Ellen Taricani - Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA

Professor: Ellen Taricani

Department: Communication

College: Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA

Rating # 1

Overview:

• Course: CAS483
• Grade Received: A-
• Overall Rating: 3.0
• Course Difficulty: 1.0

• For Credit: Yes
• Textbook Used: Yes
• Would Take Again: Yes
• Attendance: Mandatory

Comment:

Ellen is a decent professor but I didn't mind her. The class itself was fairly easy as long as you gave a little effort. The group projects were not time consuming and could be completed in a few hours. Make sure to go to class so you can do the HW. She would let us skip Friday most weeks anyway.

Rating # 2

Overview:

• Course: CAS383
• Grade Received: A
• Overall Rating: 3.0
• Course Difficulty: 1.0

• For Credit: Yes
• Textbook Used: No
• Would Take Again: No
• Attendance: Not Mandatory

Comment:

this class is SO EASY. if you're a cas major and need a gpa booster take this class. if you just do everything on time, even if you put minimal effort in, you'll get a 100 in the class. she's incredibly boring and very weird but you'll get a good grade.

Rating # 3

Overview:

• Course: CAS383
• Grade Received: A+
• Overall Rating: 5.0
• Course Difficulty: 1.0

• For Credit: Yes
• Textbook Used: No
• Would Take Again: Yes
• Attendance: Mandatory

Comment:

This was the EASIEST class I have ever taken at Penn State. You write a blog post once a week and have about 2 other SMALL and SHORT assignments to do. She is an easy grader and the class material is very interesting.

Rating # 4

Overview:

• Course: CAS100B
• Grade Received: A-
• Overall Rating: 1.0
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

• For Credit: Yes
• Textbook Used: No
• Would Take Again: No
• Attendance: Mandatory

Comment:

Absolutely horrible in every way. This class should be an easy A but she makes that impossible by taking off random points off of projects with no explanation. She is a horrible public speaker herself and is rude and unapproachable. Her directions are also unclear and makes no effort to clarify anything. AVOID this course with her.

Rating # 5

Overview:

• Course: CAS100B
• Grade Received: Not sure yet
• Overall Rating: 1.0
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

• For Credit: Yes
• Textbook Used: No
• Would Take Again: No
• Attendance: Mandatory

Comment:

Takes points off for the most random things that aren't useful in learning how to actually public speak at all. Doesn't follow her own rubrics and provides very little feedback as to why the amount of points the points were taken off. No exams which is very nice but even though the quizzes are all common knowledge, somehow I always get points off .

Rating # 6

Overview:

• Course: CAS100B
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 1.0
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

• For Credit: Yes
• Textbook Used: No
• Would Take Again: No
• Attendance: Mandatory

Comment:

I'll leave you with this: Got 10 points taken off of a group presentation in the "readability" category. The powerpoint was a white background with big, clear, black arial font. takes points off of group projects for seemingly no reason and gives no explanation or advice for improvement. AVOID HER AT ALL COSTS.

Rating # 7

Overview:

• Course: CAS100B
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 1.0
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

• For Credit: Yes
• Textbook Used: No
• Would Take Again: No
• Attendance: Mandatory

Comment:

only good part is no exams, but the quizzes suck. gives study guides that only cover about 1/4 of the quiz so you aren't prepared for the rest of it. takes off points from group presentations for literally no reason. easy class that so many have to drop because she is such an awful teacher and a tough grader. wastes a lot of time in class.

Rating # 8

Overview:

• Course: CAS100B
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 1.0
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

• For Credit: Yes
• Textbook Used: No
• Would Take Again: No
• Attendance: Mandatory

Comment:

DON'T TAKE THIS CLASS WITH HER. Such an easy class, but she makes it so hard. Doesn't provide clear instructions, then blindsides you when she returns grades with a whole rubric showing stuff you didn't know you were being graded on. Super bland style of teaching. Gives study guides for quizzes but leaves out MAJORITY of material. Not sympathetic.

Rating # 9

Overview:

• Course: CAS100B
• Grade Received: B
• Overall Rating: 1.0
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

• For Credit: Yes
• Textbook Used: Yes
• Would Take Again: No
• Attendance: Not Mandatory

Comment:

I am a 4.0 student and she is horrible. She doesnt clarify anything. She is boring and honestly useless. Cant wait until the SRTE comes out so I can throw all this on her, although Im sure shes heard it before. She is lost and has no clue how to grade and deducts points at random without explanation. Avoid her at all costs.

Rating # 10

Overview:

• Course: CAS483
• Grade Received: A-
• Overall Rating: 1.0
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

• For Credit: Yes
• Textbook Used: No
• Would Take Again: No
• Attendance: Mandatory

Comment:

Ellen is an understanding professor but not a very patient one when it comes to introducing new topics. Grading criteria very unclear, quizzes are hard and if you skip class chances are you will miss a lot. She isn't too strict on late work but the class is for students willing to work on their own to figure things out.

