4.3

Charles Downing

Business - Northern Illinois University

4.3
Quality
2.5
Difficulty
86%
Would Retake
141
Reviews
4.3
Quality
2.5
Difficulty
4.3
Helpful
4.4
Clarity

86%

Would Retake

141

Reviews

Rating Distribution
Official

5

95

4

26

3

13

2

4

1

3

What Students Say

LONG LIVE CHUCK DOWNING

OMIS351 - 5.0 rating

All of the VC'a are easy

351 - 2.0 rating
Class Info

Online Classes

100%

Attendance Mandatory

73%

Textbook Required

60%

Grade Predictor

Your expected effort level

LowHigh

Predicted Grade

A-

95% confidence
Based on 50 grades
Most common grades:
A (13)
A- (13)
B (9)
Grade Distribution
A(17)B(13)C(2)D(0)F(0)A-/B+(18)
Based on 55 reported grades
A: 13
A-: 13
B: 9
Not sure yet: 5
Common Tags
Participation matters (16)
Respected (13)
Clear grading criteria (10)
Amazing lectures (9)
GROUP PROJECTS (7)
Hilarious (7)
Caring (6)
Inspirational (6)
Rating Trend

Declining

-0.53 avg change
Dec
Mar
Apr
May
May
Nov
Last 6 months
Ratings by Course

OMIS462662

5.0

(1)

OMIS462

5.0

(3)

OMIS

5.0

(1)

OMIS310

5.0

(1)

UBUS310

5.0

(1)
+4 more courses
Difficulty by Course

OMIS310

4.0

351

3.0

OMIS462

3.0

OMIS351

2.5

OMIS259

2.2

Reviews (141)
5.0
2.0
OMIS462662
Jan 16, 2005

Enjoyed his sense of humor, teaching style, and coding assignments. Grading policy was a challenge.

5.0
1.0
OMIS462
May 4, 2005

Made class fun. Pretty easy class. Programming assignments are easy and he grades easy as well.

5.0
4.0
OMIS351
Jul 27, 2005

No Comments

5.0
5.0
OMIS462
Jul 27, 2005

Very demanding professor, but fair as well. Cares that you learn the material. If you come to class, follow the schedule, and complete assignments as listed, you should do fine in this class.

5.0
1.0
351
Sep 8, 2005

Enjoyable classes and easy homework.

5.0
2.0
OMIS
Oct 27, 2005

No Comments

4.0
2.0
OMIS351
Dec 27, 2005

Pretty entertaining guy in lecture and the homework was pretty straightforward. Try to get in a good group since you will be performing in front of the entire class for your project.

5.0
3.0
OMIS351
Jan 19, 2006

very enthusiastic prof - do all the VCs and make sure to get the book and use it. He makes up test questions from all 3 sources - lecture, slides and book. Also make sure to participate during the semester as the extra points help. Not too hard of a class if you put in the effort.

5.0
3.0
OMIS351
Apr 6, 2006

funny guy. class is really boring but w/o much effort, you'll get a B for sure. Huge group presentation so make sure you know some people.

5.0
3.0
OMIS351
Apr 9, 2006

He's got a great sense of humor. The material is really dry though. It's hard to sit through 75 minutes of excel and access lectures. The group presentations are pretty boring too. Still, it's not that hard of a class and I hear he is a LOT better than the other 351 teachers.

4.0
2.0
OMIS351
Apr 13, 2006

Awesome professor! Very funny and makes the class material not too bad!

5.0
2.0
OMIS351
May 15, 2006

easy class. kinda boring, but downing is entertaining to listen to. he is a lot better than rod sink

5.0
1.0
OMIS351
Aug 22, 2006

Chuck is the man. A+++

5.0
3.0
OMIS351
Nov 1, 2006

Absolutely hilarious. He keeps the class moving and is great at explaining. Plus he has the best comments ever. He's great.

5.0
2.0
OMIS351
Dec 14, 2006

Dry class as previously mentioned. Quizzes are heavily weighed so make sure you study. Overall decent teacher.

4.0
2.0
OMIS351
Dec 14, 2006

He's a fun teacher and has great presentation skills. Great jokes that gets the whole classroom laughing. His Quizes aren't easy and feel almost like tests (25 questions) They are also worth at least 35% of the class overall. I feel that he doesn't balance the class points out to well.

5.0
2.0
OMIS351
Jan 6, 2007

Fun teacher.. make sure you do the readings on your own or you will bomb the final. No midterm, only quizzes and a final for omis 351

5.0
3.0
OMIS351
Nov 4, 2007

If you go to class you should do fine. The quizzes are pretty tough if you don't read the book. There is a group presentation near the end but it's not that hard. The Virtual Cases are really easy but are only worth 10% of your grade. Grading system is really weird.

5.0
1.0
OMIS351
Dec 13, 2007

Very knowledgable, Great hold over 380+ students attending the class at a time.

