Gen Z and the Great Boundary Reset

What Higher Ed Pros Need to Learn From the Newest Generation

Generation Z professionals are now joining our campuses—not just as students, but as colleagues and grad students. Yet, there’s a persistent lack of understanding about who they are, especially among my fellow Gen Xers and the remaining Boomers. We spent so long critiquing Millennials that we might have missed how different Gen Z really is. Millennials were notorious for multitasking and carefully following rules—traits that sometimes made them targets for misunderstanding. Gen Z, on the other hand, puts their expectations on the table from the start, and expects those around them to adapt.

Unlike previous generations who hesitated to draw boundaries, Gen Z professionals confidently state what they need. They're up front about PTO, “Well, I am taking my PTO and this is when it will be.” Say no to after-hours gatherings they don't value, “No, I’m not going to the team cocktail hour at Buff’s Pub, I have my weekly meet up with my gamer friends.” And they navigate remote work policies with clarity—often without asking for permission, “I see that I have no in-person meetings next Tuesday, and based on our remote work policy, I will be working from home.” This directness is something many Gen Xers and Boomers struggled with, and Millennials tried to negotiate more than assert.

Photo by Giacomo Lucarini on Unsplash