William Beard - University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB

Professor: William Beard

Department: Film

College: University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB

Rating # 1

Overview:

• Course: FS201
• Grade Received: B+
• Overall Rating: 2.0
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

Beard is a good guy and clearly knows his stuff - but he's been doing it forever. He taught the course perfectly, but it wasn't a fun experience. I found his classes to be boring as they were not interactive nor did they encourage class discussion. Make sure to use your textbook for alternate takes, his opinions are a little outdated.

Rating # 2

Overview:

• Course: FS100
• Grade Received: B+
• Overall Rating: 2.0
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

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

Comment:

Very clear he knows his stuff but I personally prefer a more structured teaching style. Lectures are disorganized, often goes off on tangents and rambles so textbook is an absolute must. Grading criteria for the paper was also unclear, make sure you clearly check your topic with him. Midterm had some very specific questions.

Rating # 3

Overview:

• Course: FS100
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 3.0
• Course Difficulty: 2.0

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

Comment:

I should begin by saying that I really enjoyed Dr. Beard's class. He's hilarious and obviously knows his stuff. However, he does tend to be disorganized, and his lectures often venture off topic. He marks pretty easy on things like papers, but be prepared to rely heavily on the textbook for any of the more objective material on the midterm.

Rating # 4

Overview:

• Course: FILM100
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 1.0
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

He's a decent guy, but he doesn't really follow an outline and tends to get very off-track in lectures. Kind of old-school; he doesn't use slides at all. You have to rely quite heavily on the textbook to survive exams, as he asks very textbook specific questions. Pretty fair in grading but expectations for assignments can be slightly unclear.

Rating # 5

Overview:

• Course: FS201
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 2.0
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

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

Comment:

Beard is a great intellect and a funny guy, but is shockingly disorganized. He comes 10 minutes late to every lecture. Expects you to learn everything from the textbook. He rambles in lectures and is very hard to follow. Does not make his expectations clear for essays. Avoid him if you can. There are much better film profs in the department.

Rating # 6

Overview:

• Course: FS315
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 4.0
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

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

Comment:

Super hilarious guy and not afraid to speak his opinion. Loved his class. Can get away without reading textbooks. Must watch the films. He's really funny.

Rating # 7

Overview:

• Course: FS410
• 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:

You could jam everything Bill does not know about film into your eye without discomfort. He strikes the perfect balance between lecturing and promoting good classroom discussion. I would rather listen to his thoughtful and thought-provoking digressions than most profs lectures strictly on-topic.

Rating # 8

Overview:

• Course: FS201
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 2.5
• Course Difficulty: 2.0

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

Comment:

Bill loves what he does, but he's been doing it for 30+ years and forgets that his students haven't. He is scatterbrained and difficult to follow. He relies enormously on the textbook to do the teaching for him. His film choices are fantastic, so take the class for the films, but be prepared to teach yourself everything the night before the exam...

Rating # 9

Overview:

• Course: FS201
• 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:

He is one of the best profs I've had. He cracks jokes and shows a variety of films. Although he may be all over the place at some moments and always late, I loved this class. He marks fair and likes class discussion even on Moodle. My only complaint is that he is so passionate in his opinions that he persuades you to feel the same way as him.

Rating # 10

Overview:

• Course: FS3XX
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 4.5
• Course Difficulty: 2.0

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

Comment:

I found Bill extremely knowledgeable in the subject areas. I took numerous classes with him and enjoyed them. The only issue I had was entering into class discussion. He doesn't make your opinion feel needed or respected on some occasions.

Rating # 11

Overview:

• Course: FS201
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 3.5
• Course Difficulty: 2.0

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

Comment:

If you get excited about movies, Bill Beard is your man! He brings so much enthusiasm to class! His lectures are not very structured, but if you like movies, it is easy to see where he is going. He has so much background knowledge, and seems like a pretty nice guy. He doesn't mark too harshly either.

Rating # 12

Overview:

• Course: FS410
• 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:

Bill is a fantastic prof. He's insightful, passionate and friendly. He has a wealth of information and intelligent critiques though his lectures can get a bit tedious. Regardless, he will never pressure you and is always willing to help you out. Textbook use is recommended but not required. The best part is he is a very easy marker. Recommended!

Rating # 13

Overview:

• Course: FS312
• 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:

If you're interested in film, this is the prof for you. Passionate about film, unbelievably informed, very fair and interesting. I will be back for more

Rating # 14

Overview:

• Course: FILM101
• 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:

Self-important schemdrick. Why screw up your GPA listening to this self-absorbed movie critic.

Rating # 15

Overview:

• Course: FS312
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 4.0
• Course Difficulty: 2.0

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

Comment:

Pretty good, has a decent sense of humour. Lectures are very unstructured, but he's damn knowledgable and constantly pulls interesting nuggets of info out of thin air. A little opinionated, however, which creeps into his marking style somewhat. I wonder if he chose to grow a beard just because his last name is Beard.

Rating # 16

Overview:

• Course: FS312
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 2.0
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

I guess it's either a love or hate relationship. I personally couldn't stand him. I found his lecturers to be unbelievably boring and uninspiring. He's arrogant and loves it when students stroke his ego. I went in there wanting to like the guy, but I just couldn't. But, give him a chance and see for yourself.

Rating # 17

Overview:

• Course: FILM100
• 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:

The man is a genius. Excellent professor - could make watching paint dry interesting.

Rating # 18

Overview:

• Course: FILM371
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 4.0
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

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

Comment:

Wonderful prof--full of knowledge about cinema and its history. This class is relatively unstructured, so its you and the movie, no texts otherwise. If it were you and professor Beard, it would be wonderful, but class discussion can often be tedious.

Rating # 19

Overview:

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

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

Comment:

He is one of the best proff in U of A. He is a very interesting orator. Take his class!

Rating # 20

Overview:

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

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

Comment:

horribly boring professor. not helpful.