2.5
Quality3.7
Difficulty32%
Would Retake96
Reviews32%
Would Retake
96
Reviews
Rating DistributionOfficial
96 total ratings5
11
4
16
3
22
2
20
1
27
What Students Say
“His tests are ridiculously hard”
POLS201 - 2.0 rating“It unnecessary for a 100 level class to be this difficult”
POLS111 - 2.0 ratingClass Info
Online Classes
100%
Attendance Mandatory
95%
Textbook Required
100%
Grade Predictor
Your expected effort level
Predicted Grade
B
Grade Distribution
Common Tags
Rating Trend
Declining
-0.56 avg changeRatings by Course
POLSC301
5.0
(1)HIST101
5.0
(1)POLS31550
4.0
(2)POLS101
3.5
(2)POLS111
3.0
(40)Difficulty by Course
POLSCI201
5.0
POLS385
5.0
POLSC301
5.0
POL201
4.2
POLS
4.0
Reviews (95)
He is a horrible teacher, who can't lecture. He uses the race card every chance he gets!!!! This is a sure F!
No Comments
Always seems to Yell at everyone. Very unorganized.
If you can help it, do not take this professor. He likes to make students look stupid, in fact he thinks most of us are stupid. He is very inconsiderate. Pretty much impossible to get the grade you deserve.
No Comments
Do not take this teacher if you can help it.
I am taking his political discourse class, but we aren't DISCOURSING, we're learning about THE CIVIL RIGHTS MOVEMENT. Often before class, he'll go off on tangents about how the "black man" is so mistreated and how our parents are nothing by ***
I am taking his POLS 385 class. He tends to make students feel stupid and embarrass them in front of the class. Expect an average of 200+ pages of reading each week. He also makes comments about how much more important his class is than anything else.
No Comments
Hard, but interesting. He is pretty much into the race thing. If you make an effort you can get an A. If you don't show up and don't do the work...you will fail.
Tests are pretty difficult and it is hard to know what he actually is going to have on them. You have to memorize the book and read the notes. He seems to be unorganized as well. I got an A, but I wouldn't really recommend him.
The class turned out to be very interesting. He is not easy but you will learn a lot. There was a midterm, a paper and a final, as well as a participation grade based on attendance. If you are willing to study and are interested in race, law & politics, I definitely recommend the class!!
I think he's a pretty good teacher, but I have to agree with everyone else...He is really concerned with race and he does like to make students look stupid. He stutters like a **** too, but I actually learn in his class...You have to go to class and read to do well, but it's not really that hard if you do that stuff. He does seem a little unorganized as well.
He is a very good teacher. The test arent hard IF your read the chapters. If you dont read you will not do good on the test.
This man is very intelligent and super conscious about race and politics in America.
He is the worst professor I have had at UofL thus far. He seems to care more about outsmarting the students than actually teaching. I have done well in every other class, but couldn't keep my head up in his. Do NOT take him!
Not a very nice guy. Seems to enjoy others' discomfort and making people feel stupid. Tests are very difficult with questions that have several correct answers, many not pertaining to covered material. Came in with intention of majoring- not anymore. If you care at all about your GPA- AVOID!
Not a bad teacher and I learned a lot but it never seems like anyone does good on the tests. The class average for every test was around 65. Not one person in my class has an A. Try to avoid
As long as you go to the lectures and read the material you should get at least a B. In my opinion this class was one of the most interesting ones i have ever taken. Would recomend.
No Comments
I've taken two of Professor Clayton's classes. I love his classes!! If you enjoy a challenge and like to derive a lot of information from a class- he's your guy. If you want to sleep and take multiple guess tests you should look for a more pedestrian teacher.
Kinda boring and can't stand how he pronounces words when he speaks
Took Dewey for Political Discourse. As long as you go to class and take notes, test are a breeze. If you dont go to class or if you dont pay attention he will call you out on it. Learned alot although he is somewhat of a tool.
It's a great PoiliSci class and he's a great teacher. If the other comments can be trusted, then he's mellowed out quite a bit. He's a great guy and the "Eyes on the Prize" videos are fantastic. Take the class if you're interested in Civil Rights. You do a bit of speaking but for a communication double it's a breeze.
