University Times

It was not your father’s University Senate plenary session Oct. 21 when the spotlight veered from issues of shared governance to the current generation of undergraduate students.

“Interacting With the 21st-Century Student” featured a student roundtable on academic and social expectations in and out of the classroom. Kathy Humphrey, vice provost and dean of students, asked the questions.

Participating students were Lucas Briggs, a senior major in health and physical activity; Molly Humphreys, a senior dual-major in business and mathematics;Katlyn Jennings, a junior electrical engineering major; Kevin Morrison, a senior history major and Student Government Board president; Amanda Reed, a senior philosophy major, and Kari Rosenkaimer, a sophomore who has yet to declare a major.

Morrison also joined two faculty members and an administrator as a panelist at the plenary session.

(See Oct. 29 University Times for the first part of this two-part series.)

A packed William Pitt Union Assembly Room observed the students’ conversation, which focused on attitudes toward academic and social issues. This is a condensed version of that conversation.

Students, for example, defended texting as a part of their culture. They debated whether students should be treated as equals or as adults, and whether the two categories were equivalent. They offered tips for faculty on how to better engage students.

To begin the conversation, Humphrey reminded the audience that today’s students have not shared the same influential life experiences as their elders.

“Who are these millennials?” Humphrey asked. “This year’s freshmen were born in 1990 or 1991. Let’s just let that soak in for a minute.”

In their lifetimes, Humphrey said, members of the class of 2013 have known only three presidents. They are too young to remember the space shuttle exploding. Nelson Mandela has always been free. Their lifetime has always included AIDS. Wal-Mart has always been a larger retailer than Sears.

Atari predates them. They grew up with mini-vans. They do not care who shot J.R.

“They are the second largest generation after baby boomers. They are wireless, yet fully connected,” Humphrey said. “Thanks to MySpace and Facebook, biographies can happen in real time. The Soviet Union has never existed, and therefore is about as scary as the student union. They have grown up in a politically correct universe in which multi-culturalism has been ever-present, the world has been organized around globalization and everybody knows the news before the TV evening news comes on.”

Kathy Humphrey: What encourages you to be actively engaged in the educational process and to be on your best behavior? What is your favorite class or favorite instructor?

Amanda Reed: I would point to one of my professors with whom I’ve had a great relationship. She told us where she was from, where she went to school, how she got into her field. She treated us as if we were equals, not lecturing down to us, so we could feel comfortable. She related to us on a generational level, too, referring to things in pop culture.

Molly Humphreys: I like faculty who have made an effort to help you out. They treat you, not really as equals, because they are the professor, the expert, but they recognize that you’re giving up your time to be there and that you want to be there. They make you feel welcome.

Katlyn Jennings: I like professors who make you feel comfortable in the classroom, because that makes you pay attention a lot more. Maybe they tell a few jokes, and you start relaxing and so you get the idea that the learning process is fun instead of them just giving you notes after notes after notes.

Do you mean they entertain you?

Katlyn Jennings: Not in the sense of entertaining, but in the sense that I’d rather have [lighthearted moments] and not have just a monotonous voice covering material. If they would give examples, or divert from straight lecturing, that helps.

Lucas Briggs: I agree: Be enthusiastic about the topic.

Kevin Morrison: We know they’re experts. But are they excited about the material? Can they communicate that? The best professors are the best public speakers, the ones who get rid of technology and you have an instructor and student [relationship]. The best instructors are the ones that speak effectively, engage the students in conversation and are enthusiastic.

Molly Humphreys: I also like the ones who get there ahead of time, are accessible to talk to, follow the class schedule.

Katlyn Jennings: I really like it when the teacher knows everyone’s name. One of my professors, he already knew a lot of us from previous classes, and he would say, “Oh, hi, you’re here now, but you sat over there in the other class.” It’s nice to see they want to know you on a personal level.

Kevin Morrison: Especially in upper-level courses. For one thing, it recognizes that you’re legitimate. If you’re taking a capstone course, for example, you’ve been in the major a while, you’re serious about the subject and you should be respected for that.

How about your least favorite class? What creates a psychological distance between you and your instructor?

Molly Humphreys: I hate when you never see their eyes. When they’re constantly writing down things on a blackboard, it seems like they’re more interested in the facts on the blackboard than in the students.

