When four generations converge in the academic workplace, it can create serious culture clashes. It is happening across college campuses--in offices as diverse as admissions, student affairs, legal affairs, and technology. It is especially striking in the faculty ranks, where generational challenges have extra significance amid recruiting efforts, tenure evaluations, and the changing definition of what constitutes important faculty work. As members of Generations X and Y face a workplace dominated by boomers, they are all starting to chafe. Some colleges are having trouble attracting, managing, and sometimes retaining people younger than 35. Members of the younger generations grew up watching their parents sacrifice for their careers, and they want something different: balance and freedom and autonomy. They will not hesitate to switch jobs or leave academe if it means more-palatable working conditions. Many baby boomers, meanwhile, do not understand why someone would leave the office at 5 p.m. when there is always more to do. How do colleges handle this generational dilemma? As in other sectors of the workplace, where similar issues are festering, good communication can help people better understand one another, say those in the trenches. Some experts argue that more substantial structural and policy changes are needed to avert a looming crisis--an anticipated dearth of young people interested in rising through the academic ranks.