UNE President’s Forum asks, 'Can Gen Z Achieve the American Dream?' on Oct. 14

Are Gen Z’s prospects as bleak as the popular narrative suggests? Does the power dynamic between today’s older and younger Americans need adjusting? Are members of Gen Z being impatient in expecting life’s luxuries too soon? And are media and social influencers creating unrealistic expectations for a generation coming of age amid profound economic and social change?

These questions and more will be explored as the University of New England hosts the next installment of its signature President’s Forum series, “Can Gen Z Achieve the American Dream?” on Wednesday, Oct. 14.

The discussion will examine whether members of Gen Z face unique barriers compared with previous generations as they enter the workforce, seek to build wealth, purchase homes, start families, and pursue their own versions of the American dream.

UNE will welcome three distinguished scholars offering different perspectives on the opportunities and challenges facing Gen Z:

• Jeffrey Jensen Arnett, Ph.D., senior research scholar at Clark University and author of “Emerging Adulthood: The Winding Road from the Late Teens through the Twenties” 
• Jeremiah Johnson, M.S., co-founder of the Center for New Liberalism, host of “The New Liberal Podcast,” and staff writer at The Argument 
• Samuel Moyn, Ph.D., Kent Professor of Law and History at Yale University, head of Yale’s Grace Hopper College, and author of “Gerontocracy in America: How the Old Hoard Power and Wealth — and What to Do About It” 

The panel will be moderated by Jeanne A.K. Hey, Ph.D., UNE dean emerita and CEO of Hey University. 

Throughout the panel, Moyn will draw from his new book, “Gerontocracy in America,” to argue that older Americans disproportionately control wealth, high-paying jobs, homes, and political power, limiting opportunities for younger generations. Arnett, drawing from his groundbreaking theory of “emerging adulthood,” will offer a different perspective, arguing that young people today are coming of age more slowly than previous generations and are less eager to assume the responsibilities traditionally associated with adult life at an early age. Johnson will offer another view, arguing that members of Gen Z may, in fact, enjoy a higher quality of life and greater opportunities than generations before them. 

Since its inception in 2018, UNE’s President’s Forum has served as a platform for thoughtful discourse, upholding academia’s critical role as the ultimate marketplace of ideas. Hosted by UNE President James Herbert, the forum provides a venue for diverse perspectives on pressing issues, allowing conversations to unfold with civility and respect for differing opinions.

That mission takes on particular relevance with this semester’s topic, Herbert said, as many of the students learning and preparing for their careers at UNE are themselves members of Gen Z.

“Many of the students in our classrooms today are members of Gen Z, and the questions at the heart of this forum are not abstract to them. They are thinking about how they will build meaningful careers, establish financial security, and create fulfilling lives in a rapidly changing world,” Herbert remarked. “Universities have an important role to play in helping students examine those questions from multiple perspectives while preparing them with the knowledge, skills, and experiences to shape their own futures. 

“I look forward to welcoming our students and the broader community into what I expect will be a lively and thoughtful conversation,” he said.

The President’s Forum is free and open to all, with ample opportunity for audience comments and questions. Attendees are encouraged to participate with curiosity and a commitment to respectful dialogue. Those unable to attend in person may watch the event live at une.edu/live.