its really cool. he talks goofy which keeps be interested. hes young and he doesnt mind actually addressing issues.

Very knowledgeable and fairly clear. As already said, the way he talks keeps people interested. Also, he's very passionate about his subject, and VERY adept at thinking on the fly to answer questions and conjure up useful examples. Highly recommended.

really good professor, the class is definitely not easy, but it makes you think. He talks really fast, he always has his coffee mug with him, i dont even want to know how much caffeine he drinks. Really nice guy though, never makes you feel dumb, and always goes over things again if people are confused. Also let me take the final 2 days early.

I admire his passion and enthusiasm for philosophy and trying to teach the material well, but I felt like his lectures were hard to follow and a too complex to wrap my brain around. This was my first philosophy class I've ever taken and it was probably the toughest class I had this quarter. Your grade is based on two tests; 40% midterm, 60%.

Pretty cool, just pay attention in class. he explains stuff fairly well

He's kind of a spaz, and I often find that our class has been beating the same dead horse for the past class period. The class material is engaging, and he's a very parsimonious professor, but I've a feeling the class might be better taught by someone who isn't so easily led in circles. He's very good at writing notes on the board though.

If you have any grounding in the comtemporary analytic tradition, then Dennis' method of argument will probably feel refreshingly precise. If philosophy isn't your thing, it might feel a bit like you're being blasted in the face with arguments for and against every idea...that's exactly what's happening, it's just we [philosophers] really like it!

I'm pretty sure he?s to be the best phil professor on the planet. He's interesting, he really understands what he's talking about, he enjoys it, and he truly encourages thinking about the issues yourself. He'll also help you develop anything you come up with into something better. Completely recommended!

This guy knows his stuff, but still opens the class for discussion on all topics, answers any and all questions promtply and with enthusiasm, and enchourages students to ask question and come up with their own ideas. He speaks quickly, but makes up for it by writing virtually everything down on the board, and using examples. He's nice and helpful.

He's nice, helpful and full of information. His tests tend to be less-then-simple regurgitation - the more precisely you memorize what he writes, the better you'll do. Still, as an experience, he was intelligent and the class was fun. I got a B without using the book...

Great professor. He teaches what is in the textbook and makes it clearer and helps the students understand it better. The homework and tests are easy if you pay attention and read the material.

He did help out with information and expanded on the book. It was hard to follow some of his ramblings every once in a while, but he is a nice guy and will help you out if you need it. The hw is all done online now and it gives you answes, which helps with both understanding and an easy 100% on the hw grade. Do hw its bascially the same as the test

I've taken Dennis for two classes- 107 and 114. Excellent teacher. Very clear, can think on his feet and his lectures always helped clarify what can be a very difficult subject. Be warned- 114 is not an easy class... but it's well worth it, especially if Dennis is teaching it.

Dennis is awesome. He is always extremely clear, always willing to help, and his classes are both challenging and managable. Take him!

I didn't know what to expect coming into Phil 107, but in the end I really liked the class. Whitcomb knows a lot about philosophy and some of the discussions in class were very interesting. What I thought would be a boring class turned out to be one of my favorites of the quarter. He is a nice guy too and helpful during office hours and after class

Dennis is excellent. For being so ridiculously smart, he never belittles his students, even when people say stupid things. He makes the subject matter on a level everyone can understand and his lectures are an absolute riot. You rock Dennis.

Dennis is awesome! He really makes sure the class has an understanding of the material because it is difficult to grasp sometimes. He is down to earth and more than fair. I hope I get to take more classes with him.

Never, ever thought I'd end up studying philosophy. However, Dennis was the source of inspiration that drove me to sink my teeth into the world of epistemology....although I didn't get a degree in philosophy, I took many of his courses, all of which changed my life! You have to take a class from him!

Honestly one of the best classes I've ever taken.

Awesome teacher. Very interested in his own subject which is nice to see. Great explanations of everything too. Would recommend to anyone who's interested in Philosophy.

Dennis is a great professor. He goes over all the readings in class and makes interesting comments. He uses a lot of examples to explain as well. He doesnt use blackboard to post lecture info and he writes everything out on the board, so going to class is a must. It is a good class and he offers a lot of help.

I loved this class! I liked it way more than I originally thought I would. The conversations are always good and Dennis lets you really elaborate on your ideas without trying to shove what he thinks down your throat. I went to every class because it was so interesting.

I've had most of the professors of philosophy here, and he and Hud are by far the best. Dennis is so good at explaining everything, and he writes everything out on the board.

