<p>OK- Acknowledging up front that "rate my professor" is not a great data collection resource or objective method, and that reviews on these and many other sites are typically skewed by the dissatisfied customers who take the time to complain, none-the-less, these articles are interesting for those wanting to vet as many aspects of the schools they are considering as possible. While some schools may have their own internal rating sites, and less students might venture out to an external site, even so, perhaps these reviews reflect an aspect of student satisfaction/ dissatisfaction at some level.</p>
<p>Schools such as Truman State, RPI, WPI and UMD made this list, while Wellesley, Bryn Mawr, Sarah Lawrence and several schools not commonly discussed on CC made this list </p>
<p>Thanks for the links, jym - interesting to see these side-by-side. This struck me as odd - two service academies (Merchant Marine and Coast Guard) are high up on the worst profs list, while West Point is 3rd on the best profs list. </p>
<p>I do wonder if RMP is mostly a reflection of the number of happy (or unhappy) students at any given school, but I’m glad I clicked - some unexpected schools on both lists.</p>
<p>While RMP is anecdotal, I would certainly pay attention to that list. It requires a further reading of the site for trends in the students’ comments. For example, I’ve read POSITIVE ratings by students who comment that the class was so easy, doesn’t require much work, attendance not required, etc. where in my mind, that is NOT a positive quality. I would watch for comments about poor teaching skills, office hours accessibility, fairness of exams. But RMP is definitely read by my students and for the most part, it’s been pretty accurate, though not perfect. The List by CBS News is a great starting point to investigate these things.</p>
<p>I like how two military academies are listed with the best professors. I can just see that - “I will PT your a$$ until you give me a good rating on RMP …” :)</p>
<p>Several years ago we were driving our oldest son and his good friend back from dinner after their college graduation and my H asked the boys what they like “most” about their college experience. Both agreed overwhelmingly that it was the professors. It makes a difference. We expected them to say something like the skiing or the mountains or their friends or something about the area.</p>
<p>I know this is anecdotal, but the list shows that at some smaller colleges, students are happier with their professors than at many larger universities. This should not surprise anyone, because the larger universities often select their profs and grant them tenure primarily based upon research. The smaller colleges are more concerned about teaching ability. Many of these small colleges are probably dependent upon tuition revenue to survive, and need to keep their students satisfied.</p>
<p>At many times, it is more valuable to pick courses based upon the quality of the prof than the subject matter of the class. A great prof can make the most dry material interesting, while a bad prof can make the most interesting material incredibly boring.</p>
<p>My pleasure, toledo. There is also a third article thaat says professors send their kids largely to LACs. That doesn’t surprise me at all, with the focus on small class sizes, and eas of access to faculty whose teaching is focused on the undergrad population.</p>
<p>S is a rising senior in college and almost always chooses his class selection by researching professors and seeking those who have a reputation for providing the best experiences. For example, he has enrolled in a class for Fall where a professor is known for pushing student’s limits, challenging their thinking, breaking students down - and then building them back up. S seems to thrive on engaging with the eccentric professors. He finds them better than more mundane professor who simply stand and lecture.</p>
<p>My daughter is off to Sarah Lawrence College in September, and their faculty is consistently rated among the highest. I see your note, jym, that SLC and some other’s with highly ranked faculty, are not discussed much on CC. Why do you think that is?</p>
<p>My father was a college professor. I used to regularly run into people who had him as a professor. Half would said “He was really really tough.” The other half would say “He was a really great teacher.” After a while, I realized their opinions of him provided me with more insight into their characteristics as a student than with his teaching.</p>
<p>One needs to look at the source for newish listings. In this case, it is the same agenda-laden crappish “organization” led by Vedder. Yes, the guru who is behind the Forbes rankings. </p>
<p>The fact that this list is based on the RMP concentrates the idiocy in Vedder’s approach -quite a feat. The resulting lists are a hodgepodge of schools that hardly are on the lists of typical applicants, with just a handful of exceptions. Plenty of the best schools listed only require a pulse and a wallet to be admitted. Something that explains why they are rarely discussed here.</p>
<p>A lot of colleges have their own internal review systems. At many of these schools, participation is mandatory. You have to assess the prof before you can see your final grade. At others, it’s done in class on the last day during class time. </p>
<p>I suspect that fewer students bother with RMP when they have this option. I suspect the results are also more meaningful because almost everyone participates.</p>
<p>My son goes to Brown and they have an internal review system. I would think that by now many of the elite schools would have one. Which might explain their omissions in this “study.”</p>
<p>I laughed when I saw Michigan Tech as the #2 on the worst prof. List.
Michigan Tech is way up in the UP there is a ton of snow up there and its cold
Most of the school year. I sure that a number of the kids gave the prof. Bad
Reviews because of that and not because the profs are that bad. There is no way
They should be #2.</p>
I think Sarah Lawrence has gotten a lot of mention on CC, though now that you mention it,. perhaps not so much of late. Its a great, great school, but an EXPENSIVE school. Does it still rank as the most expensive in the US?</p>
<p>jonri and lorem,
I mentioned the internal rating systems in my first post, and agree that those with internal systems might not post on outside sites.</p>