5.0
4.0
OMIS310
Dec 15, 2007

Great teacher, knows a lot of usefull information. The quiz's are very important the VC projects are easy, can do with others. Attendence is a must, need to participate in class to get points, either participate or get great test scores. This class is a B class for sure.

5.0
2.0
OMIS351
Jan 17, 2008

Kept me interested

5.0
1.0
UBUS310
Apr 10, 2008

If he can transform a person like me--a technology retard--he can do anything. This guy is AMAZING! He's hilarious and really amusing to watch. He's honest and can take criticism positively which are both qualities very few people have. Take his class, you won't regret it.

4.0
3.0
OMIS351
Mar 19, 2009

This guy really know how to teach cuz he can keep class entertain all the time and attendant is a must. No big project, all VCs are just piece a cake. Pay attention in class cuz he will test you on example that he gave during the lecture.

5.0
2.0
OMIS351
Apr 10, 2009

One word: AMAZING!!!

5.0
1.0
OMIS351
Apr 21, 2009

Good teacher who makes class interesting. He has a good sense of humor and most of the assignments are pretty easy. Attendance does count and there is 1 group presentation but it's not hard.

5.0
1.0
OMIS259
Dec 8, 2010

Professor Downing is an incredible man. Take his class if you can. He is extremely helpful and genuinely cares.

5.0
2.0
OMIS351
Jan 27, 2011

Made class interesting fun and enjoyable. I always wanted to come to class to hear his lectures. Exams were kind of hard but only because during lectures he would go off on tangents and tell stories. You can tell he loves teaching his students. Great class and great professor overall.

3.0
2.0
OMIS351
Feb 1, 2011

Very cocky and rude to students. Doesn't teach you how to actually use access just tells you how easy it is to use and refuses to help you figure it out. The helper points are a joke everyone just gives everyone else extra credit for no reason. Everyone cheats on the clicker questions also.

4.0
1.0
OMIS259
Apr 12, 2011

This guy loves what he teaches! He gets really excited about excel and access and makes class enjoyable. Highly recommend him as a professor! Super easy A too and is totally willing to help you in lab.

5.0
1.0
OMIS351
Apr 21, 2011

Such a dreamboat! I have trouble paying attention in class because he is so dreamy... Can we have extra credit now?

5.0
2.0
OMIS351
Apr 21, 2011

This man is an amazing professor. Not only does he provide in-depth and highly informative lectures on the latest and greatest technology, but he also teaches you professionalism and timeliness. ALL of the skills learned in his classroom are relevant today, and anything he teaches you finds direct application in the business world of today. A+++!!

5.0
1.0
OMIS351
Apr 21, 2011

He is very excited about what he teaches. Which makes coming to class and grasping the material very easy. Has taught/informed us of technology and ways to implement them to make to make our lives easier and how to stand-out from the crowd when being interviewed or while in the work force by using these technologies. Great teacher

3.0
3.0
OMIS351
Apr 25, 2011

Professor Chuck Downing is the hottest professor ever. I have such trouble paying attention in class because of his mass hotness. Thank god he is such a good teacher, that he is able to break through his hotness and teach me everything about excel and OMIS. :)

2.0
2.0
OMIS351
Apr 25, 2011

Chuck is alright. He is interesting to listen to. His VC cases are boring and you do not learn very much. You have many clicker questions which are super easy. I find his lectures boring and his stupid hand gesture equally as much. The sad fact is he is among a limited number of professors for the required class.

5.0
1.0
OMIS351
Apr 25, 2011

AWESOME guy and AWESOME professor!! Anyone who says otherwise is just mad that he makes you work.

4.0
3.0
OMIS351
May 2, 2011

Great guy, funny as hell. Very arrogant but for good reason... He's a boss. Easy class but a lot of info. He's hilarious so u won't get bored. Not alot of work to do just show up n do clicker questions n an A is very possible

4.0
2.0
OMIS351
May 5, 2011

If you are reading this, Downing is probably fishing for comments on how hot he looks.DONT ENABLE HIM! Great teacher overall and really committed to the students.

5.0
2.0
OMIS351
May 5, 2011

Very entertaining teacher. I actually put down the newspaper to listen to his lectures (unlike Gowen) and he is excited to teach. Downing, you're not hot, but I would definitely go to the bar and slam back a couple beers with you.

3.0
3.0
OMIS351
May 12, 2011

Downing explains the VC assignments way too fast in class so you have to learn everything yourself. Quizzes are a bit on the harder side.

5.0
1.0
OMIS259
Oct 27, 2011

Excel + Access work = online Homework(4 assignments/week). Quizzes in class on the homework. Clicker questions - attendance mandatory unless you attend events for EC. Very fun guy to listen to, doesn't bore you. Teaches you WHY these are important for the business world. I recommend him!

5.0
2.0
OMIS1
Nov 14, 2011

Great teacher.. Wanna get a drink downing? ;)

5.0
2.0
OMIS351
Nov 15, 2011

Downing makes this class entertaining... he also is unbelievably hot and it shadows everyone, which makes it hard to concentrate on the material at hand. He strives for attention and gets every bit of it. He's probably showing the class this comment to prove a point of his "hottness". GET OVER YOURSELF... but seriously, lets grab a drink?

