College campuses are looking quite a bit different from the way our parents and grandparents experienced them, not least of which is due to the growing diversity of Generation Z, or the post-millennial generation that fills our campuses today.
In fact, a 2018 of Census Bureau data found that this generation is the most racially and ethnically diverse of all American generations to date. Just slightly more than half of 6- to 21-year-olds are non-Hispanic whites.
And, the analysis found, that older post-Millennials are enrolling in college at a much higher rate than Millennials were at the same time in their lives.
This prepares the leaders of tomorrow to � create a new business landscape,� says , 天美麻豆 Dean of . 淭hat the whole goal.�
淭he business landscape for a long time has been cannibalistic and dog-eat-dog,� Hayes says. 淭his generation of students is changing things. Exchanging ideas among diverse populations is allowing them to create a new business landscape, that is more relational and human � and more successful.�
Cleary 渋ntimate� setting lays a foundation for true interaction with students and faculty every day, Hayes says. That includes personal interactions with instructors, who also hail from diverse communities. 淚t enlightening,� Hayes notes. When 測ou檙e not just a number,� the ways you look at the world become known and influence and inspire those around you.
The Myths of Gen Z
Older generations assume things about Millennials and Gen Z, which are not borne out in fact. With 天美麻豆 now being led by a Millennial President (), it imperative to understand the strengths and assets that these younger populations bring not only to the business landscape, but to the world.
鈦夛笍 Myth: They only communicate via screens.
鈽戯笍 Truth: While that a viable form of communication for these generations, they are equally adept at face-to-face conversation, Hayes says. What more, they see ALL forms of communication as EQUAL and impactful.
淭hey believe that electronic communication is equally as real as a face-to-face conversation,� Hayes notes. 淚f you檙e interrupting a Snapchat conversation, you檙e interrupting a conversation. They are far more adept at different modes of communication than older generations tend to be.�
鈦夛笍 Myth: They know ALL forms of technologically.
鈽戯笍 Truth: Gen-Zers are actually technologically behind in some ways.
淭hey don檛 know how a lot of things work � like email. It far harder for a Gen-Zer to attach a document to an email than to stream a show or do instant communication. Being able to manipulate something or troubleshoot it is way beyond the pale. They need a lot of technological training.�
鈦夛笍 Myth: They檙e too outspoken, all the time.
鈽戯笍 Truth: Generation Z are a product of school systems where they were told 渢o sit down and shut up,� Hayes says. 淲e have to break these habits, and they檙e very hard to break. This generation is deathly afraid of being wrong because the consequences of being wrong resulted in not being able to play their sport or being chastised. It reinforced in media where a celebrity or politician isn檛 allowed to change their mind with new information.�
At Cleary, we are training students 渢hat this is the place to fail. They have permission to fail � because when you mess up, you figure out how it supposed to be. We檙e working on getting Gen Z to try new things, figure out how they work, and be willing to try even if though you might mess it up,� Hayes says.
鈦� Myth: Gen Z is totally and completely accepting of all ideas.
鈽戯笍 Truth: While this generation is far more idealistic than earlier generations, they have a confirmation bias from omission.
It isn’t that they don檛 want to see differences but, as Hayes notes. 淚n a human resources class, for example, when faced with a sexism scenario, they don檛 want to believe it exists because they haven’t ever experienced it in real life.澂
