Chapter 2 - Generation Z and the Traditional University

Summary

Despite their world-wide reputation, American colleges and universities graduate only about half their students in four years. Rates for students of color are significantly lower. Unless the lag between university structure and practices and today’s more diverse and more stressed generation of students is addressed, the situation will not improve. The traditional hierarchical structure organized around separate functions often leaves students caught, sometimes with drastic consequences, between administrative silos. In the private sector, that functional structure has given way to the integration of artificial intelligence, data analytics, and smart devices in pursuit of more seamless constituent service. Significant research on student retention and success already exists, but less is focused on structural and cultural changes in the institution. Several prominent institutions have begun the process of rethinking and integrating curriculum and faculty and staff functions toward the goal of a “student-centered university” focused on a holistic student experience.