Dennis is an awesome teacher. His class is very interesting and he writes everything out on the board which is nice. Do the reading before class. Attendance isn't mandatory but you should show up to class unless you really understood the reading from the night before. His office hours were right after class and going to talk to him was very helpful

Dennis is the man, I've had 2 classes with him and he is so far my favorite Philosophy professor at WWU. He may have a disorganized mind, but he makes his thoughts extremely clear on the board and lays it out in a fashion that is very helpful and answers questions very well. He does a very good job staying on topic and not losing train of thought.

Favorite class I've taken at Western so far, and Dennis makes it that way. Very easy, interesting, fun, engaging class. I recommend it to anyone who enjoys having their mindblown on a consistent basis. 1010 would take again.

Wonderful teacher. Explains material very thoughtfully and clear.

This is a really tough class for only 3 credits. Your entire grade hinges on two tests. There is little feedback as prep. You can get feedback, if you can make time for office hours. The teacher has a casual air of arrogance, but lectures are very clear. Questions are WELL answered in class. Overall, would not recommend this class to a friend.

Dennis is the most enthusiastic philosophy prof I've taken a course with at WWU. He's friendly and helpful, and class discussions are usually awesome. Class participation is required though, and his grading standards are more stringent than others in the Philosophy Department. Homework and assigned reading REQUIRED. Also, he's hilariously funny.

Coming to class really pays off. I did none of the reading and pulled a B+ in the class. Interesting lectures and keeps your attention

I'm lucky dennis was my first philosophy professor, and he easily became my favorite professor at wwu. His lectures are interesting, thought-provoking, funny, and he makes dense readings easy to understand. He is not pretentious and is a super cool dude, & i loved his sci-fi/matrix references in class. Your grade weighs on 2 essays, so study hard!

Dennis is the man, this course is interesting and very fun. If you prefer structured, organized lectures then do not take Whitcomb.

114 great introduction to those interested in philosophy at Western. Pretty easy to get an A, it's a real intro class. You can tell that he genuinely cares about the subject and communicating it well, ask questions visit him in office hours. 310 lots to read. High but fair expectations, homework, and essays. Interesting class, great discussions!

Absolutely great. Treats class as an open discussion (appropriate for PHIL), keeps the class engaged, and is extremely helpful. You're only graded on the midterm and final, so you need to put the effort in, but the essay questions for both are available at the beginning of the quarter, and it's always clear what the expectations are. Recommended.

Whitcomb is great! This was my first philosophy class and i really enjoyed it. There's readings that he assigns before class but iv'e found they aren't necessary, he goes over everything in class. He doesn't provide powerpoints or anything so its recommended to actually show up to class and take notes. Really enjoyed it and would recommend!

I absolutely adore Dennis. Philosophy can have a tendency to get boring but Dennis' passion for what he teaches makes each class an engaging and really interesting experience. He takes very difficult concepts about existence and the world around us and makes them very simple. I'd recommend this class to anyone, regardless of major.

Lectures are interesting and thourough. The readings are not necessarily mandatory but definitely help with you runderstanding but it really just covers what he talks about in class.

Great lecturer, makes philosophy really accessible for newbies. Is always happy to hear opinions that aren't his, fosters really good class discussions. He uses a lot of relatable examples so it's easier to grasp complex concepts. All of the reading is online which is nice, and the reading/lectures tie together super well.

I really enjoyed Dennis' lectures and that the grading criteria (two possible essay Q's for midterm/3 possible essay Q's for final) were laid out for us from the beginning. That being said, since the entire class depends on two essays, the grading is heavily weighted and somewhat subjective. Probably the best Phil teacher though imho.

He gives the questions to the midterm/final at the beginning of the course and you can write drafts and have him look at them and give you feedback. That being said, the entire class depends on those two essays. Do the drafts, take notes in class, and try to understand the material. This isn't just a show up and pass class.

I loved this class so much. The professor made the entire class time fascinating. The readings aren't really important because he goes over them completely in class. His PHIL 114 only has 3 short assignment that are super easy and worth like 3% of the grade, the rest is resting in a midterm and final written exam. Just show up and pay attention.

Dennis is so funny, and a great teacher. He's a wonderful character and has a really good knack for explaining super complicated ideas. I loved him, and honestly wish I had cared more about that class. The times I went were awesome! He'll call you out if you use your phone, but doesn't care if you're sketching or reading in class. What a guy!

