Title: Understanding and Communicating with the Millennial Student
1Understanding and Communicating with the
Millennial Student
- Presentation for Joint NC/SC Conference
- November 7, 2006
- Asheville, NC
Presented by
Gina Lucente-Cole American Student Assistance
2AGENDA
- Who are they?
- What are their characteristics?
- What are their expectations?
- How can you meet their expectations?
- How can you better communicate with them?
3When You Were Born Affects
- VALUES (early years mold your values)
- ATTITUDES (values shape your attitude)
- CHOICES (attitude determine your choices)
4The Generational Cycle
- Represent people moving through time with a
distinct image of themselves - Each generation has a set of common beliefs and
behaviors - Each generation has a common location in history
5COMMON GENERATIONS
- GI/Veteran 1901 1924
- Silent/Traditionalist 1925 1942
- Baby Boomers 1943 - 1960
- Generation X 1961 - 1981
- Millennials 1982 - 2003
6WHO are the MILLENIALS?
- Children of late boomers and early GenXers
- Babies on Board of the early Reagan years
- Have You Hugged Your Child Today sixth graders
of the early Clinton years - Teens of Columbine
7What has SHAPED their times?
- Focus on children and family
- Scheduled, structured lives
- Multiculturalism
- Terrorism
- Heroism
- Patriotism
- Parent advocacy
- Globalism
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9Growing Up Messages
- Be smart you are special (Nickelodeon, Baby
Gap, Sports Illustrated for Kids) - Leave no one behind (taught to be inclusive and
tolerant of other religions and sexual
orientations) - Connect 24/7 (learned to be interdependent-on
family, friends, and teachers) - Achieve now! (right college, right preschool)
- Serve your community think of the greater good
10MILLENIALS ARE
- SPECIAL
- SHELTERED
- CONFIDENT
- TEAM-ORIENTED
- ACHIEVING
- PRESSURED
- CONVENTIONAL
11MILLENIALS ARE SPECIAL
- Generation of wanted children
- Central to their parents sense of purpose
- Many Boomer parents delayed having children until
financially secure
12MILLENIALS ARE SHELTERED
- Baby on Board signs were created for this
generation - Their well being has dominated legislation (child
restraints, home products, movie/video ratings,
campus security) - Boomer parents tend to be over-protective
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14MILLENIALS ARE CONFIDENT
- Raised by parents believing in the importance of
self-esteem - Optimistic yet practical
- Hopeful of the future
- Enjoy strong connections with their parents
15MILLENIALS ARE TEAM-ORIENTED
- They are used to being organized in teams
- They have spent much of their time working and
learning in groups - They have established tight peer bonds
- They are inclusive
16MILLENIALS ARE ACHIEVING
- They are very much into setting and meeting goals
- They have the benefit of best-educated parents
- They are the smartest ever with rising
proficiency in math, science and standardized
tests - They are subject to mandatory testing
17MILLENIALS ARE PRESSURED
- They are pushed to study hard
- They are pushed to succeed
- They are pushed to attend college
- They are pushed to choose careers that pay off
nicely
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20MILLENIALS ARE CONVENTIONAL
- They identify with their parents values
- They feel close to their parents
- They are rule followers (if we give them clear
rules they can understand) - They accept authority
- Whatever passive approach to dissent
21OTHER CHARACTERISTICS
- Technology and Multitasking are a way of life
- Trial and error is the key learning strategy
(Nintendo logic) - They are used to bits and bytes, flash and color
- They are racially and ethnically diverse
- They want their parents involved (really
involved) - There is zero tolerance for delays
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23Ways to Equip Yourself for the Millennial Student
24WEB USAGE
- Informational vs. Transactional
- Our usage vs. Students usage
25ONLINE HABITS AND BEHAVIOR
- The younger the student, the more internet and
computer savvy - 82 are online daily
- Average 12 hours per week
26THE CLASS OF 2008 Preferences
- Information must be individually tailored
- Portability of information is critical
- Content must be dynamically generated
- Lag Time is a foreign concept
- Web Surfing is passé
27WHAT CAN YOU DO WITH THIS INFORMATION?
- Know your students
- - trend watching polls
- Determine your solution
- Can your web site compete?
- - mobility, uniqueness, interactivity
281 - Mobility
- Mobile Web Sites
- Personal Digital Assistants (PDA)
- Palm
- Pocket PC
- Smart phones
292 - Uniqueness
- Look no further than your own browser
- Content delivery must be relevant
- Yahoo Amazon changed everything - for the
better
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313 - Interactivity
- Interactive award letters
- Interactive calculators and estimators
- Interactive forms and electronic signatures
- http//www.formsite.com
- Adobe Acrobat (.pdf) forms are not interactive
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333 Interactivity (contd)
- Engage with technology teach with content
- Extend your customer service model (FAQs, email,
phone, instant messaging) - Virtual Counseling Tools
- http//www.liveperson.com
- http//www.humanclick.com
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35What We Talked About
- Comparison of Generations
- Millennial Student Expectations
- Understanding YOUR Students
- Areas of concentration for web sites
- Mobility, uniqueness, interactivity
36American Student Assistance 100 Cambridge
Street, Suite 1600 Boston, MA 02114
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