Rick Bowers - University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB

Professor: Rick Bowers

Department: English

College: University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB

Rating # 1

Overview:

• Course: ENG339
• Grade Received: A-
• Overall Rating: 3.0
• Course Difficulty: 2.0

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

Comment:

Lectures had some good jokes & good insight but sometimes had a bit too much fluff & not enough actual discussion or analysis. Has some unusual essay criteria, like people here have already said. But if you already like/know Shakespeare & speak up in class enough, you'll pass this course easily even if your essays aren't in the style he prefers.

Rating # 2

Overview:

• Course: ENG339
• Grade Received: B+
• Overall Rating: 4.0
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

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

Comment:

Rick was great! You can really tell how much he loves Shakespeare. If you put an effort in class and add to the conversation once in a while you will easily pass the course. I would most definitely take another course with Rick. His interjections and dad jokes are also entertaining.

Rating # 3

Overview:

• Course: ENGL210
• Grade Received: A-
• Overall Rating: 3.5
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

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

Comment:

Super nice and helpful

Rating # 4

Overview:

• Course: ENGL210
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 3.0
• Course Difficulty: 2.0

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

Comment:

I liked Rick, but majority of his lectures were too vague and abstract for my liking though he did get much better with the "modern texts." As said, he's a very nice man, and its obvious that he loves his job. He offers useful essay help when asked. I thought he was a very reasonable grader. English majors who like old texts will love him.

Rating # 5

Overview:

• Course: 337
• Grade Received: B+
• Overall Rating: 3.0
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

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

Comment:

Rick is a very quirky prof with lame dad jokes that are pretty funny. Most of the class is spent rereading the texts, but he does like to randomly call on students for their opinion. If you're a decent writer, you'll get good marks on the essays. Pretty much if you talk in class and actually read the texts, you'll do very well.

Rating # 6

Overview:

• Course: ENGL337
• Grade Received: B+
• Overall Rating: 2.0
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

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

Comment:

Bowers loves what he's teaching and that is very evident in his lectures. He knows the plays very well but I found that class time was spent re-reading more than discussing which was a huge upset. I also found him to be very vague on what he wants for his papers. I only knew through talking with him that he prefers personal and not academic papers.

Rating # 7

Overview:

• Course: ENGL121
• 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:

Very interesting professor, made early literature fun. Moderated some constructive class discussion, which I appreciated. Offered fresh insight to old literature and related it to modern day in non-forced way.

Rating # 8

Overview:

• Course: ENG121
• 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:

Not recommended at all. Doesn't specify what he expects for papers and his topics encourage "high school style" of writing. Pretty much he wants you to write about personal experiences and not a formal academic paper. His class discussions are also really boring.

Rating # 9

Overview:

• Course: ENGL338
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 5.0
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

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

Comment:

Really knows his stuff and made Shakespeare Fun!!

Rating # 10

Overview:

• Course: ENGL3XX
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 3.0
• Course Difficulty: 2.0

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

Comment:

We basically just re-read the plays we are already supposed to have read outside of class, in class. Kinda boring but I don't mind going most of the time. He is incredibly nice and loves Shakespeare which makes classes alright. Definitely talk about your own opinion a lot in the papers. Trust me. Not a bad prof, I like him. He's adorable.

Rating # 11

Overview:

• Course: ENGA
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 5.0
• Course Difficulty: 2.0

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

Comment:

A very nice guy. Don't see other comments about paper. If your want to write a good paper in his class, just go and talk about it with him, and he will give you a very clear instruction about paper. Besides, the paper goal he just point out in the text unconciously. A pretty good prof!!!

Rating # 12

Overview:

• Course: ENGLI424
• 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:

I thought he was a fantastic instructor. He made an entire course in MacBeth highly interesting, and I did find he steered me in the right direction for my paper. We had to do an in-class presentation which is really challenging for me (hate public speaking), but I found it quite enjoyable.

Rating # 13

Overview:

• Course: ENGL210
• 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:

This prof is a nice guy, and is passionate about history and English. Unfortunately, he gives no direction when it comes to papers. Advice: do not write papers "formally." All essay questions involve "how does this relate to your personal history" etc

Rating # 14

Overview:

• Course: ENGL100
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 4.5
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

He is deeply passionate and extremely odd (in a wonderful and entertaining way). One might get the sense that he not only cares very much for the course material, but the students as well. I will admit that it is somewhat unclear what he wants from a paper...but I found that if you choose a very specific subject and squeeze it until there is noth

Rating # 15

Overview:

• Course: ENGL124
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 4.5
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

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

Comment:

Didn't love the material very much prior to the class and still didn't at the end, but did enjoy the class. AWESOME prof, good discussions, chose good works to study, was helpful with essays, not a hard grader so long as you pay attention in class. Very friendly and felt very comfortable in his class. Highly recommended!

Rating # 16

Overview:

• Course: ENG338
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 5.0
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

Not only the best prof that i have had at the university, but the best teacher I have ever had in my life. Very nice man and a very passionate teacher who makes Shakespeare enjoyable and memorable.

Rating # 17

Overview:

• Course: ENG338
• 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:

After a year in his Shakespeare class I have come to the conclusion that I have wasted my money and have nothing to show for it. Class time is used to discuss our feelings and re-read the plays which everyone is expected to have done before class. There is no beneficial critical analysis and he is very ambiguous about what he wants on essays.

Rating # 18

Overview:

• Course: ENGL334
• 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:

Thank you for wasting my money, Bowers. I didn't learn anything in his class -- all he wants to talk about is feelings. It's like being in high school again. He is unclear about what he wants from papers and incredibly boring in class. He may seem like a nice guy and may even be very smart, but this is the worst class I have ever taken.

Rating # 19

Overview:

• Course: ENGL338
• 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:

Extremely passionate about his subject. Worringly passionate. His Shakespeare classes feel a bit more like a survey of every Shakespeare play ever than a detailed study, but this is a function of the amount of material he covers. He's funny, very approachable and (bonus!) weird as hell, but it's true that his expectations are sometimes unclear.

Rating # 20

Overview:

• Course: ENG362
• 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:

Dr. Bowers is God. I still use his phrasing from first year English ("this book is exactly not...) when working out ideas for my graduate essays. His final exam for medieval drama: imagine that you are a director staging the mystery plays - was a delight to write. Best prof ever.