Faculty often comment, a�?students of today are not what they used to bea��. What they mean is that the students of today have greater expectations of the institution they attend and of the faculty that teach them. When speaking to other administrators, they report that this is no different in their institutions.
According to Levine (as referenced by Reis, 2013), higher education administrators believe that there has been a shift in how students and their parents view higher education a�� from an educational model to one of consumerism. The millennial generation is the group of students that we are seeing now in higher education institutions. And, this group of students are seen as demanding, having a sense of entitlement, and yet, lack independence and coping skills. Furthermore, there is an increase in parent involvement not only in higher education but also in the workplace (Bartlett, LeRose, and Ridout 2012). CBC television, on their show a�?Doc Zonea�?, explored this phenomenon of a�?Hyper Parents and Coddled Kidsa�?. The children see their parents as their role models and are in constant, continual, and instantaneous contact with them on a daily basis (Levine, as referenced by Reis, 2013).
If we want to create the future generations of tomorrow, do we want this to continue? This seems to beA�a contradiction. We want toA�develop self-directed learners andA�are having difficulty becauseA�students have aA�hardA�time making decisions on their own. From personal experience, it is evident that as an institution, we need to meet the demands of todaya��s student and have the support systems in place for students to succeed. As a result, CADH provides students with faculty advisors, peer mentors, and administrative staff that track students on a close basis to help guide them to success.
References:
Reis, R. Reasons for Increased Parental Involvement in the Lives of Their Students. Tomorrowa��s Professor [eNewsletter], 1239. Available at: http://cgi.stanford.edu/~dept-ctl/cgi-bin/tomprof/posting.php.
Bartlett, S., LeRose, M., and Ridout, S. Hyper Parents and Coddled Kids [television show]. Doc Zone. CBC Television. October 13, 2012.
