Boomer as Double-Edged Sword

Apparently, the 60's are almost completely over. I know it's true because the NY Times says so.

Faculty dynamics are starting to be affected in a pretty big way as generational differences move from the classroom to the faculty meetings. Xers are all grown up now. Tenured even. And the occasional precocious Millennial can even be found at faculty functions. What's the reaction of Boomers?

It's not always pretty. I've given presentations to a lot of faculties at faculty colloquia and faculty retreats over the past 6 or 7 years. And I've given lots of presentations to groups composed of professors from lots of different faculties, but one thing stays the same.

Boomers fall into two distinct groups. There's one group that has a very casual, upbeat attitude about generational differences: "Hey, we may be 60, but 60 is the new 30! We're still hip, with it, cool, groovy. Tell us what there is to love about Xers and Millennial, and we'll love it." I like those folks.

Then there's the other group. They cross their arms when I say anything remotely disparaging about Boomers. These folks are pretty sure that Boomers are the greatest generation ever. They don't want to hear that Xers are a "lost generation" because their parents were Boomers. They don't want to hear that Millennials are the new coolest generation, because these Boomers aren't done being the coolest generation. Believe it or not, I like these folks, too. I don't get to spend much time with them, though, because they take themselves very seriously, and I'm not the kind of person you hang out with for "serious time."

So far, I've had limited experience with Millennial faculty members. For now, let's just say that the jury's still out. :)