Peter Dreier - Occidental College, Los Angeles, CA

Professor: Peter Dreier

Department: Political Science

College: Occidental College, Los Angeles, CA

Rating # 1

Overview:

• Course: POL101
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 2.0
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

Peter Dreier honestly just can't teach well enough for a 101 class. He's just terrible at explaining things if you dont know whats going on before entering the classroom. Dreier knows his stuff but can't explain well and gives a TON of reading work. Its so not worth it. Take the class with ANYONE else. Save yourself the trouble.

Rating # 2

Overview:

• Course: POL101
• Grade Received: B+
• Overall Rating: 4.0
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

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

Comment:

Overall a very intelligent and insightful professor -- he made me support every argument I ever made with evidence for the claim to be credible. It was tough and made me afraid to participate at times but overall helped me a lot. In terms of political views, the readings he assigned are almost always framed in a left-wing way. Decent grader... use

Rating # 3

Overview:

• Course: POL101
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 1.0
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

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

Comment:

So condescending. You will read a million pages a night and only talk about two of them in class. I have learned nothing in this class.

Rating # 4

Overview:

• Course: POLS101
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 4.0
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

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

Comment:

Very knowledgeable about US Politics and Public Policy. Tons of Reading each night for a introductory course. His lectures are sometimes interesting but usually pretty long. Tough Grader.

Rating # 5

Overview:

• Course: UEP301
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 3.0
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

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

Comment:

Although he is a pretty good professor, his arrogance is out of control. He assigns far too much reading and only really cares about how many sources you cite in the papers, not their actual content. I did learn a lot in his class but he was so conceited that I couldn't bare to have another class with him ever again.

Rating # 6

Overview:

• Course: 250
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 2.0
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

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

Comment:

I wouldn't take another class from Dreier if my admission at Oxy depended on it! Workload is insane: I spent more time reading and writing for his class than I did my other three combined. Its like his entire purpose of being a professor is to indoctrinate all of his students with left wing ideals--I lost points on an essay for opposing socialism

Rating # 7

Overview:

• Course: UEP301
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 3.5
• Course Difficulty: 2.0

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

Comment:

I have had him for four classes now. The amount of reading he assigns is ridiculous. It is way too much. His classes can be very dry, but he really makes you think about your opinions and why you have them. He pushes you to think really hard. As well, he is a pretty easy grader.

Rating # 8

Overview:

• Course: CSP69
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 2.0
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

I took this class excited about learning ways to channel my interests into a productivc life. Dreier changed my life - despite the fact that I provided evidence and carefully constructed arguements with evidence (he does not), he punished me for not agreeing with him with a bad grade. He is biased, vindictive and a liar. I am now pre-med.

Rating # 9

Overview:

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

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

Comment:

I took Dreier's CSP "Jobs and Justice: History of the Labor Movement in the United States" He is one of the most intelligent, informed professor's I have ever had. Made me love a subject I had never thought about before. I will be taking many more classes from him.

Rating # 10

Overview:

• Course: UEP301
• 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:

He is the best politics professor at Oxy. Teaching method Socratic. Repeatedly asks hard questions to reveal ignorance or holes in your thinking. You must back up your opinions with solid evidence (something conservatives often have trouble with). He's very kind outside of class. A teacher's job isn't to make you "feel" good about yourself.

Rating # 11

Overview:

• Course: CSP65
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 2.5
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

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

Comment:

Professor Dreier is definitely incredibly intelligent - in fact, he has one of the best grasp of the facts of any professor I've had in my time at Occidental. But that mastery is lessened by his extreme, EXTREME, liberal bias. He holds grudges, and is pretty much the sum of all the bad personality traits that a professor could have.

Rating # 12

Overview:

• Course: PSB
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 1.5
• Course Difficulty: 1.0

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

Comment:

He is a doctrinaire and biased political advocate, not a balanced and disinterested scholar. Reading lists reflect his bias. Easy grader, unless you challenge his political views.

Rating # 13

Overview:

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

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

Comment:

Dreier seems like he wants to bring the Soviet Union to LA. He hates and feuds with almost everyone who does not want to give up freedom, their car or own a home. He is Mr. Grumpy and seems to not understand what fun is. He wants us to listen to the commie Weavers from the 1950's about how horrible America is. Dr. Dreier is a troubled man. SAD!

Rating # 14

Overview:

• Course: CSP69
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 4.0
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

Professor Dreier is quite possibly one of the most intelligent people that I've ever met. He's an expert on Labor Unions, and when I say Expert, I mean it. He is, however, incredibly biased towards the liberal side. If you can see through it, don't mind it, or agree with it, then take this class. You'll learn a lot.

Rating # 15

Overview:

• Course: POL101
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 3.0
• Course Difficulty: 1.0

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

Comment:

Dreier is extremely inconsistent. He lectures every class, and sometimes they will be very interesting - but most of the time they are dry. Bring your laptop! He'll grade your papers leniently if you include a lot of sources from the reading. Lots of work. Not a rewarding class. Think twice.

Rating # 16

Overview:

• Course: ECON210
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 2.0
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

Found to be too agenda oriented. Too much spin on current news and events.

Rating # 17

Overview:

• Course: UEP310
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 2.5
• Course Difficulty: 2.0

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

Comment:

Hes long-winded and rambles on a lot in class. He is an EASY grader. Theres no reason to be intimidated by him. He just expects students to read the material and them talk about it in class. There is a lot of reading however. Come on time to class too.

Rating # 18

Overview:

• Course: POLS101
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 3.5
• Course Difficulty: 1.0

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

Comment:

Be hesitant before signing up for Dreier's class. He is biased and intimidating. That being said, I learned a great deal in his class. He demands participation (will call on you arbitrarily) and assigns quite a bit of reading (200+ pages per week, usually). He also is quite moody. But in retrospect, it was a great class.

Rating # 19

Overview:

• Course: POLS101
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 1.5
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

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

Comment:

Terrible terrible professor. He is more of a liberal propagandist than a politics professor. If you think conservatively at all, he will attack your points of view in class. He assigns outdated articles from the nation as reading. Theres about two or three hours of reading a class, when he'll barely touch on half of them.

Rating # 20

Overview:

• Course: UEP301
• 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:

A smart man and good lecturer. Demands that his students participate in open discussions in readings and fully engages and opens minds. Great professor.