5.0
3.0
OMIS351
Nov 17, 2011

LOTS OF ENERGY!! Will make an example out of you if you sleep in his class. Quizzes are the meat and potatoes of your grade so dont worry too much about the VC projects, they are easy anyways, quizzes are pretty tough. Has numerous optional labs for classes so alotta times you only meet once a week.

5.0
2.0
OMIS351
Nov 20, 2011

AMAZING TEACHER!! if you needed help he was there or his TA was. Jokes weren't always relevant but always made it comical which helped move class along. <3<3<3 Would be a guy i would get drinks with or do business with, which made me feel welcome in the class!

5.0
2.0
OMIS351
Dec 2, 2011

Very cool guy, lectures are definitely worth going to. The virtual cases will throw you around for loops, but they really aren't that bad. Quizzes are extremely tough, read every sentence in the book, and know how to do the group work by yourself. Great Teacher.

5.0
2.0
OMIS351
Dec 6, 2011

chuck downing is the man. I wish he was my uncle. He made class interesting everyday and I learned alot. Listen for his signature catchphrase "doink". Tell me he doesn't remind you of champ from anchorman!

4.0
4.0
OMIS351
Dec 7, 2011

Don't neglect quizzes and the final in this class as they carry a majority of the weight in the course. He also tends to pull absolutely random questions from the text that you certainly will get wrong on the quizzes. He's a great instructor but the quizzes and final are a touch too difficult for an introductory course in technology.

5.0
3.0
OMIS351
Dec 8, 2011

Definately reminds me of Champ from Anchorman! Great teacher, very enthusiastic. Quizzes are difficult at times. Make sure you read the slides and go over the clicker questions. Final not too bad, just a long quiz. All in all, not too bad. DOINK!

4.0
1.0
OMIS351
Dec 10, 2011

Downing is a funny guy, but a more than capable teacher. Get him to put adds on his site so he can take you all out for drinks at the end of the semester.

5.0
1.0
OMIS259
Dec 16, 2011

Good guy, he knows his stuff. Learned a lot from his class. Knowledgeable and not boring = making students learn better and want to go to class.

5.0
3.0
OMIS351
Jan 3, 2012

Downing is a great teacher he is enthusiastic about OMIS!!! Made this class interesting to learn about! The quizzes can be challenging if you dont read the book, slides, and don't show up to class.

4.0
5.0
OMIS259
Jan 12, 2012

Omis 259 is very hard. The class number was very large so I never got the chance to actually meet him. You will take many quizzes and all test are done on a specific website. Truthfully this class was hard and gave me several headaches. Attendance is mandatory if you want to pass the quizzes.

5.0
2.0
OMIS351
Apr 14, 2012

Great teacher. Switched majors to OMIS after taking his class. Funniest teacher at NIU definitely but you will learn so much.

4.0
1.0
OMIS259
Apr 23, 2012

He got his own web page! Dude is legit. basically an online class. only reason to go to class is for clicker question. be sure to have the most recent versions of Microsoft Excel & Access in your computer or the assignments will be a drag.

5.0
1.0
OMIS351
Apr 24, 2012

He's the best thing ever!

5.0
1.0
OMIS351
Apr 24, 2012

Dr. Downing is AWESOME ! He makes the class interesting and it isn't hard ! Just come to class and laugh at his jokes !!!

5.0
1.0
OMIS259
May 9, 2012

Dr. Downing is a terrific professor. He's really energetic ("So you just type this here and POW!! You got a webpage!"). Keep up with the homework and you'll do fine. The program shows you what to do step by step. I'd recommend this class to anyone, business major or not.

5.0
3.0
OMIS351
May 12, 2012

Downing was a very interesting professor. He was very energetic and went off on random tangents a few times each class, but it still made for an entertaining course. I received an A by practicing the old quizzes online, reviewing the power points and clicker questions and somewhat reading the book. The information is boring, but Downing is not!

5.0
1.0
OMIS351
Jun 19, 2012

Very easy B. I bombed most of the quizes cuz i didnt study, but you can make up for it with projects and other stuff. IF YOU STUDY FOR THE QUIZES YOU WILL GET AN A.

3.0
2.0
OMIS351
Aug 27, 2012

Go to class answer the clicker questions. Go over the quizzes that ARE ONLINE a couple days before the quiz and it will be the easiest class you'll take.

5.0
1.0
OMIS351
Sep 13, 2012

Definitely knows his stuff and pretty good guy. Easy class. Pretty much loves himself and will probably read this to you in class.

5.0
2.0
OMIS351
Dec 13, 2012

Professor Downing is a great teacher. His lectures are mandatory and he uses real examples to incorporate what he is teaching. Pay attention to his powerpoints and clicker questions and the class should be simple.

