2.6

Barbara Upton

Philosophy - West Valley College

2.6
Quality
3.1
Difficulty
20%
Would Retake
93
Reviews
2.6
Quality
3.1
Difficulty
2.6
Helpful
2.6
Clarity

20%

Would Retake

93

Reviews

Rating Distribution
Official

5

15

4

16

3

13

2

23

1

26

What Students Say

Basically this class was the worst class I've ever taken

PHIL21 - 2.0 rating

I took an online class so did not interact with Dr

PHIL001ONLINE - 3.0 rating
Class Info

Online Classes

100%

Attendance Mandatory

67%

Textbook Required

58%

Grade Predictor

Your expected effort level

LowHigh

Predicted Grade

B

95% confidence
Based on 30 grades
Most common grades:
A (9)
B (7)
C (4)
Grade Distribution
A(12)B(8)C(6)D(2)F(0)A-/B+(2)
Based on 31 reported grades
A: 9
B: 7
C: 4
A+: 3
Common Tags
Tough grader (12)
Get ready to read (11)
Graded by few things (10)
Lecture heavy (8)
So many papers (7)
LECTURE HEAVY (5)
Tough Grader (4)
GRADED BY FEW THINGS (4)
Rating Trend

Declining

-0.98 avg change
May
Dec
Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
Last 6 months
Ratings by Course

PHILOSOPHY1

5.0

(2)

PHYLOSOPHY001

5.0

(1)

PHIL1A

5.0

(1)

LOGICPHIL

5.0

(1)

3

4.0

(1)
+24 more courses
Difficulty by Course

PLIL001

5.0

PHILOSOPHY001

5.0

PHILO001

5.0

PHIL001ONLINE

4.2

INTROPHIL

4.0

Reviews (93)
5.0
2.0
PHIL001
Jan 27, 2003

Tests on lectures. Cute!

5.0
1.0
PHIL021
Jun 26, 2003

Just take good notes. Nice to look at.

5.0
5.0
PHIL021
Jul 27, 2003

Miss Upton rocked the hizzy, she knows her subject and teaches with a firey passion that makes you want to learn. Her class is difficult, but her methods allow you to grasp the concepts in no time at all. My hat is off to you Miss Upton, you're da bomb!

1.0
5.0
PHIL021
Nov 6, 2003

Boring... This teacher is so redundant that you can't help but tune her out... what a disservice she's doing to the beautiful art of philosophy. Retire already.

3.0
2.0
PHIL17
Mar 18, 2004

No Comments

5.0
1.0
PHIL21
Mar 19, 2004

She knows her stuff and makes the class easy. Just take good notes on her lectures and you won't need to read. She tells you what will be on the test. She is so HOT to look at and has a sweet personality. I love her!

5.0
1.0
PHIL1
Jun 28, 2004

Extremely NICE! GREAT TEACHER. SUCH AN EASY CLASS! had no problem getting the A. just take neat notes, copy whatever she writes on the board there aren't that much notes to copy and just look over the notes the day before the test and you'll do fine.

4.0
2.0
PHIL121
Oct 21, 2004

very nice and knows what she's talking baout. take notes and you don't have to read the book. very easy!! very much recommended!

2.0
5.0
PLIL001
Dec 9, 2004

I hated this class, it was way boring!

5.0
1.0
PHIL1
Dec 16, 2004

All u need to do is show up and take notes. She tells u EXACTLY what will be on each exam PLUS if u have any additional q's she can answer it. She knows EVERYTHING! Very sweet gal AND knows everything about philosophy. SO intelligent! No question about it. Extra credit is available too!

4.0
2.0
INTROTOPHILO
Mar 25, 2005

She is a nice teacher

4.0
2.0
PHIL1
Mar 30, 2005

It can be boring if you aren't interested in Philosophy. She's very intelligent and articulate, so listen closely! Absolutely read the book and attend every lecture because she tests you on both. Her tests can be pretty hard!

5.0
3.0
PHILOSOPHY1
Jun 18, 2005

Miss Upton is a very good teacher. She knows the subject pat and has interest in it, making it fun to listen to her lectures. Her tests consist of her lecture notes and mostly the book "Questions that Matter". She does point out certain things that will be on the test, so go to class everyday, listen, and btw, she's a really hot and sweet gal! A+

5.0
1.0
PHYLOSOPHY001
Aug 19, 2005

The teacher gives very detailed and interesting lectures. The tests are a breeze if you come to class every day! Overall I greatly enjoyed the class and the material we studied :)

4.0
3.0
PHIL
Aug 23, 2005

Phil. is like reading the bible backwards. Pay attention and you will get a good grade.

