Effectively Communicating with Parents:

1
Effectively Communicating with Parents  
Addressing the Needs of Baby Boomers, GenXers,
and First Generation College Parents
Marjorie SavageParent Program Director
2
Agenda What Well Talk About

• Todays Parents and College-Parent Relations
• Boomer Characteristics
• GenX Characteristics
• Similarities, differences
• Non-generational issues
• Implications

3
Definitions

• Parents/Family
• Primary support system
• Generational terms
• Baby Boomers (born between 1946 and 1960, 1962 or
  1964, depending on who defines them)
• Generation X (born between 1961, 1963, or 1965 to
  1981, depending on who defines them)
• Millennials (born 1982 or laterno terminology or
  span of birth years yet for post-Millennials)
• First Generation
• First generation Americans
• First generation college students

4
Definitions

• Why work with parents?
• Cost of college
• Level of communication between students and
  parents
• Parents as a key secondary audience
• Expectations No Child Left Behind
• Parents seek institutional affinity

5
Is Parent Involvement New?

• Parent programs have been around for nearly 100
  years
• Parents have always been involved, especially
  those with social capital
• Whats new is consumerism of higher education

6
Parent Program Status

• Family programs have been established based on
  needs/demands of Baby Boomers
• Parent services are primarily a product of
  four-year colleges and universities
• Goals of programs differ depending on schools
  public/private status

7
Parent Program Development
Data from National College and University Parent
Programs Survey 2007. N193
8
Size of Institution

• Small schools 36.9
• Mid-size 40.3
• Large 22.7

Data from National College and University Parent
Programs Survey 2007. N193
9
Program Placement
Reporting structure for parent programs
Placement Public Private
Advancement/Alumni 15.40 50.50
Student Affairs 73.60 34.50
Other 11.00 15.00
Data from National College and University Parent
Programs Survey 2007. N193
10
The Media Image of College Parents

• Names
• Helicopters
• Lawn mowers
• Stealth bombers
• Submarines
• Image
• Overly involved
• Intrusive
• Manipulative

11
An International Phenomenon

• Great Britain The Agent, Banker, White Knight
• Japan Kyoiku Mamas, Monster Parent
• Singapore Kiasu Parent
• Scandinavia Curling Parents

12
Overview of Todays Parents

• Traditional students
• Students born 1985-1990
• Generation Millennials (aka GenY)
• Parents, Class of 2012
• Parents born anywhere from 1940s to 1970s
• Generation Silent, Boomer and GenXers

13
Movies for the Ages

• Boomers
• The Graduate (1967)
• To Sir with Love (1967)
• American Graffiti (1973)
• Paper Chase (1973)

14
Movies for the Ages

• Cusp Boomers to GenXers
• Animal House (1978)
• Grease (1978)
• Fame (1980)

15
Movies for the Ages

• GenXersFirst Wave
• Fast Times at Ridgemont High (1982)
• Revenge of the Nerds (1984)
• Breakfast Club (1985)
• Ferris Buellers Day Off (1986)

16
Movies for the Ages

• GenXersSecond Wave
• Stand and Deliver (1988)
• Dead Poets Society (1989) (set in 1950s)
• Heathers (1989)

17
Technology for the Ages

• Boomers
• Transistor radios, Color TV, Princess
  telephones/second phone, Room-size computers
• GenXers
• Walkman, Cable TV, Cordless telephones, Home
  computers
• Millennials
• iPods, Netflix/Roku, Cell phones, Laptops

18
Technology for the Ages

• Douglas Adams rules related to technology
• Anything that is in the world when youre born is
  normal and ordinary and is just a natural part of
  the way the world works.
• Anything thats invented between when youre
  fifteen and thirty-five is new and exciting and
  revolutionary and you can probably get a career
  in it.
• Anything invented after youre thirty-five is
  against the natural order of things.
• From The Salmon of Doubt, 2001

19
Overview of College Parents Today

• Age 36 to 65, plus or minus
• About half of Millennials are children of
  boomers half are children of GenXers

20
Overview of College Parents Today

• Commonalities between Boomers and GenXers
• Have a good relationship with their children are
  their childrens best advisers
• Theyand their studentshave choices
• Multiple learning styles
• No Child Left Behind

21
Overview of College Parents Today
Would you like a return to more traditional standards? Boomers 1977 Xers 1997 Boomers 1997
Family life 56 73 76
Parental responsibility 47 70 75
Schools 40 58 62
Social relationships 23 41 44
Sexual relationships 20 46 46
Work 19 33 41
Homemaking 16 35 42
Source Yankelovich MONITOR      
22
Overview of College Parents Today

• Differences
• Boomer Characteristics
• OlderMore patience, more money
• Career identifies the individual
• Theme Anything should be possible
• GenX Characteristics
• YoungerGenerally less disposable income
• Career must fit lifestyle lifestyle must fit
  family
• Theme Anything should be available

