I really enjoyed Dr. Witmer's class! Although if you take this, you will have to do quite a bit of reading and a digital history project, he really is a great professor who cares about his students, and he will help you whenever you need it!

Dr. Witmer is awesome. There was a lot of reading but it was interesting and pertinent. He's very approachable and always willing to help if you go to him. Take his class if you have to take 225. 2 papers, a midterm, and a final which are all pretty easy if you go to class.

He is amazing! Really makes the subject interesting and clearly knows what he's talking about. Make sure you talk during discussion and you'll do fine. Only two tests and aren't too bad as long as you study. There's 3 papers but they're not too bad. Highly recommend him for this class!

Favorite History Classe EVER!! he is an awesome professor. It's three essays, a midterm, and final. The midterm and essays are really not bad and I thought the midterm was easy for essays and ids because he gives you a lot of choices! He's really fun and an awesome teacher!

He is amazing! He has beautiful eyes. He really makes the subject enjoyable and teaches really well. Just make sure you speak during discussion and study for the midterm and final. Only 3 papers and he grades them pretty easily. I ended with an A-. Peace. Love. Andy.

He is one of the nicest and most helpful professors I've ever had. He definitely cares about his students and wants to see them do well. His enjoyable personality always made me want to come to class and made 8ams bearable.

Dr. Witmer was AMAZING. If you have to take any history course...take him! I took my papers to him before the due date and he made helpful suggestions and I got A's on them. He learned student names..out of a class of 200. He still says hi to me around campus. He is amazing, so fun, and a great teacher. Take him.

One of the BEST professors ever!! Tests are blue book so you really have to know the material, but he's really funny and easy to understand during lecture. Lectures aren't mandatory but you should go for the notes. Have to participate during discussion, but he's such a great teacher. TAKE HIM!! You won't regret it!

I thought I wasn't going to like this class because I'm usually not good in this subject but he made me really enjoy it. He does a great job getting through all of american history without confusing you. This class was very interesting so take him!

Dr. Witmer is a great proffessor, and a really nice guy. I missed a lot of required classes and was allowed to make up the credit. He was extremely helpful and prompt in response to e-mails.

Witmer is a great professor. You don't need the textbook at all. 2 easy papers. Speak up in discussion section because he loves participation. Tests are based on lecture and are essay format.

I LOVED Professor Witmer, and I don't really enjoy history at all. You only have 2 tests, 2 essays, and a participation grade in your discussion section. Lecture went a little fast so I typed note on my laptop so I didn't miss anything. He's also just a really great guy and knew my name within the first month of the semester. I HIGHLY recommend him

Dr. Witmer was a great professor!!! I enjoyed his class and learned a lot! He is very helpful and his lectures didn't put me to sleep like most other lectures. He's also extremely nice :) TAKE HIM!!

I loved Dr. Witmer. He had very clear lectures and made then interesting with pictures, videos and music. There was only 2 papers and 2 exams, and in my opinion they were all pretty easy. The exams were ids and short answer but you got to pick what questions you wanted to answer and the papers were never more than 1200 words.

Dr. Witmer is one of my favorite professors at JMU. Deviating from typical dry lecture, Witmer invokes a lot of discussion and assigns really interesting daily readings. I enjoyed about 90% of them. He has high expectations for papers but will gladly help you out. I highly recommend him for this class.

This professor is absolutely wonderful! He makes every lecture interesting, and is passionate about what he teaches. I would recommend anyone to take him!

I really enjoyed having Witmer as a professor and his lectures were really interesting. Expect a B in this class even if you put a lot of time and effort doing papers and studying. Grading is very unpredictable.

TAKE HIM! Best professor ever! He is so passionate and cares so much about his students. Has high expectations but is very fair in his grading. By far the best decision I made this semester was to take him! His tests are fairly easy if you attend all lectures and do all the required readings, and the two essays are not too difficult either.