Since this class didnt meet on zoom, I felt like I missed out on the discussion part of this class but I enjoyed the lectures a lot. He explains the concepts very well but kind of says the same thing over and over again which just makes the lectures long. He is a funny guy and is very helpful in his office hours. I would recommend this class 100%

Dennis is a great guy. He does a good job explaining the material in his lectures, and the quizzes are doable if you take solid notes. BUT! 50% of your grade is based on a final essay AND hes a tough grader. You could have 100% in the class and end up with a B because of the final. The average grade for it was an 86%. That was the only bummer.

Dennis is a great prof but the class is hard. The entire grade is based off of 50% quizzes and the other 50% is the final essay. He is a pretty hard grader and even if you get the average it can bring your grade down a lot. Be prepared to take really good notes in his class and be ready to sit through long lectures.

He's a great guy, however the material is very dense. I took this as an easy 3 credit GUR, but it ended up being harder than my 4 and 5 credit classes. If you're interested in PHIL it's good, but you have to have a good work ethic and take very good notes to do well on the 5 quizzes and one essay that makes up 50% of your grade.

This course was very lecture and reading oriented with dense information. While it's not required, his lectures help clear up any misunderstandings. His lectures are very energetic and for the most part, he really clarifies the topics. This wasn't my favorite class but he made it more enjoyable for me at least.

Political philosophy with Whitcomb was a really great and in-depth course. The lectures are outstanding, the design of the course is quite good and informed by over a decade of experience teaching it. I love this professor's teaching. However: 30% of your grade is a midterm, 10% of your grade is a presentation, 60% of your grade is a final paper :/

Really great at answering questions and making things understandable

Dennis is a good professor, you can tell he's passionate and cares about his students. Class is like 99.5% lecture but he teaches them in an engaging way. Your grade is 100% split between the midterm and the final, but if you take good notes you should be ok. Best advice: go to office hours! They're so helpful esp with the hard to grasp concepts.

The class is based on two exams but has no other homework assignments. The readings can be long and hard to decipher but his lectures are great. I don't love the topic but Dennis is a great professor.

While the course was graded only off two in-class exams, the rest was great. Dennis puts careful effort into how he introduces and discusses philosophy, and encourages participation and discussion in class from everyone. He always has an approachable smile on his face and goes above and beyond for all his students. He learned everyone's name, too.

Great professor, explains things clearly and can be very funny.

Dennis is hands down the best professor I've had at Western so far. I took his intro to knowledge and reality class in the spring and loved it so much I changed my minor to philosophy. Although attendance is not mandatory, going to class is a must, since the majority of what you're learning and tested on is explained in the lecture.

His explanations are complex and not great for beginners. Not the fastest on grading. Somewhat heavy no device policy, try not to bring a laptop! This class is confusing, but a relatively easy A. He's a lovely guy, but don't take his classes unless you're interested in philosophy. Also take a logic class first.

This is one of the best classes I've taken. Con is he does ramble a lot which can make it hard to follow along. I'm not a good test taker, so I was pretty scared that our grade is mainly test based. As long as you keep up with the readings and lecture videos he assigns, you'll be fine. But he's a good prof that wants his students to succeed.

I liked his lectures but they are very detailed and required a lot of active listening. Make sure to do the readings BEFORE class (it will help) and go to class.

He was pretty scatterbrained during lectures but other than that he is a good professor for philosophy

Great class! I took Dennis for his Colloquium in Philosophy class (HNRS 201). Class was mostly discussion-based, and the lecture part explained the previous days reading. No tests/exams, lots of essays and reading assignments. Overall, not a super hard class, and a very interesting topic to think about!

Super smart guy who is very passionate about philosophy. I took the honors philosophy colloquia and overall it was a great class, but the readings can be a bit boring sometimes. Big mid term and final papers (along with a final 10 min speech) but expectations were clearly communicated. Super good about ending class on time. Overall I liked Dennis!

Dennis is the professor that got me into Philosophy and I am so grateful for that! He is an amazing lecturer and is VERY knowledgeable. He is available outside of class multiple times a week and is very engaging! I don't know why his scores on RMP have tanked -- he is a phenomenal professor.

Dennis is an engaging and clear communicating professor. Example: "This idea is called functionalism, I will explain this to you now". It is true your grade is determined by 3 essay exams. To do well, go to class and write down notes of key terms and models, do the async lectures/readings. Review material out of class to gain a full understanding.

Dennis isn't for everyone, but as a philosophy student I love him. He is very clear in the way he explains things, and how he announces it. He sure is an oddball, but he's super funny and you can tell he really loves philosophy. He does his best to state his own opinion on things, and is very open to it. I recommend his Political Philosophy class.