5.0
2.0
OMIS351
Dec 13, 2012

Dr Downing is a good professor. He makes his lectures interesting. He give real life examples. You must go to class to get participation scores because he uses the clicker. He drops 1 quiz and 10% clicker questions. A lot of opportunity for extra credit points. Get in a good group for the VC Group oroject. ou will get at least a B.

5.0
1.0
OMIS259
Jan 2, 2013

Dr. Downing is a great teacher! He only requires you go to class once a week, most of your work is online, and then you take quizzes based off of the online material. Fairly easy stuff, his lectures were always clear and helpful, and I would recommemnd him to anyone!

5.0
2.0
OMIS351
Jan 12, 2013

This is my first rating because Professor Downing is Awesome! I mean the guy has his own site instead of using boring ol'blackboard. How cool is that? Material can get a bit tough if you're not tech savvy but go to lectures, do well on the quizes* & get in a good group. You should be fine. He is very helpful unless you're a "Pinhead". I got an A.

5.0
1.0
OMIS259
Apr 15, 2013

Very cool teacher. Class is once a week. Second day is reserved for optional lab to assist with hw. He tells you exactly what he expects.

5.0
2.0
OMIS351
Apr 18, 2013

He's talking about this website while I write this, this is kinda funny, he wants a chili pepper! somebody help this guy out. He's pretty cool though, I like the class.

5.0
2.0
OMIS351
Apr 18, 2013

LONG LIVE CHUCK DOWNING

5.0
1.0
OMIS259
May 10, 2013

Dr. Downing is a great teacher. you only have to go to class once a week and the other day he gives you the choice to go to computer lab to get work done. easy projects and 7 quizes drop one.

5.0
1.0
OMIS259
Nov 15, 2013

Dr. Downing is great! He does all the work on stage. All you have to do is watch. Additionally, he makes everyone create "skill videos" for a problem or two on covering EVERY HOMEWORK in the class = Never receive lower than a A on an assignment as long as you do it!

5.0
3.0
OMIS259
Nov 30, 2013

Dr. Downing is a very funny guy. He spells out the material. If you pay attention and keep up with homework, it's a pretty easy class. Another plus side is that class rarely goes the full scheduled time.

5.0
2.0
OMIS259
Dec 9, 2013

Going to class is extremely helpful to get the homework done fast and correctly! One day a week is mandatory and the other you only have to show up on ur one day a month to finish group work. 7 quizes that are online from the beginning. TA's are very helpful in everything. Bring your laptop and do the work with him in class... BAM!

5.0
3.0
OMIS351
Jan 9, 2014

Alot harder than 259, we never met as a group, technology is a GREAT thing! Definitely read the textbook if you want to do well on quizzes, some things he doesn't cover. You can easily share a textbook with someone since it's online. He gets off topic alot, but still a great guy and tries to help if you need him.

4.0
2.0
OMIS259
Apr 2, 2014

I loved Dr.Downing! He's very nice and easy going. Very professional. His class isn't hard at all. Do the work and remember the work, it's not hard to get an A or B. He gives quizzes back with answers so take advantage and use quizzes to study for final. Final is 50%-85% all questions from previous quizzes. Help is great, he has labs to get answers

5.0
2.0
OMIS259
Jul 22, 2014

Very easy and helpful teacher! All homework is done online and its pretty easy! Exam questions are straight forward and comes from the homework so do your work! Fun teacher and easy class.

5.0
3.0
OMIS351
Grade: Not sure yet
Nov 3, 2014

Chuck Downing is the bomb. He tells you exactly what you need to do in most cases, along with giving a detailed schedule to refer back to. I'd take this class again if I could!

4.0
1.0
OMIS351
Grade: B
Nov 5, 2014

VC's are easy. If you study for quizzes you will get an A in this class, but nobody ever does because they all study for UBUS instead. Nice guy.

5.0
2.0
OMIS259
Grade: A
Nov 14, 2014

Mr. Downing is a GREAT prof. Go to class, but its only once a week so thats awesome. He is hilarious and lectures go by fast. Study the material and quizzes are easy, everything is on his own website and if you are lost its real easy to get back on track. Awesome class, if you are confused just give it time, i was lost the first couple classes!

2.0
5.0
351
Grade: B-
Dec 10, 2014

All of the VC'a are easy. The quizzes are much harder than 259 and the final is Sooo hard. It's actually ridiculous how hard it was. If you fail the final you'll most likely end up with a C or fail the class that's how bad his geading system is.

5.0
2.0
OMIS259
Grade: A+
Jan 6, 2015

Professor Downing really cares about his students' success, but he's realistic that not everyone is going to get an A. He tells it how it is. He makes jokes sometimes. He explains everything plenty of times so it's understandable. The quizzes were the hardest part. Sometimes MyITLab was difficult. Participation is HUGE!

3.0
3.0
OMIS259
Apr 1, 2015

I learned a lot from this class, but none of this was because of Downing. He simply made you do online tutorials for computer programs and didn't really help if you needed it. TA's did a good job. The quizzes don't reflect what you learn in the course. Overall a pretty poorly ran class.

