John Tagg - Binghamton University (SUNY), Binghamton, NY

Professor: John Tagg

Department: Art History

College: Binghamton University (SUNY), Binghamton, NY

Rating # 1

Overview:

• Course: ARTH252
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 3.0
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

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

Comment:

Honestly this class was not too awful or difficult at all. The most difficult part was lecture because some parts were repetitive and over time it would feel tiring. There are no textbooks but readings were provided and expected to be read, since professor Tagg discusses them in lectures. Also attendance is important for understanding the material.

Rating # 2

Overview:

• Course: ARTH252
• Grade Received: B
• Overall Rating: 2.0
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

There were only two 10 page papers in this class. His lectures seem to drone on. He turns the lights down so it's hard to stay focused. I wish I took a different art history course.

Rating # 3

Overview:

• Course: ARTH102
• 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:

The TA literally just had to explain to us how to take notes. This class has nothing to do with art history, he basically just spews about how capitalism is destined to fail using vocabulary that I do not believe he is qualified to use. Taking notes is impossible. Take Cinema instead for your GenEd, you just watch movies and write about them

Rating # 4

Overview:

• Course: ARTH280
• Grade Received: B
• Overall Rating: 3.0
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

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

Comment:

Prof Tagg is a passionate person for photography. His lectures are plentiful in info & interesting yet also b/c of the dimmed lights can getting tiring. It flowed in intellectual arguments around the convo of photographies and its multiplicity, usage, institutional influence, economy, culture everything. Tons of reading, but easy grader in papers.

Rating # 5

Overview:

• Course: ARTH572
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 5.0
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

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

Comment:

The best professor that I've met in Binghamton...

Rating # 6

Overview:

• Course: ARTH280
• Grade Received: B
• Overall Rating: 2.0
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

Attendance is mandatory. He dims the lights in lectures and doesn't give time for questions, makes students fall asleep. He says the readings are required but he hardly mentions them and doesn't check. There are only three essays we have to do but they are hard and the TA grades them. I would not recommend this class to anyone.

Rating # 7

Overview:

• Course: ARTH280
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 2.5
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

do the readings if you want to understand his lectures well. gives clear instructions for assignments; follow them. use the terms that he uses in the lecture. he likes that. this is a lecture class. i went to the TA if i had any questions. for the fist five minutes, he reviews the previous lecture. TAKE NOTES. gives a bit of feedback.

Rating # 8

Overview:

• Course: ARTH500
• Grade Received: A
• Overall Rating: 4.0
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

Tagg is a very good lecturer if you are into close readings of texts. But if you ask what is the politics of his readings: there is none, at least beyond good old liberalism, despite Tagg's claims to the contrary (teaches Marx regularly). One of those dudes who acts as if you can theorize the world out of trouble. Very Eurocentric too.

Rating # 9

Overview:

• Course: ARTH252
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 1.5
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

He is more concerned with style than teaching. He dims the lights so you can barely see, doesn't respond very well to questions or comments, and seems to use big words just because he can. I wouldn't take it unless you really like the course material.

Rating # 10

Overview:

• Course: ARTH252
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 4.5
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

Highly intelligent teacher. If you do your work, you will be fine. He does not dumb down to you. Use your dictionary. He is very interesting and I learned a lot from him.

Rating # 11

Overview:

• Course: ARTH252
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 3.5
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

He's extremely intelligent and if you can get past the high level of vocab there is a lot to learn from him. He repeats things a lot so if you didn't understand his wording the first time around he will say it a different way. The quizzes are impossible but he hints that he won't count them. Midterm was creative and easy. Don't take for an easy A.

Rating # 12

Overview:

• Course: ARTH252
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 1.0
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

Don't take this class unless you know what "dogmatic discourse" is. He talks in circles, and gets agitated whenever anyone asks a question. You need a dictionary to understand half of what he says. The readings make little to no sense, and the class is more about economics and class struggle rather than art history.

Rating # 13

Overview:

• Course: ARTH252
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 4.5
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

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

Comment:

John Tagg is incredibly knowledgeable and a very nice person if you make the effort to get to know him. The class might not be great if you don't have previous experience with the subject mater, so it is essential to do the readings and take good notes. Assignments are manageable if you speak with the TA and clarify what is actually expected.

Rating # 14

Overview:

• Course: ARTH252
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 1.0
• Course Difficulty: 5.0

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

Comment:

This is honestly the most painful class I have ever had the misfortune of taking. Tagg is present for the sake of listening to himself speak, not to actually make himself understood. I love art and photography but this class was dominated by economics. Both him and his TA are beyond unhelpful, the quizzes & papers are impossible. DO NOT TAKE IT.

Rating # 15

Overview:

• Course: ARTH252
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 1.0
• Course Difficulty: 5.0

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

Comment:

DO NOT TAKE HIM IF YO WANT TO RETAIN YOUR SANITY OR EVEN JUST WANT TO LEARN. He thinks he's go's gift on earth and that art history will save the world or something. He doesn't go over the readings he assigns and talks in circles. If you can run do it now.

Rating # 16

Overview:

• Course: ARTH252
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 1.5
• Course Difficulty: 5.0

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

Comment:

I don't think my scales (Helpfulness, Textbook Needed, etc) can be accurate because I dropped this course after one lecture. But Prof Tagg was that off putting. I love to learn, and I love interesting material, and this class could have been cool if it were taught probably any other way but I found it impossible to take this man seriously.

Rating # 17

Overview:

• Course: ARTH280
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 1.0
• Course Difficulty: 5.0

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

Comment:

He is very difficult to understand to the point where you need a dictionary to get through the class. He repeats himself but never uses any terms that make the material more understandable. There is no discussion or question asking in class which makes it dry and boring. Does not give you enough background information to properly do assignments.

Rating # 18

Overview:

• Course: ARTH280
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 2.0
• Course Difficulty: 2.0

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

Comment:

John is a boring teacher who speaks in an odd british accent. He says the same thing over and over again, just in different words. He speaks in an over dramatic manner. If you're taking this class for a gen ed I don't recommend it.

Rating # 19

Overview:

• Course: ARTH280
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 1.0
• Course Difficulty: 5.0

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

Comment:

I would not recommend this professor. This will be the most boring hour and a half of your life filled with repetitive nonsense. His lectures are filled with overcomplicated simple ideas which have nothing to do with the history of photography.

Rating # 20

Overview:

• Course: ARTH252
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 5.0
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

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

Comment:

Amazing inspiring professor. Very knowledgeable about his field. Creative assignments. Easy to get an A if you do your work and READ. The readings are at the core of understanding the concepts he teaches and is trying to support or refute through his own research.