5.0
3.0
PHILOSOPHY
Aug 30, 2005

I like Barb. She's extremely knowledgeable and pleasant. A little shy in front of the class; as a result, her class is INCREDIBLY BORING. She drones on for 3 hours at a time. If you pay attention and take notes, there's your A. Just don't fall asleep.

2.0
3.0
RELIGION
Sep 5, 2005

Sooooooooo boring. She was a horrible teacher. She did give you all the answers to the test, but the class was very painful to sit through.

3.0
3.0
PHILOSOPHY
Sep 22, 2005

she knows her stuff, but has a tough time getting students to learn cause she is really boring, her tests arent too hard though, so thats a plus, and shes eye candy.

5.0
2.0
PHIL1A
Sep 27, 2005

Can be very dry and redundant, especially if you have had any philosophy in the past. Otherwise her class is a good foundation and very thoroughly covers the basics of Philosophy

2.0
4.0
INTROPHIL
Grade: A
Nov 23, 2005

It seemed as if she herself was just reading from the text! It seemed that she didnt even understand the material she was presenting! We even had someone in the class who was born and raised in a communist country and she tryed to disagree with what he had to say about his country, and how religon and government were ran! she was bad! hot i think n

4.0
4.0
PHIL001
Nov 23, 2005

She's cool. She does alot of examples to explain it's just hard to take notes because you just dont know what to write down sometimes. The books are really helpful to make you understand. Test aren't that hard if you study. Class isn't an easy class but if you put a little effort you'll do fine.

4.0
1.0
PHIL001
Dec 1, 2005

Her lectures are really boring. She goes over what she said in the previous class, so she only gets half a lecture in. Tests are easy, she goes over everything, but only a class for someone with a will of iron. I could have read the textbook and came test day and passed. I wouldn't recommend her. I've heard LaFave is better.

1.0
5.0
PHILOSOPHY001
Dec 13, 2005

TERRIBLE! She is by far, the most boring instructor I have ever had. Talk about monotone. Sounds like she just reads text for her lectures. what she writes on the board is so unclear to what she is lecturing about making it impossible to learn and take good notes. Tests are hard! No multiple choice! Just "fill ins" and "short answers"...AVOID!

5.0
3.0
PHILOSOPHY1
Dec 15, 2005

SUCH an excellent teacher! Really enthusiastic about the material, knows practically everything under the sun, and remarkably nice. Her lectures are extremely interesting, peppered with fun facts that always start with "This show on Channel 9..." You'll have to work hard to get an A, but it's well worth it. Objective and unbiased grading as well.

4.0
2.0
INTRO
Jan 24, 2006

Great teacher, all the test come straight from the notes. The material is clear, and she is really nice.

2.0
4.0
PHIL003
Jun 1, 2007

Has a hard time making the class interesting. She knows a lot about philosophy but isn't very good at communicating it to her students. Her midterms are extremely hard. I hated how she would have assignments on the syllabus but no due dates next to them. easy grader when it comes to papers. Boring lectures.

4.0
5.0
PHIL17
Sep 3, 2007

Online class. If you like writing papers, this is the class for you. First few papers were like pulling teeth and the last two were fun.

2.0
2.0
PHILSECT
Dec 22, 2007

She writes really abstract notes on the board. Not very clear. Takes forever to grade things. The semester has ended and all of my teachers have submitted grades... except for her. Nice woman, decent teacher.

2.0
5.0
PHIL001
Jan 9, 2008

TOO difficult of a class online. Her "lectures" are very very hard to read, you must first translate what she wrote into english BEFORE you can learn what she's trying to say. Basically, it doubles the reading.

5.0
3.0
LOGICPHIL
Feb 29, 2008

Seems to me like there are a bunch of whiners here. Seriously folks, this teacher is amazing compared to the average jc instructor. She keeps it simple for YOUR benefit. Her writing curriculum is nothing compared to that of a 4 year university's. If you're crying now, then don't bother transferring. SUFFER IN SILENCE.

2.0
3.0
PHIL1
Mar 11, 2008

Incomprehensible boring lectures. Cute though.

