James Lawler - University at Buffalo (SUNY Buffalo), Buffalo, NY

Professor: James Lawler

Department: Philosophy

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

Rating # 1

Overview:

• Course: PHI199
• Grade Received: A-
• Overall Rating: 2.0
• Course Difficulty: 1.0

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

Comment:

Easy class. Good first year seminar class. 1 page weekly paper due, and a weekly quiz based on what you learned in lecture. However, his lectures are so god awful boring and he talks about randoms things that do not relate. Also do not buy the book that is "required" he literally does not assign readings.

Rating # 2

Overview:

• Course: PHI101
• Grade Received: A
• Overall Rating: 4.0
• Course Difficulty: 1.0

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

Comment:

First off, take this class! It is so mind-blowingly easy, just take it. Second, Dr. Lawler to many may seem very boring, but if you just take lecture seriously for the time being there, you'll get a lot out of the material. Besides, its philosophy, you might actually learn something about yourself. Weekly easy quizzes and hws, and a final. Thats it

Rating # 3

Overview:

• Course: PHI199
• Grade Received: A
• Overall Rating: 5.0
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

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

Comment:

The reviews in this are pretty harsh and I don't understand why. To be honest, most people in philosophy classes expect an easy time and don't do much which is why they complain about professors. If you pay attention in Lawler's class and read his slides, it's a pretty easy A. He doesn't give much work so it's all on you if you wanna do well.

Rating # 4

Overview:

• Course: PHI101
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 2.0
• Course Difficulty: 2.0

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

Comment:

He is very easy for PHI101. He is very boring. One easy quiz a week and one summary (one page) per week.

Rating # 5

Overview:

• Course: PHI199
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 4.0
• Course Difficulty: 2.0

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

Comment:

I toke his class last semester, the topic about the moral and determinism was really changed my perspective of the world.

Rating # 6

Overview:

• Course: UGC111
• Grade Received: Not sure yet
• Overall Rating: 1.5
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

Probably the worst teacher I ever had. His lectures are boring as hell--just him ranting on about his philosophy and incorporating its core beliefs into the religions of early civilizations rather than focus on any historical aspects. Do not take as a gen. ed

Rating # 7

Overview:

• Course: UGC111
• Grade Received: Not sure yet
• Overall Rating: 1.0
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

Professor Lawler is a very boring teacher. UGC111 is a world civilizations class but with his teaching, you won't learn anything about them. He teaches philosophy and the religions of each civilization. The book is the only way you can learn about civilizations. And the weekly journals, are also philosophy based. Do not take as a gen. ed.

Rating # 8

Overview:

• Course: UGC111
• Grade Received: A
• Overall Rating: 2.0
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

His lectures are very boring and his slides have a ton of unimportant information on them. Have to write two short essays a week after reading the textbook chapter and two other readings. Also have to do a 10 page research paper while doing the essays. Too much work for a Gen Ed. Avoid this class!!

Rating # 9

Overview:

• Course: UGC111
• Grade Received: B+
• Overall Rating: 1.0
• Course Difficulty: 5.0

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

Comment:

Professor Lawler used a different approach to teach world civilization. He assigned one long essay, 2 journals every week and one reading assignment each week. There were weekly quizzes during recitation and only one exam, which was the final with 150 MC and a 3-4 pages essay. Also, he took attendance sometimes by asking some random questions.

Rating # 10

Overview:

• Course: UGC111
• Grade Received: A
• Overall Rating: 3.5
• Course Difficulty: 2.0

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

Comment:

He teaches with a philosophical approach which I personally liked. I wasn't interested much before but then I really got into it. Don't opt if you don't like philosophical approach. For me, it was a great experience.

Rating # 11

Overview:

• Course: UGC111
• Grade Received: A
• Overall Rating: 1.0
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

I'm sure Dr. Lawler at one point was a good professor. However, this seems to have been quite a long time ago. Throughout the semester, he "teaches" every single topic of world civilization history through a heavy lens of philosophy. This would have been fine, if the test wasn't 90% raw history based, right out of the textbook. Avoid this teacher.

Rating # 12

Overview:

• Course: UGC112
• Grade Received: A
• Overall Rating: 2.0
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

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

Comment:

There's only 1 exam (which is the final) in this class. Consisted of hard facts and an essay. I had no idea what was going on most of the time but still got an A in the class. Class definitely requires some effort though

Rating # 13

Overview:

• Course: UGC111
• Grade Received: A
• Overall Rating: 1.5
• Course Difficulty: 2.0

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

Comment:

He can be very boring and random but his lectures make sense. If you have a great TA you're sure to pass with an easy A. Make sure you read over his lecture slides because that's where all the important information is, and the online textbook. He reuses questions.

Rating # 14

Overview:

• Course: UGC111
• Grade Received: A
• Overall Rating: 1.5
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

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

Comment:

This class was a waste of time. Whoever at UB thinks having a philosophy professor teach a history class should be fired. He gives one exam with a huge curve because he is such a bad teacher, basically if you get 20120 questions right you get an A this seems nice but its waste of an entire semester, especially because attendance is mandatory

Rating # 15

Overview:

• Course: UGC111
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 2.0
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

Lectures are boring and will definitely put you to sleep. Having a good TA is essential to getting a good grade and understanding some of the gibberish that Lawler says in lectures.

Rating # 16

Overview:

• Course: UGC111
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 2.5
• Course Difficulty: 2.0

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

Comment:

This class was interesting to say the least. I gave up on paying attention two weeks in and used lectures as naptimes. I feel like I got shafted out of a cool history class with all the religious philosophical angles Dr. Lawler took. Quizzes required a little studying, otherwise easy. I got an A because my TA was awesome and I studied a little.

Rating # 17

Overview:

• Course: UGC111
• Grade Received: A
• Overall Rating: 1.0
• Course Difficulty: 1.0

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

Comment:

like history, but Dr. Lawler seems convinced he is teaching philosophy. His lectures were dull and very long. Lawler is harmless, but he is not an interesting UGC professor. The class is not difficult, by any means, but you will be bored. Short written assignments during lecture to check attendance, not really worth going. Just do all the work.

Rating # 18

Overview:

• Course: UGC111
• Grade Received: Not sure yet
• Overall Rating: 1.5
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

If I wanted to learn about a marxist philosophical version of history and read religious texts I would take a philosophy or religion course. Yep. That's what his course is. One paper, weekly quizzes, attendance is taken, and sometimes there's in-lecture group quizzes. Lawler needs to think about the fact that this is a gen-ed and nobody cares.

Rating # 19

Overview:

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

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

Comment:

i really have no idea what was going on in this class. I thought it was a history class but the professor made you feel like it's an philosophy class instead. If you have a good TA, then you are lucky. If you have a bad one like i did, good luck earning a passing grade :

Rating # 20

Overview:

• Course: UGC1111
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 3.5
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

Doctor Lawler utilizes a philosophical approach when teaching UGC. Makes you think about life's philosophical questions. 1 Research paper (5 pages) w class presentation, uses Break questions for attendance and weekly quizzes. I had the best TA - he created a study guide to prepare you for the final exam essay. Good professor, bloody excellent TA.