Clayton is a bit different. Rambles a lot. Class is called "Political Discourse" but I disagree. He is more concerned with civil rights and race. Book was very interesting, but not what I signed up for! Speeches are pretty easy. Tests are easy if you use study guide. Clayton is arrogant and picks on specific people constantly.
Great teacher, cares about your well-being!!
Dr. Clayton is a good professor who will help you if you need it and is usually open to questions...However he does pick on certain people and in one instance i witnessed him intentionally not call on a student. He can be arrogant but he is intelligent so perhaps he can afford to.
If you don't have your homework he will stop class to ask you why in front of the class. Loves to pick on kids. No chewing gum in class or you get called out. Was told once while answering a question to "Sit up and address this class like a MAN" The only way to stop him is to stop signing up for his class. DONT DO IT
This man is absolutely the worst teacher I have ever had. He is useless. He treats people like they are children and talks down to them. If you are white, odds are he won't even try to remember your name. He called one girl "young lady" in my class- WE ARE 20+ YEARS OLD! And don't even waste your time trying to get him to understand tough home situ
Great teacher, very intelligent. You can tell he really cares about what he teaches. Definitely recommend this class.
Dr. Clayton is very somewhat arrogant, however in good reason. He is an intelligent man. He focused most of our class around civil rights which wasn't what I signed up for but nonetheless it was pretty interesting. Like the other ratings state, he does call students out. I'm glad I took the class, but I wouldn't take a class with him in the future.
he is very arrogant and lectures extremely fast. is lecture is based on powerpoint put each slide is only up for 5-10 seconds. it's impossible to take notes, even when typing real fast on a computer. be prepared to read a lot on your own, if you so choose to take him, which I wouldn't recommend
I was passionate about politics before this class. Dr.clayton made me dislike something I previously loved. He's arrogant and rude. He's intelligent, but doesn't express ideas or concepts well. I do not reccomend taking him.
Dr. Clayton is actually very nice once you get to know him. He genuinely cares about his students and he wants everyone to do well. He is very passionate about civil rights, and he wants everyone to understand that passion. He does send numerous emails and he gives way to many hand outs, but I would still recommend him!
This class was more of a history class than a speech class. I found myself studying dates and names more than I did writing actual speeches and giving them. He's an alright guy. Hardly lectures... shows movies a lot. Very uptight.
The work load for this class is way above what a 200 level class. It is nearly impossible to take notes during lecture because he talks extremely fast and only puts the power points up for a few minutes. If you are brave and do decide to take his class get a tape recorder and DO NOT BUY THE ONLINE TEXT BOOK FOR THE IPAD.
Dr. Clayton's POLS 201 was a fairly easy class with a reasonable amount of reading. The lowest quiz is dropped and the tests are curved a few points, along with several E.C. opportunities. Dr. Clayton is knowledgable and seems to want the best for his students. Recommended for those interested in government and politics. Expect to actually learn!
Dr. Clayton is a good professor despite the other comments. He does expect participation, reading in advance,no texting AT ALL in class, and honest effort in assignments. He doesn't hand out free OC Gen-Ed credits or grades. You have to earn them through reading the not-so-difficult readings. Good professor!
Dewey doesn't give you anytime to copy down notes, he rushes through and during the last minute of class he'll read through like 5 slides as fast as he can. Then he'll go "questions comments concerns?" real fast. He's also really liberally biased, so be aware. He's funny sometimes, though.
Dr. Clayton can be very interesting but also very sporadic. He is sometimes offensive to students but he is passionate about what he teaches.
Profesor Clayton means well, but he can be a little in your face, and likes to talk and do everything REALLY fast! He's pretty bad about calling people out and asking them really vague or difficult questions. The content is interesting, and the grading is fair, but overall it's just not a great classroom atmosphere.
Extremely rude, clearly doesn't care about students, worst teacher I have come across during my time at UofL. Yells at people for coming in 30 seconds late...ridiculous. His lectures are directly from the textbook, yet attendance is mandatory. Extremely scatterbrained so its annoying to even try to follow his lecturing. Easy class though, got an A
He is a great professor if you are competent and put effort into your work. I think he has a lower rating than he should have because he has taught so many new students who are not college competent yet. He is super funny and has a very impressive resume. I feel lucky for the opportunity to have a class with this professor.