4.0
1.0
PHIL001
Nov 23, 2008

If you want a legit rating read on.. Upton is a VERY good teacher. Those that are giving her bad ratings just don't understand philosophy. The notes ARE going to be abstract, it's an abstract subject. Get into it, she's a good teacher to do just that. Her notes are crystal clear compared to Ciraulo, Taken Both, Upton HIGHLY recomended.

2.0
5.0
INTROPHIL
Dec 18, 2008

SHE is a very boring teacher. period. Her test were easy because she essentially gives you the answers right before. She notes are very abstract. She's monotone and you need a philosophy translator to understand her. I mean its suppose to be intro. She doesn't like it when people disagree with her. She would cut of students who argued. bad teacher

1.0
5.0
PHILO001
Jan 27, 2009

this teacher is so boring its hard to even stay awake in class. everything she teaches is useless! she doesnt even give guidlines for the test. and for the final she said her printer wasnt working so we got no outline it was all verbal! LAME TEACHER!

1.0
2.0
PHIL17
Jun 1, 2009

this was my last semester at WVC and i've never had a worse teacher. she COULD be hot if her clothes werent so atrocious. she is extremely boring & confusing. she goes on tangents and can never give direct answers to questions. she's extremely easy, but it's not worth it. she criticizes anthro but gives incorrent info about it. avoid her.

2.0
5.0
PHILO001
Jun 29, 2009

horrible, would never take her again not organized, her lectures are boring, doesn't explain things well at just lectures and expect u to understand DONT TAKE IF POSSIBLE

2.0
3.0
PHIL001
May 24, 2010

didnt like her. yelled at people if they came in a couple minutes late. she never really knows when shes going to finish a lecture on a particular subject. doesn't tell you if she is going to be absent. Hard to sit through, you will either fall asleep, doodle, or just zone out. tests are easy bc she goes over the day before. essays are killer thoug

3.0
1.0
PHILRELI
Jun 9, 2010

I had her for the intro course and she was great. She presented the topics in a way that made it easy to understand if you paid attention. Sure a little boring but you cant ask for the world. Took her for religion and I really regret doing so. She lets off topic discussion continue for too long. We learned about 4 religions instead of the 9 planned

4.0
1.0
PHIL17
Jun 17, 2010

Class was supposed to focus on critical thinking, but if you do that, you're wrong. In other words, don't think, just be a parrot. I'd make a valid point, and instead of trying to counter it, she'd side-step by calling on another student. Pass it for credit, but don't think you're some big shot philosopher in the end; you're just a sheep.

3.0
1.0
PHIL16
Jun 19, 2010

Really bad teacher. She gets off topic easily and somehow every subject leads to a discussion on the evils of capitalism. We were a religion course, but didn't start studying religion until after midterms, and only go through maybe half of the syllabus. Tests were entirely T/F, multiple choice and fill in the blank.

2.0
3.0
PHIL21
Dec 10, 2010

Horrible teacher that does not explain things well. Nots are completely unorganized, so it confuses you. Takes weeks to get papers back to you, same with quizes. Constantly changing the syllabus because she gets so off topic in class and cant keep up with her own material.

4.0
3.0
PHILO17
Apr 11, 2011

Not the most exciting teacher, but she's very informative. If you've never taken an intro phil. class, I suggest you do. It took a couple weeks to get used to her class, but now that we're half way done i appreciate it a lot more. She knows what she's talking about. It's not difficult. Good students will pass no problem. Lazy students might not!

3.0
2.0
PHIL17
Apr 11, 2011

Not a bad teacher. A little monotone, but her knowledge is good. She literally showed up at least 5 minutes late to every class, including the first day. Never more than 15 minutes late though. Boring at first, but gets easier and more interesting as the class goes on. Tests are easy, essays are somewhat difficult.

3.0
3.0
PHIL001
May 26, 2011

She's late to each class by atleast 7 or 8 minutes, and then rude to people who are later than her. She gets off topic ridiculously easy, and you'll end the class having no idea what you just went over and what's going to be on the test. However, she gives verbal study guides and her tests are cake. Easy pass, but sitting through each class is hard

3.0
4.0
PHIL01
Dec 1, 2011

Took her intro to phil class and kinda hated it. She shouldn't be teaching. SHE IS ALWAYS LATE, guaranteed. Sometimes she won't even show. And she has no form to her note taking. Also gets off topic easily. I recommend someone else! Also, no homework so you must show up to class to get a good grade even though her lectures suck.

