Understanding the Millennial Student MASFAA CONFERENCE May 2005 Searcy Taylor Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College Nancy MacNeil American Student Assistance Presented by

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?

When You Were Born Affects:  VALUES (early years mold your values)  ATTITUDES (values shape your attitude)  CHOICES (attitude determine your choices)

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

COMMON GENERATIONS  GI/Veteran 1901 – 1924  Silent/Traditionalist 1925 – 1942  Baby Boomers  Generation X  Millennials Today

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

What has SHAPED their times?  Focus on children and family  Scheduled, Structured Lives  Multiculturalism  Terrorism  Heroism  Patriotism  Parent Advocacy  Globalism

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

MILLENIALS ARE:  SPECIAL  SHELTERED  CONFIDENT  TEAM-ORIENTED  ACHIEVING  PRESSURED  CONVENTIONAL

MILLENIALS ARE SPECIAL  Generation of “wanted” children  Central to their parents’ sense of purpose  Many Boomer parents delayed having children until financially secure

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Ways to Equip Yourself for the Millennial Student

WEB USAGE  Informational vs. Transactional  Our usage vs. Students’ usage

ONLINE HABITS AND BEHAVIOR  The younger the student, the more internet and computer savvy  82% are online daily  Average 12 hours per week

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

WHAT CAN YOU DO WITH THIS INFORMATION?  Know your students - trend watching; polls - trend watching; polls  Determine your solution  Can your web site compete? - mobility, uniqueness, interactivity - mobility, uniqueness, interactivity

1 - Mobility  Mobile Web Sites  Personal Digital Assistants (PDA) Palm Palm Pocket PC Pocket PC Smart phones Smart phones

2 - Uniqueness  Look no further than your own browser…  Content delivery must be relevant  Yahoo & Amazon changed everything - for the better

3 - Interactivity  Interactive award letters  Interactive calculators and estimators  Interactive forms and electronic signatures  Adobe Acrobat (.pdf) forms are not interactive

3 – Interactivity (cont’d)  Engage with technology – teach with content  Extend your customer service model (FAQs, , phone, instant messaging)  Virtual Counseling Tools / /

Summary…  Comparison of Generations  Millennial Students’ Expectations  Understanding YOUR Students  Areas of concentration for web sites: Mobility, uniqueness, interactivity Mobility, uniqueness, interactivity

QUESTIONS?

CONTACT INFORMATION Nancy MacNeil American Student Assistance (ASA) Searcy Taylor Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College

REFERENCES  Generations  Millenials Rising: The Next Great Generation  Millenials Go To College  “Look to the Web to Increase Recruitment”  “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”

REFERENCES  “Managing the Millenials”  “Whassup? A Glimpse Into the Attitudes and Beliefs of the Millenial Generation”  “Digital Community Colleges and the Coming of the ‘Millenials’”  “The Millenial Generation Comes to College”  “Boomers, Gen-Xers, and Millenials: Understanding the New Students”, Diana Oblinger, EDUCAUSE Review