Meet the Students and Parents

1
Meet the Students (and Parents)

• Eric Tammes
• Office of Student Services

2
Credit Where Credit Is Due

• Coomes, Michael D., and Robert DeBard. Serving
  the Millennial Generation. San Francisco
  Jossey-Bass, 2004.
• Howe, Neil, and William Strauss. Millennials
  Rising. New York Random House, 2000.
• Lancaster, Lynne C, and David Stillman. When
  Generations Collide. New York Harper-Collins,
  2002

3
Generations in Context

• Traditionalists born 1900-1945
• 75 million
• Baby Boomers born 1946-1965
• 80 million
• Generation X born 1965-1980
• 46 million
• Millennials born 1981-1999
• 76 million

4
So Whats Different About Millennial Students?
5
General Characteristics of Millennials

• Treated as special
• Confident and optimistic about future
• Extensive use/knowledge of technology
• Team-oriented and cooperative
• Pressured by and accepting of authority
• Sheltered
• Talented achievers
• Life has always been scheduled

Coomes and DeBard, 2004 Howe and Strauss, 2000
6
Influences on Millennials

• Increased diversity of society
• Active parental support and protection
• Increased options for involvement
• Significant growth in technology
• Emphasis on attending college
• Return to traditional environments
• Increased commercialism

7
Millennials Learning

• Student-faculty contact important
• Active, collaborative reciprocal learning
• Prefer multi-sensory ways of learning (not just
  lecture)
• Frequent, constructive feedback (but not too
  negative)
• Effective time management
• High expectations of self
• Diverse talents ways of knowing

Coomes and DeBard, 2004
8
Millennials Diversity

• Expect campuses to change as students change
• Prepare for changing expression of conflict
• Create more robust activities
• Advocate for courses incorporating deeper issues
  of diversity
• Assist students in becoming allies
• Assess needs, challenges and strengths for
  students of color
• Reflect on policies/procedures and how they
  reflect on a diverse student body
• Prepare for shift to more students with less
  financial resources

Coomes and DeBard, 2004
9
What About Millennial Parents?
10
Group Discussion

• What is challenging about working with millennial
  students?
• How has your work changed because of millennial
  students? How have you changed?
• What are effective methods to support, challenge
  and work with millennial students and parents?
• What do you need to do to effectively educate
  ourselves and meet the needs of millennial
  students?

11
Tips for Your Work

• Recognize that there are differences in
  generations. You cant force your generation
  on a student.
• First year students are frequently in a survival
  mode. Help them be successful in their first
  year by listening, coaching and challenging them
  as appropriate.
• Seek student feedback and listen. Students
  appreciate opportunities to share opinions and
  ideas so theyre invested in the institution.
• Parents appreciate you listening and sharing
  consistent, accurate communication. Dont hide
  behind FERPA you can explain a process,
  procedure or format without releasing personal
  information about a student.
• People matter. Student satisfaction and
  retention is directly related to the connections
  students make with faculty and staff. More
  connections improved retention.
• You should always consider the possibility that
  you may be wrong. (Adam Waxman, Guilford
  College). Listen to their perspectives.