Peter Gillespie - University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA

Professor: Peter Gillespie

Department: Literature

College: University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA

Rating # 1

Overview:

• Course: ENGLIT0300
• Grade Received: B+
• Overall Rating: 1.5
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

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

Comment:

I did not like the online lit course & don't recommend taking it. The teacher does not help you & has many critical comments that do not help improve your writings. Don't even bother reading the comments. He is a pretty easy grader. It was a lot of work, but the readings that we had to do weren't too bad, it was the analysis that took forever.

Rating # 2

Overview:

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

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

Comment:

Do not take this professor. If you had questions he wouldn't answer them. His online Intro to Lit course was awful. If you didn't interpret a story how he wanted, you had nasty comments. He is no help. If you e-mail him he won't respond. When he does its about 2 weeks later when you don't need the answer anymore. He is not helpful what so ever.

Rating # 3

Overview:

• Course: LIT0300
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 1.5
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

I took his online intro to lit class. I always thought that literature was open to interpretation and what one interpreted was based on their own experiences and life. Well, apparently not to him. He would constantly tell me that my interpretations were wrong! He was not very helpful with answering questions either.

Rating # 4

Overview:

• Course: ENGLI0300
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 3.5
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

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

Comment:

His assignments are thought-provoking and he grades fairly- you usually can't argue much with his comments if you give them enough consideration. He's also a TRULY liberal prof: relaxed on due dates. He does write slightly pejorative remarks on papers to emphasize his criticism, but he's definitely a nice guy although it may not come across.

Rating # 5

Overview:

• Course: ENGCO0440
• 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:

I took a critical writing class online where attendance was not mandatory for the 3 in-class sessions. He changed moved up every in-class meeting 3 days prior to the new date. Essentially, he is a pretentious ****bag that writes like a dyslexic SCROOGE with ADD, whose word vomit is offensively potent

Rating # 6

Overview:

• Course: ENGCM0200
• 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:

I am a writing major. This is what I want to do with my life. Not only was Gillespie's class worthless to me, but I was actually offended that I had to pay tuition money to hear him rant about his political views for the entire class, every class. It's an easy A, but you won't learn a single thing because he never actually teaches. Avoid.

Rating # 7

Overview:

• Course: ENLIT0560
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 1.5
• Course Difficulty: 1.0

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

Comment:

Well, he was rarely clear and kind of crazy, but the class was easy. What I don't understand is why nobody else wrote about the time he brought his two KITTENS (Sparky and Blue) into class, and let them roam around room 252 of the Cathedral of Learning... while we "studied" Shakespeare. It was joyous and the best class of the year.

Rating # 8

Overview:

• Course: ENGCM0200
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 2.5
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

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

Comment:

The only prof. I actually dislike this term. He's long-winded and goes off topic and makes rude comments on papers rather than simply pointing out what should be changed. Also a pretty bad writer himself; he does not know how to get to the point. STAY AWAY.

Rating # 9

Overview:

• Course: ENGLI0310
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 2.0
• Course Difficulty: 2.0

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

Comment:

Boring. Scatterbrained. Gets off on tangents way too often, only 10% of which actually pertain to the topic. 50% of his tangents end up in politics (he's very liberal). He doesn't get angry, but he shrugs off comments more than necessary. Occasionally he'll make a joke you can laugh at, but mostly he laughs at himself. Not recommended.

Rating # 10

Overview:

• Course: CRITWRIT
• 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:

I have him for an online lit class that's very open-ended. Basically, write papers whenever you want on whatever you want. Grading is harsh, but fair. He's openly very liberal, but interesting to listen to. He's a really nice guy, really wants his students to just learn and THINK about our world. I think he's great.

Rating # 11

Overview:

• Course: ENGLI0560
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 4.5
• Course Difficulty: 1.0

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

Comment:

If you're a hardcore student, you might not like Peter's style (relaxed with due dates & getting stuff back, but gives 3-5 scenes to read per night & goes over them in depth--TRULY wants students to do well). Rather scatterbrained, but really is passionate and does know his stuff. I enjoyed it -- but I'm just as scattered as he is. Fair grader.

Rating # 12

Overview:

• Course: ENGCM0440
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 1.0
• Course Difficulty: 2.0

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

Comment:

No Comments

Rating # 13

Overview:

• Course: ENG0200
• 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:

Awful professor. His comments on my papers were condescending and insulting. He'll call you 'strange' and tell you you're wrong if you don't agree with his views on the assigned reading. I will never take his class again and I discourage all of you to steer clear of him if possible. On top of that, he was also really rude and mean.

Rating # 14

Overview:

• Course: LIT0200
• 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:

Very libereal professor, relaxed about when things are due. Talks about the most random crap during class, gets way off subject. Tells you there is no such things as symbolism and criticizes you when you write about it, but then preceded to talk about the different symbols in class.

Rating # 15

Overview:

• Course: ENGLI0580
• 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:

No Comments

Rating # 16

Overview:

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

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

Comment:

Isnt clear in class. Takes forever to grade things. And looking around in my class it seems everyone in the class was failing his pop quizes. (that will take him weeks to grade). Talks way too much about Politics for a LIT class, and is disrespectful to students. His class has only frustrated me.

Rating # 17

Overview:

• Course: ENG200
• 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:

very intelligent man, very liberal who talks about politics alot which got kind of annoying to a conservative like me. very relaxed about when things are do. an overall good guy who told some funny stories

Rating # 18

Overview:

• Course: ENG0200
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 4.5
• Course Difficulty: 1.0

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

Comment:

Gillespie was a great guy in my opinion. Ya he is definitly a far left guy but it's a free country. He made class interesting for sem and comp. The essays were easy. Of course I think Bush is a total idiot so I might be a little bias in his liberalness. Oh ya his sandles and attire in general was hilarious.

Rating # 19

Overview:

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

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

Comment:

This class was more like a political science class. He goes on talkin all class about politics. He is not organized at all. Hard to know what he wants on the assignment he give you. I hated this class.

Rating # 20

Overview:

• Course: DRIMAGINATION
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 1.0
• Course Difficulty: 2.0

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

Comment:

Very politically motivated, often inappropriatly so for a lit class. Very opinionated. Did not feel he was at all organized, respectful to his students, or a thorough instructor. Enjoyed the reading material, but not the class.