48 - Gonzaga University

Who are your students?

Outline   

Student development theory Millennial, post-millennial, etc. GU students specifically

Student Development theory

Nancy Schlossberg’s Theory of Mattering and Marginality (1989) When people begin a new experience they can feel uneasy about their ability and what their role is or should be in that experience. Marginality results in self-consciousness. Selfconsciousness results in the inability to perform up to one’s capabilities. When people believe that they matter, marginality diminishes. Students succeed when they are appreciated by others and receive positive attention.

Nancy Schlossberg’s Theory of Mattering and Marginality (1989)    

 

Mattering includes: Attention: being noticed Importance: believing one is cared about Ego Extension: belief that someone else will be proud of their successes or sympathize with their failures Dependence: being needed Appreciation: feeling that one’s efforts are appreciated by others

Discussion 

How does this relate to our interactions with our own students? How can we make students feel like they matter in the classroom/lab/office hours?

Chickering & Reisser’s Seven Vectors of Development (1993) 1. Achieving competence 2. Managing emotions 3. Moving through autonomy toward interdependence. 4. Developing mature interpersonal relationships. 5. Establishing identity. 6. Developing purpose. 7. Developing integrity.

Who are these people and what are their values?

Consulting companies  

Industry devoted to figuring out young people Institutions (education and otherwise) rely on these consultants to understand what it is that a particular generation cares about and ultimately will want to BUY!

Discussion 

How would you describe the students that you have encountered so far at Gonzaga? What are some of their positive and negative traits?

Millennials? 



Born after 1981; come into early adulthood around 2000 Traits  Special,

confident, sheltered, team-oriented, achieving, pressured, conventional

 



Defined by technology Parented by “helicopter parents” – educated, overly concerned, BOLD! Millennials are aware of the term and don’t like it!

Get rid of the terms like “Millennials”! 

Santilli argues that we should define the period between adolescence and young adulthood as “emerging adulthood” while still acknowledging changes in generations (marrying later, putting off becoming parents).  Five

essential qualities of emerging adulthood: identity exploration, instability, self-focus, feelings of transition, and openness to possibilities



Santilli also acknowledges the match/overlap between the Jesuit education model and emerging adulthood

Sweeping generalizations aren’t a good idea 



Singham is amazed that the same professors and educators who quickly stereotype students in terms of generation are the same professors who display great sensitivity when it comes to gender and ethnic stereotypes Singham argues that what we think we know about students prevents us from actually getting to know them!

Okay, so who are our students?

Changes from 1990 to 2010 1990

1995

2000

2005

2008

2010

Number of freshman surveyed

260

560

604

784

922

920

Father – BA or higher

51%

67%

72%

74%

71%

74%

Mother – BA or higher

49%

58%

63%

68%

70%

75%

A+, A, or A- high school avg

49%

64%

70%

67%

64%

72%

“very good” chance of B avg at 56% GU

62%

61%

65%

61%

86%

B- or lower high school avg

3%

4%

1%

2%

0.4%

11%

GU Division of Student Life Research Notes, Spring 2011, Number 5

Reasons for choosing GU 1990

1995

2000

2005

2008

2010

Very good academic reputation 66%

80%

76%

77%

80%

76%

Offered financial assistance

57%

64%

59%

62%

65%

71%

Graduates get good jobs

50%

55%

60%

59%

61%

62%

Religious affiliation

24%

30%

25%

27%

26%

24%

Good reputation for social activities

13%

28%

31%

42%

50%

57%

GU Division of Student Life Research Notes, Spring 2011, Number 5

When asked to “rate yourself compared to peers”, percentages of GU freshman who considered that they were above average or in the Top 10%

1990

1995

2000

2005

2008

2010

Academic ability

76%

85%

82%

83%

79%

88%

Emotional health

54%

65%

55%

60%

61%

66%

Leadership ability

55%

68%

67%

69%

66%

74%

Self-confidence socially

42%

54%

50%

53%

52%

58%

Writing ability

46%

57%

56%

51%

57%

58%

GU Division of Student Life Research Notes, Spring 2011, Number 5

Activities during senior year in high school

1990

1995

2000

2005

2008

2010

Performed volunteer work

80%

89%

92%

96%

96%

96%

Tutored another student

62%

63%

60%

61%

59%

70%

Drank beer

60%

45%

54%

50%

43%

37%

Drank wine/liquor

61%

55%

57%

55%

48%

38%

No hour per week partying

22%

19%

23%

20%

35%

46%

GU Division of Student Life Research Notes, Spring 2011, Number 5

Life goals that are essential or very important 1990

1995

2000

2005

2008

2010

63%

60%

62%

64%

69%

75%

38%

24%

18%

26%

36%

28%

41%

33%

51%

55%

61%

60%

Promote racial understanding

48%

38%

30%

39%

39%

37%

Raise a family

68%

71%

72%

79%

80%

84%

Be very well off financially Become involved in cleaning up environment Develop a meaningful philosophy of life

