by Andy Williams, Associate Editor, Avisian Publications

They consider themselves special. They expect to earn lots of money when they graduate from college, profanity in proper conversation is no longer off limits and they probably had a huge hand in electing the latest president of the U.S. They’re part of the Millennial Generation, or Gen Y, and colleges need to learn how to deal with them.

That’s the message Kristy Vienne, director of Bearkat OneCard Services at Sam Houston State University, Huntsville, Tex., offered up to participants at NACCU’s annual conference in Orlando, Fla. She talked about what some of this new generation of students expect and how the university, specifically the card office, can deal with them … and their parents.

Yes, parents. With this generation, the college is getting both a parent and a student, she said. These are so-called “helicopter” parents, because they hover closely overhead, rarely out of reach whether their children need them or not. “Sometimes, I call them Blackhawks,” she laughed. In fact, these parents look upon their students’ college experience as a joint venture between parent and child.