John Lipski - Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA

Professor: John Lipski

Department: Spanish

College: Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA

Rating # 1

Overview:

• Course: SPANISH597C
• Grade Received: A-
• Overall Rating: 1.0
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

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

Comment:

I agree this is a great site where you can post issues related to classes or publications. For several years now we have been concerned with the previous research on Latin American Spanish diversification, and specifically an article titled "The many facets of dialect diversification in Latin America" (2014) appearing in the ed. vol. by Mufwene.

Rating # 2

Overview:

• Course: SPAN597
• Grade Received: A
• Overall Rating: 1.0
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

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

Comment:

This is a great site where students can express their concerns about profs., courses, topics and research. Spanish 597 / 597c is important for PhD candidates be/c is directly related to research and opportunities to get a job. We question the authenticity of the theory of "diversification" in Latin American Span, and the article in Mufwene ed.

Rating # 3

Overview:

• Course: 597C
• Grade Received: A
• Overall Rating: 1.0
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

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

Comment:

This is a great website to express opinions about profs. who have strange class policy on plagiarism. Dr. Lipski has been posting such policy since the early years of this century, as though he suspected that some of us are or have been involved in acts of academic dishonesty.

Rating # 4

Overview:

• Course: SPANISH597C
• Grade Received: A
• Overall Rating: 1.0
• Course Difficulty: 1.0

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

Comment:

Dr. Lipski was testing the theory of Latin American Spanish diversification when he wrote the article that appears in the Mufwene collection (2014), IBERIAN iMPERIALISM AND LANGUAGE EVOLUTION in Latin America (Chicago Press). The model of language diversification can be traced to earlier sources but Dr. Lipski mentioned no reference whatsoever.

Rating # 5

Overview:

• Course: SPANISH597C
• Grade Received: A
• Overall Rating: 3.0
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

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

Comment:

There is a lot of info. in this class because it is advanced. U have to write papers on different subjects. The most interesting part is that he is testing scientific theories on diversification, creoles, and stuff like that.

Rating # 6

Overview:

• Course: SPANISH597C
• Grade Received: A
• Overall Rating: 3.0
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

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

Comment:

This is a wonderful website. You will find the full reference to the publications in question, if you go to Ratemyteachers. You can insert more characters.

Rating # 7

Overview:

• Course: 597C
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 5.0
• Course Difficulty: 5.0

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

Comment:

Testing theories is key to advancing the field. Take a basic research methods class. Replicability is central to all scientific work.

Rating # 8

Overview:

• Course: 597C
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 5.0
• Course Difficulty: 5.0

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

Comment:

This is the saltiest brigading Ive ever seen. Repeatedly naming a chapter in an edited volume without explaining what sections or pages allegedly feature plagiarism, nor what the plagiarized source supposedly is, is beyond useless. As for theory development, Lipskis work is in documentation and theory-testing. His work is valuable for that.

Rating # 9

Overview:

• Course: 597C
• Grade Received: A
• Overall Rating: 5.0
• Course Difficulty: 5.0

• For Credit: Yes
• Textbook Used: Yes
• Would Take Again: Yes
• Attendance: Not Mandatory

Comment:

Dr. Lipski is an amazing academic. His classes are lecture-heavy, but if you're looking for more interaction, he's very accessible in office hours. I get so many publishable project ideas from his classes, so for a grad student, it's perfect. On a personal note, he's a very down-to-earth, humble, funny person. One of my favorite professors!

Rating # 10

Overview:

• Course: SPAN215
• Grade Received: A
• Overall Rating: 2.0
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

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

Comment:

He is not inspirational and he is not retiring. He is going to go on for another decade or so. The best you can do is to go to class and learn something from him. If you find his good side, he is really helpful.

Rating # 11

Overview:

• Course: SPANISH597C
• Grade Received: A-
• Overall Rating: 2.0
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

• For Credit: N/A
• Textbook Used: No
• Would Take Again: No
• Attendance: Not Mandatory

Comment:

He is not a tough grader; he is lenient and fair at the same time. And there is no need to rate him over and over, because they already announced his retirement. So just leave him alone. He'll do more for the young students if he continues to work with the opioid epidemic that is plaguing our universities.

Rating # 12

Overview:

• Course: SPAN514
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 3.0
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

• For Credit: Yes
• Textbook Used: Yes
• Would Take Again: Yes
• Attendance: Not Mandatory

Comment:

Students get tough with this prof. He is not only one of the leading scholars in his field, but is working diligently with those who look into the opioid epidemic in our universities, particularly in the northeast. This seems to be such an urgent problem that classes matter less than public health issues.

Rating # 13

Overview:

• Course: SPAN514
• Grade Received: A
• Overall Rating: 1.0
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

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

Comment:

He does pile a lot of info. that is confusing for most. You do accumulate notes and papers, but he does not seem to have a clear scholarly direction that is inspiring for future research. He is admittedly missing a theoretical framework that other authors (that he ignores) do have. Live and learn!!

Rating # 14

Overview:

• Course: SPAN514
• Grade Received: A
• Overall Rating: 1.0
• Course Difficulty: 2.0

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

Comment:

Lectures are not amazing; they are indeed confusing because he piles up lots of info. and never bothers to lie the loose ends. There is no motive or motivation to participate in class. Don't take if you don't have to.

Rating # 15

Overview:

• Course: SPAN514
• Grade Received: A-
• Overall Rating: 1.0
• Course Difficulty: 1.0

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

Comment:

Spanish Dialectology starts today. If you want to learn something new, don't go to this class. If you want to read the same materials that are tangential to the content of this class, show up at 3 p.m. U'll see that it is going to be a truly interesting semester, from the end of August to December.

Rating # 16

Overview:

• Course: SPAN414
• Grade Received: A-
• Overall Rating: 1.0
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

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

Comment:

He is not caring, he is not hilarious; he invents courses that we don't need, and never tells you if his ideas are original or he's repeating the theories and perspectives of other authors. The fields advance rapidly, and although he pretends be on top of everything, he does not fool all the students all the time. Won't take again.

Rating # 17

Overview:

• Course: SPAN414
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 4.0
• Course Difficulty: 2.0

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

Comment:

awesome linguist :D

Rating # 18

Overview:

• Course: SPAN215
• Grade Received: B+
• Overall Rating: 1.5
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

Would not take again because he is not focusing on students. He knows he is retiring, and won't have to deal with us any longer. It's too bad because he knows a lot.

Rating # 19

Overview:

• Course: SPAN414
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 2.5
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

I had Lipski before, and was dreading this course with him, especially since it was in a smaller class. While I can't deny that the course was hard or that he is super intimidating, he still is very knowledgeable and will try to help if someone asks. My only major problem with him is that he doesn't hand back a lot of grades or put them online.

Rating # 20

Overview:

• Course: SPANISH597C
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 2.0
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

He is pretty relaxed so far 'cz he has only a handful of students in a couple of independent studies in which he discusses the methods used in language contact, which is his favorite subject. Hope he'll contribute with original illustrations and proposals.