Richard Vawter - Western Washington University, Bellingham, WA

Professor: Richard Vawter

Department: Physics & Astronomy

College: Western Washington University, Bellingham, WA

Rating # 1

Overview:

• Course: PHYS114
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 2.5
• Course Difficulty: 2.0

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

Comment:

Needs to retire. I didn't gain anything from lecture but he gives extra credit for attendence. He posts old exams to study from and those + daily homework are what he tests over. The homework is a large part of the grade so take it seriously cuz it will compensate for a bad test score.

Rating # 2

Overview:

• Course: PHYS114
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 1.5
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

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

Comment:

This guy should have retired years ago. Useless

Rating # 3

Overview:

• Course: PHYS114
• 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 144/115 with him and although he can get cranky and doesnt like to deal with the actual #'s in examples he was ok. Tests arent that hard bc he gives a equation sheet for each ch. He does some interesting experiments in 115. Although he takes roll some times, you dont really need to go to class to learn, you can get it from the book.

Rating # 4

Overview:

• Course: PHYS115
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 2.0
• Course Difficulty: 1.0

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

Comment:

Bumbling, confusing lectures on simple topics. Attending lecture is totally unnecessary, but he grades on attendance. Books not needed. Allows notes on tests, which are easy as pie. Daily homework. Every sentence in HW/tests/lab docs seem to have confusing grammatical errors, typos, misspellings, etc. It's like he doesn't even try anymore.

Rating # 5

Overview:

• Course: PHYS114
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 3.0
• Course Difficulty: 5.0

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

Comment:

This professor gives you all the materials for the test but he is a horrible teacher that rambles about everything..and just writes equations on the board the whole time. Yet, he is the better of the two that teach this class.

Rating # 6

Overview:

• Course: PHY102
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 1.5
• Course Difficulty: 5.0

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

Comment:

Do not take him. Not concerned with his students.

Rating # 7

Overview:

• Course: PHYS114
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 3.0
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

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

Comment:

Meh. This guy is alright. He's retiring after next year anyways so I think he will only be teaching this one more time. Tests are genuinly(sp?) hard but homework is online and multiple choice.

Rating # 8

Overview:

• Course: PHYS115
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 3.5
• Course Difficulty: 2.0

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

Comment:

Go to class, do the homework in class, add to the notes he gives you for tests, and you can't possible not do well. If this is a problem, you should still pass the class with ease because he gives you every equation you could ever use on the test.

Rating # 9

Overview:

• Course: PHYS114
• 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: N/A

Comment:

This class was extremely difficult. I went to class almost everyday and it seemed that the professor didn't teach me anything. I left each day feeling empty. His tests are a bit on the hard side, maybe I was studying the wrong material; so it felt.

Rating # 10

Overview:

• Course: PHYS114
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 3.5
• Course Difficulty: 2.0

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

Comment:

I've taken vawter for twoclasses now and I wish I could take him for my third physics series. He's somewhat of a gruff man but you have to cut him some slack, he's over 70. Most of what you need to know is online, you don't need the book. You can drop an exam and he gives more time for exams than other profs. Good props as well, entertaining.

Rating # 11

Overview:

• Course: PHYS115
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 2.0
• Course Difficulty: 2.0

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

Comment:

Good prof if u know how to take his class. do not ask him any questions bc of course he can't answer them, but at lecture just let him do his thing and u'll pick up what u need of the material. do not buy the book bc this coal miner knows a thing or 2 about putting everything u need to know on his website, which is awesome

Rating # 12

Overview:

• Course: PHYS114
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 1.0
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

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

Comment:

bad man, unfair, smart but has no idea how to communicate his ideas to his students...which is not usually a good trait for a physics professor.

Rating # 13

Overview:

• Course: ASTR315
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 1.0
• Course Difficulty: 1.0

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

Comment:

I LOVE astronomy, but didnt attend one lecture after the 1st exam. Dr. Vawter is a very smart man but has NO idea how to teach. He mumbles, rambles, and teaches straight from powerpoint slides, but doesn't go through the calculations, just waves his laser pointer at them and assumes you understand. I think he's bitter about the lack of attendance.

Rating # 14

Overview:

• Course: PHYS114
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 1.0
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

Very scattered and unclear lectures. Took random attendance for +/- 5 points. Nightly homework on Blackboard with ridiculous assignments. Tests were difficult because he is a very unorganized professor. I will be avoiding him in the future.

Rating # 15

Overview:

• Course: PHYS114
• 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:

This class is a super easy A the way that he sets up the grading system. He is also a terrible teacher. Just shake off the insults. Let him talk when he gets talking. He always makes up excuses for being wrong, which he is A LOT. He's been teaching for too long so he's starting to assume that everyone one earth already knows physics.

Rating # 16

Overview:

• Course: PHYS115
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 3.5
• Course Difficulty: 1.0

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

Comment:

The person below me is correct on all accounts. He confuses himself all class period, but as long as you do the online homework, you'll be just fine. If there is a concept you don't understand, go talk to him.

Rating # 17

Overview:

• Course: PHYS115
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 3.5
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

Yes, he confuses himself. Yes, he's abrasive. But I liked him a lot--the daily homework was like a godsend when it came to a) understanding the material and b) making me study it instead of procrastinating. The tests are reasonably close to what we cover in class, and if you go to his office for help, he may insult you, but he will help you.

Rating # 18

Overview:

• Course: PHYS115
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 5.0
• Course Difficulty: 1.0

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

Comment:

No Comments

Rating # 19

Overview:

• Course: AST103
• 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:

The biggest sidetracker in the world! Knows his stuff, but cant teach his way out of a paper bag!

Rating # 20

Overview:

• Course: PHYS114
• 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:

Horrible professor, probably the worst Physics prof. at Western. Avoid him at all costs. I wanted to drop the class but couldn't because of my major; but 30 people dropped his class after the 1 week.