LOVE HIM! Wish I could take him for every history class possible. He is so kind. Attendance is not mandatory but I never missed a class :)He's not the easiest grader but he does challenge and push you to succeed which is what really matters, right? haha

By far the greatest teacher I had. He went fast but the class was all discussion. Participation is a must but the questions he asked provoked anyone to speak their opinion. He makes this class for history majors which was a lot of terminology, but he is young so i feel that he was more relatable and his examples were more up to date

This class is definitely for people who are interested in History. He is a fantastic teacher and very helpful, and his TA is helpful as well. The class is all discussion so I would recommend not missing a lecture. Participation is a big factor and can bring your grade up a little bit if you're struggling. Hard grader but he pushes you to try.

The best professor I have ever taken at JMU and i usually hate history. He loves teaching and is a tough grader but if you put in the effort it won't be bad at all. 2 papers, a midterm and final that aren't hard at all. He makes evert lecture so interesting and is always so helpful. TAKE HIM! I got a B with medium effort.

He is the most amazing history teacher I have ever had. He is very interesting. If you are confused about something his office hours are very helpful. There are two tests, two quizzes, graded mainly on participation in small group once a week, and you have two papers that are really fun to write. Loved this class!! You won't regret taking him!

An hour and fifteen minute lecture is way too long. He has way too much irrelevant information but just talks and talks, when only 1/3 of it is on the test. He does a good job at attempting to make you laugh, but if you want an easy A GHIST, don't take this. He told me he hasn't given an A in 2 years.

Dr. Witmer is ok, grades a little tough for a gen ed history class in my opinion. Great guy who's really personable and helpful but he's a little harsh on grading the exams and papers. He really expects you to put a lot of detail into answers on the test. Don't expect an A...he hasn't given one in almost 2 years

This joseph gordon-levitt lookalike is a real great guy and awesome teacher, he really makes the class enjoyable and easy to pay attention in. Would highly recommend him and he is the type of teacher that will acknowledge you outside of class, said hey to me two years after I took his class even though I thought I never made myself known

This is by far my favorite class of the semester! He is a super nice and personable man and knows what he is talking about. He is a tough grader but if you show up and do the weekly readings, you'll be fine. Oh, and he's SO HOT!!!!

He's a great man. Excellent communicator and made lectures enjoyable to listen to. He's very helpful; he'll tell you exactly what you need to know to pass. Also a highly respectable man. Loves to teach and loves young people

I am not a history person whatsoever but Dr. Witmer made this class so much more bearable. The lectures are long and there is a lot of information but as long as you take notes you'll be fine. Attendance isn't mandatory for lecture but you'll miss a lot of info if u skip. if you skip discussion it hurts your grade. oh, & he's got the cutest kids!

TAKE THE CLASS! I had already took AP US History and it was a bore but Witmer made the class so enjoyable. There's only one paper which I pulled an all nighter on because I did it in one day. But I got an 80 so he isn't too bad of a grader. It's what you expect. His lectures are very informative. Don't skip them. If worse comes to worse, RECORD it.

Professor Witmer is the most excellent professor I have ever had to privilege to be taught by. He teaches in an ernest and intentional way, and presents history in the most interesting light. His general enthusiasm is encouraging, and I don't want to miss class. It doesn't hurt that he's attractive (his eyes are like deep, blue oceans).

He lectures for the whole class time but he makes it very interesting. He is all about "reading history forward" which adds a liveliness to history. I went into his class disliking history and came out loving it. There were primary source readings for the lecture class once a week. Some of them were long, but all doable.

witmer is an amazing guy and professor. he is so nice and knows everyone individually in the class despite the hundreds of students he has. his lectures are very easy to follow but the tests, at least for me, were very hard. i put in so much work for this class and only got a c+ despite the class being so hard, i would still take him again. DO IT !

Awesome and intellectual. Tests are tough though!

Witmer is by far my favorite professor so far. His lectures are so easy to follow and very thorough, with added humor as well. He is very down to earth and loves to help students. I would definitely take him again and he is hot!