5.0
3.0
OMIS259
Apr 30, 2015

Do the homework, show up to class, you should have no problems. Downing is helpful and precisely clear on how you will be graded.

5.0
4.0
OMIS351
Grade: B
May 6, 2015

Downing is a great professor! He is funny and very enthusiastic about what he is teaching which makes you pay attention in class. His quizzes are easy and so is his VC assignments. BUT his final exam is nearly impossible. In order to get a A you will have to spend your ENTIRE life reading the text book just for half of it to not be on the test

5.0
2.0
OMIS259
May 11, 2015

Downing was great, you couldn't get a professor to be more clear about exactly what he wants. Subject matter is incredibly useful, every college student should learn Excel. However, knowing Excel doesn't translate well to penpaper tests, and the online stuff can be frustrating at times. None the less, hes an awesome professor, would take again.

5.0
3.0
OMIS259
Grade: B
Jun 16, 2015

Fun, enthusiastic and passionate in what he teaches. Don't be a pinball! (Insert Pinball sounds) ( '.' ) Be the Pitbull. ( UU )

1.0
4.0
OMIS351
Nov 21, 2015

His group projects are awfully designed.

4.0
2.0
OMIS351
Grade: A-
Dec 2, 2015

All tools for success are given to you in this class whether it be the availability of quizzes, previous quiz information to study or videos showing how to do virtual cases- the most difficult part of this course is scheduling VC with your team members and relying on them to respond, and get the work done

5.0
1.0
OMIS259
Grade: A-
Dec 8, 2015

Dr. Downing is a great teacher!

5.0
3.0
OMIS351
Grade: B-
Dec 20, 2015

If you took 259, it's the same concept when it comes to the structure of the class. The group projects were easy, and quizzes were simple if you studied a little. The final was impossible. I studied a lot for it, had a B+ going into the final, but ended up dropping me to a C+. I got a B- from a curve he talks about in class. Beware the final!

3.0
3.0
OMIS259
Grade: A
Jan 1, 2016

He's a pretty good professor. There are 7 semi-tough quizzes throughout the semester which are from the content you learn in class and the homework you work on outside of class. The final is just like the quizzes but longer. The group work kinda sucks because its random and hard to meet up, especially when people don't show up.

4.0
2.0
OMIS351
Grade: C+
Mar 5, 2016

His final exam was so hard, most students didn't expect that level of difficulty since his quizzes were supper easy but then he shocked us with his final!

1.0
2.0
OMIS351
Mar 22, 2016

He talks about his website exponentially more than the material. He's so incredibly full of himself. His classes would be empty if they weren't mandatory. But over all it's pretty easy.

5.0
2.0
OMIS351
Grade: A
Apr 4, 2016

Great teacher, lectures are always very interesting. I was able to get an A just by going to class, I heard some people struggled on quizzes and tests though.

3.0
4.0
OMIS351
Grade: C+
Apr 5, 2016

Talks more about himself and his business than actual material. Most of the topics that are tested on are not even in his lectures, so good luck. Rambles on about random stuff and talks about the material for about 15 minutes total the whole class.

3.0
3.0
OMIS259
Grade: B+
May 10, 2016

He clearly explains the material presented in the class and tests you on it accordingly.

3.0
4.0
OMIS351
Grade: B-
May 13, 2016

He's simply there to collect a paycheck. I learned nothing from this class, it's a waste of time. It's basically set up so your can't get an A. The final is worth 35% of your grade and 100 questions cumulative. I got 100s on all projects, As on all quizzes and still ended up with a B.

4.0
3.0
OMIS351
Grade: B
May 15, 2016

You'll learn a lot from Downing's lectures about how the business world works. He's one of the more engaging professors at the College of Business. He uses a lot of business examples in his lectures which is not good at all times because he doesn't cover all the material on the quizzes and final (Which are very hard).

4.0
3.0
OMIS351
Grade: B+
May 15, 2016

He makes the class enjoyable by having humor. He gives 7 quizzes through out the semester that are easy if you study for them. The final was really not that bad. About 40 questions were from previous quizzes and some common sense. If you type in OMIS 351 quizzes on google it will pull up previous semesters and most are the same from previous quiz.

5.0
4.0
OMIS351
May 16, 2016

Dr. Downing loves his job. Passionate about teaching. Wants to help students. Gives current business and systems examples to clarify concepts. Cumulative final was hard. Study for each quiz during the semester and then the final is better, not all at the end.

3.0
3.0
OMIS351
Grade: B+
May 30, 2016
Would take again

I did not learn anything in OMIS 351. I just looked up the quizzes on quizlet and studied that. I averaged about 20 points. I just went to class and played on my phone and just answered the in class questions. Final was hard. He curves you at the end. I had a B and was bumped up to a B+ on myniu.

3.0
4.0
OMIS351
Grade: A+
Aug 16, 2016
Would take again

Tips. Dont skip class in class participation questions, use your smart phone.. 100 points max once you hit that youre done. Quizzes in class, dont skip class. Need to know access . Group assignments 4 of 7 Read the book to maximize your grade. .

