Today’s students have characteristics and expectations that present unique challenges to those of us charged with serving, assisting and supporting them through their educational experience. They were raised in very different social environments and have had very different formative experiences than any previous generation. Their consumer expectations, self-esteem/ self-importance issues, use of technology, and styles of interacting (not to mention their parents) can impact and interfere our successful work with them. In this session participants
will come to understand their modal traits, how these traits can affect our services, and how bursars can balance policy and customer service expectations to contribute to student persistence and student success.

Dr. Mark Taylor is an educator dedicated to helping colleges and universities better understand and serve our students for learning, development, persistence and successful integration into the ?after college? world. His pragmatic information and suggestions, grounded in data, has made Dr. Taylor a popular speaker, workshop leader and training consultant with numerous schools, colleges, businesses and professional organizations across the country.

He has a Bachelors degree in Psychology and Biology, a Masters degree in Social Work and a Doctorate in Counseling, all from the University of Arkansas. He holds academic appointments at Arkansas State University at Beebe and in the Graduate School at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock.

Building on over 25 years of experience in higher education, management and as a psychotherapist, Dr. Taylor’s resume reflects numerous professional publications and presentations at state, regional, and national events, as well as programs and consultations at over 100 schools in 38 states. He consults with businesses, including large corporations like 20th Century Fox, Wal-Mart and the US Army, on improving the efficiency of their multigenerational workplaces and more successfully recruiting and incorporating workers from all age cohorts; especially Generation NeXt. His recent articles include ?Helicopters, Snowplows, and Bulldozers: Managing Student?s Parents? and ?Generation NeXt Goes to Work?.