Gregory Nowell - University at Albany (SUNY Albany), Albany, NY

Professor: Gregory Nowell

Department: Political Science

College: University at Albany (SUNY Albany), Albany, NY

Rating # 1

Overview:

• Course: RPOS367
• Grade Received: A
• Overall Rating: 4.0
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

He is very smart and knows what he's talking about. You just need to be able to track his ramblings, which are actually really interesting if you pay attention to them. But no mater what, he always ties everything he says back to the topic being discussed. Do the readings and know them for the midterms and finals, and you'll do fine.

Rating # 2

Overview:

• Course: POS367
• Grade Received: A
• Overall Rating: 3.0
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

Professor Nowell is a very intelligent albeit narcissistic man. His lectures a long, boring, and usually scatter brained. That being said, he's pretty funny and structures his classes all the same way. There's only a midterm and final, and he gives out the questions before hand, just study the questions and you'll do fine.

Rating # 3

Overview:

• Course: RPOS395
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 1.0
• Course Difficulty: 5.0

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

Comment:

Extremely intelligent professor, but does not know how to convey his knowledge to his students. Often curses in class, talks down on his students, and his lectures are extremely difficult to follow. The only way I got an A on the midterm was by putting all of the responsibility on myself. Awful professor. STAY AWAY!

Rating # 4

Overview:

• Course: RPOS102
• Grade Received: A-
• Overall Rating: 1.0
• Course Difficulty: 5.0

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

Comment:

Honestly the class is very hard to follow, look toward your TA for help. If not for my TA and the 1 day weekly class that went along with Nowells class I wouldn't have gotten a A-. He gives essay midterm and final you know 1 question but not the other. Know your readings and understand them. ASK YOUR TA ANY QUESTION YOU MIGHT HAVE. go to office hrs

Rating # 5

Overview:

• Course: RPOS367
• Grade Received: A
• Overall Rating: 2.5
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

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

Comment:

The amount of effort you put in translates into your grade at the end of the semester. The lectures are sometimes hard to follow but eventually they lead back to a main point. Attendance is not mandatory but In my opinion it counts. If you have questions he will help you. Only a midterm, final and optional paper- would take another class with him!

Rating # 6

Overview:

• Course: RPOS367
• Grade Received: C
• Overall Rating: 2.0
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

He makes a lot of jokes and the class is really fun, but he expects doctoral dissertations in his tests and papers. He also takes forever to grade the assignments, if he ever gets around to it.

Rating # 7

Overview:

• Course: RPOS102
• Grade Received: B
• Overall Rating: 1.0
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

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

Comment:

unless you have a good TA, you won't understand anything going on in the class. terrible lecturer, hard to follow because he rambles. will leave the class not knowing a thing about international politics besides the MAD doctrine

Rating # 8

Overview:

• Course: RPOS102
• Grade Received: B
• Overall Rating: 1.5
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

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

Comment:

DO NOT TAKE THIS CLASS Professor Nowell is the worst lecturer in the political science department. He may be intelligent but he does not know how to convey that to his students. You will spend the entire semester learning about WW2 and Germany, when you're supposed to learn everything about International relations. DO NOT BUY TEXTBOOK.

Rating # 9

Overview:

• Course: RPOS102
• Grade Received: A
• Overall Rating: 2.5
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

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

Comment:

I felt like his lectures were just confusing and all over the place. I would always wait till my discussion sections before I'd be able to understand the past week's lecture. The simulation was really fun and it was a great learning experience, however, Nowell gave out points based on his own beliefs. I definitely think this guy is a communist.

Rating # 10

Overview:

• Course: RPOS102
• Grade Received: C
• Overall Rating: 2.0
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

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

Comment:

Professor Nowell can be very confusing and often times gets off topic. His lectures can be very dry, as well as the readings. He does not provide you with the readings you have to find them online, but they are helpful in clarifying his lectures. Attendance is not mandatory except for in your section. Quiz and test questions are given ahead of time

Rating # 11

Overview:

• Course: RPOS102
• Grade Received: Not sure yet
• Overall Rating: 3.0
• Course Difficulty: 1.0

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

Comment:

Pretty easy class to pass if you go to lectures. Easy discussion. Sometimes lectures are all over the place but usually its drawn back to a main point. Quizzes and tests are given out in advance so there are no surprises. If you go to class and pay attention a little you'll be fine. Don't need to do any of the assigned readings. Easy overall.

Rating # 12

Overview:

• Course: POS367
• Grade Received: C
• Overall Rating: 2.5
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

He is a very intelligent man but the lectures are long and dull. One has to really pay attention and do the readings before class to really understand what he is talking about as he rambles all the time and makes it really hard to take notes. There are only two test which are weighted heavily. The midterm and final and optinal parachute paper.

Rating # 13

Overview:

• Course: 367
• Grade Received: B+
• Overall Rating: 2.0
• Course Difficulty: 5.0

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

Comment:

He teaches you as if you are pursuing your PhD. He has put too much emphasis on the two exams, namely the midterm and the final. His teaching methods are outdated, probably from the 80s. He gets personal on some of things you don't agree with him in the class. His class is the most unstructured class I have ever seen. A good guy, but awful teacher.

Rating # 14

Overview:

• Course: 479Z
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 3.5
• Course Difficulty: 2.0

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

Comment:

Nowell is a good professor. You can learn a lot from him if you are actually motivated to learn. He's a little bit off, but it keeps things interesting. The only qualm I have is that his grading was not consistent. He would occasionally give positive feedback on certain areas in rough drafts, and then mark down the same parts on the final drafts.

Rating # 15

Overview:

• Course: RPOS395
• 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:

Great Professor extremely intelligent! Nowell is the most knowledgable professor in the political science department. I've taken multiple classes with Nowell, I recommend him he's a great professor.

Rating # 16

Overview:

• Course: RPOS479Z
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 4.0
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

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

Comment:

Not an easy course, but the professor is the best. Nowell is the most intelligent professor at Albany. I loved this course and the information he conveyed. The readings are required if you do not want to read do not take the course, the readings were interesting and fun. I highly recommend Nowell as a professor.

Rating # 17

Overview:

• Course: RPOS395
• 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:

I have never felt obligated to rate a professor until now. Do not take this class with Nowell. Though he is clearly intelligent he still does not know how to convey his thought processes to the class and how it's relevant to the texts. He is easily distracted and goes way off topic way too often.

Rating # 18

Overview:

• Course: RPOS479Z
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 4.5
• Course Difficulty: 2.0

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

Comment:

I liked Nowell. I've taken his 102 class and his upper level writing class on political economy and found that hearing him lecture in smaller groups was much more helpful. He's clearly very intelligent and knows a great deal about everything that he talks about. Do the readings. Great professor. He always gives you the questions for exams.

Rating # 19

Overview:

• Course: POS367
• 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:

Politics of the M.E: He explained at the beginning of the course that it was not his choice to teach this class. But since class is called POLITICS of the middle east i'd expect to learn something regarding political structures. All we discuss is OIL. which happens to be his specialty. He is extremely intelligent, but dry. Don't take this class.

Rating # 20

Overview:

• Course: RPOS371
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 1.0
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

It was the dullest class I have taken. We are upon a midterm for which I know nothing about. I have been doing the readings religiously in hopes of understanding some of the material, yet once I come into class what he teaches and what I got from the reading is completely different. He is hard to pay attention to and Im not excited for the midterm.