Participation matters
Skip class? You won't pass.
GROUP PROJECTS
5.0
2.0
OMIS351
Grade: A
Oct 26, 2016
Would take again

Downing is one of the best professors I've had at NIU, he really cares about student and is always open to constructive feedback. He will always make sure no one gets left behind and is very relatable. Aside from that, his lectures are easy to understand and usually really enlightening, he knows a lot and even when he dissents its interesting 10/10

Hilarious
Amazing lectures
Caring
4.0
3.0
OMIS351
Grade: A-
Dec 1, 2016
Would take again

Great professor. Never made me feel less of anything. Show up to class, take quizzes and be respectful

Participation matters
1.0
5.0
OMIS351
Grade: B-
Dec 7, 2016
Wouldn't take again

Class is a joke, make sure to get full participation on attendance/homework. Do the best you can on quizzes. If you don't get a B or A on the final drops you about 10% had a 90 going into the final and finished with an 80. Horrible teacher who just rants about his website and not material. There for a paycheck only. F downing!!

Get ready to read
Skip class? You won't pass.
LECTURE HEAVY
5.0
3.0
OMIS351
Grade: A
Dec 8, 2016
Would take again

Professor Downing is a great. He is very knowledgeable and is really funny in lecture. Participation is key. The final is weighted pretty heavily, but do really good on participation and he'll take that into account. The final exam dropped me but I was bumped back up because i performed well throughout the semester. I would highly recommend him

Participation matters
Hilarious
Caring
5.0
4.0
OMIS351
Grade: A-
Dec 11, 2016
Would take again

Professor Downing keeps lectures entertaining. You can tell he cares about students and the material that is taught. There are several group projects throughout the semester, so choose your group wisely, you are stuck with them for all of the assignments. The final is 100 questions. Do the extra credit for participation! Overall, great professor!

Skip class? You won't pass.
Caring
GROUP PROJECTS
4.0
3.0
OMIS351
Grade: B
Dec 12, 2016
Would take again

Good professor. He can be funny in lectures. Make sure you go to lectures to get the participation points. He talks about curving you up based on participation, and I had about 118% on participation and my grade didn't get rounded. So don't count on him rounding up your grades. Group projects are easy. Quizzes are so-so. Final is tougher.

Participation matters
TEST HEAVY
GROUP PROJECTS
5.0
3.0
OMIS259
Grade: A
Jan 27, 2017
Would take again

Professor downing is very thorough and straigh to the point. If you show up to class and pay attention to what he is saying, you are going to get an A in this course. For the three group projects during the semester, he does it step by step for you until the end. You can basically bring your laptop and ensure that you get a 100% for your group.

Participation matters
LOTS OF HOMEWORK
GROUP PROJECTS
5.0
4.0
OMIS351
Sep 21, 2017
Would take again

Honestly one of the best professors i had at my time at NIU. Attendance isnt mandatory, but he definitely makes it worth your while because he'll final exam questions in class that he won't post online. Very lively and actually makes you enjoy being there.

Participation matters
BEWARE OF POP QUIZZES
Amazing lectures
5.0
2.0
OMIS259
Grade: A-
Dec 5, 2017
Would take again

Dr. Downing was my favorite professor I ever had at NIU. His lectures are so motivational, even though it was my first class on Monday mornings, I didn't skip a single time because of how much I enjoyed being there. His grading policy is clear and as long as you're a "pitbull" and stay on top of things, you will get a good grade in the class.

Respected
Inspirational
Amazing lectures
5.0
3.0
OMIS462
Dec 21, 2017
Would take again

A+ professor

5.0
3.0
OMIS351
Grade: A
May 2, 2018
Would take again

Fantastic professor, very charismatic and easy to learn under. Fantastic communicator, assignments are clear and actually useful, relevant and hands-on. I felt pretty excited to learn, which is pretty rare to see in today's education system. I feel like I learned a lot, and I'm glad to have done so. He's also very helpful with his tudents

Inspirational
Hilarious
Amazing lectures
5.0
3.0
OMIS351
Grade: A
May 13, 2018
Would take again

Dr. Downing is the man, and is an amazing professor! I learned the most from his OMIS 351 class out of the other classes classes in my first semester in the College of Business at NIU. He has a great grading system, and you will actually learn stuff that's relevant and important. He teaches great life lessons as well.

Respected
Amazing lectures
Caring
5.0
3.0
OMIS351
Grade: A
May 29, 2018
Would take again

He's the best!

TEST HEAVY
GROUP PROJECTS
LECTURE HEAVY
4.0
4.0
OMIS259
Grade: A-
Jun 2, 2018
Would take again

You don't have to go to class, but should go to receive all participation points- and if you do, he rounds your final grade up, 1 test (final), very passionate about the topic. 1 quiz per chapter and 4 online simulations per chapter. 4 group projects but teacher goes over them all in class.

