Benjamin Alexander - Franciscan University of Steubenville

Professor: Benjamin Alexander

Department: English

College: Franciscan University of Steubenville

Rating # 1

Overview:

• Course: ENG324
• Grade Received: B
• Overall Rating: 1.0
• Course Difficulty: 2.0

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

Comment:

I would advise to take another professor. Though a kind and caring person, Professor is quite unorganized. You wont know what homework you have and when its due until the day before. Lectures are long and have nothing to do with the text except for overly talked about points. If you want to have a semester filled with frustration, GO FOR IT.

Rating # 2

Overview:

• Course: ENG324
• Grade Received: B
• Overall Rating: 1.0
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

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

Comment:

I would advise to take another professor. Though a kind and caring person, Professor is quite unorganized. You wont know what homework you have and when its so until the day before. Lectures are king and have nothing to do with the texts except for overly talked about points. If you want to have a semester filled with frustration, GO FOR IT.

Rating # 3

Overview:

• Course: ENG210
• Grade Received: A
• Overall Rating: 1.0
• Course Difficulty: 2.0

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

Comment:

Dr. A is a funny guy but he always came to class very unprofessional-looking and quite disorganized. There are a lot of mini essays you have to write, and he lost so many students' papers I lost count (AKA make sure you have 2 copies). He assigns a ton of reading, so sparknotesbff. He gives NO clear syllabus so youre always on your toes & it sucks

Rating # 4

Overview:

• Course: ENG210
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 1.0
• Course Difficulty: 5.0

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

Comment:

Was never clear on instructions, had no attendance policy but would get mad at students for skipping. Lectures were trivial and pointless. This class was honestly such a waste of my time. I'm not one to blame poor grades on my professors, but it was definitely his fault I'm currently failing.

Rating # 5

Overview:

• Course: ENG210
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 1.0
• Course Difficulty: 5.0

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

Comment:

Worst. Professor. Ever. Was never clear on instructions, didn't give a proper syllabus, had no attendance policy but would get mad at students for skipping. Lectures were trivial and pointless. This class was honestly such a waste of my time. I'm not one to blame poor grades on my professors, but it was definitely his fault I'm currently failing.

Rating # 6

Overview:

• Course: ENG209
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 1.5
• Course Difficulty: 2.0

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

Comment:

Alexander is very scattered. His lectures involve a lot of tangents that do not pertain to the reading. Would not recommend.

Rating # 7

Overview:

• Course: ENG210
• Grade Received: A
• Overall Rating: 3.0
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

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

Comment:

Did not give a proper syllabus at beginning of semester. Kept us guessing the whole time. It made it difficult to plan time to work on assignments I didn't know I'd have, when I had assignments in other classes I wanted to be working on. Very informative lectures, and good reading material.

Rating # 8

Overview:

• Course: ENG210
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 1.0
• Course Difficulty: 2.0

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

Comment:

I did not enjoy him as a teacher. His lectures were not engaging and seemed very focused on rather irrelevant and trivial parts of the books we read. The tests did not cover any information that seemed important, like how to spell the names of characters. Not organized and overall not a very helpful teacher. Would not take again.

Rating # 9

Overview:

• Course: ENG210
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 3.0
• Course Difficulty: 2.0

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

Comment:

Lots of reading (English class, duh). Lectures sometimes seemed irrelevant, but some were helpful. Tests were easy, memorization of names and places (fill in the blank), as long as you actually read the material. Easy to dislike at first, but give him a chance and the humor is sometimes pretty funny. A unique character.

Rating # 10

Overview:

• Course: AFRICANAMEXP
• Grade Received: B+
• Overall Rating: 1.0
• Course Difficulty: 1.0

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

Comment:

It is true that he doesn't give a syllabus. Most of the time it is hard to understand what he wants because he never explains it well. He doesn't really teach so much as he just talks about random topics that partially pertain to the subject. His " call and response" is awkward and not at all needed like he thinks. easy class, but you wont learn.

Rating # 11

Overview:

• Course: ENG235
• Grade Received: B+
• Overall Rating: 1.0
• Course Difficulty: 2.0

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

Comment:

This was the worst class I have ever taken in my entire life. He doesn't give a syllabus so be prepared to never understand what he wants or when he wants it. He's extremely unpleasant to deal with and the class is utterly disappointing. I will never take a class with him again.

Rating # 12

Overview:

• Course: POL291
• Grade Received: B+
• Overall Rating: 1.0
• Course Difficulty: 1.0

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

Comment:

I took this class as a requirement for a poli sci minor and learned absolutely nothing. He consistently assigned me an 87 as a grade, so I had no motivation to try. No structure to the class - never received a syllabus, or assignments and exams until the week of, or days before they were due. Lectures fluctuate between tangential and overwhelming.

Rating # 13

Overview:

• Course: HON402
• 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:

Dr. Alexander is a phenomenal teacher, though he is an acquired taste like bourbon. You must want to do the work. He welcomes inquiring minds and is humble enough to consider your insight as long as you can back it up from the text. He truly wants students to do well. I took several classes with him, and sought him as a teacher for those classes.

Rating # 14

Overview:

• Course: ENG324
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 2.0
• Course Difficulty: 2.0

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

Comment:

The class itself wasn't that hard. The tests were all essays and you have to write fast and a lot, but if you read all the plays you can get an A. It's a lot of reading and some paperwork. The class was long and boring, i don't care for plays, but attending class is mandatory and you pick up stuff that is going to be on the test.

Rating # 15

Overview:

• Course: HONVIII
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 4.5
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

One of the best teachers I have ever had. Dr. Alexander combines wit with wisdom. I have taken Dr. Alexander for several classes. If he taught graduate courses, I would take him again!

Rating # 16

Overview:

• Course: ENG315
• 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:

Took his Divine Comedy class on recommendation from a reviewer here; will never take another course of his again. Class time amounts to him playing book-on-tape summaries of the Cantos, showing episodes of Twilight Zone that vaguely pertain to subject, and tests consisting of sentence fragments you must expound on. Oof.

Rating # 17

Overview:

• Course: ENG324
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 1.5
• Course Difficulty: 5.0

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

Comment:

By far my most hated and dreaded class so far. I was constantly distracted by his unprofessional and sloppy appearance. He paid absolutelyn no attention to any of the material that didn't pertain to politics or his own personal interests. Not well-rounded at all. Extremely unhelpful with accomodations for students with disabilities.

Rating # 18

Overview:

• Course: ENG301
• 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:

Mixed feelings about this class. He is knowledgable on the subject matter. On the other hand, we had so much reading to do, but the lectures only covered the small parts and themes Alexander loves. Everyhting is related to the south. Also, I found him to be an arbitrary grader.

Rating # 19

Overview:

• Course: HON301
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 5.0
• Course Difficulty: 5.0

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

Comment:

Dr.Alexander is a phenomenal teacher. His wit is keen and dry. He believes in asking leading questions to guide the student to pertinent questions. I enjoyed his classes whether seminar style or lecture, political science/literature, political Shakespeare, Voegelin, Cervantes, Dante, Walker Percy or Flannery O'Connor.

Rating # 20

Overview:

• Course: ENG434
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 4.5
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

Most of the people who criticize Alexander don't have the stones to keep up with the course material. If you're not completely lazy, you'll do fine. Also, he is sort of a nationally known expert on southern lit, so you can be pretty sure he has a clue what's going on.