1.0
3.0
PHIL001A
Jan 2, 2012

Horrible just horrible. Shows up late and always forgets about everything. Best to take philosophy from someone else cause you will risk getting a bad grade with this professor.

1.0
3.0
PHIL021
Mar 31, 2012

Scattered notes and lectures, Vague terms that are easily misinterpreted, incomplete thoughts/discussions, spelling mistakes, boring and not engaging, doesn't allow any technology to be used at all (no comps for notes even), and doesn't explain core principles or why this information is important to know. Not a bad person, but horrendous teacher

2.0
3.0
PHIL01
Jun 10, 2012

Into Phil01. Pros: got a nice body. Cons: Always late, lectures are boring and not fun, monotone, rude to people who are late, no technology, notes are scattered and confusing. Work she gives: No quiz, 1hw, 3test, 1final and takehome essay. you will either sleep or zoneout in her class. had 53students and 19stayed. Good luck in her class.

2.0
3.0
PHIL001
Nov 14, 2012

Horrible teacher. She doesn't even use her own notes and lectures. I took the class online and all of the lectures came from some other professor, took a quiz every week, and than the final. You are given all the notes and questions ahead of time, however it is not her work! LAZY! Also, I took my final a month ago still no grade! Online class=easy!

4.0
2.0
PHIL001
Jun 4, 2013

Upton is great if you're interested in philosophy. If you're taking the intro course to satisfy a req, take from someone else. She lectures & encourages discussion, but she can let the lectures run a little off topic. Tests are fairly easy but she's a tough grader for papers!

2.0
4.0
PHIL001
Oct 28, 2014

Ms. Upton basically uploaded all information (that was created by someone else) and the syllabus and you did everything by yourself. Essentially, you taught yourself the course. No discussion forums, nothing to stimulate you just read and then take a quiz. She takes days to respond to an email and did not seem to care or be there for her students.

4.0
1.0
3
Grade: B
Jan 31, 2015

She is just flat out awesome. I havent ever reviewed a teacher but I think she deserves a good grade. I had a D in the class and towards the end of the semester did a bunch of EC and she gave me a B. She is the best

1.0
5.0
PHIL001ONLINE
Mar 27, 2015

Ms. Upton used another professor's work (notes, tests, syllabus, feedback,...). Added no value. You did everything by yourself. Essentially, you taught yourself the course. No discussion forums, nothing to stimulate you, just read and then take a quiz. She takes days to respond to an email. It is a coin toss if you do well or not in her class.

1.0
4.0
PHILOSOPHY
Grade: C
Apr 1, 2015

Does not respond to any emails. Takes forever to grade. The way she grades you is never consistent. You can get a 100% on 1 quiz and 50% on another. It all depends on where her head is at. She will make corrections to your answers with the almost exact same thing you used for an answer. FIgured it would have been a headache to question her. She is all over the road.

1.0
4.0
PHIL17
Apr 15, 2015

She is by far the least organized person on campus. She takes forever to grade things, loses papers all the time, shows up late to class every single day (but still expects students to show up on time, and her notes and lectures are all over the place and at times incomprehensible. This class is a complete waste of time.

1.0
4.0
PHIL21
Apr 23, 2015

This is the worst class I have ever taken. She shows up no less than 10mins late to every single class & sometimes 15-25mins giving students the impression that our time is not important and neither is the class. Unstructured notes, hardly ever talked about "philosophy of death" but rather off topic discussion, she does not engage the class at all.

2.0
4.0
PHIL21
May 31, 2015

Basically this class was the worst class I've ever taken. Don't expect to get an assignment graded from her right away, expect it three months after it was due. She has no rubric for how she is grading things and she doesn't prepare you for anything the quizzes or tests are going to be on. Don't expect to do well, skip on taking the class.

2.0
3.0
PHIL001
Jun 24, 2015

The syllabus is quite straightforward (READ IT!). The professor is indeed very hands off as the other students here have said. In fact, in one of the materials provided it says the last update was in 10112005... The trick in this class is to use the material given for each quiz and searching terms you don't know online. Easy A but confusing!

3.0
4.0
PHIL001ONLINE
Grade: A+
Jul 18, 2016
Wouldn't take again

I took an online class so did not interact with Dr. Upton in person; however, she was very responsive to emails. The class consisted of reading the textbook then reading notes provided online (that Dr. Upton did not write). She graded hard and did not really explain why she marked us off for certain points. I would not take a class from her again.

