CaptureHigherEd's video: New Generation New Expectations: Retaining Generation Z in Higher Education

Generation Z is beginning to enter the workforce, and in many cases, they will bypass college entirely. Yet many of this young generation say college is important to them. What is it that Gen z wants from their college experience? What do employers expect of them? Finally, how can colleges remain relevant? The Department of Accounting at Southeast Missouri State University undertook a study to find out. What they discovered, by gleaning through a lot of other research, are sixteen characteristics that define who Gen Z is, what they value, and what colleges might emphasize. In this presentation, which will be excellent for not only recruiters and admissions personnel but those who design the college curriculum itself, we’ll look at those characteristics and what they mean. Finally, we’ll look at some proposals for how colleges can attract and retain students. A big focus, unsurprisingly, is career development. Gen Z is a generation that knows what it wants—or mostly so. By adapting to the needs of this upcoming generation and their future employers, colleges can remain stakeholders in the conversation.