Ross Swaney - University of Wisconsin - Madison, Madison, WI

Professor: Ross Swaney

Department: Engineering

College: University of Wisconsin - Madison, Madison, WI

Rating # 1

Overview:

• Course: CBE426
• Grade Received: C+
• Overall Rating: 1.0
• Course Difficulty: 5.0

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

Comment:

Prof Swaney does a poor job teaching what needs to be taught throughout the class. He spends lots of time about what you'll actually see out in "industry" which wastes a good amount of instruction time. He gives out homework that is pretty difficult and he only teaches how to do the homework two days before the homework is due. Midterms good luck

Rating # 2

Overview:

• Course: CBE310
• Grade Received: A+
• Overall Rating: 5.0
• Course Difficulty: 1.0

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

Comment:

His lectures are cut to the point and charismatic. His exams are really easy. I took three shots before taking it and aced it with an A. If you go to his office hours he will give you his homemade cookies. Prof. Swaney is the best!

Rating # 3

Overview:

• Course: CBE255
• 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:

professor doesn't teach you whats on the hw until after its turned in. It was bad enough that I changed my major just so I didn't have to take this class. programming is not for me, I loved the math, physics, and chem behind chemical engineering.

Rating # 4

Overview:

• Course: CBE450
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 3.5
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

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

Comment:

Great professor. Challenges you to think on your own - long-winded but very helpful if you ask questions.

Rating # 5

Overview:

• Course: CBE326
• 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:

Homework and Exams are heavily lecture based the book is mostly just a reference. Pay attention and you'll never be surprised by the exam. He focuses on practical engineering knowledge and pretty much tells you exactly what he thinks is important (and will be on the exam).

Rating # 6

Overview:

• Course: CBE255
• 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:

Actually a good class, lectures are boring, but Prof. Swaney isn't that bad. He's made out to be a lot worse than he actually is. I found him extremely helpful one-on-one, and while the homework is pretty bad, exams are directly based on it and very fair.

Rating # 7

Overview:

• Course: CBE255
• 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:

Not the most interesting lecturer, but very helpful one-on-one. The class is fair, homework is often hard to figure out without help, exams are based on it. Overall he is made out to be worse than he actually is, I found him to be helpful and fair

Rating # 8

Overview:

• Course: CBE255
• 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:

He's a typical mid-aged bold man, not interesting at all. For some reason he was the only one teaching the courses. Course material is neutral, but it might take a lot of time depending on your comprehensibility of Matlab.

Rating # 9

Overview:

• Course: CBE450
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 2.5
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

:(((

Rating # 10

Overview:

• Course: CBE470
• 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:

It's harder to try to understand what he's teaching than to sleep in class

Rating # 11

Overview:

• Course: CBE255
• 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:

I agree with everyone else too. The class was a computer science/matlab course and he never taught us how to apply the concepts taught in lecture to Matlab, which was the whole point of the class. Even though we begged for help, he was rarely available and took forever to respond to emails. If you can avoid him, do it.

Rating # 12

Overview:

• Course: CBE326
• 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:

Swaney is an enigma. The biggest beef with him is that he doesn't do examples. Ever. But he still manages to explain things fairly well. Usually. Sometimes.

Rating # 13

Overview:

• Course: CBE470
• 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: N/A

Comment:

Does a lot of theory and very little examples. He is helpful if you seek him out and ask for help.

Rating # 14

Overview:

• Course: CHE211
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 1.0
• Course Difficulty: 2.0

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

Comment:

I think he just doesn't know how to teach. He is always rambling in class; not even the most fanatic of students can understand him. He is the most disorganized lecturer I've had, and comes up with stupid reasons for not posting practice exams. I wouldn't take any more classes with him.

Rating # 15

Overview:

• Course: CHE211
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 1.0
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

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

Comment:

I agree with everyone else...

Rating # 16

Overview:

• Course: CHE450
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 1.0
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

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

Comment:

This is one of those unforuate classes that everyone has to take. It is difficult to get time with the professor even if you request it. He finally explains how to do something 1 week before it is due making the student get NO sleep that week.

Rating # 17

Overview:

• Course: CHE450
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 1.0
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

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

Comment:

This is one of those unforuate classes that everyone has to take. It is difficult to get time with the professor even if you request it. He finally explains how to do something 1 week before it is due making the student get NO sleep that week.

Rating # 18

Overview:

• Course: CHE450
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 1.0
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

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

Comment:

If you want to experience the most pointless, frustrating, and time-consuming class ever, take 450 with Swaney. Maybe if he tried to do any of the work he gives us he'd understand what was going on. But then he'd have to DO something.

Rating # 19

Overview:

• Course: CHE450
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 1.0
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

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

Comment:

Terrible prof. Did not want to help students at all. Made TAs do all the work, which is funny since this guy has no grad students and does no research. What, you might ask, does he do? Who knows. And he is super anal retentive. Its fun to mess ar

Rating # 20

Overview:

• Course: CHE450
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 1.0
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

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

Comment:

Absolutely useless. Can't teach, won't help students, assigns projects that he has no idea how to do, making them difficult to complete. Won't attempt to help students on them because he's too lazy. I wish I could get a refund for the class