Talking Stick - May/June 2018 - 40

Gen Z

1995Born
2009

7 PERSONALITY
TRAITS THAT
DEFINE
GENERATION Z
1 Pragmatic

60% say they want a long
career with one company.

2 Competitive

Almost half consider
themselves very competitive.

3 Connected

78% prefer face-to-face
communication with work
and bosses.

4 Socially

Responsible

93% say a company's impact
on society affects their decision
to work there.

5 Customizers
No limit of ideas, but half
would rather get a job than
create one.

6 Plugged In

44% check social media at
least hourly.

7 Self-Reliant

77% say relationships with
co-workers are important, but
many prefer to learn at their
own pace.

Source: www.i4cp.com

TALKING STICK

Are there behaviors that you,
as an educator, have changed
because of your findings?
Not only have I been an active
researcher, writer, and speaker on
Generation Z for nearly five years
now, but I also have the great fortune
of teaching Generation Z students
in my undergraduate classes. One
of our research findings points to a
generation that prefers to learn by
seeing examples or demonstrations of
exemplary work prior to completing
their own. That has been apparent
with my Generation Z students who
seek detailed guidance in completing
assignments, even more so than my
Millennial students did when they
were the same age.
Many Gen Z'ers are coming to
my office hours to check on their class
progress, and I get emails asking if I
can read drafts of their assignments
to ensure that they are producing
their best work. This is a generation
that wants to make sure they follow
directions and meet expectations. In
order to provide these students with
support and guidance (and to answer
their questions before they ask), I
have created several resources to assist
them. For example, I often post "A"
papers from previous semesters, along
with writing checklists and writing
templates. While some could say that
this is too much hand-holding, I find
that my students' best work comes
from when they don't have to guess
what I am looking for, and many of
them have mentioned that the detailed
resources I provide are incredibly
helpful to their success in class. In
addition, I teach some classes online
where I might have a student enrolled
whom I've never interacted with in
person. Given Generation Z's desire
for face-to-face communication, I put
together informational videos where
I explain assignments in detail as if I
were having a conversation with stu-

dents in my face-to-face class. As they
hear my voice, it might feel as though
we are actually interacting. Thanks to
my eager Generation Z students who
wanted structured guidance, everyone
in my classes of all age groups benefits
from these resources.

You come from a residence life
background, so you are familiar
with the role housing plays on
campus. Combining that with
your understanding of Generation Z, what are some practices, policies, or strategies in
housing that could best meet
the new students' needs?
I have to start by saying, "Once an RA,
always an RA." Actually, in addition to
being an RA, I was a graduate assistant
and full-time housing professional. I
lived on campus for nine years! I did
it because I knew that my involvement
in those roles mattered in the lives of
students (and I love dining hall food).
I knew that I might be the only person
that my students would come to for
support and guidance about an issue
in their lives. That is why I believe it
is essential for housing professionals
to learn as much as they can about
Generation Z to best support and
guide these students on their college
journeys. Although our research findings on Generation Z college students
can help housing professionals better
understand a multitude of issues like
student conduct, dining preferences,
and even facility design, there is one
aspect I want to focus on, and that is
safety and security.
Generation Z students have come
of age in a post-9/11 era and only know
a world where everyone is looking over
their shoulder for the next major incident to occur. Our research found that
many Generation Z students are coming to college scared, worried, and anxious about everything from violence

http://www.i4cp.com

Talking Stick - May/June 2018

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