Nadesan Permaul - University of California Berkeley

Professor: Nadesan Permaul

Department: TBD

College: University of California Berkeley

Rating # 1

Overview:

• Course: 111AC
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 5.0
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

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

Comment:

PS 111AC will teach you an entirely new way to make meaning of American history. It goes beyond facts and figures as a study of cultural development and how that relates to changes in human behavior over time. Professor Permaul is whole-heartedly invested in his students and will alter the way you see and interpret the everyday world around you!

Rating # 2

Overview:

• Course: PS111AC
• Grade Received: A
• Overall Rating: 4.0
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

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

Comment:

Permaul is a great professor. He reads from a lecture typed out on paper and posts it on the website after. The readings are sometimes hard but not usually too long. The grade depends on participation, 3 essays (all pretty short) and lecture attendance. The class was very interesting and he uses modern film clips to relate to historical events

Rating # 3

Overview:

• Course: 111AC
• Grade Received: A
• Overall Rating: 5.0
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

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

Comment:

For the first few lectures of class you will be confused, but if you stick through the class you will be rewarded by a truly caring professor. While his lectures are hard to follow, his friendliness and openness during office hours helped me understand the material that was covered in lecture.

Rating # 4

Overview:

• Course: PS111AC
• Grade Received: A-
• Overall Rating: 2.0
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

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

Comment:

For lecture, he stands in front of the room and reads 13-20 pages of an essay to us, verbatim. It's difficult to pay attention, especially if you're a visual learner- because there are no visuals. He emails the entire 13-20 pages to us, but also takes attendance at lecture. It's an annoying class structure and the subject material is pretty dull.

Rating # 5

Overview:

• Course: 152AC
• Grade Received: B+
• Overall Rating: 5.0
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

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

Comment:

Professor Permaul has a very solid message to give to the class about American lit/history. He's been teaching long and knows his stuff. Has long office hours so make sure to go for writing feedback

Rating # 6

Overview:

• Course: RHET152AC
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 5.0
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

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

Comment:

Great Professor. The perfect balance between challenging and enjoyable. Professor Permaul was always open to help me with my papers. I definitely saw my writing improve throughout the semester because of his class. Being my first semester at CAL as a junior transfer, his class definitely helped me catch up to the standards at CAL (in a good way).

Rating # 7

Overview:

• Course: 152AC
• 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:

Professor Permaul is one of those grand old wise men who come around in your life maybe once or twice and leaves an indelible mark on your soul. Loves the material and loves you. An elegant and noble lecturer who is unafraid to approach what is unsaid in American race discourse. If you read with him, and if you are honest, he will not fail you.

Rating # 8

Overview:

• Course: 152AC
• Grade Received: WD
• Overall Rating: 2.0
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

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

Comment:

Take this with a large grain of salt, I only attended one session. The first day the Prof said he wanted to get the class down to 30 people (class holds 35) and that he would drop people to get it there. My emails resulted in snippy responses. Overall, I don't think he created a good learning environment and I didn't feel comfortable in the class.

Rating # 9

Overview:

• Course: RH152AC
• Grade Received: A
• Overall Rating: 5.0
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

Great great prof.

Rating # 10

Overview:

• Course: 152AC
• Grade Received: A-
• Overall Rating: 3.0
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

The material was very interesting. Im glad I took the class. But I worked a lot harder in it than in any of my other classes. My biggest complaint is that Dr. Permauls grading system was oddI felt that points were taken away arbitrarily and w/o adequate justification. He is wonderful & smart. I would highly recommend utilizing office hours!

Rating # 11

Overview:

• Course: RHE152AC
• Grade Received: Not sure yet
• Overall Rating: 5.0
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

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

Comment:

Dr. Permaul is a great professor who has been a part of the University for over 50 years. He is very clear about what he expects from students. He loves it when students engage themselves in the course readings. Dr. Permaul uploads notes on Bcourses so that you stay on track. Overall it's worth taking his course and oh yeah, go to his office hours

Rating # 12

Overview:

• Course: PS111AC
• Grade Received: A
• Overall Rating: 5.0
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

It is a sizable chunk of reading, but nothing unexpected for a poli sci class. Professor Permaul welcomes debate/disagreement towards his argument and even helps students articulate better through reasoning. This class is as engaging as a political theory class can get and lectures are broken up really well with discussions and videos.

Rating # 13

Overview:

• Course: 152AC
• Grade Received: A+
• Overall Rating: 5.0
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

He comes off as intimidating at the beginning, but if you participate and do the readings, this class is just fine. Only three big papers, and the rest is participation. As far as content, it is very interesting. Teaches you to think about American thought from a unique perspective and discussion forum allows for many perspectives. Very good.

Rating # 14

Overview:

• Course: RHET152AC
• Grade Received: A
• Overall Rating: 4.5
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

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

Comment:

Easily the most important professor I have had so far at UC Berkeley. He takes a very unique and innovative approach to American culture, history, culture, and identity that for myself and many others in my class was a life changing experience! Class discussions are engaging (and mandatory) and he is great in office hours. Highly recommended!

Rating # 15

Overview:

• Course: PS111AC
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 4.5
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

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

Comment:

This was my first upper division class in the Political Science Department at Cal and I loved it! In this class Permaul makes an interesting connection by analyzing the culture of displacement and exclusion of our European, Native American, and African-American ancestors and connects this displacement to analyze American political culture.

Rating # 16

Overview:

• Course: RHET152AC
• Grade Received: Not sure yet
• Overall Rating: 4.5
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

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

Comment:

He's very kind, funny, and he makes the class interesting. He's been teaching here for a long time, and he makes you put effort into your work. Participation is highly encouraged, and more than half the class is spent discussing texts, video clips, and issues regarding race and order in the republic. It's not an easy A, but not doable. Take him!

Rating # 17

Overview:

• Course: 111AC
• Grade Received: A
• Overall Rating: 4.0
• Course Difficulty: 2.0

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

Comment:

Professor Permaul is a great professor, but his GSI was quite difficult. Although I received an A in the course, I really had to work for it. Sometimes Permaul's lectures are a little difficult to follow but go to office hours and everything is clear. Discussion is mandatory but often made things more confusing.

Rating # 18

Overview:

• Course: PS111AC
• Grade Received: A
• Overall Rating: 4.5
• Course Difficulty: 2.0

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

Comment:

Very friendly Professors who cares deeply about his students, and wants to bring across important aspects of how history impacts contemporary policy. Quite easy, film clips at beginning of class and three papers. Would definitely recommend the class. Also fulfills AC requirement.

Rating # 19

Overview:

• Course: 152AC
• Grade Received: B
• Overall Rating: 5.0
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

Nad will give you more then you put into the class. He forces participation but in a good way. He will come across very strong in the beginning of the class, and he isn't crying wolf either: but I do feel more complete as a student for having taken his class. Honestly AC is a requirement so I don't think any of us come into it with a great attitude

Rating # 20

Overview:

• Course: RHET152AC
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 4.0
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

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

Comment:

He thoughtfully tied Am history and early literary classics to current racial issues in todays media. We spent half the class watching video, the second half discussing what we saw and read. He was helpful/thoughtful in OH. He gives detailed notes. He is strict with the reading, so you need to keep up, he will assign ppl to present a passage.