Murray Baumgarten - University of California Santa Cruz

Professor: Murray Baumgarten

Department: TBD

College: University of California Santa Cruz

Rating # 1

Overview:

• Course: LIT164J
• Grade Received: B+
• Overall Rating: 3.0
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

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

Comment:

Baumgarten is a wonderful person, and if youre looking for someone to chat with hes great! As a professor, I felt he couldve been a little more clearer on what he was grading us on. The assignments were easy and we could work in groups. For our final, we worked alone and it was a lot of busy work. In the end still got a B+ despite my efforts...

Rating # 2

Overview:

• Course: JEW144
• Grade Received: A
• Overall Rating: 4.0
• Course Difficulty: 2.0

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

Comment:

Murray is such a great professor. He's very knowledgable about the subject. The reading list is incredibly long but doable for the most part. Do the occasional reading and participate in discussion and you'll do good. His papers are fairly simple. DO NOT take advantage of the niceness of the professor just do the work and respect him.

Rating # 3

Overview:

• Course: LIT80L
• Grade Received: A-
• Overall Rating: 3.5
• Course Difficulty: 2.0

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

Comment:

Really great class! Learned a lot from all the readings. Lecture is not mandatory but they take attendance in section. There was a take home mid-term and take home final.

Rating # 4

Overview:

• Course: LIT61J
• Grade Received: A
• Overall Rating: 5.0
• Course Difficulty: 1.0

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

Comment:

Murray is an amazing teacher. All the books he assigns are GOOD reads, not dense.. and you don't have to finish them all. Class attendance isn't mandatory but going to section is. You can really learn a lot from this class, but it is what you make it. Only two short commentary writing assignments & 2 easy tests.

Rating # 5

Overview:

• Course: LIT61J
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 5.0
• Course Difficulty: 1.0

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

Comment:

He's like the Jewish grandpa everybody wishes they could have had (unless you're Jewish and you have a grandpa, in which case class will feel oddly like spending time with your grandfolk). Fantastic lecturer, lots of reading. Sections not moderated by a TA, so you truly get out of it what you put into it. A class in humanity as much as anything.

Rating # 6

Overview:

• Course: LIT61J
• 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:

Loved Baumgarten's class on Jewish literature and culture. He's very wise and his lectures are great, though definitely more broad in content. He's easy to talk to and I definitely encourage doing so. And he assigns a LOT of reading but it's interesting.

Rating # 7

Overview:

• Course: HISTORY80W
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 5.0
• Course Difficulty: 1.0

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

Comment:

Best class I have ever taken so far. He and professor Kenez make a great team. I learned a lot about the holocaust. The class is very interesting and so is the assigned readings. Take this class. You will never get bored.

Rating # 8

Overview:

• Course: HIS80W
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 2.0
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

Murray was probably one of the least favorite professors I've had so far in college. His lectures were boring and rarely helpful, unless you truly enjoy literary analysis. His co-professor Kenez was much better, after a month of class I decided to only go to lectures by Kenez. It got to the point that Murray actually asked the class to come.

Rating # 9

Overview:

• Course: HIS80W
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 3.5
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

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

Comment:

I took Professor Baumgarten's course on the Holocaust and really it. He is an expert about his topic and manages to make learning about the Holocaust entertaining even though it is such a sad subject matter. The only bad thing I have to say about the course is that you have so many hours of class a week but since lecture isn't mandator its fine.

Rating # 10

Overview:

• Course: LIT80
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 4.5
• Course Difficulty: 1.0

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

Comment:

If you go to his office hours attend section and read the assigned book you will do fine. It is possible to get an A as long as you dedicate at least two hours for every lecture.

Rating # 11

Overview:

• Course: LTMO144H
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 5.0
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

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

Comment:

This was THE BEST CLASS I took at UCSC (transferred after 2 years). Murry is great, personable, and funny. Lectures were in-depth and interesting. I took this for a GE and was pleasantly surprised how fun it was. Speak up in class and write group papers, it lightens the (admittedly heavy) work load. I highly recommend taking any class with Murray!

Rating # 12

Overview:

• Course: LIT61J
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 3.5
• Course Difficulty: 2.0

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

Comment:

He's an okay professor in terms of teaching and pretty mild-mannered and funny too, but this class was my nap time class. I really enjoyed the student-run sections the most as they are required but they're the most interesting. The book list is long but doable even if you don't read them all. Not a hard class but don't let yourself slip too much.

Rating # 13

Overview:

• Course: LIT61J
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 3.0
• Course Difficulty: 1.0

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

Comment:

The books were interesting but lectures were boring and incredibly difficult to follow. Attending lecture really isn't necessary, but go to section!

Rating # 14

Overview:

• Course: HOLO80W
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 5.0
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

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

Comment:

Most incredible class I have taken so far and probably will ever take. Murray and Peter Kenez are an all-star team of professors who make the course interesting and funny (ironically). I absolutely adore this class. Not only is it a fascinating topic, but such amazing professors teach it. DEFINITELY TAKE THIS CLASS. Lots of reading, but worth it!

Rating # 15

Overview:

• Course: JEW144
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 5.0
• Course Difficulty: 2.0

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

Comment:

He is likable, agreeable and though the reading is heavy it's nearly all interesting and you can get by with not reading what you are not going to be writing on. Plus, he brought us bagels and helped with essays!

Rating # 16

Overview:

• Course: LIT61J
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 1.5
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

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

Comment:

Heavy load of books; necessary to read. Half of the time, the teacher has guest-lecturers and the class is podcasted, so you can miss class, but if you miss section too many times, you are dropped from the class. You had better hope you get a good TA, because you will need them. Not too much coarsework, but what you do have counts for a lot.

Rating # 17

Overview:

• Course: LIT80W
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 2.5
• Course Difficulty: 5.0

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

Comment:

I stopped going to lecture. He never stayed with the syllabus, nor did he update it, so one could never tell what he was talking about as no one had read the material he was covering. A great man with an fascinating view of history and literature, alike. Just unorganized and easily flustered.

Rating # 18

Overview:

• Course: LTMO144H
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 4.0
• Course Difficulty: 2.0

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

Comment:

'Jewish Writers, European City: London'. Interesting class. Heavy reading list, including a certain Victorian novel which nobody was able to finish. Lectures can be engaging if students come to class prepared. Murray was charming, very grandfatherly. He even invited the class to have breakfast at his home, which was a nice break from the humdrum.

Rating # 19

Overview:

• Course: LIT80L
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 2.5
• Course Difficulty: 2.0

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

Comment:

Murray is a great man. He carries the wisdom and kindness of an old Jewish grandfather. Unfortunately, he is past his prime. When listening to his lectures, you can kinda tell what point he's driving towards, but he never really gets there. Cushy, but old professor. His reading list was really thick, but good. I reccomend him, but I can't.

Rating # 20

Overview:

• Course: LIT80K
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 4.5
• Course Difficulty: 2.0

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

Comment:

likes to ramble about literature but knows his material. you have to read the books to do well in his classes because tests are all about them. good teacher overall.