Joie Cummings Danielle Vizena Eliza Yuen Move over Millennials! Make way for Gen Z: Advising for the Next Generation Tufts University Office of Undergraduate Education College Transition Advisors

Agenda  Introductions  Move over, Millennials!  Overview of the CTA model & best practices  Who is Gen Z?  Group Activity : Strategies for working with Gen Z

Introductions Take 2 minutes to get to know the person who is seated next to you:  Name  Institution  Job title  Something fun!

Millennial Characteristics  Born between the years 1981 and 2000  Special  Sheltered  Confident  Team Oriented  Achieving  Pressured  Conventional Source: Millennials Go To College (2003) by Neil Howe and William Strauss

Millennials’ Educational Preferences Most studied generation 1. Benefit from greater accessibility & flexibility 2. Prefer increased use of technology 3. Clear expectations 4. Individual attention 5. Teamwork, structured educational path, special treatment Source: (Rivera & Huertas,2006) (Gleason, 2008) (U.S. Chamber of College)

CTA Model & Best Practices 1. Increased accessibility and flexibility  Offices located in residence halls  Meeting times outside of traditional work hours 2. Increased use of technology  Social media, active Facebook page, YouTube account, tutorials, and student video  Online scheduling system via laptop & mobile devices  Guidebook mobile application ( Orientation )  Online Qualtrics summer survey  Summer 2016 piloting Shearwater online orientation

3. & 4. Clear expectations & individual attention  Personalized summer phone calls as indicated via Qualtrics  Ability for CTAs to set academic advising expectations  Ability to identify and follow up with high need students 5. Teamwork, structured education path, special treatment  Group advising sessions with OL’s during orientation  Encourage exploration in first year through liberal arts curriculum

Gen Z Fast Facts   Currently make up 1/4 of the US population, will be1/3 by 2020  Most racially diverse generation  1 in 2 will be university educated  Describe themselves as loyal, compassionate, thoughtful, open minded, responsible, and determined  Motivations: not wanting to disappoint others, making a difference, advancement or credit Sources: (Seemiller & Grace, 2016), (Sparks & Honey, 2014), (Magid Generational Strategies, 2014), (JWT Intelligence 2012, Edudemic Survey)

Gen Z Characteristics  Cynical  Private  Entrepreneurial  Multi-tasking  Hyper Aware  Tech Reliant Sources: (Elmore, 2015), (Seemiller & Grace, 2016), (Northeastern University, 2014),(Cisco, 2011), (Sparks & Honey, 2014,) National Center for Biotechnology Information, US National Library of Medicine, The Associated Press

Strategies for Working with Gen Z in Higher Education According to Seemiller & Grace (2016)’s nationwide study:  Relational - how we connect with Gen Z students  Instructional -how we design our learning environments  Operational – how we design our campus  Technological – our use of social media  Programmatic – how we provide real-world learning experiences to Gen Z  Developmental – how we build student capacity

Relational Best Practices  Make time for face time  Be transparent  Understand family roles

Instructional Best Practices  Integrate a socially conscious curriculum  Help students effectively research  Teach with, not at  Flip your classroom  Offer options for hybrid learning  Reconsider group work expectations

Operational Best Practices  Enhance safety  Ensure an inclusive environment  Support mental health  Help students access funding  Reconsider housing requirements  Make healthy food the norm  Offer expanded services

Technological Best Practices  Embrace their constant connection  Steer clear of the “creepy tree house”  Choose only 1-2 social media platforms

Programmatic Best Practices  Provide leadership training  Offer leadership experiences that reflect reality  Offer internships early on  Increase access to global experiences  Offer entrepreneurship courses for non- business majors

Developmental Best Practices  Help students create value-based goals  Cultivate informed opinions/information literacy  Financial literacy  Intentional leadership development

Group Brainstorm Activity Each table will be assigned one of the categories. Take 10 minutes to brainstorm specific strategies for working with Gen Z at your institution. Be prepared to share these strategies with the larger group.

Group Brainstorm & Discussion

Questions to consider….  How does being a part of a different generation (Ex. Boomers, Gen X, Gen Y, etc.) impact your work with Gen Z?  Are you already encountering students with Gen Z characteristics?  What best practices will you employ at your institution?  What challenges do you foresee in working with this population?

Thank you for coming! Eliza Yuen, Danielle Vizena, Joie Cummings College Transition Advisors Tufts University