3.0
4.0
PHIL001
Grade: B
Jan 24, 2017
Wouldn't take again

She lectures a lot. Your notes will be used on test for class. Every thing on the syllabus she will talk about in class. Take really good notes. 3 class test, 1 take home essay, 1 final. Summary of Basic Ideas handout due at the end of class. Attendance is important, will be factored into final grade. Offers extra credit assignments to help pass.

Get ready to read
EXTRA CREDIT
LECTURE HEAVY
1.0
4.0
PHIL001ONLINE
Grade: B
Oct 10, 2017
Wouldn't take again

Took the online class, so did not have to interact with her. She sometimes will get back to you fast other times it will take weeks or not even a reply. Her grading is all over the place, you will get an A on one quiz and a C on the next one and not explain why. She grades like she wants to take points away from you. Don't take unless major!!

Tough Grader
LOTS OF HOMEWORK
TEST HEAVY
3.0
3.0
PHIL001
Grade: A
Oct 27, 2017
Wouldn't take again

Took for GE. Not the best online teacher, easy A after some effort. I did have to email her a few times asking why she gave me a low score, but she raised the grade after. I tried to see her in person once but she did not show up to office hours. 2-3 quizzes a week, 4 Discussions and a final. After 20 minutes of studying, got A on all quizzes.

Tough Grader
4.0
2.0
PHIL001
Grade: A+
Nov 10, 2017
Would take again

Very nice, willing to discuss and/or answer questions in class. Allows other viewpoints, even if she has strong ones of her own. AMAZING lectures, very easy to take notes on and moves at a really good pace (between too slow and too fast). Rarely on time for class and sometimes doesn't show up. Also never uses Canvas. She teaches with monotone.

Skip class? You won't pass.
Amazing lectures
EXTRA CREDIT
2.0
4.0
PHIL001
Dec 19, 2017
Wouldn't take again

probably closest to a university professor in terms of vagueness and demands a lot of respect. don't take if you have a hard time focussing during long lectures or have trouble taking notes. always late to class, notes can sometimes be hard to understand. does provide study guides for tests, not many chances to bring up grade

Get ready to read
GRADED BY FEW THINGS
LECTURE HEAVY
1.0
2.0
PHIL001
Grade: A+
Jan 28, 2018
Wouldn't take again

One of the most disorganized teachers I have ever met. She is definitely knowledgeable and well versed on the topics, but her lectures are a mess. She just talks the whole time, no real class discussions (which would have really made a world of difference), no true class structure or organization. DO NOT TAKE.

GRADED BY FEW THINGS
2.0
3.0
PHIL001
Grade: B
May 7, 2018
Wouldn't take again

To be completely honest she's the most boring professor I've ever had

Skip class? You won't pass.
GRADED BY FEW THINGS
4.0
2.0
PHIL001A
May 24, 2018
Would take again

I liked her a lot because she gets straight to the point and she's pretty simple. She said we required a book but her lectures are pretty thorough, just pay attention. I did well in her class with my notes so very doable w/out the required text. Her tests are pretty easy but like I said pay attention. I liked her class.

Skip class? You won't pass.
LECTURE HEAVY
3.0
2.0
PHIL001
Grade: B
Jun 15, 2018
Wouldn't take again

Pros: Pretty easy class. I don't know what the comments about her being disorganized are all about. Cons: Extreme victim mentality vibe. I thought Philosophy was all about critical thinking , yet she claims that we work as "slaves" and continues to miss like 4 classes in a month!? Her knowledge of political philosophy seems to be completely missing

Get ready to read
ACCESSIBLE OUTSIDE CLASS
1.0
3.0
PHIL001A
Grade: C
Nov 6, 2018
Wouldn't take again

worst teacher ever. do not take.

GRADED BY FEW THINGS
LECTURE HEAVY
1.0
3.0
PHIL003
Dec 27, 2018
Wouldn't take again

I can definitively say professor Upton has been my least favorite professor in my academic career so far. She is a nice person but if you don't like classes where you can't track your grade online, where lectures have no structure, deadlines aren't clear, or where you will have to wait weeks for your final grade, then pass on this one trust me.

Tough Grader
SO MANY PAPERS
LECTURE HEAVY
3.0
5.0
PHIL001
Grade: A
Jan 24, 2019
Wouldn't take again

If you take her for winter session, my only advice is to not take any other class other than this one. She does her best to condense the entire curriculum into 3 weeks, but the workload is extremely heavy. There is a quiz every day, up until the day of the final. She grades hard, but always gives feedback as to why you got that grade.