Participation matters
LOTS OF HOMEWORK
Clear grading criteria
5.0
2.0
OMIS259
Sep 5, 2018
Would take again

Very fair grader and has very good lectures. For his lectures, you could get away with tuning him out and just working on the class's homework, becuause he has a tendency to repeat some information or go over the instructions that you may have already read up on, but his classes are genuinely enjoyable and he is a great speaker. I very much enjoy.

Respected
Clear grading criteria
Amazing lectures
5.0
2.0
OMIS259
Grade: A
Nov 13, 2018
Would take again

This professor is the sweetest professor there is. Only requires you to attend class on Mondays, as Wednesdays are optional. Lectures consist of participation questions, so I suggest you go on Mondays. Homeworks are due at the end of the week, and quizzes are every Monday. He gives real life examples, and is helpful for future careers and positions

Inspirational
Clear grading criteria
GROUP PROJECTS
5.0
3.0
OMIS259
Grade: Not sure yet
Nov 29, 2018
Would take again

Such a smart and great guy, wants everyone to do well in the class. The course is based off My IT Lab (Excel and Access) which isn't necessarily hard but not easy either, 4 group projects which are not worth a lot, 7 quizzes, a final exam, and participation through niuresponse. Definitely recommend this professor and this class - he is awesome!!!

Respected
Inspirational
Clear grading criteria
4.0
4.0
OMIS351
Grade: B
Apr 24, 2019
Would take again

Final Exam is very important. Quizzes are hard and you will need to study for all of them. Online attendance points- if you go to class he basically gives you the answers to the daily questions. He is very intelligent and knows his industry.

Respected
Test heavy
Lecture heavy
4.0
2.0
OMIS259
Grade: A
Dec 11, 2018
Would take again

He is a lively professor that is passionate on the subject. He will sometimes go on rants, but he means well. MyITLab is helpful, and the in class questions are helpful. The quizzes are very trivial, but you can drop one. Beware of very specific questions. The final is 100 questions.

Participation matters
Hilarious
GROUP PROJECTS
5.0
3.0
OMIS351
Grade: A-
May 7, 2019
Would take again

He's super funny and has a lot of knowledge. I have heard that a lot of students picked OMIS as their major thanks to him. He is a great professor but participation really matters in his class.

Participation matters
Skip class? You won't pass.
Amazing lectures
5.0
3.0
OMIS351
Grade: Not sure yet
May 7, 2019
Would take again

BEST TEaCHER EVER. if you dont take him you a fool. took him for omis 259 and omis 351. funny and respected. 7 group projects which are pretty easy for the most part, 7 quizzes, participation through these little clicker quizzes during class, and one final at the end. Take him forsure

Respected
Inspirational
Hilarious
3.0
3.0
OMIS351
Grade: B
May 8, 2019
Wouldn't take again

Dr. Downing is a funny guy who is very engaging with his students. Personally, I was not a fan of his teaching style. Makes his class understandable. Participation is key to passing along with the VC projects. Show up and try to pay attention.

Participation matters
Group projects
Hilarious
5.0
3.0
OMIS351
Nov 30, 2019
Would take again

Become a gold helper because you'll more than likely need the extra points. Quizzes are straightforward and he tells you what to study for them. Write down all the examples he goes over during the semester because you'll be tested on them. For the final, make sure you know the steps for your projects and examples he goes over in class/slides.

Respected
Participation matters
Amazing lectures
4.0
3.0
OMIS259
Nov 21, 2020
Would take again

Honestly wish i couldve had him in person for class, lots of ways to earn extra credit with student helper. Overall, this class has been 100% online with no lectures, its been pretty easy to keep up with!

Accessible outside class
Participation matters
Clear grading criteria
5.0
2.0
OMIS259
Grade: A-
Dec 7, 2020
Wouldn't take again

Very nice teacher. Really cares about his students a lot. Videos were very helpful for me to do well in the class.

Gives good feedback
Respected
Caring
5.0
2.0
OMIS351
Grade: Not sure yet
Mar 29, 2021
Would take again

Professor Downing is one of the best teachers I've had at NIU, especially for online learning. His lecture/help videos are very thorough and super helpful for the virtual case studies (as long as you follow along, you will get good grades on those assignments). I definitely recommend taking any class he teaches, he is very genuine.

Clear grading criteria
Amazing lectures
Caring
5.0
3.0
OMIS259
Grade: A-
Apr 13, 2021
Would take again

Always quick to get back with questions. He actually cares more about you learning the material versus just giving you a grade. Material can be difficult but he gives you many different resources to help you in a way that fits best for your learning style.

Gives good feedback
Lots of homework
Accessible outside class
4.0
2.0
OMIS259
Grade: A+
May 15, 2021
Would take again

Professor Downing provides clear and specific instructions on what assignments need to be done each week. He's very encouraging. An online simulation training, simulation exam, and Blackboard quiz about Microsoft Excel/Access are due almost every week. Participation points from helping other classmates are also part of your course grade.

