Karen Slawter - Northern Kentucky University, Highland Heights, KY

Professor: Karen Slawter

Department: Communication

College: Northern Kentucky University, Highland Heights, KY

Rating # 1

Overview:

• Course: CMST101
• Grade Received: B+
• Overall Rating: 4.0
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

Karen is a phenomenal public speaker, as she should be. However, her teaching ability is a tad underwhelming. This is a very hands on class. You learn from experience. Your speeches are the bulk of your grade but you also have a online textbook that you have the whole semester to do quizzes on. Midterm/Final are almost identical to the quizzes.

Rating # 2

Overview:

• Course: CMST101
• Grade Received: C
• Overall Rating: 3.0
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

I believe she is a nice person at heart but her teaching methods are somewhat strenuous. She is a tough grader from the first speech. Be prepared to practice and study for speeches and tests as she expects you to prepare outside of class. Unfortunately, I never had the most consistent time management (took 16 credit hrs) and it showed in the class.

Rating # 3

Overview:

• Course: CMST101
• Grade Received: B
• Overall Rating: 3.0
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

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

Comment:

This is a communications course so of course you have to be there to understand the criteria. The first speech we had to do was graded heavy so be prepared. Be sure to do the modules before they're due. Sometimes hard to reach outside of class so talk to her during class. She's very understanding and gives good feedback. Practice makes perfect.

Rating # 4

Overview:

• Course: CMST101
• Grade Received: A
• Overall Rating: 4.0
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

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

Comment:

Karen expects a lot, but if you follow her instructions--you will pass. She's a great teacher. She wants everyone to come out of the class with better skills. She does sometimes give feedback in class, but that's only to benefit you. There is 1 intro, 2 inform, 1 persuade, 1 impromptu, and 1 persuade group speech. Plus, online book with 19 chaps.

Rating # 5

Overview:

• Course: CMST101
• Grade Received: A
• Overall Rating: 4.0
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

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

Comment:

Class is speech heavy, but is great practice for actual public speaking. Even though I feel like I didn't do well on some of the speeches, I still maintained good grades. She isn't really a tough grader, and most of her grading has to do with improvement. She gives good feedback, and if you follow it and improve, you'll do fine.

Rating # 6

Overview:

• Course: CMST101
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 4.0
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

To be a public speaking class, she takes it a little over board. She wants your speeches longer than any other professor requires and she is very picky when she grades. You must buy the CMST stuff needed for the class, and don't underestimate her midterm and final. They are hard but you can use the internet to help you because they're online.

Rating # 7

Overview:

• Course: CMST101
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 4.0
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

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

Comment:

Dr. Slawter is an excellent public speaker, so her lectures are generally excellent. Speeches are given in order of a group and the groups rotate as to which group speaks on the first, second, or third day of presentations. The grading criteria is straightforward and feedback is honest and encouraging.

Rating # 8

Overview:

• Course: CMST101
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 4.5
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

Professor Slawter is a very nice lady, but she's a very tough grader and expects a lot from you. You definitely can't pass the class if you miss regularly. The tests/quizzes can be pretty difficult. You don't need the hard copy of the textbook, if she gives online assignments. I really like her as a person but I probably wouldn't take her again.

Rating # 9

Overview:

• Course: CMST110
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 4.0
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

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

Comment:

It's public speaking, and she expects a lot, but if you have no problem talking you should do fine. Some of the tests are a little confusing and she doesn't always go over the material that is on the tests.

Rating # 10

Overview:

• Course: PUBLICSPEAKING
• Grade Received: B+
• Overall Rating: 2.5
• Course Difficulty: 5.0

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

Comment:

Karen Slawter is a nice lady. However, she thinks that her classes are the most important class you'll ever have to take. She is an EXTREMELY difficult grader on your speeches, and gives tests over material you will not cover in class. No real study guide. The tests are worth 100 points, and so are the quizzes. Worst class I've taken at NKU.

Rating # 11

Overview:

• Course: CMST101
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 2.0
• Course Difficulty: 5.0

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

Comment:

It was a very difficult class, I found it hard to learn because unless you easily learn from just a start lecture then you won't do very well. Her lectures were very uninteresting and I often found myself loosing track of the lecture. All in all it was difficult.

Rating # 12

Overview:

• Course: CMST101
• 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:

She has to have been the worst educator I have ever come across. If you have good speaking skills, you'll do fine, but if don't, you will do terrible. If you learn well by just listening to someone read off a PowerPoint, then you'll ace the class. If you don't, you'll do awfully. The only grades she gives are speeches and three very large tests.

Rating # 13

Overview:

• Course: CMST101
• 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:

She was an Awesome teacher, especially for me when I had a hard time speaking, and big crowds, and was very helpful. The only thing that annoyed me was that quizzes and tests were difficult as well as that the quizzes are worth as much as a test.

Rating # 14

Overview:

• Course: CMST101
• 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:

GREAT PROFFESSOR! i loved coming to her class and i actually came out of it a ten times more polished speaker. The only thing is that her tests are always a little off track from the study guides.

Rating # 15

Overview:

• Course: CMST100
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 5.0
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

EXCELLENT Professor! Dreaded the class prior to starting, but it as become one of my favorite. Prof Slawter is energetic & thorough. Attendance, punctuality and delivering speeches on assigned days are a must! BUT hey thats REAL WORLD kind of stuff...she is always willing to answer questions and is very connected with students.

Rating # 16

Overview:

• Course: CMST101
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 5.0
• Course Difficulty: 1.0

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

Comment:

Karen did a good job as my professor in my last semester speech class. I thought she had a tougher time dealing with some of our immature classmates than teaching the class. And besides if you just do what her handouts say to do in your speeches type your speech outlines in a timely manor and practice then the rest of the class is a breeze.

Rating # 17

Overview:

• Course: CMST101
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 5.0
• Course Difficulty: 1.0

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

Comment:

Great professor! Very easy grader on the speeches, but the tests and quizzes can be a bit tricky.

Rating # 18

Overview:

• Course: CMST101
• 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:

Good prof! Would recommend her to anybody. I will warn you she is tough, but a good prof. Lots of speechs the final is a 12-15 min group speech

Rating # 19

Overview:

• Course: CMST101
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 4.5
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

She was a very good professor. She explained things very well. Taking a summer class with her made it difficult, because she still had very high expectations of the class, although there was much less time to get the work completed. I do like this professor, but the class is hard. The exams are harder than you might think for a speech class.

Rating # 20

Overview:

• Course: CMST101
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 4.0
• Course Difficulty: 2.0

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

Comment:

Mrs. Slawter is a great professor. She is very straight forward and the class is fairly easy if you do you're work. I recommend taking her, but definitly do all of your speeches on time. I was late on one of them and recieved 10 points off making me recieve a B in the class instead of an A.