He is great, go to class, go to discussion you'll do fine

History isn't my favorite subject however, after this class I am able it view it from a new perspective. Andrew doesn't lecture, he tells history as if it were a story which makes it easier to stay motivated and pay attention. Take GOOD notes & you will be fine. If he repeats something, write it down. Participate in discussion. Do the readings!

Super nice and approachable guy, and has the CUTEST kids! Explains everything super clearly but you're likely to have a hand cramp after his lectures. 2, 20 question multiple choice quizzes (easy), 2 tests- multiple choice and essay (hard), 1 essay, and 1 easy research presentation. PARTICIPATE IN DISCUSSION, it's a big part of your grade!!!!!!!!!!

Witmer is a super nice guy. Not the easiest GenEd, but definitely not the toughest. He makes lecture more interesting in his own way. He's a tough grader for papers, but the quizzes and tests aren't too bad. I don't like history at all. I actually took APUSH in high school and this course is still challenging at times, but I'd recommend him for it.

Lectures are amazing, he's a great teacher! Only 2 tests including final multiple choice super easy but essays are graded harder. Definitely an easy A/B

Witmer is easily the best professor I have had at JMU. I have never seen someone so committed to their students and open to our ideas. He taught his first 400 level with my class and it seemed like he'd been doing it his entire career. Amazing discussions and great class readings. Presentations at the end of class can be fun, make the most of them!

I had Witmer for 225 and really enjoyed his class, papers can be a little tough but it's worth for the great lectures and feedback you get.

Words cannot express how much I loved having Witmer for HIST 225, he makes history interesting, and something to look forward to every class. if you have the opportunity to take him DO IT! you won't regret it, I have always hated history but he makes it interesting . theres only a few grades but if you show up to class, then you'll do just fine!

Professor Witmer is awesome, gives great lectures and makes history very interesting. 10/10 would recommend.

Witmer is by far the best professor I've ever had. His lectures are outstanding and not boring in the slightest. There are two announced quizzes which are multiple choice-- super easy. Two tests that are also fairly easy. There's one essay which I suggest you take your time one because he is a tough grader!

Dr. Witmer is Awesome! Probably the best teacher I have had so far at JMU. He is a great guy, and his lectures are outstanding. You learn so much about American History. TAKE

Dont listen to the people that says hes hard, if you stay on top of the few primary source readings then youll do great! The essays are easy, so is the test. He really does appreciate participation. A lot of the people who take him are probably new freshmen and dont know how to take notes straight from dictation. But Hes an amazing professor!

Dr. Witmer has amazing lectures that keep you interested. He's accessible outside of class and has clear grading criteria. He's passionate about history and that shows to help you get a good grade. Plus he's a cutie!

This class is honestly a bit boring but Dr. Witmer is the nicest person you will ever meet and makes an effort to get to know as many people in the class possible. Very manageable workload and a caring professor passionate about US history always willing to help you out. Definitely recommend!

Dr. Witmer is easily one of the best professors I have ever had. The way in which he explains history puts you into the context of the time period, and helps you understand it so much better. I didn't need to study extensively for his tests because he was legitimately such a great professor. Pay attention and take notes, and you'll love it.

Literally the most spectacular professor I've had at JMU. He makes his lectures so interesting and you can tell he really loves what he does. The TA was super awesome too. Doesn't take attendance (except for discussion section) but he doesn't put notes anywhere so if you don't go to class you probably won't do super great. Such a great class, 10/10

Dr. Witmer is passionate, personable, and engaging. His comprehensive look at US History is detailed and compelling. He is easy and enjoyable to follow in lecture, sincere and encouraging in discussion, is a fair grader, and he has absolutely been one of my favorite professors in one of my most unexpectedly enjoyable courses.

