Howard Blair - Syracuse University, Syracuse, NY

Professor: Howard Blair

Department: Computer Science

College: Syracuse University, Syracuse, NY

Rating # 1

Overview:

• Course: CIS623
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 5.0
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

I don't say you can gain much in his classes, but you'll enjoy the lectures and the way he digs into mathematical problems.

Rating # 2

Overview:

• Course: CIS607
• Grade Received: A
• Overall Rating: 2.0
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

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

Comment:

All CS student have to take this course (prerequisite for core ). Only Pro is professor gives good grade in final and most of the final exam questions will come directly from his 75 page workbook. Lectures were too heavy and course material looks to be useless.

Rating # 3

Overview:

• Course: CIS607
• Grade Received: 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:

This is not a professor who's invested in what he's doing. He's just hanging around for the tenure it seems, doing the minimum of what's required.

Rating # 4

Overview:

• Course: CIS607
• Grade Received: A-
• Overall Rating: 3.0
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

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

Comment:

Even though he didn't give feedback for any works, he gave good grade at final.

Rating # 5

Overview:

• Course: CIS607
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 1.5
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

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

Comment:

Prof. Blair is not a good instructor as I think, because he seldom update blackboard and nearly no homework, which makes me feel I am not attending a course but watching a lecture. Moreover, just the final grade will be given, no other grades can be seen.

Rating # 6

Overview:

• Course: CIS607
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 1.5
• Course Difficulty: 5.0

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

Comment:

Guy is a genius, probably smartest prof I ever met, but class is wacky. Has very little vision, Blackboard and assignments never updated or given back, goes off topic. Nice guy, great to be a mentor, if you're a CE student avoid at all costs. CS, be prepared for a confusing semester since this class is a pre req to graduate.

Rating # 7

Overview:

• Course: 600
• 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:

We've never received a grade back from him throughout the semester, so we aren't even sure how he gave us a grade for the class at all/ we don't know if any of our work that we submitted was right. He was additionally not very helpful when we asked question about problems. would not recommend. Not a good experience.

Rating # 8

Overview:

• Course: 607
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 1.5
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

I'm sure prof blair is knowledgable but it seems as if he does not care about his students, just his research and other jobs. On our first midterm, he tested us on material he never taught. He has no organization for his class. Asked us to email him questions before the exam and never responded with the answers. Horrible experience, worst class.

Rating # 9

Overview:

• Course: CSI607
• 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:

It's almost the end of the semester and we still do t have any grades back. I suggest never taking him

Rating # 10

Overview:

• Course: CIS607
• 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: Not Mandatory

Comment:

Not a good professor. Does not teach for the first half of the semester and for the second half, the material is still not taught well

Rating # 11

Overview:

• Course: CSE607
• 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: Mandatory

Comment:

AVOID HIM. Its almost the end of the semester and we have yet to get one grade back from him. His class is structured so you just do problems, but they are not thoroughly introduced so you are left spending more than half your time trying to understand what the question is asking. There is no syllabus and we never know what he will be teaching next

Rating # 12

Overview:

• Course: CIS607
• 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:

extremely knowledgeable professor.passionate about what he does and loves to teach. this course was different from anything I have taken in that I didn't get regular homework assignments or any clear way to study for exams. Be prepared for the unexpected with Dr. Blair and his exams. Not easy but worth the challenge. Will make you really think .

Rating # 13

Overview:

• Course: CSE607
• 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:

Granted, you have to be prepared when you come to class, but I found the class to be very worthwhile. Dr. Blair was helpful and approachable. I am aware that other grad students had problems, but I did not feel that way about his instruction.

Rating # 14

Overview:

• Course: CIS275
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 3.0
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

I took his Discrete Math class in 1997. As many ppl who rated him here, I thought that he was very knowledgeable, but not a good teacher. I also felt that the subject matter was very theoretical and is better suited for graduate students. I did well but was glad when the class was over.

Rating # 15

Overview:

• Course: CIS623
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 3.5
• Course Difficulty: 2.0

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

Comment:

It was really a great class.. although the weirdest of the courses I have taken in my entire life. The only bad thing abt him is that he gets lost while talking..eg While explaining a complicated problem he will start explaining something he did in latex to get the symbol on screen. Confused the hell out of me sometimes.

Rating # 16

Overview:

• Course: CIS623
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 1.0
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

required class, if not it would not be worth taking.

Rating # 17

Overview:

• Course: CIS623
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 2.0
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

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

Comment:

I think it's very clear he's a great mathematician, but he's a very bad professor. He can rarely stay on topic, and complicates things instead of trying to make them easy. He thinks that exhaustively covering the background of a topic will give people better perspective, but he's so wrong.

Rating # 18

Overview:

• Course: CIS623
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 2.0
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

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

Comment:

I like theoretical CS, and I was a math major as an undergrad. And I have no doubt Prof Blair is brilliant. But having just endured yet another of his digressive rants, I cannot see how anyone can say this man is a good teacher. The class is a waste of time. And no, I haven't visited him during office hours; why should I have to?

Rating # 19

Overview:

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

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

Comment:

Dr. Blair's reviews are pretty much like partisan politics in this country, way high or way low. I think the trouble is the caliber of students at SU...most undergrads in comp. sci. just want to learn how to write C++ programs in 30 days. I'd suggest to those students that they save $112,000 for them/their parents and just get the book from the library. For students that are more seriously interested in learning COMPUTER SCIENCE, I'd either stay away from SU, or stay very close to Blair.

Rating # 20

Overview:

• Course: CS473
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 5.0
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

Amazing prof! A rare breed! If you like a challenge you will love his style of teaching. He makes you think, analyze and then analyze some more. And stop by his office! Yes, he is intelligent and confident, and yes, he can make you feel stupid at the time, but its all LEARNING! AND HE CARES!!!