J. Burton Kirkwood - University of Evansville

Professor: J. Burton Kirkwood

Department: TBD

College: University of Evansville

Rating # 1

Overview:

• Course: HIST448
• Grade Received: A
• Overall Rating: 5.0
• Course Difficulty: 5.0

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

Comment:

Took America in the 60s course with him and while I did pass with an A, I never had to work so hard for an A. His lectures are absolutely fascinating and the reading material is great but he really expects students to dig deep and focus more on the theory of why things happened and how they intermingled. That's not typically how history is taught.

Rating # 2

Overview:

• Course: HIST000
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 3.0
• Course Difficulty: 5.0

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

Comment:

Took ancient Spanish history or something with him. Another amazing man with intriguing lectures. Very very tough tho.

Rating # 3

Overview:

• Course: HIST448
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 2.0
• Course Difficulty: 5.0

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

Comment:

He knows his stuff. He is a great teacher... In the classroom. He is unhelpful during office hours and looks down upon students. I had a fever of 104 and still got penalized for being unable to give a presentation. It's not like getting sick was something I planned on. He's very inflexible. He expects a lot from students,and it's hard.

Rating # 4

Overview:

• Course: HIST142
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 3.5
• Course Difficulty: 5.0

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

Comment:

Dr. Kirkwood is quite knowledgable but has very high expectations for this gen ed class. The lectures were interesting but often didn't quite match up with the reading. Not only was there a lot of required reading but also writing responses. There were also several papers. The tests required a lot of critical thinking and detail for a 50-min exam.

Rating # 5

Overview:

• Course: HIST100
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 3.5
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

Dr. Kirkwood is a demanding instructor who's passionate about his subject. He is very helpful if you show an interest in learning and are willing to read and try, but doesn't have much use for people who don't care to learn. He's big on critical thinking and doesn't like to be proscriptive, though there ARE right answers to his questions...

Rating # 6

Overview:

• Course: HIST142
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 4.5
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

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

Comment:

Assigned insane amounts of reading. The material covered was very non-traditional. We didn't really cover facts but that is what we were tested on. It was a horrible class but he is a great guy. He is always willing to help and really cares about his students. When i asked for help he always asked how my other classed were going

Rating # 7

Overview:

• Course: HIST300S
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 4.5
• Course Difficulty: 5.0

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

Comment:

His classes are incredible. They're also probably the hardest history classes you can take at UE, but if you go to class and read at least half of the assigned reading, you'll be set. He's also really helpful with internships and really connected to the Evansville community. Also great to talk to about life in general. Interesting guy!

Rating # 8

Overview:

• Course: HIST151
• 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:

I've heard a lot of mixed things about Dr. Kirkwood from "he's amazing" to "he makes people cry". Honestly, he's one of my favorite profs in our department because he's brilliant, totally clear in class about everything, and in my opinion highly engaging. Take his classes! But only if you are willing to work for that A!

Rating # 9

Overview:

• Course: HIST142
• 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:

Kirwood is a good guy, but as a prof he's terrible. He is ambiguous aand vague. He'll tell you how to staple a paper, but not what to put in it. Plus, he's boring. Drop his class, it's not worth it.

Rating # 10

Overview:

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

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

Comment:

This class rocked. He was by far one of my all time favorite profs.

Rating # 11

Overview:

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

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

Comment:

I had a lot of trouble following him in class. His voice is soporific and it's hard to understand his expectations.

Rating # 12

Overview:

• Course: HISTORY214
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 4.5
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

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

Comment:

Was a great class. I especially enjoyed the oral history project where we interview a person who was alive during WWII and the depression. It was a great class- anyone should take it.

Rating # 13

Overview:

• Course: HST142
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 2.0
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

I found the class enlightening but the professor a litte unclear and intimidating. The tests and journal assignments were often time consuming. You really learn a lot in the class.

Rating # 14

Overview:

• Course: HIST143
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 5.0
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

He's a great prof, but a real hard-ass. He's intimidating, but if you go talk to him, he's extremely helpful.

Rating # 15

Overview:

• Course: HIST142
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 3.0
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

While his lectures were entertaining, I felt he was unclear on what he is looking for in his assignments to the students. Tests were very hard, lots of open-ended questions and essays that made it hard to complete the tests in time.