Brooklyn College is the top public liberal arts college in New York City and ranked among the top 50 liberal arts colleges in the nation, according to AcademicInfluence.com. The college was one of only two New York State colleges or universities that made the site’s list of renowned liberal arts institutions. The rankings are built using its innovative, proprietary InfluenceRanking Engine, which scours the Web to map the impact of a school’s thought leadership. Kenneth A. Gould, dean of the School of Humanities and Social Sciences, says it is a priority for the college to emphasize the importance of critical thinking, effective communication, and analytical skills in preparing students for the mounting challenges of a rapidly changing society. “The School of Humanities and Social Sciences is the intellectual hub of the college, the core of our liberal arts education, and the center for cutting-edge interdisciplinary research and teaching rooted in strong disciplines,” Gould said. “The liberal arts at Brooklyn College put our students on track for a wide range of rewarding careers and provide them with the skills they will need to be resilient and adaptable in a dynamic global economy.” The rankings highlight the fact that businesses everywhere are beginning to acknowledge the truth: “niche” is passé. Companies that once extolled the virtues of the specialist are now consolidating their workforces and asking workers to do everything well. The desirable employee today masters writing, psychology, logic, math, graphic design, economics, computer programming, and more. “Job demands are changing. More is expected of today’s college graduates. This makes the liberal arts appealing and practical,” says Jed Macosko, academic director of AcademicInfluence.com and professor of physics at Wake Forest University. “Students who can demonstrate a breadth of skills and the flexibility to take on anything asked of them are finding greater success postgraduation.” Read more about the importance of liberal arts at Brooklyn College in Brooklyn College Magazine.
