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Understanding the Millennial Student

Understanding the Millennial Student. MASFAA CONFERENCE May 2005. Presented by. Searcy Taylor Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College. Nancy MacNeil A merican S tudent A ssistance. AGENDA. Who are they? What are their characteristics? What are their expectations?

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Understanding the Millennial Student

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

  2. 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?

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

  4. 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

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

  6. 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

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

  8. 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

  9. MILLENIALS ARE: • SPECIAL • SHELTERED • CONFIDENT • TEAM-ORIENTED • ACHIEVING • PRESSURED • CONVENTIONAL

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

  11. 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

  12. 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

  13. 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

  14. 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

  15. 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

  16. 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

  17. 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

  18. Ways to Equip Yourself for the Millennial Student

  19. WEB USAGE • Informational vs. Transactional • Our usage vs. Students’ usage

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

  21. 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

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

  23. 1 - Mobility • Mobile Web Sites • Personal Digital Assistants (PDA) • Palm • Pocket PC • Smart phones

  24. 2 - Uniqueness • Look no further than your own browser… • Content delivery must be relevant • Yahoo & Amazon changed everything - for the better

  25. 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

  26. 3 – Interactivity (cont’d) • 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

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

  28. QUESTIONS?

  29. CONTACT INFORMATION Nancy MacNeil American Student Assistance (ASA) nmacneil@amsa.com 617.728.4677 Searcy Taylor Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College searcy.taylor@mgccc.cc.ms.us 228.897.3886

  30. 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

  31. 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

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