William Spanos - Binghamton University (SUNY), Binghamton, NY

Professor: William Spanos

Department: English

College: Binghamton University (SUNY), Binghamton, NY

Rating # 1

Overview:

• Course: ENG565
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 4.0
• Course Difficulty: 5.0

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

Comment:

I didn't a great grade in the class, but he changed the way I read Melville and Twain. He's teaching the same class again this fall semester. If you're a grad student, then don't miss out.

Rating # 2

Overview:

• Course: ENGL575
• 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:

Anyone who calls him leftist or crazy is missing the point entirely. He's brilliant, has actually lived an incredible life, and is a first-rate thinker. Yes, he has a very liberal perspective. But it's nuanced, highly rigorous, and profound in its implications. Take his classes if you want to reach deeper, question your assumptions, and learn.

Rating # 3

Overview:

• Course: ENG650
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 2.0
• Course Difficulty: 5.0

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

Comment:

If you're into post-colonialism (and hate America and capitalism) you'll love the guy and get an A. I've taken him twice and both times (different classes and ostensibly different themes) the lectures were the same. About 2 weeks worth of new material and then he's on autopilot. Don't expect explanations to problems, "it's just something/ineffable"

Rating # 4

Overview:

• Course: ENG595
• 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:

Spanos is a really smart guy. Unfortunately, the novels he's chosen for this class are incredibly dull. He's been giving the same lecture since the second week of class, because all of the books are essentially the same. His handwriting is also impossible to read.

Rating # 5

Overview:

• Course: ENG650
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 4.0
• Course Difficulty: 5.0

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

Comment:

Spanos is the straight dope. You must see. He's not an empty like the others.

Rating # 6

Overview:

• Course: ENG320
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 5.0
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

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

Comment:

Brilliant man - I took the course just to meet him and learn from him directly - he's one of the few super-intellectuals left (after Derrida passed) - if you have any interest in the history of thought his course is a MUST TAKE.

Rating # 7

Overview:

• Course: ENG320
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 5.0
• Course Difficulty: 1.0

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

Comment:

He is a brilliant, beautiful man. He changed the way I think. He gave me an A.

Rating # 8

Overview:

• Course: ENG320
• 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 the first day of class in this particular course, which offers Left-Wing college professors of the Vietnam Era a chance to express their detest for Capitolism and America, I knew it was going to be a long semester. He made no effort to create an atmosphere that would promote class discussion, or involve the students.

Rating # 9

Overview:

• Course: ENG320
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 1.5
• Course Difficulty: 2.0

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

Comment:

The ranting, leftist, could-never-get-a-real-job professor of your dreams. Prepare to be exposed to a man and class with a specific political agenda. His bizarre rants and teaching style doesn't leave room for asking questions, but as long as you write about how awful those KKKorporations are, you'll get a good grade. META-TA-PHYSICA

Rating # 10

Overview:

• Course: ENG320
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 2.5
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

META-TA-PHYSICA!!! META...-TA-PHYSICA!!! META-TA... ... ... ...-PHYSICA???

Rating # 11

Overview:

• Course: INTROTOTHEORY
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 3.5
• Course Difficulty: 5.0

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

Comment:

Was a challenge and lectures were boring but the TAs were phenomenal with the material. He is repetitive but its almost needed to absorb the dense stuff. When in lecture i usually had no idea how it related to the impossible reading.... but u gotta take suck it up

Rating # 12

Overview:

• Course: ENG310
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 5.0
• Course Difficulty: 2.0

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

Comment:

Spanos is a great guy. MIT-quality teacher. Take this course if you believe you're brilliant enough.

Rating # 13

Overview:

• Course: ENG310
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 3.5
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

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

Comment:

This man is brilliant - & thank you to Denise Perillo for helping me understand him. He is one of the original poststructuralist minds, so if you care at all about Theory, you'd feel privileged to soak up anything he has to say.

Rating # 14

Overview:

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

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

Comment:

of COURSE Spanos is difficult to have as a professor. It's a shame so many of you don't appreciate him for the brilliant scholar and wonderful human being that he is. Spanos, his thinking, and his writing changed my life. D-L

Rating # 15

Overview:

• Course: ENG310
• 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:

Very challenging course, and Spanos does not do much to assist students with this dense,difficult material. You will have to work for your B+, and there is no spoon-feeding here. Spanos lectures to the books, not to the students, and is not personable.

Rating # 16

Overview:

• Course: ENG310
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 4.5
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

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

Comment:

Having a professor like this with a student body as dumb as the one in Binghamton seems to be too much of problem. To think, he's actually challenging and his material is pretty difficult, who does he think he is, right?

Rating # 17

Overview:

• Course: 310
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 3.0
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

if you're intelligent and hard-working, you can get a B or even an A if you get a good TA. I wouldn't reccomend taking a discussion with Spanos...i heard hes a very hard grader. the class i took was awesome, but it was too much work...torture!!

Rating # 18

Overview:

• Course: ENG310
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 5.0
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

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

Comment:

i was in the last class with him where he graded all the papers himself. he's an extremely intelligent man. his class was very challenging but i learned alot in the end

Rating # 19

Overview:

• Course: ENG310
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 2.5
• Course Difficulty: 5.0

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

Comment:

Repetitive, completetly unable to realize we dont know everything that he does and one of the last geniuses left in the system. Most important class I'll ever take in my life. If you're up for a challenge take it. Listen hard in class, hope for a good TA

Rating # 20

Overview:

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

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

Comment:

spanos tries to help students understand the material, but it's complicated stuff to begin with. read the books, ask your ta questions (you can try to ask spanos, bust he's not very sociable...the ta will act as a go-between). do reading b4 class=helpful