Tough Grader
Gives good feedback
Get ready to read
2.0
4.0
PHIL001ONLINE
Grade: B+
Feb 24, 2019
Wouldn't take again

She is an extremely tough grader. I would not recommend taking her course. There have been a few quizzes that she has docked me points when I have clearly answered the question. It is frustrating. I have began to just answer each question with at least 300 words to be as thorough as possible. Very excessive for a 10 question quiz.

Lecture heavy
Tough grader
1.0
5.0
PHIL001ONLINE
Grade: C
Mar 29, 2019
Wouldn't take again

She is the hardest grader I have ever experienced with a professor. I definitely do not recommend taking this class. You can answer one question with four full paragraphs and she will still grade it and say you did not answer the question with enough depth.

Get ready to read
Participation matters
Tough grader
2.0
1.0
PHIL004
Apr 22, 2019
Wouldn't take again

The comments about this professor being disorganized and unstructured are correct. Very straightforward with her lectures but if you're not locked in and focus they can be very boring. Her comparative Religions class is average at beat even If I try and make the most out of it the best I can...

Lecture heavy
So many papers
Tough grader
2.0
1.0
PHIL004
Apr 22, 2019
Wouldn't take again

The comments about this professor being disorganized are correct. Nice person but she is straightforward with her lectures and if you're not locked in and focused they can be very boring. Her Comparative Religions class is interesting on paper, but her teaching style average at best even If I try and make the most out of it the best I can..

Beware of pop quizzes
So many papers
Tough grader
2.0
4.0
PHIL003
Grade: B
Nov 16, 2020
Wouldn't take again

I took an all online class with Professor Upton and her communication is horrible. She doesn't post video lectures. She just makes random text posts with grammar errors and links to other websites that explain material instead of actually teaching us. There's barely any assignments, but she doesn't post them until right before they're due.

Graded by few things
Tough grader
1.0
5.0
PHIL003
Dec 3, 2020
Wouldn't take again

Worst professor I've ever had. She didn't even post anything for the entire month of November. Then, she expects us to write a 6-8 page final when she didn't teach us anything. You have to read the textbook and teach yourself because she doesn't even post video lectures. She just writes text-posts that sometimes make sense. Don't take her online.

Get ready to read
Graded by few things
Tough grader
1.0
3.0
PHIL17
Grade: B+
Apr 21, 2021
Wouldn't take again

-Doesn't update grades EVER. It has been MONTHS and she hasn't entered ANYTHING into the gradebook. The entire class is emailing her and nobody has gotten grades back. This is absurd and unacceptable.

Lots of homework
Get ready to read
So many papers
1.0
2.0
PHIL17
Grade: C
May 30, 2021
Wouldn't take again

Do not take this class. You will not know what your grade is until after the semester. You won't know if you're going to pass or fail. She went M.I.A during the asynchronous course for 2-3 weeks. I didn't grasp any material or any information. You are probably better off taking a synchronous course. She is unorganized and has a confusing ciriculum.

So many papers
Tough grader
1.0
4.0
PHIL17
Jun 8, 2021
Wouldn't take again

Professor Upton was incredibly disorganized throughout the entire semester; we could go weeks between receiving course content, and a lot of the tests and writing assignments were announced the day before they were due. The content she did post was hard to read, as it seemed like she just copy and pasted blocks of text into the module pages.

Get ready to read
Graded by few things
Tough grader
1.0
4.0
PHIL001
Grade: D
Aug 6, 2021
Wouldn't take again

I would never recommend this professor to anyone. She was completely MIA for a good third of the semester, citing reasons and difficulties that students were going through as well. She never responded to emails, or posted lectures or modules in a timely manner. Her lectures seemed like they were cut and pasted off of the textbook or a website.

Graded by few things
So many papers
Tough grader
1.0
2.0
PHIL004
Grade: A
Aug 8, 2021
Wouldn't take again

Worst professor I have ever had. Definitely not worth it. Started the class a week late. Went several weeks in the middle of the semester without teaching anything. Didn't teach anything about Islam or Christianity, two of the world's biggest religions, because she ran out of time. Told us the politically correct terms, then didn't use them.

