The future is bright after all for the Augusta area workforce and young men specifically.
My column last week on the struggles of young men in America was probably as saddening for many of you as it was for me.
I have always seen this country as a land of great opportunity, and the plight of young men chronicled last week put some doubt in my mind for the first time. However, I am fortunate to teach in Augusta University’s (AU) Hull College of Business (HCoB), so as I interact with my classes since writing my column last week, I realized that the young men (and young women) in my classes are not struggling with many of the issues identified in that column. Rather, they are thriving on many fronts. At a minimum, that is good news for businesses and the economy in Augusta and in the State of Georgia. It also shows that the combination of talent, good parenting, hard work, and well-rounded higher education programming allows young people to avoid the struggles of many of their peers.
I teach two sections of the core undergraduate Operations and Supply Chain Management course in HCoB’s Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA) program. It is a required course for all HCoB BBA students. In my two sections, the class is equally divided between men and women, unlike the national statistics I noted last week, in which 58% of all college undergraduates are women. While my column last week indicated that 10% of men between the ages of 20 and 24 are not in school and not working, most of my male (and female) students are both in school and working, and if they are not working, they are often on an intercollegiate athletics team, in ROTC, and/or engaged in other campus or community activities. My column last week discussed how many young men have no friends. This is not true in my classes, as their involvement in the activities identified above has put them in social situations that grow friendships and relationships.
Beyond the struggles of young men that I wrote about last week, I have often heard critiques about our current students’ generation: Gen(eration) Z. Gen Z is typically defined as having been born between 1997 and 2012. Almost all my students are Gen Z, as are my two daughters, who are among the oldest of their generation. I have some colleagues in higher education, business executives, and parents who complain that Gen Z is entitled, lazy, anxious, and lacks soft skills such as communication/interpersonal skills, resilience, and problem-solving. However, since my return to the classroom full-time, I have found that to be mostly untrue and at AU in general, and more particularly, in the Hull College of Business.
I believe there are two main reasons for this. First, we are blessed with great young people whose parents did a great job raising them. Our students are intelligent and intellectually curious. While they are naturally smart, they are also eager to learn more. They are far from being entitled. They work hard, both in the classroom and out; at their jobs, in athletics, and in other activities. However, like any generation, they will take the easy out if you give them that opportunity. I have found that in my classes, they rise to the challenges I provide them as long as those challenges are not overwhelming. Clearly, their parents and others have taught them the importance of hard work and resilience.
However, no matter how good a job parents, K-12 teachers, and other mentors do, our students do not come to higher education as finished products. So, it has been up to us at AU/HCoB to help finish their preparation for business careers. Some of that preparation comes from their activities. For instance, student-athletes and ROTC cadets get invaluable training on leadership, resilience, collaboration, and time management from their involvement in athletic competition and military activities. However, the other HCoB students depend upon the Hull College to provide the needed skill development to succeed beyond the content learned in the classroom. Such development began shortly before my arrival as Dean of HCoB in 2017, grew during my time as Dean, and has exponentially expanded under my successor, Dr. Mark Thompson. Here are some of the important things that have been done in the past 8-10 years to ensure HCoB students thrive in school and in their careers:
- Shortly before my arrival in February 2017, then Interim Dean Mark Thompson and Assistant Dean Melissa Furman developed an “Introduction to Business” course to introduce new HCoB students to business careers and begin developing their soft skills. This course became even better and more valuable under the late, great Janna Moore, and is instrumental in the maturity and career readiness of our students.
- Shortly after my arrival, Dr. Furman brought me a proposal for a Women’s Leadership Academy (WLA) that Dr. Thompson and I quickly approved. We have been very fortunate to have ADP and Dave Brendza as our partners on this, and Dr. Stacy Roberts took over for Dr. Furman and made the program even bigger and better. When we started the WLA, someone asked me why we do not have a Men’s Leadership Academy. Based on the needs of young men, that question may be more appropriate now than ever.
- During my time as Dean, we added a required Professional Sales course, a Sales Club to compete against other colleges, and a required internship for all business students as ways to improve our students’ soft skills and professionalism.
- Since Dr. Thompson succeeded me as Dean, he and his Communications Strategist, Delaney Freistuhler, have done a tremendous job increasing the engagement opportunities for HCoB students, further developing their soft skills and potential to succeed.
While my column last week highlighted the struggles of young men, today’s column shows you that the young men and women of the HCoB are thriving due to their positive traits and the work of HCoB to further develop them for future business careers. The quality of HCoB students and graduates portends a great future for business in Augusta!