I was so excited for this class and this major but he completely turned me off from ever wanting to go into Political Science, I dropped this class because I couldn't stand him.
Dr. Clayton is an extremely intelligent man who cares deeply for the content of the course. This was taken for a cultural diversity gen ed requirement, and was extremely difficult for a gen ed requirement. A word of advice: just read his powerpoint summaries of the weekly readings. You will save time and be just as prepared for tests.
Passionate about what he teaches, but extremely disorganized with lectures and time. He will spend 30 minutes on one slide and skip through 20 to catch up (information missed will most likely be on test). Many questions on tests and quizzes not covered in class or in the book. You sign a sheet for attendance every class. Much random information
Dr. Clayton seems like a nice guy and he is VERY knowledgeable and passionate about his topic. But his frantic and moody behavior is a con. He changes the syllabus and rules when he likes without notice and just expects you to be aware, annoyed if you aren't. Doc: Slow down, keep chalk in your pocket and keep your word on the syllabus.
Dr. Clayton is very intelligent and passionate about what he's teaching, BUT for a 200 level class it's way too much. Tests are very difficult and so are the pop quizzes. I would not reccomend Dr. Clayton for 201. Even if you go to class regularly, take notes, and read, most likely won't do better than an 85 on tests or quizzes, and that's AT BEST.
I took this online and over the summer, which is condensed into a 3 12 week period so it was very fast pace. HOWEVER, on 2 out of our 5 papers, he marked me off for things not even described in the assignment's description. When I emailed him about those issues, he gave me unhelpful responses that didn't explain why he did it. Be ready to read.
Personally enjoyed this class very much. I don't like the subject but he is a good professor and makes it easier for me to stay interested. Some time is spent watching movies and taking notes, NO POP QUIZZES ANYMORE FOR POLS111. Tests are easy if you show up to class and just pay attention. Don't be intimidated its an easy class If ur a good studen
He's very intelligent and passionate about teaching civil rights history, but you don't really do any analysis of political discourse. I got along with him, but he is very specific in what he wants for certain assignments, so be sure to do exactly what he wants on assignments (even though it might not be a real/effective speech or debate)
He seems to ramble sometimes and expects you to read most of what your going to learn. do not take him to fulfil a comm credit because it will be mostly history and not comm.
His lectures are incredibly long and he just rambles about random things and barely touches on the topic at hand. His tests are ridiculously wordy and extremely difficult. He does not teach well at all. If you take any class from him, you will learn more by just reading the textbook; the lectures are not helpful at all.
His tests are ridiculously hard. Not many people in my class got an A. I know this, because he would write the grades on the board. He rambles on and on and veers off topic constantly, then gives tests over things he expects you to know. He focuses a lot on civil rights issues, and less about what he has on his slides. This makes the tests hard.
I would never want to have Dr. Clayton as a professor again. He rambles a lot and his tests are very wordy and difficult.
Worst professor I've ever had. Can never stay on topic, unfair grader, and interrupts students who try to answer his questions.
Professor Clayton is the worst teacher I have had at the University. I am a 4.0 student and a junior, and I can honestly say that I was unimpressed with his lack of organization, communication and ability to prepare a class for an exam. I am always up for a challenge, but it is completely different if the teacher is not organized. Stay away.
Too congested, moves too fast, often times arent clear, very off topic, dont go over the study guide, put a lot on the study guide that he doesnt put on the exam which defeat its purpose. He comes off as if he doesnt want you to pass. I could have done better in his class, but my biggest issue was that he was very unorganized, HORRIBLE
I personally enjoyed the class very much, because even though I was forced out of my comfort zone, I still learned so much. Definitely a hard class, especially with the speech portion. Also lots of names to memorize. Nevertheless, it's always nice to learn from Dr. Clayton, a professor who is very passionate about his class.
The class material isn't necessarily hard, but his tests sure are. I deserved an A in this class, I got an A on every presentation and speech, but his tests are super hard for no reason. I studied for them for hours and still didn't do very well. I did the extra credit, but it was not enough to pull my grade up.
