Clarence Thomas - Virginia Commonwealth University

Professor: Clarence Thomas

Department: TBD

College: Virginia Commonwealth University

Rating # 1

Overview:

• Course: MASC361
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 1.0
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

Dr. Thomas' teaching style rubs most people the wrong way. Class feels like high school - he is dismissive of questions & refuses to repeat himself if you fall behind during lecture. Lectures are dry and unorganized, and there's no supplementary material if you miss class. Grade is determined by two tests and a group project. Don't take this class.

Rating # 2

Overview:

• Course: MASC361
• Grade Received: B+
• Overall Rating: 1.0
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

Clarence is the most condescending and uptight teacher for absolutely no reason. If you ask a question, do something slightly outside of his unspecified expectations, or slightly make a mistake he will rake you over the coals. He is stuck in the 90s when it comes to teaching and I haven't met one person who enjoyed him or his class. Dont take him.

Rating # 3

Overview:

• Course: MASC464
• Grade Received: B
• Overall Rating: 1.0
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

BY THE WAY THIS IS FOR MASC 474 DIVERSITY IN THE MEDIA He grades unnecessarily hard. The majority of the class will average a 90 or up the entire semester, then end up with a low B for a final grade all because he makes the final worth 50% of your grade. YEP ONLY ONE EXAM! His final consists of material not even covered in class. Very disappointed.

Rating # 4

Overview:

• Course: MASC261
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 1.0
• Course Difficulty: 5.0

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

Comment:

Thomas has a teaching style where he just lectures and if you don't write down every single word he says, the tests will be extremely difficult. For the final project, he takes off points on specific details he didn't tell you he wanted in the first place. He's unnecessarily strict on grading too.

Rating # 5

Overview:

• Course: MASC380
• Grade Received: B+
• Overall Rating: 1.0
• Course Difficulty: 1.0

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

Comment:

Awful professor with extreme unprofessionalism. His lectures are inconsistent and dry, applying a middle school method of teaching using packets and print outs on the first day of class. I took very little away from this class due to his lack of preparedness, teaching style, and demeanor. I would recommend taking any other professor than him.

Rating # 6

Overview:

• Course: MASC361
• Grade Received: B
• Overall Rating: 5.0
• Course Difficulty: 5.0

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

Comment:

People don't like Clarence because of his teaching style, which I will say can rub people the wrong way. Regardless of what everyone says on here, you do get something out of the class. Those who complain are lazy. He is very specific on how you can get a good grade in the class and the group project is annoying, but I've learned a lot.

Rating # 7

Overview:

• Course: MASC380
• Grade Received: B
• Overall Rating: 1.0
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

The weakest link in the advertising faculty and possibly the entirety of VCU. Extremely condescending and unapproachable. Only gives negative feedback. Disrespectful to students. Assigns seats and treats his class like middle school. Wants you to fail. TAKE THE OTHER PROFESSOR. Maybe youll actually get something out of the class. Just terrible

Rating # 8

Overview:

• Course: MASC380
• Grade Received: A
• Overall Rating: 2.0
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

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

Comment:

2 tests, and 1 semester project. There's homework once a week, and it doesn't count for a grade. Doesn't make you buy the textbook, but instead gives you a list of people to Google and then never mentions the people again until they're on the test, which makes it hard. Boring lecturer, and he kinda bugged me. But it's an easy A if you go to class.

Rating # 9

Overview:

• Course: MASC361
• Grade Received: D+
• Overall Rating: 1.0
• Course Difficulty: 5.0

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

Comment:

Course comprised of three grades: two tests and a group project. No textbook or supplemental materials which means you need to take incredibly meticulous notes. Questions are heavy on historical figures, names, and specifics. Zone out for a moment and you miss a lot. Only D I have ever received. Seems to think no one is right except himself.

