Sherryl Broverman - Duke University, Durham, NC

Professor: Sherryl Broverman

Department: Biology

College: Duke University, Durham, NC

Rating # 1

Overview:

• Course: BIO190FS
• Grade Received: A
• Overall Rating: 5.0
• Course Difficulty: 2.0

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

Comment:

I am so glad I had Prof. Broverman during my first semester here at Duke. Not only is she extremely knowledgable about global health but she also genuinely takes an interest in the lives of her students. She really puts a lot of effort into ensuring that her class and the entire Global Health FOCUS program are positive experiences for new students.

Rating # 2

Overview:

• Course: BIO190FS
• Grade Received: A
• Overall Rating: 2.0
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

Write down everything that comes out of her mouth during lectures for tests and homework. Tests are take-home but the questions are hard + vague to the point that you won't always know what she's looking for. Participation is EXTREMELY important in this class: raise your hand to ask a BS question 3-4 times during class to get participation points.

Rating # 3

Overview:

• Course: BIO154
• Grade Received: A
• Overall Rating: 5.0
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

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

Comment:

Dr. Broverman is one of the best lecturers that I've ever had at Duke. Although her class sizes are large, she always makes you feel engaged.

Rating # 4

Overview:

• Course: BIO154
• Grade Received: B+
• Overall Rating: 4.0
• Course Difficulty: 2.0

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

Comment:

Go to class and take notes; lecture slides are posted online but they're pretty vague. Plus, Broverman is a funny and engaging lecturer, which helps in remembering the material and makes going to class worthwhile. For tests, just take the practice exams and skim over your lecture notes, and you should pass without a problem.

Rating # 5

Overview:

• Course: BIO190FS
• Grade Received: A
• Overall Rating: 5.0
• Course Difficulty: 2.0

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

Comment:

Dr. Broverman's Global Diseases focus class is easy to do well in as long as you attend class and participate. She has interesting presentations, and if you listen and ask questions, every assignment and test is fairly easy to complete. Not a big time commitment.

Rating # 6

Overview:

• Course: BIO180FS
• Grade Received: A
• Overall Rating: 4.0
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

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

Comment:

Dr. Broverman is a great professor. From her FOCUS program to her AIDS class to WISER, she takes her students seriously and invests time in her relationships with them. Bio180FS was for the Global Health FOCUS, and it was a great blend of biology and global health. Would recommend Global Health FOCUS but would certainly recommend Dr. B!

Rating # 7

Overview:

• Course: BIO154
• Grade Received: A+
• Overall Rating: 5.0
• Course Difficulty: 2.0

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

Comment:

Very much a "get out what you put in" class. Broverman is great- super knowledgeable, caring, and a great lecturer. She's a little spacey on administrative stuff. She can tell who's really invested and who's not a mile off, so don't even try with her if you don't care.

Rating # 8

Overview:

• Course: BIO154
• Grade Received: Not sure yet
• Overall Rating: 4.0
• Course Difficulty: 2.0

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

Comment:

This class was pretty easy and interesting for me and some of my friends, but I had other ones who really struggled. If you're not a huge science person but you're looking for a science course to take, this is a good one. It's a huge lecture, so you don't have to show up. Grades are based on three short assignments, two midterms, and a final.

Rating # 9

Overview:

• Course: BIO154
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 5.0
• Course Difficulty: 2.0

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

Comment:

Dr. Broverman is a fantastic and knowledgeable professor. She makes the material accessible for students who don't have much Bio experience, and makes her lectures interesting with her great sense of humor. I disagree with comments about the TA's grading; there's a clear rubric by what you can see from previous exams and graded assginments

Rating # 10

Overview:

• Course: BIO154
• Grade Received: B
• Overall Rating: 2.0
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

Dr. Broverman is an amazing faculty member who is doing great work however her lectures were boring. Also, the TA's are in charge of all the grading in the class and are ridiculously tough graders. There are no rubrics, which makes the situation even worse. Overall, the topic is interesting but there is little guidance and arbitrary grading.

Rating # 11

Overview:

• Course: BIO154
• Grade Received: A+
• Overall Rating: 3.0
• Course Difficulty: 2.0

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

Comment:

While taking this class, I didn't understand what all the hype was about; but now that it's over, I understand. Dr. Broverman is disorganized and a confusing lecturer at times, but the material is extremely interesting, interdisciplinary, and relevant to a world where poverty and disease are the (often overlooked) norm in many places.

Rating # 12

Overview:

• Course: BIO154
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 3.5
• Course Difficulty: 1.0

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

Comment:

I heard really good things about this class from others, but I think something was off this semester because the class was just meh. The topic was really interesting and Prof. Broverman does amazing work, but the lectures were pretty disorganized and I felt the grading was too specific. Be sure to do the homework well and study for the tests.

Rating # 13

Overview:

• Course: BIO154
• Grade Received: A
• Overall Rating: 3.0
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

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

Comment:

Dr. Broverman is held in high regards by many Duke students. While the course content was interesting and important, I found Dr. Broverman's lectures mundane and aloof. It was almost as if she had taught the course so many times that she no longer had any interest in teaching it. It's an easy NS credit, but I'd take any praises with a grain of salt

Rating # 14

Overview:

• Course: BIO190FS
• Grade Received: B
• Overall Rating: 1.0
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

She is such a bad professor. Please don't take her class. She is so disorganized and this class is the last thing on her mind. Normally, it wouldn't be a HUGE deal but the class suffers as a result of her disorganization. SO BAD. She should not be teaching.

Rating # 15

Overview:

• Course: BIO190FS
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 1.0
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

Listen, don't take from her unless it's required. Dr. B is rude and condescending. Yes, she knows a lot, but she doesn't know how to get through to students. She can be scattered and behind. Grading takes forever and rubrics are nonexistent. Favorites in class are clear, and she can be very sarcastic.

Rating # 16

Overview:

• Course: FOCUS195FS
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 1.5
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

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

Comment:

She was disorganized, gave unclear and unhelpful feedback, and was often frazzled and unprepared for class. Although she is knowledgeable, she sometimes came across as condescending towards students.

Rating # 17

Overview:

• Course: BIO154
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 4.5
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

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

Comment:

This class got me through freshman year! Broverman cares about her students and learned dozens of us by name (which is amazing given that the class had nearly 300 students). Although it's a Biology class, she manages to make the class very relevant to her student's every day lives. If she taught another class, I would certainly be in it.

Rating # 18

Overview:

• Course: BIO154
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 4.5
• Course Difficulty: 2.0

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

Comment:

I loved my class with Broverman. She is extremely interested in what she is teaching about and that shines through. I do agree that her lectures could be more organized, but it wasn't bad enough to really impact my learning process. I loved this class and will really miss it, highly recommend!

Rating # 19

Overview:

• Course: BIO190FS
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 2.5
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

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

Comment:

Dr. Broverman is nice, fun professor and has done really some really cool things, but she is one of the most disorganized professors ever. Her grading is very arbitrary. If you want clear cut directions, you won't get any. Also she NEVER responds back to the emails you send her.

Rating # 20

Overview:

• Course: BIO190FS
• Grade Received: A
• Overall Rating: 4.5
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

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

Comment:

Definitely the go-to person for global health at Duke. Love her!