Professor Clayton is a professor you need to stay away from if possible. He is very unorganized, he interrupts students when you try answer his questions. His study guide is misleading. He is by far one of the worst professors I've ever had at UofL.
I would not recommend this class. Honestly, I think it's far too much work for a 100 level gen-ed, and Dr. Clayton isn't very fair. The exams are very hard and extremely specific (questions from 1 line in the book). He interrupts people constantly, but I think he means well. I would only take this class if you are a political science major.
Overall the class was pretty easy. If you show up and do the speeches you will get a good grade on them. There are only 2 tests, and they are extremely detailed from the readings.
This class essentially is a pubic speaking course, as well as a history class on the civil rights movement. It is much more interesting than a traditional public speaking course, but also much harder. Dr. Clayton is very smart, and teaches a very interesting class that more people should learn about, but has projects and due dates every week.
During class you will watch videos, give presentations, and read aloud. So, class time is pretty laid back. He is a tough harder, so be sure to do the readings and homework.
He is very strict about his classroom environment- no food, no phones, sit up straight, no talking. Also, he is a very tough grader. He looks for very specific things when he is grading.
Literally the W O R S T. He is horrible.
Clayton was often rude to his students but wasn't the worst professor I've ever experienced. Lectures were usually watching youtube documentaries, but attendance was mandatory. Some extra credit was offered but hardly worth it. If you want to take POLS 111 try and take one of the other professors unless you want it to be about civil rights history.
I loved this class. Dr. Clayton was an excellent professor. I have never taken an online class that was as organized or well tended by the instructor. You have to do the work to get your grade, but he was very fair, and the material and assignments were as well.
Doesn't lecture, you just watch documentaries. Tests are way too hard and specific for a 100s level class. When he does lecture he gets off topic really quickly. He gives extra credit but it's very little for the amount of work you do. Can be occasionally rude to students. Recommend taking another professor for this course.
He's great, but he's tough. I got 2 points off of a paper once because there was a tear where the staple was. He cares a lot about his work and his students which is nice. He's funny and will have fun with the class but he knows when work needs to be done. He's really strict about presentations.
First time in two years of college that I've taken enough issue to write a review. Professor Clayton thinks his class is the ONLY class, expects you to read the entire textbook cover to cover, and treats all students like they're incompetent. Book required in class, and if you have an ebook he will accuse you of not having one at all.
Dr. Clayton is clearly knowledgeable in his subject area he literally wrote the book but it seems he's more interested in appearing smart than helping his students. He accused students of plagiarism over a typo and did not offer any flexibility whatsoever when considering the impact of COVID on students. I absolutely would never take him again.
Dr. Clayton is my most favorite professor by far. He is a bit quirky but I like the way he lectures, the course content makes sense if you attend. Employed the use of two textbooks for my class, but I got a good grade and didn't touch them too much. He grades easier if you make an effort in his class. Show up and make the speeches and you'll be ok.
Terrible experience, for a 300 level class I have drudged my way through more reading than my 500 level classes. If you get behind you will not be able to catch up unless you spend countless hours reading. Constant emails at 6 am and 7pm on Friday and Sunday the length of a treatise elaborating on something that could have waited until waking hours
This professor is very stressful. His exams are tough. I can get past that, but his behavior is unacceptable. He constantly interrupts students. He also says mean unwarranted things to us about our generation and how lazy we are and lack respect. This shows he has no respect for his students. Constantly created hostile learning environment.
I could really tell that Dr. Clayton is passionate about his field. However, he sometimes gets ahead of himself with his enthusiasm for the subject. I also felt like his quiz/exam questions were a bit obscure and aren't a good reflection of students' understanding of concepts. Also inconsiderate of our time when it came to assignments.
It unnecessary for a 100 level class to be this difficult. Not only does he refuse to give out A's, but he often tests us over things we are completely unprepared for. He expects you to be in class every day with all three of the THREE REQUIRED READINGS. He is clearly passionate and the content is interesting, but he is far too intense.
Extremely rude to his students will talk over you in any conversation carried out in or out of class. Hard on grading and gives little extra credit through the semester and lectures are disorganized and often feel repeated from the previous week, avoid him if you can.
would not recommend the course nor Professor at all. Exams are very long and consist of A lot of content that is not well explained in class. The Professor is not understanding and rude.
