Members of Generation Z are currently between eight and twenty-three years of age. They represent a large proportion of college and university students today and will for many years to come. So, have higher education institutions adapted to effectively attract Gen Z students to their campuses, foster optimal learning environments, and organize to support the academic, career, and life successes of these students? To do so, colleges and universities must first understand the Gen Z world context, their attributes and behaviors, along with their needs and expectations. This webinar will uncover the nature of Gen Z students and then, identify related strategies intended to create the transformational experiences required to best serve this population.

1. RECRUITING AND RETAINING
GEN Z STUDENTS
Presented by Dr. Jim Black
SEM Works, President & CEO

2. THE GEN Z WORLD
Gen Z Presentation

3. Generations by Birth Date

9. https://youtu.be/a7ff98PL2X4

11. Gen Z Context
Diversity
An African-American president
Legalization of gay marriages
Legalization of recreational marijuana
Cyber bullying
School shootings
Wars without borders
The Great Recession
“Fake news”
15 seconds of fame
A world without boundaries
The Internet of Things

12. Generation Z Attributes
The largest generation in the US population (25.9%)
By 2020, they will account for one-third of the US
population
They contribute $44 billion to the US economy annually
They are less likely than Millennials to:
Have a driver’s license by age 18
Have dated by age 18
Moved out of their parent’s home by age 30
Be married before age 30
Less focused with shorter attention spans
Better multi-taskers typically using multiple devices
Source: Huffington Post

13. How Are Generation Z Students
Different Than Millennials
Have higher expectations, especially related to access
to state-of-the-art technology and a need to feel
appreciated
More individualists; born on social media with 92%
having a digital footprint
More global in their thinking and interactions
More entrepreneurial
Sources: Huffington Post;
Barnes & Noble College

14. Source: VisionCritical

15. Source: VisionCritical

16. Source: VisionCritical

17. Gen Z Going to College
Source: Barnes & Noble College

18. Source: Barnes & Noble College

19. Source: The Center for
Generational Kinetics

20. Gen Z Context
“Today’s teens and college
students grew up hearing
horror stories about how
many Millennials ended up
living at home after college,
sitting on a mountain of
debt. So they tend to be
financially cautious.”
Source: Fast Company

21. Source: The Center for
Generational Kinetics

22. Choosing a College
Source: Barnes & Noble College

23. RECRUITMENT AND
RETENTION IMPLICATIONS
Gen Z Presentation

24. Marketing Implications
Gen Z students prefer visuals to reading
Generation Z prefers influencer marketing more than
Millennials do
Gen Z students use multiple digital platform—often
simultaneously
Like Millennials, Gen Z responds to marketing that is
authentic, and they don’t want to feel marketed to
You only have a few seconds to grab their attention, so
go straight to the point
Marketing and communications must possess
“Edutainment” value to engage this audience
Create ways that they can share their experiences with
your institution

25. Creating Memories

26. Recruitment Implications
It will be more difficult to recruit students from farther
away than ever before
Traditional mediums of advertising will be less
effective in the future
Shifting social media efforts towards Instagram,
Snapchat, YouTube, and digital ads with a more
focused use of Facebook for parents is prudent
While the preference for mail and email are declining,
they still have a place in your marketing mix
Websites and all electronic communications must be
smartphone enabled

27. Recruitment Implications
Gen Z students thrive on individuality, not to
be part of a group
Personalize everything
Focus on personal interaction strategies

28. Recruitment Implications
Create a “cool” campus visit experience
Fort Lewis’ yellow bag
York College’s Peppermint Patty
Faulkner University’s wall and mailboxes
High Point’s picture spots
Winthrop’s digital pictures
Hands-on experiences

29. Recruitment Implications
For many prospective students, your institutions most
daunting competitors will be workforce opportunities
and not seeing the value of a postsecondary credential
Clearly articulate your institution’s value proposition
Present proof points to validate your claims

30. Service Implications
Gen Z students are unlikely to engage with
services that are not easy and convenient to
use
Processes must be simple and intuitive
Become their college Google—a trusted source
Speed must be a strategic priority

31. Admissions Offer
Packet

32. Retention Implications
Many newly enrolled Gen Z students will struggle to:
Find their identity in a new environment
Determine the institutional fit with their personality, values, and goals
Overcome loneliness and a feeling of isolation
Reduce their dependency on social media and their parents
Cope with emotional and social issues
Multi-task with balance
Decode and relate to professors
Recognize the value of liberal arts classes
Learn in a structured environment

33. Source: Barnes & Noble College

34. Learn By Doing
Provide leadership
opportunities for students
who do NOT identify as
“leaders”
Shift service-learning to
social change
Scrap mandatory volunteer
requirements
Promote study abroad and
global emersion
experiences
Encourage internships and
field experiencesSource: Generation Z Goes to College

35. Source: Student Connections

36. Understanding and Supporting Their
Goals
Educational Goals
Career Goals
Life Goals

37. Shift Retention Strategies
Generic Retention Strategies
Segment Targeted Retention
Strategies
Customized Retention Strategies

38. Shift Retention Strategies

39. Gen Z Student Resources
https://www.beloit.edu/mindset/previouslists/2019/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u3DHMlE9LWk

40. Email any questions you may have to
Dr. Black at jimblack@semworks.net