Understanding the Millennial Student

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Understanding the Millennial Student

• MASFAA CONFERENCE
• May 2005

Presented by
Searcy Taylor Mississippi Gulf Coast Community
College
Nancy MacNeil American Student Assistance
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AGENDA

• Who are they?
• What are their characteristics?
• What are their expectations?
• How can you meet their expectations?
• How can you better communicate with them?

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When You Were Born Affects

• VALUES (early years mold your values)
• ATTITUDES (values shape your attitude)
• CHOICES (attitude determine your choices)

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The 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

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COMMON GENERATIONS

• GI/Veteran 1901 1924
• Silent/Traditionalist 1925 1942
• Baby Boomers 1943 - 1960
• Generation X 1961 - 1981
• Millennials 1982 - Today

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WHO 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

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What has SHAPED their times?

• Focus on children and family
• Scheduled, Structured Lives
• Multiculturalism
• Terrorism
• Heroism
• Patriotism
• Parent Advocacy
• Globalism

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Growing 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

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MILLENIALS ARE

• SPECIAL
• SHELTERED
• CONFIDENT
• TEAM-ORIENTED
• ACHIEVING
• PRESSURED
• CONVENTIONAL

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MILLENIALS ARE SPECIAL

• Generation of wanted children
• Central to their parents sense of purpose
• Many Boomer parents delayed having children until
  financially secure

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MILLENIALS 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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MILLENIALS 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

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MILLENIALS 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

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MILLENIALS 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

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MILLENIALS 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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MILLENIALS 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

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OTHER 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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Ways to Equip Yourself for the Millennial Student
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WEB USAGE

• Informational vs. Transactional
• Our usage vs. Students usage

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ONLINE HABITS AND BEHAVIOR

• The younger the student, the more internet and
  computer savvy
• 82 are online daily
• Average 12 hours per week

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THE 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

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WHAT CAN YOU DO WITH THIS INFORMATION?

• Know your students
• - trend watching polls
• Determine your solution
• Can your web site compete?
• - mobility, uniqueness, interactivity

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1 - Mobility

• Mobile Web Sites
• Personal Digital Assistants (PDA)
• Palm
• Pocket PC
• Smart phones

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2 - Uniqueness

• Look no further than your own browser
• Content delivery must be relevant
• Yahoo Amazon changed everything - for the
  better

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3 - 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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3 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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Summary

• Comparison of Generations
• Millennial Students Expectations
• Understanding YOUR Students
• Areas of concentration for web sites
• Mobility, uniqueness, interactivity

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QUESTIONS?
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CONTACT INFORMATION

• Nancy MacNeil
• American Student Assistance (ASA)
• nmacneil_at_amsa.com
• 617.728.4677

Searcy Taylor Mississippi Gulf Coast Community
College searcy.taylor_at_mgccc.cc.ms.us
228.897.3886
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REFERENCES

• Generations
• Millenials Rising The Next Great Generation
• Millenials Go To College
• Look to the Web to Increase Recruitment
• http//www.universitybusiness.com
• The Information-Age Mindset, Changes in Students
  and Implications for Higher Education, Jason L.
  Frand, EDUCAUSE Review
• Understand the Millenial Generation to Manage
  Them Successfully
• http//www.digitu.com/enews/012millenials.html

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REFERENCES

• Managing the Millenials
• http//www.generationsatwork.com
• Whassup? A Glimpse Into the Attitudes and
  Beliefs of the Millenial Generation
• http//www.collegevalues.org/seereview.cfm
• Digital Community Colleges and the Coming of the
  Millenials
• http//www.thejournal.com
• The Millenial Generation Comes to College
• http//www.itc.virginia.edu/fall02
• Boomers, Gen-Xers, and Millenials Understanding
  the New Students, Diana Oblinger, EDUCAUSE
  Review