Much is said these days about the ‘snowflake’ culture and ‘woke culture’ and ‘lack of work ethic’ of our recent graduates. Much less is said about the people they are and the values they hold. Oftentimes, the mere mention of ‘Gen Z’ – those born between 1997 and 2012 – in a conversation or in a written piece suggests that something negative is likely to be said or a judgement will soon be made concerning the upcoming generation.
Whilst the generalisations could be debated, and have been for a very long time, they often serve as a distraction from the reality. The upcoming generations care deeply about the climate, have a deep sense of concern for inter-generational ethics and responsibility and have helped significantly to raise awareness about the importance of mental health in education and in the workplace in particular.
Much toted Gen Z assumptions are misguided
As millennial author, Abby Hambil, points out, we need to move away from assumptions about the various generations and understand that Gen Z have made great strides in tackling racism, speaking out about wrong doing in society, and that they refuse to stay silent about systemic injustice that is often so engrained in our societies that we have practically accepted it.
Gen Z does not simply accept things as ‘being the way they are’. They are concerned, engaged, and ready to act or at least ask the ‘why?’ regarding certain issues that pertain to goodness in society.
As much as we might have this generation stigmatised as also being ‘without faith’ and/or morals and beliefs, on close inspection we find that this is often a false view too. In a pan-university consultation on the Catholic Mission of Leeds Trinity University (LTU), it became very clear that students were proud to be part of a university that stood for something. While some students didn’t actually know that Leeds Trinity is a Catholic university and was founded by the Catholic Education Service and the Sisters of the Cross and Passion in 1966 to widen access to education for everyone, it did not stop them from being open to understanding this history and how it is relevant today.
Leeds Trinity University as a case study
In fact, when they learned that the foundress of the Cross and Passion Order – the Venerable Elizabeth Prout – worked tirelessly to provide education and skills to young women living in substandard conditions in Manchester and others escaping the Irish Famine, students felt proud to be continuing that legacy of social justice.
In fact, some were so inspired by this story and history that they asked me to draft a section of the student charter to inspire students to speak out about their experience at university and to see their education at the university as part of a wider mission to serve the world through their learning.
Owing to this positive engagement with the Catholic mission of LTU, and that of the staff in every department and working at every level of the organisation, LTU are now credited with having designed and approved the very first Catholic mission strategy for a university in the UK.
Hope and its value in education
At the outset of this process, many were sceptical about the whether agreeing a strategy based around the mission and values of the university would be possible or achievable. But the process showed that each and every person was on board with the idea that Catholic education can and should be about hope.
Pope Francis pointed out that each and every act of education is an act of hope – hope for the potential of the individual and of the world that they will contribute to thereafter. ‘Education for Hope’ not only became the name of LTU’s Catholic mission strategy, but it also became the motto for the university as it represented a place of peace where everyone could feel part of a vision and a purpose that actually resonates with Gen Z and with all persons of goodwill.
We take pride these days in saying that our graduates at LTU benefit from the expertise of their lecturers in their subject disciplines but they also get educational opportunities outside of the classroom, through the Directorate that I lead at LTU, which further enhances their learning.
Sessions on ethical leadership, global learning from CAFOD (the Catholic Agency for Overseas Development) that links to employability skills for the common good, faith and racial justice events as well as, more recently, a session run in partnership with West Yorkshire Police and Viper on raising awareness about healthy relationships free from coercion or manipulation and staying safe in the community are helping Gen Z graduates to become well rounded individuals. I also co-produce (with Darren Harper, Senior Lecturer in Journalism at Leeds Trinity) a podcast called ‘Beyond the Dark Clouds’ that helps to further highlight the purpose and significance of our university and its Catholic mission.
A generation of the heart and of the mind
All of this shows that, far from being snowflakes, Gen Z are in fact a ‘generation of the heart and of the mind’. And we need to get ready for this generation to begin to lead our world, our professions, and our disciplines – as these graduates are unique and they are likely to want to lead with values, purpose and a conscience for what is good in the world. Far from being pessimistic, I think we have every reason to be hopeful about the upcoming generation: they only need to be given the opportunity to lead. And if we do this, we may be pleasantly surprised with the outcome!
In fact, the sense of what is right and good seems to be so profound for the upcoming generation that it resonates with the description of the Catholic university as being “an incomparable centre of creativity and dissemination of knowledge for the good of humanity” (Ex Corde Ecclesiae, #1). If the latter turns out to be true, we certainly have hope: Habemus Spem!