Even though I recieved a B, Witmer is absolutely great and I would not hesitate to take him again. His lectures are interesting and very informative. The discussion sections are easy too as long as you go and read the material before. The assignments are not very difficult, but he can be a tough grader on writing entries.

loved this class. there is mandatory discussion sections once a week but lectures are also important to attend to succeed. sometimes hard to follow lectures but he will always be willing to answer questions and clear things up. overall my favorite professor this semester

I thought he was a great professor, he really knows what he is doing. He takes a topic that he wants to touch on and relates it to something in the present day and is able to help everyone fully understand the concept.

Really nice guy who knows his stuff. His religious history class isn't too difficult but you still learn a lot.

Andrew is one of the best professor I've had at JMU. He is very polite and very professional. He stands out by being one of the very few professors that actually cares for his students. He is always willing to help you understand the material and his lectures are interesting and he actually makes you want to learn history. He is also pretty funny

This was truly the greatest class I have taken at JMU. Dr. Witmer is among the smartest people I have ever met in my life, and his eloquent lectures made me see the value in even the most obscure topics. The course project is challenging but immensely rewarding. 3D printing in a history class? So cool! I cannot recommend this class enough.

Witmer is one of the best history professors I have ever had. He makes his lectures interesting and he puts jokes in there which are funny. He is good about repeating the important information so you know that you should write it down. Definitely take notes on a laptop, he talks kinda fast. His 2 exams are 10 MC and 2 short answer. He prepares you

Dr. Witmer was seriously amazing. The hardest assignment was the essay but he gives great feedback and if you try you'll do great in this class. He doesn't put words on his slides so you have to go to class but it honestly wasn't a hard course at all for a gen-ed. I 100% recommend taking him, he really makes an effort to get to know his students!

Best professor I've taken at JMU. Super passionate and makes the lectures interesting and relevant. Hard grader on essays but not unreasonable

Tests are grueling but presents the information in an interesting way that keeps the class bearable. Participate in discussion AND lecture and he will help you succeed.

Witmer is amazing and knows how to keep a lecture engaging. He is relatable and funny and really cares about his students understanding of history. Gives study guides for test but has pop quizzes in discussions. Pretty easy class overall and amazing guy, love him!

Witmer is such a good teacher! You won't be disappointed. You will have 5 pop quizzes in your discussion classes that are usually about 50 minutes! Also, his lectures are sometimes boring but can be entertaining. You have to read a ton of stuff because most of what you read will be on essays and quizzes. Overall an amazing teacher!!

Witmer is an amazing professor! 2 exams (not cumulative). Each of them is 10 multiple choice and 2 essays on the themes of the course. Attendance is not mandatory but most exam questions come from the lecture! One essay and 5 unannounced pop quizzes on the weekly readings. His lecture is a bit dry and he doesn't put words on his slides, just pics.

Dr. Witmer is one of my favorite professors! I've never been a fan of history so I wasn't excited about this class, but Dr. Witmer somehow made me enjoy history! He's very clear in his lectures and structures them really well so note-taking is simple (just write super fast). If you're not a fan of history but you like structure, you'll like it :)

Prof Witmer has great lectures. It's boring because its history but he definitely makes effort and wants students to do well. The mid term and final are 12 multiple choice questions that you chose 10 to answer and 3 essays that you chose to write 2. Going to discussion section once a week was easy too just annoying and 5 super easy quizzes.

The professor himself was very good at lectures and seemed very intelligent, however half the class had the professor and the other half had the TA grade their papers and exams . The TA grades way harder. The discussions can be interesting or awkward depending on if you have Witmer or the TA.

Dr. Witmer is the reason I now have a history minor. You need to show and and pay attention to pass but he makes the material interesting and he's a really good lecturer. Discussion sections were fun and more laid-back as long as you did the online reading. This class makes history kinda fun to learn.