Rating # 10

Overview:

• Course: MEDIAETHICS290
• Grade Received: B-
• Overall Rating: 4.0
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

Dr Thomas was an excellent professor. He is serious and expects the class to be just as serious and to participate. Students complain about him because he demands that they work, respect and will not just give them the grade they want. Only the students who do poorly are very critical of him.

Rating # 11

Overview:

• Course: MASC380
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 1.0
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

Dr. Thomas is the ridiculous professor I have ever had. He treats the class like its middle school. He provided no documents to supplement lectures. I would recommend recording his lectures because you will miss something and it will be on the test! 33% Test1; 33% Test2; 33% Test 3. Honestly, I would avoid taking his class. It's a waste of time/$$.

Rating # 12

Overview:

• Course: MASC361
• Grade Received: C+
• Overall Rating: 1.0
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

You pretty much have to take Thomas for history of journalism at VCU so just suck it up. He's the worst teacher in the journalism faculty. He teaches poorly, he's petty, his instructions are unclear and his criticism is unfair especially in the group project. Best of luck.

Rating # 13

Overview:

• Course: MASC474
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 2.0
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

The grade in this class is two "exams", based on lecture/movies & class discussions/speakers. It's hard to study for when the speakers are all over the place. Some of the content was REALLY outdated, most movies we watched were from 70s- 80s. It's 2016, memorizing 30 year old trivia doesn't help today's diversity. And the tests are made of it.

Rating # 14

Overview:

• Course: MASC474
• Grade Received: A
• Overall Rating: 1.5
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

Take Diversity in the Media if you want to be infuriated two times a week. Dr. Thomas is teaching out-of-date concepts and doesn't want to hear student's modern perceptions on diversity. He controls class discussions and doesn't allow for open, honest dialogue. He is narrow minded and is especially frustrating when discussing women's role in media

Rating # 15

Overview:

• Course: MASC380
• Grade Received: A
• Overall Rating: 3.5
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

Tells you exactly what you need to do to pass, he's from the old-school of teaching & is NO NONSENSE. You HAVE to pay attn, take notes & do HW in order to pass midterm & understand final proj. The final proj is easy to get an A-B if you follow his instructions & some effort. Everyone who complained about him didn't do one or any of these things.

Rating # 16

Overview:

• Course: MASC380
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 1.0
• Course Difficulty: 5.0

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

Comment:

If you like feeling like you're in high school, complete with an unfriendlyunapproachable teacher, assigned seating, and ridiculously pointless assignments, take this class.

Rating # 17

Overview:

• Course: MASC361
• Grade Received: D+
• Overall Rating: 2.0
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

Worst professor I've ever had at VCU. His class consists of only three grades: Two tests and a big research project. The tests are very difficult, requiring you to remember obscure little details that he made brief mention about in class. And the research project, forget it! He takes off tons of points for EVERYTHING unless its absolutely perfect!

Rating # 18

Overview:

• Course: MASC361
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 2.0
• Course Difficulty: 2.0

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

Comment:

This class is awful, lacks interesting content and any substance. Thomas is rude and boring, and teaches the class like your in 4th grade.Test questions are from lecture but completely arbitrary in random unimportant facts, it is hard to get an A but super easy non the less. Take this class if you do not want your brain to be at all stimulated.

Rating # 19

Overview:

• Course: MASC361
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 2.0
• Course Difficulty: 5.0

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

Comment:

He's definitely no Jeff South in the Mass Comm Department. The 2 test are very specific and detailed so take good notes. When he mentions things to google, memorize them. The research project is very TEDIOUS but as long as you include everything from the outline in depth you should get an A...

Rating # 20

Overview:

• Course: MASC361
• 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:

Clarence Thomas is by far the worst professor I ever had at VCU. He doesn't like to repeat himself, yet doesn't offer slides to supplement his dictation of notes. Although he doesn't have to provide a visual for the class notes he expects students to do so in their projects. He is disrespectful and dismissive of students. Don't take this class!!!