Participation matters
Clear grading criteria
5.0
2.0
OMIS259
Grade: A+
Aug 12, 2021
Would take again

I took this as an asynchronous class and I really did love this professor. He really cares for his students and he really wants every student to succeed. For me personally, this class was an easy A. Highly recommend this professor.

Gives good feedback
Respected
Accessible outside class
2.0
5.0
OMIS259
Grade: B
Aug 19, 2021
Wouldn't take again

Prof did not provide much outside help. The website that homework was on was very glitchy, but he was unwilling to change grades if you experienced problems with it. The homework is extremely hard because of this. The main point of homework is to learn excel by executing skills of it on the website. Quizzes and tests were also semi difficult.

5.0
3.0
OMIS351
Grade: A
Oct 27, 2021
Would take again

Chuck downing is one of the best professors NIU has to offer, if you do not take him, you missed out on a great opportunity and a easy A/B depending on how much effort you want to give

Respected
Participation matters
Inspirational
5.0
4.0
OMIS259
Grade: A-
Nov 25, 2021
Would take again

Be a pitbull in this class, don't make excuses for yourself and you'll be fine

Respected
Clear grading criteria
Lecture heavy
5.0
3.0
OMIS351
Grade: A-
Dec 12, 2021
Would take again

Gives good lectures that kept me engaged. Brings energy to the class. Participation isn't mandatory but you do need to show up to get it. Not a super work heavy course... as long as you are okay with Excel you should be fine. Final is a decent portion of the grade, so definitely make sure to study. Rounded by 87.6 to an A- which was very nice to do

Respected
Participation matters
Clear grading criteria
5.0
2.0
OMIS351
Grade: A-
Jan 19, 2022
Would take again

Professor downing is great. He is super funny and makes all the lectures interesting. Attendance is mandatory because we do these live response questions during every class. There are 7 units so 7 quizzes then 1 final exam which are all easy. We also have virtual cases which are assignments in things like word, access, and excel. Helpful skills

Skip class? You won't pass.
Clear grading criteria
Hilarious
5.0
2.0
OMIS351
Grade: A-
Dec 7, 2022
Would take again

He's a great guy with an awesome ability to teach and get his ideas to stick in your brain, but you gotta show up. He was very helpful throughout the course and takes the time to get to know his students. You do better if you participate. I really enjoyed my time with Dr. Downing and would take another course by him, but he only teaches OMIS351.

Participation matters
Amazing lectures
Respected
5.0
1.0
OMIS351
Grade: A
Mar 29, 2023
Would take again

I took the online version of OMIS 351 & I'm so happy I did. Homework is due every OTHER week, & he gives you videos how to exactly complete the homework. The quizzes are not too difficult. The participation quiz can be taken however many times but the actual Quiz for the week can only be taken once. I would 100% take his online class again.

Graded by few things
Online Savvy
3.0
4.0
OMIS351
Grade: Not sure yet
Apr 10, 2023

Very uninvolved in the learning process. Makes you turn to other students for assistance, or otherwise docks you participation points. The text he uses (which you HAVE to rely on for information) is ridiculously verbose and incredibly difficult to pull useful information from. I hear he is great for in-person classes. Avoid taking his online course

Tough grader
Get ready to read
4.0
4.0
OMIS351
Grade: B+
May 9, 2023
Would take again

You have to put in a lot of work to get a good grade although most of the course is fairly smooth if you watch his lectures and read through the chapters (check quizlet for help)You have 2 weeks to complete a quiz, pract. quiz, and a virtual case. Final is hard, 100 questions in only 90min! Students basically just help each other for the most part.

Get ready to read
Lecture heavy
Online Savvy
2.0
2.0
OMIS351
Grade: B
May 6, 2024

It was his last semester teaching and the class felt plain and boring.

4.0
3.0
OMIS351
Grade: B+
Nov 16, 2024
Would take again

Professor Downing's OMIS351 class is engaging and manageable. The lectures are helpful, and as long as you stay on top of the work, the class is not too difficult. unstuck ai was a great study aid alongside the textbook.

Class Info

Online Classes

100%

Attendance Mandatory

73%

Textbook Required

60%

Grade Predictor

Your expected effort level

LowHigh

Predicted Grade

A-

95% confidence
Based on 50 grades
Most common grades:
A (13)
A- (13)
B (9)
Grade Distribution
A(17)B(13)C(2)D(0)F(0)A-/B+(18)
Based on 55 reported grades
A: 13
A-: 13
B: 9
Not sure yet: 5
Common Tags
Participation matters (16)
Respected (13)
Clear grading criteria (10)
Amazing lectures (9)
GROUP PROJECTS (7)
Hilarious (7)
Caring (6)
Inspirational (6)
Rating Trend

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Ratings by Course

OMIS462662

5.0

(1)

OMIS462

5.0

(3)

OMIS

5.0

(1)

OMIS310

5.0

(1)

UBUS310

5.0

(1)
+4 more courses
Difficulty by Course

OMIS310

4.0

351

3.0

OMIS462

3.0

OMIS351

2.5

OMIS259

2.2

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