GU Division of Student Life Research Notes, Spring 2011, Number 5

“One of the most important tasks of the academic advisor is mediating the dissonance between student expectations and the realities of the educational experience.” •

Wes Habley

Percentage of respondents saying that there is a “very good chance” that they will: All

Arts

Science

Bus.

Eng.

Health

Change major

15%

27%

6%

14%

0%

6%

Change career choice Work to help pay for college expenses Participate in volunteer or community service

17%

28%

14%

14%

4%

6%

49%

50%

54%

44%

42%

54%

50%

56%

46%

42%

38%

62%

Study abroad Be satisfied with college experience

48%

55%

43%

52%

14%

44%

71%

71%

73%

70%

74%

67%

GU Division of Student Life Research Notes, Spring 2008, Number 3

Other places where dissonance might occur: •

•

68% of incoming male students and 75% of incoming female students had a high school GPA of A- or above. Only 36% studied 11 or more hours per week in High School. (Nationwide, college students report studying an average of only 13 – 14 hours per week, about half what their professors think is necessary to keep up.) GU Division of Student Life Research Notes, Spring 2011, Number 3

Reported grade point averages of seniors, overall and in the major: All

Arts

Science

Bus.

Eng.

Overall, A- or above

43%

43%

43%

43%

43%

Overall, B or B+

48%

47%

52%

48%

48%

Major, A- or above

55%

67%

37%

50%

28%

Major, B or B+

37%

29%

57%

37%

47%

GU Division of Student Life Research Notes, Spring 2008, Number 1

Percentage of senior respondents saying that they spent 11 or more hours per week on: All

Arts

Science

Bus.

Eng.

Studying or doing homework

38%

34%

56%

27%

69%

Socializing with friends

48%

47%

36%

57%

49%

Exercising or sports

14%

12%

9%

20%

16%

Partying

15%

12%

9%

24%

20%

GU Division of Student Life Research Notes, Spring 2008, Number 1

Expectations versus reality 

 





Eight percent of college seniors are “proficient” at level 3 math, up from 5 percent of freshmen. Eleven percent of college seniors are “proficient” at level 3 writing. Six percent of college seniors are “proficient” in critical thinking, 77 percent are “not proficient”. Less than 13 percent of college students achieve basic competence in a language other than English Less than 34 percent of college students earn credit for an international studies class; of those who do, only 13 percent take more than four classes. Less than 10 percent of college students participate in study abroad programs.

Academic Profile, Educational Testing Service (2003–04); Clifford Adelman, “‘Global Preparedness’ of Pre-9/11 College Graduates: What the U.S. Longitudinal Studies Say,” Tertiary Education and Management 10 (2004): 243.

Who are your students?

References for Student Development Theories 





Schlossberg, Nancy K. “Mattering and Marginality: Key Issues in Building Community” New Directions for Student Services, 1989, 48, pp. 5-15. Chickering, Arthur & Reisser, Linda (1993). Education and Identity. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass Publishers. Skipper, Tracy L. (2005). ”Chapter 2: Psychosocial Theories of Student Development” in Student Development in the First College Year: A Primer for College Educators Columbia, SC: University of South Carolina, National Resource Center for The FirstYear Experience and Students in Transition.

References for Millennials 







Howe, N. and Strauss, W. (2000) Millennials Rising: The Next Great Generation, New York: Random House, Inc. Santilli, Nicholas (2010) “Don’t Call Us Millennials!” in Conversations on Jesuit Higher Education: Vol 37, Article 6. Singham, Mano “More Than ‘Millennials’: Colleges Must Look Beyond Generational Stereotypes” The Chronicle of Higher Education, Oct. 2009. Hoover, Eric “The Millennial Muddle” The Chronicle of Higher Education, Oct. 2009.