The last several years have presented us with great challenges & opportunities within & beyond UCLA. It has become all the more critical to practice intentional & inclusive leadership to not only promote operational efficiencies but also staff growth, curiosity, collaboration & belonging. The Advising Communities of Excellence (ACE) Professional Development Program in which we lead, & the Center for Academic Advising in the College (CAAC) practice a staff-centered approach that cultivates learning, amplifies staff voices, & integrates staff perspectives into decision-making spaces. The result of a staff-centered model has been greater engagement, an openness to innovate, a drive for more thoughtful collaboration, & comprehensive support for students, staff, & each other within a community of care.
This session will share a framework for intentional leadership & demonstrate concrete strategies & initiatives to achieve these goals.
Marian H. Gabra, Ph.D. is the Senior Director of Learning & Development & Strategic Partnerships. In her role, she works collaboratively across campus to cultivate spaces of learning & growth for staff & students. She also works intentionally to build strategic collaborations between staff, faculty, & students. Marian also advises students in the Center for Academic Advising in the College. She earned her BA in English from Occidental College in 2002 & her doctorate in Comparative Literature from UCLA in 2010.
Alina Avila is the Coordinator of Advising Curricular Initiatives & Academic Advisor with the Center for Academic Advising in the College. Her experiences in ACE changed how she viewed her value & voice in various spaces across the institution & inspired her to turn the skills she has honed, such as advocating for students to faculty & leadership, towards amplifying staff voices. In her current role, she is able to work more directly with ACE to shift the campus culture built on institutional hierarchies.
Alina Avila. Coordinator of Advising Curricular Initiatives & Academic Advisor with the Center for Academic Advising in the College
Marian Gabra, Ph.D.
Director, Advisor Training &
Professional Development