need us to
react in a manner that still
maintains positive
relationships
EXPERIENCES TO
SEEK
● Leaning into your own
difficult situations.
● Debriefing how situations
were handled and seeking
feedback.
● Relying on your
supervisor/leadership to
provide help as needed.
● Observing how others
navigate situations.
BUDGET DEVELOPMENT EXPERIENCES TO
& OVERSIGHT SEEK
● Developing budget for the ● Developing budget for a singular
department, which includes project or program
all projects/programs and ● Supporting supervisor /
various expenditures leadership in developing
department budget
● Overseeing budget to
● Advocating for increase in
ensure spending is budget and/or more appropriate
appropriate, responsible, utilization of budget
and supports our students ● Centering affordability for our
and staff students and families when
developing fees for our
programs
 OPERATIONAL DEVELOPMENTAL
01 Project Management 01 Autonomy + Independence

02 Strategic Planning 02 Feedback + Growth Mindset

03 Supervision 03 Collaboration + Relationship

04 Navigating Difficult Situations
05 Budget Development and
Oversight
Building
04 Advocacy + Inclusion
05 Authenticity + Core Values
03 PERSONAL
TAKEAWAYS
ON THE PATH TO DIRECTOR…
KNOW YOUR
WORTH
Prioritize seeking opportunities where the
energy you put in is returned to you. Choosing
the work and our students doesn’t always
equal choosing yourself.
ARE YOU
VALUED?
Does your team, your supervisor,
your students, and your colleagues
value you beyond your work - your
identities, your experiences, and
your perspective.
PROFESSIONAL
DEVELOPMENT
Invest in professional growth
opportunities in and outside of
work, and continue to challenge
yourself.
MOVE UP
INTENTIONALLY
Be thoughtful in why you take on
higher leadership roles. Ground
yourself in your purpose and values,
and chase the impact you want to
create above titles.
THANK YOU! If you would like to
connect, please feel free to email
me at esingh@college.ucla.edu.
04
Complete Evaluation below!
QUESTIONS,
THOUGHTS, &
COMMENTS