Amanda Reed: Part of it is the difference between required classes versus those in our interests. If we’re already interested, it’s easier to feel engaged. But I’ve had required classes where it’s been real interactive and I loved it and it made me want to take more classes in that subject.

Lucas Briggs: I don’t like it when there’s an overuse of PowerPoints — no conversations, no examples. We would actually sit in class and raise our hands just to see how long it took for the professor to look up and see us.

Kari Rosenkaimer: I had a teacher in urban sociology who did not take advantage of the fact that we are in an urban setting, going out to neighborhoods, et cetera. That didn’t make sense to me.

I’ve also had graduate students teaching. You’d think they would be able to relate to us more, being closer in age and [career path], but there is a language barrier.

How do you deal with the language barrier? It’s a part of our world, right?

Kevin Morrison: Students can accommodate that. The University has language requirements for instructors, but if it doesn’t always work you need to talk with the professor. Usually the professor will do something, take some steps to improve or be clearer.

Regarding the use of technology in the classroom: If you were the professor, what rules would you enforce?

Lucas Briggs: It depends on how big the class is. In a large class, there is no way to enforce no texting. But I’d much rather allow texting in class than have students talking during class, which actually is more disruptive.

Kevin Morrison: I would allow texting in my class. I think for students today, it doesn’t bother us, and talking is more disruptive.

But you have to pick your battles. I’ll let you text, but there’s no way I’ll let you use your iPods or go on Facebook.

You have to set your rules, and the syllabus is part of that. Set your expectations of behavior.

But I also think our definition of acceptable behavior is very different. Professors are always going to have a say in how we behave in class, but it’s not always going to be what we find acceptable.

I see no conflict from text messaging while you’re having a regular conversation. I’m great at that. I think some professors here would find it insulting, but a lot of times we don’t realize that. It just doesn’t occur to us.

But why do you need to be texting?

Kari Rosenkaimer: Just because I’m texting doesn’t mean I’m not paying attention. We are a multi-tasking society where we can do more things at once. It just means that somebody sent me this message and [texting etiquette] insists that I have to respond immediately.

What are you texting about?

Amanda Reed: Usually, it’s about something that needs to be done right now. Can you forward me that information, I need it for my next class? Or it might involve plans for this evening. Or about something that has to done right away for an event. Usually it’s important.

You know that a lot of folks feel disrespected by texting in their classroom. What would it take to get you not to do it?

Kevin Morrison: I do it more in my less interesting classes. But to be honest, I would probably still do it even if the professor said not to.

But you believe that if the professor really engages you then you would not do it?

Kevin Morrison: I’m saying I would do it less, but even in my best classes I still do it.

We’ve heard about PowerPoint issues, but what are effective uses of technology?

Kari Rosenkaimer: When PowerPoint [presentations] are not online on Courseweb, it forces you to come to class.

So you won’t come to class if you get it ahead of time?

Kari Rosenkaimer: Exactly, not if I can do on my own.

Katlyn Jennings: In science courses it’s beneficial, because the material is structured, you build chains; you look at chains of different things. It is nice to have in advance.

Lucas Briggs: I’ve had the experience of having the PowerPoint in advance and I still don’t understand the material. Then I’ll go to class to learn.

What are the guidelines for good communication?

Katlyn Jennings: Text messages to a professor? No, that shouldn’t happen. It just doesn’t seem right.

If not text messages, what is appropriate? Kevin, you said you felt you were an equal to your professors. How does that affect how you communicate with them?

Kevin Morrison: I think it depends on the professor. I’ve had a professor say, “If you’re going to send me an email, it needs to be worded in a professional, proper manner, with capitalization and so on.” I think that’s appropriate. That can also prepare you for communicating after college.

But if I do send an email and it conforms to the professor’s wishes, I don’t want a one-word response back. That’s very annoying. I understand, especially in, say, a large biology class, no professor wants 75 emails the week before the exam. In that case, maybe the professor can send a group email, saying, “These are the common questions I’ve got; here are the answers for the benefit of everybody.” When you take the time to word out an email properly, and get back a “yes,” or “no” or “we’ll talk about this in class,” that’s frustrating. So it’s a two-way street.

I think our reliance on email and not face-to-face interactions — our professors see that as the biggest deficiency in our generation.

Lucas Briggs: I would address my email questions as though I’m writing to a supervisor or boss, formally at first, but after a feeling-out period that may change things, so it becomes a more informal communication.

Do you agree that starting out viewing your professor as a boss works?

