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Northeastern Oklahoma A&M College (NEO) faculty prepared for the start of classes by attending the annual NEO in-service. During this program, faculty members engage in workshops and lectures to prepare them for the upcoming semester. This year, Dr. Mark Taylor was the keynote speaker for the event. Dr. Taylor is an award-winning speaker and psychotherapist who specializes in helping organizations and companies work more effectively between generational groups.
Through his career, Dr. Taylor has published several articles, including “Teaching Generation NeXt,” published through the Higher Learning Commission. He has also worked with over 600 institutions and schools in 48 states. “Dr. Taylor provided great insight for faculty about how to help our students learn in today’s world of electronics and social media,” said Dr. Bethene Fahnestock, vice president of academic affairs. “We look forward to continue working with Dr. Taylor in the future.”
During his lively and engaging talk, Dr. Taylor noted that rather than stereotype for all members of a generational group, statistics could identify the most frequently occurring behaviors. These modal traits can help faculty understand the needs of postmodern college students. “The greatest amount of friction between generational groups comes from those right next to each other,” noted Dr. Taylor. “Where baby boomers are more likely to sympathize and relate to the generation neXt, the members of generation X are more likely to chafe. It is for this reason that we need to work to not only understand how generations are ultimately a product and of their parents and environment, but also to engage today’s students in a way that speaks to them.”
Dr. Taylor visit was funded as part of the NEO Distinguished Lecture Series through the Oklahoma State Regents’ Endowment Trust Fund. The fund was established in 1988 to strengthen academic programs and enhance the quality of higher education in Oklahoma. The lecture series is designed to bring nationally known speakers to campus who are relevant in politics, science, literature, and popular culture. These events are sure to enlighten, entertain, and inform. For more information on the faculty and programs at NEO, contact Scott Donaldson at Scott.Donaldson@neo.edu.