Rating # 11

Overview:

• Course: CAS100B
• Grade Received: A-
• Overall Rating: 1.0
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

• For Credit: Yes
• Textbook Used: No
• Would Take Again: No
• Attendance: Mandatory

Comment:

Ellen used very vague prompts for projects and papers, making us ask a TON of questions to understand even the basics of her instructions. Her grading on presentations is arbitrary and she won't discuss grade changes at all. Quizzes aren't too difficult, but it is frustrating that we learn WAY more material than we're tested on. DONT RECOMMEND!!

Rating # 12

Overview:

• Course: CAS83
• Grade Received: A
• Overall Rating: 1.0
• Course Difficulty: 2.0

• For Credit: Yes
• Textbook Used: No
• Would Take Again: No
• Attendance: Mandatory

Comment:

She did not give our class much direction, for instance, no rubrics when a project or powerpoint was due or clear examples of how she wants things to look like. She takes point off of things for little to no reason, and when you go to ask her her reasoning, she gives no feedback and basically tells you to accept the grade.

Rating # 13

Overview:

• Course: CAS100B
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 2.0
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

• For Credit: Yes
• Textbook Used: Yes
• Would Take Again: No
• Attendance: Mandatory

Comment:

For a professor that teaches CAS, she has no idea how to public speak. Boring lectures, hard to follow. Very slow speaker. VERY unclear grading style that always searches for something to take off points for. Would NOT recommend taking it with her if you can avoid it. Its a shame because I actually enjoyed the class's content, just not her teaching

Rating # 14

Overview:

• Course: CAS100B
• Grade Received: A-
• Overall Rating: 1.0
• Course Difficulty: 2.0

• For Credit: Yes
• Textbook Used: No
• Would Take Again: No
• Attendance: Mandatory

Comment:

To say Ellen Taricani is a great professor is the equivalent of saying the same thing about an old rusty bird cage you recently found. Taricani's teaching style is as awkward as "low energy" Jeb Bush putting on a hoodie (YouTube it people). Class has 0 direction and material is useless... you get more mental stimulation counting the ceiling tiles.

Rating # 15

Overview:

• Course: CAS100B
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 1.0
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

• For Credit: Yes
• Textbook Used: No
• Would Take Again: No
• Attendance: Mandatory

Comment:

Ellen is a terrible professor. Her rubrics that she posts online are not the ones that she grades you on. She likes to take off random points on assignments and not give you a valid reason as to why you were missing those points.

Rating # 16

Overview:

• Course: CAS283
• Grade Received: B+
• Overall Rating: 1.0
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

• For Credit: Yes
• Textbook Used: No
• Would Take Again: No
• Attendance: Not Mandatory

Comment:

Ellen is a nice person, but she gives the impression that she is being as straight forward as she can be while making the exam questions terribly impossible. She curved the last 2 exams up 20%. Class average for each exam is around an F. Questions are arbitrary and incoherent. There really is no structure to her class.

Rating # 17

Overview:

• Course: CAS100B
• Grade Received: A-
• Overall Rating: 1.0
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

• For Credit: Yes
• Textbook Used: No
• Would Take Again: No
• Attendance: Mandatory

Comment:

She seems like a nice person but is clueless as a professor. Doesn't give clear guidance for what she wants. Class content is boring and meaningless. She's not very helpful either when asked for clarification on assignments. Would advise taking CAS100A or a different professor. Had to work way to hard for this one.

Rating # 18

Overview:

• Course: CAS483
• Grade Received: A-
• Overall Rating: 3.0
• Course Difficulty: 2.0

• For Credit: N/A
• Textbook Used: Yes
• Would Take Again: N/A
• Attendance: Mandatory

Comment:

Ellen was not a terrible professor, but she is not the best. Attendance is taken and you cannot skip class or you will not be able to complete the homework assignments. However, if you attend class, the lectures explain how to do the homework and other group assignments clearly. Overall, this course is very simple if you are good with technology.

Rating # 19

Overview:

• Course: CAS100B
• Grade Received: A
• Overall Rating: 4.0
• Course Difficulty: 2.0

• For Credit: Yes
• Textbook Used: No
• Would Take Again: N/A
• Attendance: Mandatory

Comment:

Ellen is one of the few professors that actually wants their students to succeed. She's one of the nicest professors you'll meet and if you reach out to her, she will be more than willing to help you. Do your work, put in your best effort, and she will reward you with a good grade. She also lets you out early which is always a plus.

Rating # 20

Overview:

• Course: CAS483
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 4.0
• Course Difficulty: 1.0

• For Credit: Yes
• Textbook Used: Yes
• Would Take Again: N/A
• Attendance: Mandatory

Comment:

Great professor that wants her students to do well. As a non-CAS major, I found all of the lectures and the course overall to be very interesting. If you attend class, ask questions, and put in effort you will do well. She is always willing to help, especially with the web-page work. Great group projects. I highly recommend taking CAS 483 with her!