Kari Rosenkaimer: Yes, there always should be a line there, between student and professor. In my mind, the professor is the professor. They are the ones lecturing me, teaching me, and I feel if the professor becomes too lax in the situation, that line is crossed. I feel a lot of students become disrespectful when they cross the line, too.

Kevin Morrison: It’s the tone-setting: how they introduce themselves.

Did you expect to earn the same grades here as you did in high school and if so, why?

Katlyn Jennings: I feel like our generation is pushed to do well in everything. It’s not a choice. Yeah, college is harder, but at the same time, you’re still expected to get good grades. That does mean that you have to work harder, but it’s assumed you will.

Kevin Morrison: I think it’s different for each student. One attitude — and this is not me at all — some students see themselves as a paying customer and because they are a paying customer they deserve good grades all the time.

Kari Rosenkaimer: The thing about it though is what’s expected by our future employers, they expect good grades.

In high school you needed good grades to get into a good college and now in college you need good grades to get into grad school or be employed. It’s not necessarily that you’re expecting it, it’s that you have to.

Katlyn Jennings: We have always been pushed like that to be very competitive. My parents have taught that: You need to be at the top of your class, you need to get into the best universities.

Kevin Morrison: This whole obsession starts in the 8th grade when you take the math test to see which section of math you’ll be in. It continues in high school. If you don’t get into the honors class freshman year, you’re not going to get in the honors class sophomore year, you’re not going to get into AP classes and you’re going to die old and alone. It’s a full cycle. If you screw up early on, that’s it.

They say this generation is a little more emotional and more depressed. Do you think that’s true?

Katlyn Jennings: I think there’s more diagnoses, not necessarily more depressed people.

Kevin Morrison: There are more mental health categories today.

Lucas Briggs: If you see TV ads there are like a million conditions you can have.

Katlyn Jennings: There’s also more self-diagnosis. We’re turning into a generation of hypochondriacs.

Much has been made of this generation having “helicopter parents.” What about your parents?

Amanda Reed: I’ve always been independent. I worked during the summers, I paid my own bills, and I managed my credit cards. My mom wanted me to build credit, so she helped me.

Kevin Morrison: I think it depends on the student. Personally, for me, my parents raised me in a tough house, but that prepared me so that when I came to college I was able to handle things on my own. But I know lot of kids who talk to their parents every day. They can’t help themselves.

Molly Humphreys: I talk to my parents quite frequently. They’re my support group outside of college. I don’t think it’s a bad thing.

Lucas Briggs: Parents need to chill out. When I first came here my parents wanted to call every day, and I said, “No. You call not more than once a week.” I told them I didn’t want to turn into a momma’s boy.

Kevin Morrison: I do think our generation is more sheltered, and not as mature as a result. I think the difference is when your parents start calling your professors.

What would you do about that?

Kevin Morrison: I’d tell my professors to hang up on them.

Can you summarize tips on what faculty can do to help students in the classroom?

Kari Rosenkaimer: Don’t get offended by our texting.

Lucas Briggs: Treat us with respect.

Molly Humphreys: Yes, respect. Make it fun and interesting. This is supposed to be the best time of our lives.

Kevin Morrison: Treat us as equals. Don’t baby us, come down hard. If we’re not treating you with respect, tell us what’s unacceptable. Don’t let us get away with it.

Amanda Reed: Make courses exciting and engaging in the classroom. Enjoy what you’re teaching.

Following the roundtable conversation, the students took questions from the audience.

One faculty member cited a recent Atlantic Monthly article on Google.

“The point of the article was that a lot of millennials use Google to just find an answer without learning anything on how to figure out an answer. I teach a course in problem-solving. I find a lot of students want to go right to the answer without learning the process of problem-solving. Any advice?”

Amanda Reed: We live in a culture of instant gratification. Google is one of my best friends. It is important to learn how to problem-solve, and I was fortunate that one of my better classes was a class in logic. I think it’s on a personal level, if you want to learn that, you do. What I would advise you is to make it fun.

Lucas Briggs: You can make tests so that students have to explain how they get the answers, explain the process they went through.

Molly Humphreys: Learning problem-solving is very important to me as a math major. If I don’t know how to do it, I try to teach myself, and Google can help with that.

Another questioner asked: Is there a difference for the students between being treated with respect by faculty and treated as equals by them?