23
Implications

• Private vs. Public work time
• Multiple learning styles
• Different parent messages
• Rebellion looks different
• Parent relationship to college is different
• Post-college expectations are different
• Expectation about student services

24
Implications

• Boomers Question Authority
• Xers Savvy
• Both groups project their outlook on their
  children

25
Implications

• What really matters
• Culture/ethnicity
• Economic status
• Parents education

26
Implications
Student satisfaction with parent involvement Who wants more parent involvement? Student satisfaction with parent involvement Who wants more parent involvement? Student satisfaction with parent involvement Who wants more parent involvement? Student satisfaction with parent involvement Who wants more parent involvement? Student satisfaction with parent involvement Who wants more parent involvement? Student satisfaction with parent involvement Who wants more parent involvement? Student satisfaction with parent involvement Who wants more parent involvement? Student satisfaction with parent involvement Who wants more parent involvement?
Factor White Black Black Native Amer. Native Amer. Asian Latino
Dealings with college officials 12.10 12.10 20.50 20.50 20.70 33.30 32.20
Choosing college courses 18.60 18.60 33.40 33.40 28.80 37.40 43.50
Choosing college activities 16.10 16.10 33.70 33.70 27.80 39.60 43.30
               
From Higher Education Research Institute, 2007
27
Implications

• The technology gap
• Is it real?
• Can it be overcome?

28
Implications

• First Generation college status matters
• First Generation students enter college less
  prepared, get lower grades, and are more likely
  to drop out
• More First Generation students take remedial
  courses
• More First Generation students enter college
  without an intended major
• Data from National Center for Education
  Statistics 2005

29
Implications

• Financial status matters
• Families are expected to contribute to students
  expenses if they dont have the funds, are not
  credit-worthy, student cannot afford college
• Students who work more than 15 hours a week are
  less successful
• Families with the largest loans are those with
  annual incomes between 40,000-105,000

30
Implications

• Culture matters
• Traditional student development theory does not
  fit all cultures
• Strong family ties are threatened by the
  separation that education brings
• Whats intrusive for some families is not for
  others

31
Implications

• FERPA
• Talk about policy, whats typical
• Explain how parents can get information
• Work with new professionals on how to handle
  FERPA
• Work with faculty on institutions relationship
  with parents

32
Implications

• Key Parent Messages
• Provide action steps
• Normalize behaviors/emotions
• Discuss the critical issues
• Finances
• Mental health
• Physical health
• Crisis communications

33
Implications

• Parents will call regarding
• Financial aid/billing questions
• Housing/roommate issues
• Course selection/academic advising
• Career planning
• Mental health concerns
• Physical health concerns
• Safety
• Faculty dispute
• Other

34
Implications

• How do parents help us?

• Contribute to student success
• Reinforce our messages
• Provide just-in-time messages

35
Predictions

• Participant Question What may change in
  college-parent relations based on
• Todays economy?
• National call for volunteerism?
• President Obamas call for parents/individuals to
  take responsibility?

36
Predictions

• What may change?
• Communication style and frequency
• More clearly defined parent roles
• Financial implications of higher education could
  be a significant parent issue

37
Conclusions

• Were looking for appropriate parent involvement
• Parents dont know whats appropriate
• Student doesnt know
• We need to define appropriate
• Explain parents role in terms of student
  development, but keep culture in mind

38
Conclusions

• Key messages for parents
• Heres what your student can do
• Heres what your student is learning.
• Crisis message Heres what happened, what were
  doing, when well know more, how you can help
  your student.
• Heres where we need your help.
• Consistency is critical across campus,
• across the years

39
Parent Outcomes

• Families contribute to student success by
• Understanding the student experience and knowing
  about resources available at the University of
  Minnesota.
• Supporting the Universitys goals for student
  development outcomes
• Knowing when to step in to help their student and
  when to empower their student to take
  responsibility
• Developing an affinity for the University of
  Minnesota

40
Discussion

• What changes have you seen in families at your
  institution in the past three years?
• Whats the biggest reason for the changes youve
  seen generation or culture?
• Do you think your parent messages reach all
  families? If not, why not?
• Do you need different communication methods?
• Do you need different messages?

41
Contact Information

• Marjorie Savage
• Parent Program Director
• University of Minnesota
• Phone [phone], e-mail mbsavage_at_umn.edu
• Web site www.parent.umn.edu

42
Resources

• Parent Outcomes
• http//www.parent.umn.edu/about.html
• National Survey of College University Parent
  Programs
• http//www.parent.umn.edu/parentsurveys.html
• Wartman, Katherine Lynk and Savage, Marjorie
  (2008). Parental Involvment in Higher Education
  Understanding the Relationship Among Students,
  Parents, and the Institution. San Francisco
  Jossey Bass, ASHE Higher Education Report, Vol
  33., No. 6.
• Carney-Hall, Karla C., ed. (2008). Managing
  Parent Partnerships Maximizing Influence,
  Minimizing Interference, and Focusing on Student
  Success. San Francisco Jossey Bass, New
  Directions for Student Services, No. 122.