CHRISTIE L. DANIELS utepchris@gmail.com 113 Hudspeth Hall http://www.christiedaniels.com University of Texas at El Paso 915.412.5015 El Paso, TX 79968

Administrative Philosophy My approach to administrative duties takes into account three main roles: leader, facilitator, and collaborator. In terms of being a leader, an effective administrator is charged with having and communicating a progressive vision. They should be able to spell out aims and objectives clearly and precisely. They should be able to know not only where things should be headed but also how to communicate that direction to those involved. As such, an administrator must convey a sense of competence and confidence. Additionally, an administrator should also act a facilitator. They should make any endeavors to be undertaken seem realistic and within reach. They also must corral resources necessary for project completion. Moreover, they should be able to identify materials and individuals within the university which serve to be useful to the department and its goals. Beyond this, an administrator must also be organized and use this organization to streamline the accomplishment of tasks. They must know when tasks should be delegated and when they should not be. This leads to the final and perhaps most important role of the administrator: collaborator. Administrators cannot do all of the tasks under their purview by themselves. They need to be able to leave some tasks up to others and effectively communicate the parameters and requirements of these tasks to those who will do them. Yet the role of collaborator is not merely one of task delegation. Administrators must take into account the wise ideas of others and implement those ideas which serve the department’s aims and goals. Additionally, I personally believe that collaboration cannot and should not be confined to the walls of a single academic department. There are important and vital relationships with other academic departments as well as the university administration which need to be created, nurtured, and maintained and the administrator is tasked with many of these duties. I believe that I personally, largely through my experience with the First Year Composition program here at the University of Texas at El Paso has provided me with exposure to performing each of these roles. Consequently, largely through my position as Assistant Director of First Year Composition, I believe it my ability to perform each of these roles with ease that enables me to be an effective and able administrator.