I love Dr. Witmer! He is one of my favorite professors from my first semester! he kept his lectures interesting and he moved fast enough to not get bored but not too fast that you can't keep up. There is a discussion class that is where most of the work is like readings and reading quizzes but they are not too bad. His exams are pretty easy too

Dr. Witmer was a great professor to have. He made lectures interesting by teaching us but also having us have discussions. He gives clear feedback on assignments and tells you what you could do better on for the next assignment. 10 question canvas quizzes frequently and reading responses, but easy if you read the textbook and watch what he assigned

Couldn't recommend a professor more. Expectations are clear, the class isn't fact-based (you're not memorizing dates), and he really wants you to succeed. Graded based on lecture quizzes, writings, and class participation. Super solid choice for a gen-ed!

Allows students to explore their own thoughts and opinions in an academic environment.

There are two tests, with 10 multiple choice questions, and then a essay which you know the topic before hand. There is also a group project with 3d-printing that was SO easy, he gives you an online resource and you just copy and paste it onto a power point. He is SO understanding, i loved him!

Such a genuine teacher. He does his best to get student feedback to make the class interesting, and it's mostly discussion based, so show up to class prepared. Every week there are reflection posts which are graded pretty loosely if you read the material, and a few essays which are really easy. Attendance is also graded, so be sure to contribute

Dr. Witmer is a great lecturer, he tries to engage the class with a cold open before jumping into the topic for the day, and the way he structures it makes me engaged with the material. As long as you take good notes you'll do fine on the lecture quizzes, the main essay wasn't too bad. I had a TA leading my discussion section, which was very easy.

Loved this class! Weekly discussion posts that took 1-2 hours depending on how long the reading material was. Totally discussion based so participation is really important and an easy way to get your grade up. Witmer is really nice and helpful and i would totally take another class from him

Lectures are not mandatory, attend because you'll need the info for lecture quizzes. No textbook. Discussion is mandatory. Short readings w/ quizzes every week, but are easy - open note. Lectures are entertaining and 2 essays are graded fairly. No tests only final. Take good notes in lecture, what he says in lecture will stick. Great professor!

I don't like history but I loved this class! Witmer lectures in a way that the material makes sense. Weekly reading quizzes (SO easy if you do your reading) and biweekly lecture quizzes (also easy if you take lecture notes). With that being said there isn't a powerpoint so you have to be able to take notes while he is talking. 2 essays and a final.

Professor Witmer is a great professor, but he is also a great person. If you come up to him, he is always very friendly and always seems to care. Don't miss lectures, a lot of content comes from these. He also leaves them on cliffhangers making you want to come to the next one because it is interesting.

The course content he had to teach was very boring, but he showed a passion for his field of interest. He was an effective teacher, HIST300 was just not helpful to me though no fault of his.

I took two of his classes this semester (HIST 438 and HIST 335) He is a great professor overall and I recommend taking him. He comes to class very passionate and helps engage the class in discussion. Thing is he tends to assign a lot of readings and projects some of which can be fairly daunting at times

I love Dr. Witmer's class! Class discussions are very lively. Two books and some articles to read and no exams. The final is an essay as well as two previous papers in the class and 500-word minimum reflection posts here and there. Very generous grader. Such a caring professor as well. I would definitely take his course again.

I loved this course! I love Dr. Witmer and how he lectures and allows us to discuss as a class! If you are looking for a good course for a Gen-Ed or in general, please take him. You won't regret it!!!! Best Professor I have ever had!

Professor Witmer makes this discussion-based course engaging and flexible. With weekly reflections, a few easy essays, and no exams, you can excel by staying on top of the readings. I found Unstuck AI a great tool for prep alongside the textbook. Definitely a class to take if you want an interesting Gen-Ed!

Professor Witmer gives often overlooked perspectives in studying history that are quite fascinating. His lectures are engaging and the work is pretty fair and doable given that this is a 4 credit course. Most of this course's information comes from lectures so although attendance isn't required, you will do significantly better if you do show up

Class is all lectures, but lectures are so interesting. I don't even like history and this was one of my favorite classes and professors because he teaches American History in a different way then you have probably been taught before adding interesting perspectives. No slides to go with lecture and weekly quizzes on lectures, very easy workload.

