[RELI 0155]
Islam in America

Rate This Class

Professor: Stearns

Value of Course / Overall Score

Not Much (0%
Average (33.3%)
Valuable (66.7%)

Material

Friendly (0%)
Average (66.7%)
Competitive (33.3%)

Class Atmosphere

Boring (66.7%)
Average (33.3%)
Fascinating (0%)

Prep Time Needed

1-2hr (0%)
3-5hr (0%)
6-8hr (100%)
9-11hr (0%)
12+ hr (0%)

Grade Weighting

Harder (50%)
Average (0%)
Easier (50%)

Adequate Assistance

Yes (100%)
No (0%)

Would Recommend Class

Yes (50%)
No (50%)

Evaluation Comments for Stearns

  1. No Comment
  2. Stearns is incredible!!! Although lecture can be dull sometimes, he is a great guy and is really enthusiastic about his work. I highly suggest taking this class!!! There was a lot of reading, but it was worthwbile.
  3. Stearns is very enthusiastic and imparts this on his students. He has a quick wit about him and generally seems to be having fun interacting with students in the classroom--so yes class participation is inevitable, but you'll be the better for it. Prof. Stearns is very knowledgable, yet is not afraid to admitt when he is not 100% sure, he's not one of those teachers who insists on always being right, and he'll never hold any of your confusion or questions against you (adnd there will be many). The class itself is extremely interesting and you'll come away with a totally revamped (and more complex view) of America's heritage and history with Islam. There is a lot of reading and analysis but it pays off in the end. I would highly recommend this class if you want to become more aware of the actual facts behind America's roots, and ties to Islam, if you're willing to do the work. NB: Stearns is good about mixing up the material: movies, books, essays, articles etc. and his class slides are never summary's of the reading--very useful (and he puts them on eres, also helpful).
  4. There is a tremendous amount of reading that must be done for each class. Lectures were not that interesting, and often confusing. Papers are graded harshly and grades were always lower than expected. Stearns is a charismatic guy, he knows what he is talking about, but I have overall negative feelings about this course.
  5. Professor Stearns is a truly interesting guy. He is very engaging with his students and makes lectures and discussions fun and interesting. However, Stearns assigns an enormous and tedious amount of reading. He will address all questions and concerns about readings and ideas in discussions and during powerpoint presentations, he is willing to help. The small details must be scrutinized and memorized for the midterm and the final. Trying to figure out exactly how to format and write my papers in order to get an A was not quite agony, but it wasn't fun either. I don't believe however that getting an A is impossible, but grades were definitely lower than I thought I deserved no matter how much effort I put into them, and other students that I spoke to felt this way as well. Take this class is you really want to learn about Islam in America. The information was certainly new and at times had the ability to be interesting. You will learn a significant amount about a part of American culture that is marginalized and ignored. Unless this is a subject you are truly interested in, and you desire to do a lot of reading and work which may or may not pay off, I'm not sure that even Stearns' sparkling personality is enough to make this class worth while.
  6. Professor Stearns is an amazing professor. He is very clear in his lectures, and his powerpoint presentations help one comprehend the knowledge (They are also available online which helps greatly). I would definitely take another course with him; I learned so much!

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