Submitted for Clark University by readMedia

Taryn M. Field of Northborough received a degree from Clark University on Sunday, May 20. Field graduated cum laude with a Bachelor of Arts in communication and culture.

During the 108th Commencement exercises, Clark awarded 546 baccalaureate, 520 masters, and 26 doctoral degrees. Carol Geary Schneider, the president of the Association of American Colleges and Universities (AAC&U), delivered the Commencement address. AAC&U is the leading national organization devoted to advancing and strengthening undergraduate liberal education.

Schneider acknowledged that some pundits have questioned whether a liberal arts education is still a smart choice in this economy. She told the graduating class that, through surveys and focus groups, she has learned that "employers place very high value on the big-picture thinking and the strong intellectual skills that a Clark University education provides."

"Employers are looking for people...who have strong communication skills, who can write well, who can speak well, who have excellent critical thinking skills, who have research skills, problem solving skills. They care a lot about diversity and they want to know they are hiring people that not only can work with, but are positioned to learn from, those whose experiences and world views are different from their own," she said. "All of these have been fundamental to your undergraduate and graduate education at Clark."