Katlyn Jennings: I think when you say “equals” a lot of people cringe. I think adults is better.

Kari Rosenkaimer: As college students, we are 18 and we are adults, but I do think treated as equals is the same thing. I just don’t want to be coddled.

Kevin Morrison: I guess what I meant before is to treat us the way we’re going to be treated in a professional working environment, how we’ll be treated in the workplace.

A faculty member asked about group project work and the potential for some students taking advantage of others by not doing as much work. “Can you comment on the value added versus the problem of less than thorough participation by all members?”

Katlyn Jennings: In engineering they do that a lot, because in the field you do tend to work with other people. It can be beneficial because it’s always helpful to have someone verify what you’re thinking or add on to it.

It’s true in college you can fudge a little bit, but you can’t do that in the workplace. It’s happened to me that someone won’t be able to meet, because it’s so hard to find the time. I won’t wait till they’re available. It’s great if you can meet with me, but I’m not going to fail the class just because you’re not going to help me out.

So I think two or maybe three people is okay, but bigger groups don’t work because it’s so hard to find the time.

Kari Rosenkaimer: Our professor made us turn in exactly what everybody did. While that still could be fabricated, you can compare and contrast what each of the students said about the work they did.

If you didn’t do the work, I’m going to write that down. I’m not going to allow you to get away with it. I think that helps.

Kevin Morrison: I’ve had group work assignments and I’m totally against them. I see the argument that small groups are useful because in the workplace you’re going to have to work in groups.

But there’s a huge difference. In the workplace you have to work in groups because it’s your job and if you don’t do the work, you get fired. But for students, if you don’t do the work, chances are someone else will pick up the slack. There’s no incentive.

Also the workplace is just that: a place where you work. For students to have to work outside the classroom with others is a nightmare.

I don’t think group work reinforces good group behavior because there’s no incentive. Every time I get in that situation I tell my group, “I’ll do it. Just leave me alone and I’ll do it.” I just don’t want to deal with that frustration of relying on others when it could make me look bad.

One questioner asked how students are going to reconcile their texting obsession with the workplace.

“Should we design a text-ing-withdrawal class for you to break this habit? We’re going to have a generation that comes out and feels like texting is normal behavior in the workplace. Well, it’s not. When you’re at a staff meeting, you can’t be texting.”

Katlyn Jennings: I think students know. I don’t even have my phone with me, because I know I’m not going to text during this [plenary session]. Students understand when it’s inappropriate.

Kevin Morrison: I think society and the workplace have to get ready for the fact that we are going to be texting. We’re going to keep coming. It’s the workplace that will have to change.

Another questioner asked about students’ motivation.

“The University exists to make better citizens, to help students learn to think and not what your parents tell you all your lives: ‘Go to college to make money.’ Do you agree with that?”

Kevin Morrison: I was expected to go to a university. My future was charted out, high school, college, grad school and then a PhD. I think parents want more for their kids than what they had and I think that’s natural.

My best classes get me excited about learning. Even in my “gen ed” classes, they got me pumped. I think that’s a professor’s job: Teach the information but also teach a love of learning.

Katlyn Jennings: I agree that our generation is in it for the money. For me, it’s a love of learning. Teach toward that.

Kari Rosenkaimer: “Gen ed” classes are extremely important, because that’s where freshman year you figure out what your interests are. The more engaging you are, no matter what the subject, the more learning becomes important.

One audience member questioned whether the students’ attitude that their generation is different wasn’t merely an excuse for nonconformity. “You say, ‘I want to be treated as an equal or treated with respect’ and then you sit there and text in front of your professor. That doesn’t wash. Does it go back to your parents letting you do whatever you wanted?”

Molly Humphreys: I think we take our cues from our professors. I’ve had a professor answer a cell phone in class. If he thinks it’s okay, he’s telling me it’s okay to text. We learn from them. In terms of asking for respect, we mean being treated as adults, and recognizing our differences.

Amanda Reed: I don’t see the attitude. I want to be treated like I treat others. Most students do respect their professors, it’s what we’re used to.

I had a professor call me out in class and say, “Oh, Amanda is just trying to earn her participation points for the day.” I was taken aback by that, to be embarrassed in front of my peers, and for the rest of the semester I was in a bad mood in that class. I didn’t want to be there, because the professor created that relationship with me in front of my peers.

We just expect to be treated with respect. I don’t think it’s a generational thing.

—Peter Hart