I can tell that Professor Clayton is passionate, and his lectures are interesting; however, he is a tough grader and is oblivious to the fact that he might be the problem. His tests are confusingly worded, and requires a TON of readings. He basically expects you to understand every little detail, which in reality, is not possible.
this teacher would go political all the time and tell you his beliefs and if you debate him about topics and he would make fun of you. he says he will try to not be political but he really is.
When asked a question, get to your point quickly before he gets inpatient and answers his own question. On our first test I got an 86% the second highest grade to my knowledge. (89% highest). He is a professor who seems to enjoy putting students down when they are wrong, so don't be, know your stuff.
I was nervous to take his course because of the reviews on here however he ended up being better than I thought. He is very passionate about the topics and if he does interrupt a student it is never with ill intent. The only thing I would complain about is extra credit only being worth one point. He is nice and willing to help would take again.
Ok:everyone complaining is a crybaby. This is not an easy A class but it's fine. He isn't rude- he's just on a schedule. He's very interested in hearing what the students think actually- I've never been asked so many questions by a prof. Do the work. Use office hours if you're overwhelmed. Don't expect him to agree with everything you say. Grow up!
Dewey Clayton is a bad person. He goaded his students into using a racial slur during their mandatory speeches in my class. I missed several classes due to mental health issues and when I came back to school, I had a meeting with him. He belittled me and made me cry in his office. I had a written note from my therapist, but he didn't care.
Do not take this sector of POLS 111. Clayton has way too specific expectations regarding reading and expects every little detail to be memorized. He will take off points on homework if you don't have a cover sheet or if there's a tear where you staple the sheets. There are other, easier, professors in this class who give the OC credit, take theirs.
Dr. Clayton is not as bad as his reviews make him out to be. If you take his class, please just try. Study for exams, follow his guidelines for briefs/essays, and show up to class. He will help you outside of class and will be extremely helpful if you are professional and respectful. He does care about his students and wants to see them succeed.
Participation is mandatory. Tries to limit textbook usage to help students save money. Four tests and they are 50% of your grade. Multiple legal briefs (2) to write, and they have to be direct to receive full credit--he can be a harsh grader. There are some (few, but some) options for extra credit. He always has office hours after class.
It is clear that Dr. Clayton is passionate about POLS, however, he cannot relay information effectively. His tests rarely reflect the assigned reading or information covered in class. He also teaches sporadically and inefficiently. Additionally, when I reached out to him for help, he essentially told me to "read the book better." Don't his classes.
Do not take this class!!Dr. Clayton is passionate about politics but he does not know how to express that properly through his lectures as he would rather go on lengthy tangents and make wordy tests.He excepts everyone to have the same knowledge that he has, making people feel dumb when they want to participate.He called the 9/11 attacks "alleged".
He gives you the readings, goes over it, and expects you to teach it to yourself.
He just talks for what seems like hours about nothing and then says anything that he said during class is on the exam. Does not go by the study guide and expects you to read and buy a $200 book. You are only graded on exams and quizzes. Do not take if you have accommodations because it will just take 3 times as long to get you're test back.
Dr. Clayton was great, to be honest. It is definitely a hard class, especially if you don't show up to the lectures. My advice: take him. He is a brilliant man and has won national awards. We would be an amazing letter of request. If you read every chapter and come to every class, you are set.
He is a great professor however, he do be makin some crazy jokes. All you need to get a good grade is study the slide shows and go to class. He does say you need to read a text book (I never did) and I still got a B! not bad lol
Class Info
Online Classes
100%
Attendance Mandatory
95%
Textbook Required
100%
Grade Predictor
Your expected effort level
Predicted Grade
B
Grade Distribution
Common Tags
Rating Trend
Declining
-0.56 avg changeRatings by Course
POLSC301
5.0
(1)HIST101
5.0
(1)POLS31550
4.0
(2)POLS101
3.5
(2)POLS111
3.0
(40)Difficulty by Course
POLSCI201
5.0
POLS385
5.0
POLSC301
5.0
POL201
4.2
POLS
4.0