Robert Dotson - Tulane University

Professor: Robert Dotson

Department: TBD

College: Tulane University

Rating # 1

Overview:

• Course: CELL3750
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 4.0
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

Dr. Dotson did a great job in making me study an incredible amount for his class which resulted in getting a good understanding of biology but I had trouble reading into the experiment-derived questions he put on tests. He's great in office hours esp if you demonstrate a genuine effort & interest in the material.

Rating # 2

Overview:

• Course: CELL2050
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 1.0
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

This professor said that he was not afraid to fail any student regardless of how hard they try. Quite possibly the worst prof I've ever had. Find another professor.

Rating # 3

Overview:

• Course: CELL2050
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 2.0
• Course Difficulty: 5.0

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

Comment:

Knowledgable and intelligent but also terrifying. He will call on you throughout the lecture and will make fun of your answers. Tough grader with homework and sometimes switches up the way he grades quizzes. He isnt afraid to fail anyone.

Rating # 4

Overview:

• Course: CELL2050
• Grade Received: B-
• Overall Rating: 1.0
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

Alarmingly disorganized class, homework assignments are sporadic and difficult weekly quizzes comprise a huge portion of your final grade.

Rating # 5

Overview:

• Course: NSCI3310
• 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:

The lectures were very unclear and disorganized. There were no powerpoints and he lectured the entire class by drawing diagrams on the board and then vaguely talking about them. The textbook was very dense and he did a terrible job of making it clearer. He makes you feel like an idiot for asking questions or not understanding something. Awful.

Rating # 6

Overview:

• Course: CELL1010
• Grade Received: B-
• Overall Rating: 1.0
• Course Difficulty: 5.0

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

Comment:

This class has made me hate biology. The information is so interesting however the way he teaches the class makes it torturous. Half of our class dropped within a month and the rest of us struggled to get anything higher than a 70 on tests. Lectures are beyond all over the place and he talks about whatever he feels like that day. Find another prof

Rating # 7

Overview:

• Course: CELL1010
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 3.0
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

Really smart, quite funny but not everyone's cup of tea. Hard to get a read on. Gives regular homework assignments that are graded "for excellence." Likes when people are engaged/ask questions/have done the reading. Lectures go all over the place, so write everything down. But he does make it all very interesting (even if it's a little complicated)

Rating # 8

Overview:

• Course: CELL2050
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 4.0
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

Dotson overall is probably a genius. Super intelligent guy but his social skills are lacking. His class is dense and he basically goes through the entire textbook. Make it a priority to do the assigned readings those are crucial for the quizzes. Great professor but you need to do your work in order to keep up.

Rating # 9

Overview:

• Course: CELL2050
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 5.0
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

Do the reading before class and you'll be fine. He gives a quiz every class, so there are plenty of opportunities to bring your grade up if needed. Drops your lowest quiz. Gives make-up quizzes if you're sick/whatever. Interesting, brilliant, thought-provoking teacher. DO THE READING.

Rating # 10

Overview:

• Course: CELL3310
• Grade Received: B
• Overall Rating: 3.0
• Course Difficulty: 5.0

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

Comment:

This class was very challenging and required daily studying. Dr. Dotson comes across rather rude but actually really cares about his students. Each test was cumulative and very conceptual. To do well you really need to understand each concept and be able to explain it. I was skeptical of taking him but I ended up learning a lot in his class.

Rating # 11

Overview:

• Course: CELL3050
• Grade Received: A-
• Overall Rating: 4.0
• Course Difficulty: 5.0

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

Comment:

Dr. Dotson is a great professor since he explained things well. He did not use slides or textbooks but exams were all short answers, which were challenging to answer if you do not keep a good note or share study guides together as a group. HW is 50 percent but he does not give partial credit. He was helpful during office hour, and he did curve.

Rating # 12

Overview:

• Course: CELL1010
• Grade Received: B-
• Overall Rating: 2.0
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

His lectures are really hard to follow because he talks really softly and he also doesn't use any visual aids except the chalkboard so you really have to struggle to hear what he says. He gives a quiz every class and there's two homework assignments a week - not too hard but time consuming. Tests are REALLY hard though.

Rating # 13

Overview:

• Course: NSCI3310
• Grade Received: Not sure yet
• Overall Rating: 4.0
• Course Difficulty: 5.0

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

Comment:

Dotson cares about students and is very intelligent, but teaches material from a very detailed cell and molec standpoint rather than as a big picture. It can be really tough to rectify the detail he covers with the information you may be learning in a lab. Tests are application based and fairly challenging. UNDERSTAND the material, don't memorize

Rating # 14

Overview:

• Course: CELL1010
• Grade Received: B-
• Overall Rating: 1.0
• Course Difficulty: 5.0

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

Comment:

Dotson was not very nice and would pick on people who did not know the correct answers to his questions. What he would talk about was not usually even on a test. If you have to take this class, try to get another teacher, because Dotson is not very helpful. Although he is good with office hours.

Rating # 15

Overview:

• Course: CELLNEURO3310
• Grade Received: WD
• Overall Rating: 1.0
• Course Difficulty: 5.0

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

Comment:

If lectures with no powerpoints/slides, being assigned complex readings only to have like 30% of it on the actual exam, tests with short answer questions on things only briefly mentioned in lecture, and studying an entire weekend to get a bad grade sounds frustrating, don't take Dotson. If Dr. V Cell1010 was too easy for you, take this class.

Rating # 16

Overview:

• Course: CELL2050
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 1.0
• Course Difficulty: 5.0

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

Comment:

He is so disorganized. He could benefit from powerpoint presentations during his lectures because he is all over the place. He could actually be a good lecturer if he added some structure.

Rating # 17

Overview:

• Course: CELL3750
• Grade Received: A
• Overall Rating: 5.0
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

Dr. Dotson is one of my favorite professors at Tulane. He really cares about helping his students learn the material. His tests are hard, and focus heavily on interpreting experiments and material from the textbook. However, he is really nice and is more than happy to go over any material you may not understand during office hours.

Rating # 18

Overview:

• Course: CELL2050
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 2.0
• Course Difficulty: 5.0

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

Comment:

His lectures are extremely disorganized. Very difficult class

Rating # 19

Overview:

• Course: CELL3750
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 5.0
• Course Difficulty: 5.0

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

Comment:

Not going to lie, this was the hardest class I've ever taken in my life. Having said that, I learned more here than in any other class. Dr. Dotson is brilliant and an excellent teacher, he's just a bit of a tough grader and the material is difficult. Also get ready to apply your scientific knowledge like never before.

Rating # 20

Overview:

• Course: CELL1010
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 1.0
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

Professor Dotson does not follow the book, his lectures are whatever he would like them to be rather than following any set plan. Anything he says is able to be test material, ANYTHING. All this exams are accumulative - he will throw in a tricky question from chapter 1 on the third exam. He's rude and discouraging, this is the most hopeless class.