Frank Wcislo - Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN

Professor: Frank Wcislo

Department: History

College: Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN

Rating # 1

Overview:

• Course: HIST2135
• Grade Received: A
• Overall Rating: 5.0
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

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

Comment:

Such a nice guy. Professor Wcislo encourages students to "form their own narrative" on the history and encourages intellectual risk-taking. Loves talking to students, especially in office hours. Grades came from participation, one four-page paper, and three six-page papers.

Rating # 2

Overview:

• Course: HIST210
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 2.5
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

Prof. Wcislo clearly knows a lot about Russian history but he is not great at coherently expressing it with students. Lectures are often longwinded and confusing. 3 essays worth 60%, take home final worth 20%, and participation worth 20%. Pretty tough grader but not that hard to get a B

Rating # 3

Overview:

• Course: HIST210
• 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:

I would highly recommend this class to anyone with any interest in the subject. Wcislo is a very engaging and erudite professor, makes the lectures very lucid, and is very understanding. He will generally grant extensions for legitimate reasons and offers proof reading of essays. Reading intensive but interesting material. TA was helpful as well.

Rating # 4

Overview:

• Course: HIST210
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 2.0
• Course Difficulty: 5.0

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

Comment:

Tried hard on the first paper, got a B. Tried VERY hard on the second paper, got a B. Tried VERY hard on the midterm, got a B minus. Didn't try on the last paper, got a B. Still not sure what he was looking for.

Rating # 5

Overview:

• Course: HIST210
• 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:

Fantastic professor. Very engaging, knowledgable, thought-provoking and helpful. Class is mostly lecture based with some discussion, but he is always willing to continue the conversation with you privately. No tests, only papers, but DO come to class. You will not do well if you skip. Not an easy A by any stretch, but still very possible.

Rating # 6

Overview:

• Course: HIST210
• 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:

A very nice man. Is more than willing to help you out and wants to hear your opinions and thoughts. Lectures are interesting (even though he always goes over). Would definately recommend him.

Rating # 7

Overview:

• Course: HST101
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 4.5
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

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

Comment:

Great professor, took him two years ago and still ask for advice for my hist classes. One of the best people I've met that teaches at Vandy...and as for those who rated him harshly, yes he will give you bad grades if you blow off his class. And he's extremely smart, so he will know, and your grade will reflect it. So get over it.

Rating # 8

Overview:

• Course: HIST239
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 4.0
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

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

Comment:

Very passionate about history, but definitely a lot of reading. Papers can be difficult but if you go to him he'll read rough drafts and tell you exactly what to do to help you. Not the easiest A but it's very possible.

Rating # 9

Overview:

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

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

Comment:

Smart. Kind. Good. Best class ever with Damon and Lachs.

Rating # 10

Overview:

• Course: 237238239
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 4.5
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

No Comments

Rating # 11

Overview:

• Course: HST101
• Grade Received: A-
• Overall Rating: 1.0
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

• For Credit: N/A
• Textbook Used: N/A
• Would Take Again: N/A
• Attendance: Not Mandatory

Comment:

By far the worst teacher I've ever had. I took him as a senior, and he couldn't care less about his students. He makes no effort to understand where you're coming from if you discuss any grading problems, and his lectures are boring to say the LEAST. I am dumber for having taken his class. I award him no points, and may God have mercy on his soul.

Rating # 12

Overview:

• Course: HIST101
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 2.0
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

Very pretentious. Class is boring and he lectures without regard to the course. He does help outside of class, but when grading he doesn't seem to have any basis for his critique. Avoid him, espeically if you don't like teachers with a chip on their shoulder.

Rating # 13

Overview:

• Course: HIST101
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 4.5
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

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

Comment:

Awesome teacher, he's really funny. He makes the subject pretty interesting for you so his lectures go by in a flash. For West. Civ., post 1700, he doesn't require much, but the midterm and take home final were a ****. If you put some effort into the class, you'll do well

Rating # 14

Overview:

• Course: HIST238
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 2.5
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

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

Comment:

Long-winded and at sometimes doesn't quite connect up with what he started off with. He lost me at the beginning of the semester but had me really learning though I didnt think so. Lots of texts and readings, hard grader, almost always runs over on time, but GREAT person.

Rating # 15

Overview:

• Course: HIST239
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 4.5
• Course Difficulty: 2.0

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

Comment:

I am a senior and have gone to see a professor outside of class maybe 8 times in my academic career, but Wcislo is a guy to see outside of class. Pretty much will tell you what he wants. Great guy too.

Rating # 16

Overview:

• Course: HIST101
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 1.0
• Course Difficulty: 5.0

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

Comment:

His class structure is very weird and not helpful. His papers require much reading with no direction, and his grading is a level to hard for this course. I hate him.

Rating # 17

Overview:

• Course: HIST238
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 3.0
• Course Difficulty: 2.0

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

Comment:

Man, I really liked the previous classes, but this one is a drag. It's not very difficult, but it is not engaging at all. I find it laboring sitting through the class and taking notes is impossible.

Rating # 18

Overview:

• Course: HIST238
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 2.0
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

I have to say, Wcislo is the worst history teacher I've had, and I'm a history major. This class is impenetrable, owing to his long, unclear, tangential sentences. He is very smart, but this class is uninteresting and not much of a history class at all. More like sociology, with harder grading.

Rating # 19

Overview:

• Course: HIST238
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 5.0
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

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

Comment:

Prof. Wcislo is an extremely engaging professor, with a vast knowledge of his areas of expertise. Grading can be a bit harsh, he challanges you but is not unfair in his grading. You better be prepared to think in his class. Which I think is a good thing.

Rating # 20

Overview:

• Course: MLAS270
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 4.5
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

So far so good - the semester just started! He makes you want to research the past, beyond the 8 texts we are using!