Pamela Smart - Binghamton University (SUNY), Binghamton, NY

Professor: Pamela Smart

Department: Anthropology

College: Binghamton University (SUNY), Binghamton, NY

Rating # 1

Overview:

• Course: ARTH255
• Grade Received: A
• Overall Rating: 5.0
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

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

Comment:

Professor Smart has been my favorite professor at Binghamton so far. She's very well versed in her topic and you can tell that she is extremely passionate about her research. She cares about students and wants you to do well, as long as you pull your own weight. Readings are fair, assignments are fair, and grading is fair.

Rating # 2

Overview:

• Course: ANTH280O
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 4.0
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

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

Comment:

Professor Smart is a really caring and passionate professor. She really wants you to do well in her class. Just go to class and participate and she will like you. Her lectures can be kind of disjointed but otherwise she is great.

Rating # 3

Overview:

• Course: ARTH255
• Grade Received: Not sure yet
• Overall Rating: 5.0
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

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

Comment:

Really nice style of teaching. Really wants to engage people in a discussion if you like learning from conversation! Quite self aware in her style and causes a laugh almost every class. The reading is a lot but it will make the class more enjoyable. And if you're lucky she will bring her dog in.

Rating # 4

Overview:

• Course: ARTH388C
• Grade Received: A
• Overall Rating: 3.0
• Course Difficulty: 2.0

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

Comment:

Overall, very easy class and quite enjoyable. If you have a good group to work with, things are great! Prof Smart talks a lot, but she means well. She is not always clear about things, but she is pretty laid back.

Rating # 5

Overview:

• Course: ARTH227
• Grade Received: A
• Overall Rating: 1.0
• Course Difficulty: 1.0

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

Comment:

Don't take her class. Complete waste of time.

Rating # 6

Overview:

• Course: ARTH388
• Grade Received: A
• Overall Rating: 3.0
• Course Difficulty: 2.0

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

Comment:

All over the place, pretty disorganized, and lectures aren't clear in the slightest. It's an easy A if you show up and participate in the groupwork. Tests are easy, not worth a lot, and you can prepare in advance. If you love groupwork and unclear lectures that are little more than unhelpful statements strung together randomly, go for it.

Rating # 7

Overview:

• Course: ARTH388C
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 3.0
• Course Difficulty: 1.0

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

Comment:

Very disorganized and scatterbrained. You will get frustrated throughout the class but the work is extremely easy. 50% of your grade is one project you are only expected to work on in class.

Rating # 8

Overview:

• Course: ARTH287C
• Grade Received: WD
• Overall Rating: 1.0
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

• For Credit: N/A
• Textbook Used: No
• Would Take Again: No
• Attendance: Not Mandatory

Comment:

This class, Global Artworlds, was exceptionally boring (only made even more boring by Professor Smart). I dropped it right before Add/Drop ended because I couldn't take it anymore. She seems like such a nice woman but her slow and slightly spastic teaching style couldn't keep me interested for an hour and a half. I don't recommend this class

Rating # 9

Overview:

• Course: ARTH255
• 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:

A really genuine person. Museum Studies was great and everyone liked her. She can be a little spastic but you can tell she really knows the material and wants you to do well.

Rating # 10

Overview:

• Course: ARTH280D
• Grade Received: Not sure yet
• Overall Rating: 4.0
• Course Difficulty: 2.0

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

Comment:

Dr. Smart is a bit kooky but I've never met someone who knows more about museums (this class was Museum Studies). Sometimes she would go off on tangents, but usually would teach all the info she needed to. A reading or 2 every week, but not too much. 2 tests (5 questions that require less than a a page answers) and 2 short (3-5 pg) papers.

Rating # 11

Overview:

• Course: ARTH102
• Grade Received: A
• Overall Rating: 3.5
• Course Difficulty: 2.0

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

Comment:

Professor Smart is soo nice and funny! I really liked her. The tests were very easy, you literally had to try to do poorly: she gives you the essay questions before the test. Prepare your answers and you will be fine. Plus she has a really cute new Zealand accent so that's fun.

Rating # 12

Overview:

• Course: ARTH102
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 5.0
• Course Difficulty: 2.0

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

Comment:

A wonderfully quirky professor with a talent for expressing ideas in a fresh way. She really tries to engage her students and get a conversation going in class. Wants the best for her students and if you do the work, your efforts will be rewarded.

Rating # 13

Overview:

• Course: ARTH460
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 3.0
• Course Difficulty: 2.0

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

Comment:

Pam can be very disorganized, and sometimes took it out on students when they couldn't perceive her unclear expectations, but I still felt like I learned a lot and that the class was a worthwhile experience. She gave me lots of good suggestions and feedback for my final paper!

Rating # 14

Overview:

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

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

Comment:

Really, really bad professor. Awful at lecturing, treats students with hostility, and seems to be there for her own interests. As another person posted, I was really into Anthropology before I took her class, but really don't like it anymore due to this experience.

Rating # 15

Overview:

• Course: ARTH102
• Grade Received: D
• Overall Rating: 1.0
• Course Difficulty: 5.0

• For Credit: N/A
• Textbook Used: No
• Would Take Again: N/A
• Attendance: Not Mandatory

Comment:

awful prof. Don`t take this course. Take somethng else instead....

Rating # 16

Overview:

• Course: ARTH102
• 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:

She is horrible. DO NOT TAKE A CLASS WITH HER. She was so passive aggressive and very antagonistic towards the class for the people didn't come to class every day even though she didn't take attendance. It created a very hostile learning environment. This is an ANTH class, not ARTH. Very easy but incredibly boring and annoying.

Rating # 17

Overview:

• Course: ADVISOR
• 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:

I took several classes with her and she was my adviser for my masters degree in art history. I thought her classes were great and she fantastic. I'm surprised by the low ratings as all the students I knew sincerely liked her.

Rating # 18

Overview:

• Course: ANTH227
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 1.5
• Course Difficulty: 2.0

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

Comment:

Absolutely awful professor. Completely killed my interest in anthropology with her droning lectures and horrible attitude towards students. You really can't ask for less. Stay away at all costs!

Rating # 19

Overview:

• Course: ANT476
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 2.5
• Course Difficulty: 2.0

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

Comment:

She relies on TAs so much to the point that it becomes difficult to get in contact with her if the TA doesn't forward your email to her. Rambles on, content is boring and very unorganized. Would not recommend.

Rating # 20

Overview:

• Course: HARP101
• 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:

Know what she needs, you will be good.