Get ready to read
Test heavy
Lecture heavy
1.0
5.0
PHIL17
Grade: C-
May 20, 2022

She waits til the day before the final to put in all your assignments for the entire semester so you won't know if your passing or not. I did every assignment went above and beyond on every essay and still struggled to pass. Her test were so confusing and totally different from material in lectures. Please just don't take this course.

Tough grader
Graded by few things
2.0
4.0
PHIL003
Grade: Not sure yet
Dec 17, 2022
Would take again

She writes her lectures rather than recording/presenting them. There are no reading requirements. I like her discussion topic postings per week, but sometimes they are bombarding. She will often mix units when I prefer to teach them one at a time. She does not grade. The only feedback she gives is complete/incomplete or grammatical errors.

Inspirational
So many papers
1.0
3.0
PHIL001
Grade: D
Jan 6, 2023

She was very disorganized and would show up late to class every single day. She also had our grades locked on Canvas so we were not able to see our grades at all throughout the course. Would not recommend taking from her, coming from a student who usually passes all their classes.

Tough grader
Lecture heavy
Graded by few things
1.0
4.0
INTROPHIL
Grade: A
Apr 3, 2023

Worst teacher i've ever had, never once was on time and was horrible at teaching.

Lecture heavy
Test heavy
Graded by few things
3.0
3.0
PHIL003
Grade: B
May 26, 2023

Not once this entire semester was so on time for our class-- on the day of the final came 13 minutes late, opened the door of the class, and then left for another 10 minutes to make copies of our exam. She doesn't grade in a timely manner either. She is super knowledgable, but is overall super scattered.

Lecture heavy
Graded by few things
5.0
3.0
PHIL001ONLINE
Grade: A
May 28, 2024
Would take again

I was intimidated by reviews. You need to do all the reading to understand the material, she writes her own lectures. Good as she explains it well but not easy like a text book. Exams are very tough so complete your study guide. I pulled info straight from her lectures and did well. Course will be very time-consuming. Dont need required text books.

Get ready to read
Participation matters
Lots of homework
5.0
3.0
INTROPHIL
Grade: A
Dec 11, 2024
Would take again

Very knowledgable about subject, good introduction to philosophy.

Get ready to read
Test heavy
5.0
2.0
PHIL001
Grade: A
Jan 6, 2025
Would take again

Mrs. Upton is a great instructor. Participation is optional but encourages great discussions. Her study guides ensure a 90%+ on tests, and extra credit essays boost scores. Grades are based on tests and two calm projects, making her class simple and rewarding.

EXTRA CREDIT
Gives good feedback
Graded by few things
1.0
5.0
PHIL003
Grade: C-
Feb 26, 2025

Professor Upton is very archaic. She does not allow the use of laptops within her class, insisting that students hand write their notes as she gives a fractured and confusing verbal lecture for the duration of the class. She has a Canvas shell, which is not used. She insists that you print your peer-graded papers for submission. DO NOT TAKE HER!!!

Tough grader
So many papers
1.0
3.0
PHIL01
Grade: B-
Mar 3, 2025

Took her during the winter session online. She hand writes her own lectures instead of recording them. It seems like she uses AI to write her lectures because there are many typos and sentences that have little substance. Reading from a textbook, or a slideshow would have been easier. A professor should not type that unprofessionally with typos.

Lecture heavy
Graded by few things
4.0
3.0
PHIL001
Grade: A
Apr 29, 2025
Would take again

Although she is late to class often, her lectures are very insightful and begin promptly upon her arrival. She does require students to read quite a few papers, but each is relevant to the points discussed during the lecture. Just participate and ask questions when you have trouble understanding something, conversation in this class is interesting!

Participation matters
Lecture heavy
Test heavy
Class Info

Online Classes

100%

Attendance Mandatory

67%

Textbook Required

58%

Grade Predictor

Your expected effort level

LowHigh

Predicted Grade

B

95% confidence
Based on 30 grades
Most common grades:
A (9)
B (7)
C (4)
Grade Distribution
A(12)B(8)C(6)D(2)F(0)A-/B+(2)
Based on 31 reported grades
A: 9
B: 7
C: 4
A+: 3
Common Tags
Tough grader (12)
Get ready to read (11)
Graded by few things (10)
Lecture heavy (8)
So many papers (7)
LECTURE HEAVY (5)
Tough Grader (4)
GRADED BY FEW THINGS (4)
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Declining

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5.0

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3

4.0

(1)
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Difficulty by Course

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