Prof. Witmer is amazing. I only need his class as a GenEd, but it's honestly one of my favorite this semester because of his story-like lectures. Show up to class because there are weekly quizzes based on the lectures that week. Discussion section is easy and always involves fun conversation. 10/10 recommend. He's super sweet and loves what he does

Witmer was one of the best professors I've had so far at JMU. I could be bias because I love history but his lectures are so inspiring and he is very good at keeping your attention throughout his lectures. Lab was easy just come to class and talk about the primary sources. Just take this class if you can its amazing!

LOVE THIS PROF! I'm not a history person & thought this class would be super hard but it's ENJOYABLE. He is personable, passionate, charismatic, & a wonderful lecturer. Take good notes (or get from a friend) and pay attention and you'll do great! I can't recommend him enough, def a fav teacher. TAKE THIS CLASS ITS EASY. I would take him 100x again

his lectures are so engaging and good, discussion sections are mandatory but fun. first 3 tests are on paper short answer and essay Qs. but he drops 1 of them, 1 oral presentation but very easy and non stressfull. is not a boring history class. easy gen ed

He is actually one of the best professors I've had here. His lectures are interesting and he leaves them on a cliff hanger making you want to come to the next one. He also doesn't take attendance in the lectures only the discussions. Such an easy fun gen ed definitely take him!!!!

Honestly, Professor Witmer might be the best professor I've had at JMU. He's kind, knowledgeable, and genuinely passionate about history. I've never been a fan of history, but his class was easy to follow, and I actually enjoyed learning. I was nervous about the discussion class, but it turned out to be exactly what I needed, I ended up loving it.

So hot he made me enjoy history

I LOVE PROF WITMER! This was such an easy and enjoyable class. I had prof witmer for lecture and discussion section and he was great. Attendance is only mandatory for the discussion section but i recommend going to lecture. Make sure you're prepared for the theme responses which he talks about a lot and essentially gives the answers to in class.

Professor Witmer is really engaging and makes history interesting. It's annoying meeting in discussion groups on top of lecture, but this class is a really easy A if you put in the effort. He doesn't post lectures or have slides for class, so you have to show up and listen or get notes from someone else to keep up.

Such a great professor and would definitely recommend taking as a Gen ed. class is very discussion based so be prepared for that, topics are very interesting and he is very passionate about this job. Highly reccomend. Work is not hard but will give you longer readings so make time for that.

Fantastic Professor & class. Discussion heavy but in my opinion it's actually entertaining topics. You need to do readings before class but honestly it's worth it because the discussion during class actually feels meaningful compared to other classes. 2 projects, 4 short writings (lowest score dropped), 5 question daily quizzes, and a final essay.

Great professor, there were no tests, but we had writing responses on readings due before class. He's an easy grader, so these weren't hard. Keeps things very interesting and is able to work with you on anything you may need help with. Would 100% recommend him and this class.

I love Professor Witmers class. It was very easy as long as you did the readings. We usually had a reading quiz due before each class and classes were mostly discussion based. Lowest reading quiz and reading response were dropped too. Take his class!

Best Gen-Ed to take at JMU, super easy but you learn a lot about morality and gain a new perspective. Most of the classes are just discussions and there's no memorization based tests/assignments.

Amazing Professor. Took him in Moral Courage and Moral Blindness. As long as you do the work, you should get an A. As someone who was feeling iffy on if I should take the class, I cannot emphasize enough how genuinely interesting he made it. Lots of participation and group discussions. Easy "Reading Responses" but no tests. Take the class!!!

Take this class!! Witmer has great lectures and no tests, just reading quizzes and reading responses and two research projects that are fun to do and he grades pretty easily. He wants a lot of discussion in his classes and covers cool topics. talking in class matters and he genuinely listens to students and wants to have discussions with them.