3.4

Don Dutkowsky

Economics - Syracuse University

3.4
Quality
3.0
Difficulty
70%
Would Retake
85
Reviews
3.4
Quality
3.0
Difficulty
3.4
Helpful
3.4
Clarity

70%

Would Retake

85

Reviews

Rating Distribution
Official

5

32

4

18

3

10

2

15

1

10

What Students Say

All econ majors should take this class, especially if you are interested in finance/banking

ECN481 - 5.0 rating

Four non-cumulative exams in total, only two written assignments and one extra credit assignment in total

ECN481 - 4.0 rating
Class Info

Online Classes

100%

Attendance Mandatory

6%

Textbook Required

81%

Grade Predictor

Your expected effort level

LowHigh

Predicted Grade

B

95% confidence
Based on 20 grades
Most common grades:
A (7)
C- (3)
C (3)
Grade Distribution
A(9)B(4)C(6)D(0)F(0)A-/B+(1)
Based on 22 reported grades
A: 7
C-: 3
C: 3
B: 3
Common Tags
Clear grading criteria (4)
GRADED BY FEW THINGS (3)
TEST HEAVY (2)
Skip class? You won't pass. (2)
Gives good feedback (1)
EXTRA CREDIT (1)
Tests are tough (1)
LECTURE HEAVY (1)
Rating Trend

Stable

-0.03 avg change
Dec
Dec
Feb
Apr
Jul
Jan
Last 6 months
Ratings by Course

ECO300

5.0

(1)

ECN102

4.6

(9)

ECN101

4.5

(2)

ECN481

4.4

(11)

ECN305

3.8

(4)
+5 more courses
Difficulty by Course

ECN451

4.0

ECN302

3.6

ECON203

3.5

ECN481

3.1

ECN203

3.1

Reviews (85)
5.0
3.0
ECN481
Jun 23, 2002

He really gets you interested in the material so you want to learn

5.0
2.0
ECN481
Dec 14, 2002

No Comments

5.0
2.0
ECN102
Jan 16, 2003

best prof. ive had so far here at SU

4.0
1.0
ECN101
Jan 16, 2003

during a lecture he got a phone call that his father died - and he kept teaching

5.0
1.0
ECN102
Jan 17, 2003

Very Clear Lectures, Nice Guy, Tests Exatcly Follow Material

5.0
2.0
ECN102
Feb 20, 2003

He makes an otherwise boring subject interesting

5.0
1.0
ECN102
Mar 7, 2003

No Comments

5.0
1.0
ECN102
Apr 9, 2003

Tests based only on slides, no text book...a breeze!

5.0
3.0
ECN481
Jul 9, 2003

Simply the best!

5.0
2.0
ECN102
Nov 6, 2003

One of the few teachers that awards you for going to a lecture by basing the tests on what he teaches in class. I find this to be an excellent teaching approach and I find him to be an excellent teacher!

5.0
3.0
ECN481
Dec 31, 2003

Amazing teacher. Difficulty of class depends on your ability to take multiple choice exams. You may not do so well on the exams, but you will learn more in any of his classes than you will with any other professor!

1.0
5.0
ECN102
Apr 13, 2004

No Comments

5.0
1.0
ECN102
Apr 28, 2004

Although econ 102 isn't being offered anymore. Dr. D is the best professor I have ever met here at SU. I honestly believe that if SU had more teachers like him world hunger would disappear. He is just that damn good.

5.0
1.0
ECN302
Aug 27, 2004

He is definately THE best prof SU has. What he teaches you in class will be on the exam. NO SURPRISES. You don't even need a textbook for his MacroEcn classes. He is very clear, understanding, absolutely wonderful.

5.0
3.0
ECN481
Grade: A+
Sep 20, 2004

Wondeful teacher, wonderful person. Take his class and you are guaranteed to learn something practical and useful. He teaches many classes and is definitely a professor you should take!

4.0
3.0
ECN203
Nov 8, 2005

Prof D is a does a good job, there are 4 tests each 35 multipul choice ones, but dont let that fool you, they are very hard and tough to study for! only take this if you need it for SOM!

5.0
2.0
ECN203
Dec 16, 2005

Don is not only a great prof but an amazing individual, as a refugee from tulane post katrina he made me feel welcome and appreciated...take teh honors section its even better..... varsity and such become staples along with wings before tests ..btw he lived teh animal house life at one time so be sure to appreciate ROCK ON DR DON!

5.0
4.0
ECN102
Jan 9, 2006

He changed my life.

2.0
4.0
ECN203
Jun 2, 2006

seriously only take this if you need it for SOM. he's not a bad teacher, but he's not the best try to take evensky or ashby before dutkowsky. lectures are word for word from the notes except for the graphs.

2.0
2.0
ECN203
Oct 24, 2006

He is sometimes boring, and sometimes unclear, but overall he is fair which i think is most important. If your good at multiple choice tests, take this class.

4.0
3.0
ECN203
Oct 31, 2006

My favorite class...

3.0
3.0
ECN203
Dec 15, 2006

GRANDPAAA!! THAT NEVER HAPPENED!! CAN WE GET SOME ICE CREAM GRANDPAAA?! Don is a good professor, make sure you go to class though and try not to get the 8AM class because it is a horrible time. Material is pretty much from the slides but he does include other stuff so I think lectures are essential. Also try and get the TA Ginny Brooks, she rocks!

5.0
2.0
ECN203
Mar 31, 2008

I took the honors course... abolutely awesome. I had to get up to see this guy three times a week at 9:30, including friday, and I STILL liked the class. That's how good he is. Not to mention he's absolutely hilarious... "Grandpa! That's a fantasy grandpa!!!"

2.0
4.0
ECN302
May 5, 2008

you don't need textbook in this class, but he is tough on grading, he'll take out the points for little mistake.

3.0
4.0
ECN302
May 7, 2008

He seems like a nice guy but he is not helpful at all. I met with him and sent several emails asking for help with homework and he provided little or no help. Tests can be rough and he is a tough grader.

4.0
2.0
ECN481
Aug 20, 2008

Don is cool, He reminds me of the bald guy from "The Princess Bride." He grades the tests hard, but gives many curves. Easy A if you pay attention and study his slides. You will learn a lot in the class as well.

2.0
3.0
ECN203
Dec 10, 2008

This man knows economics, but doesn't know how to teach it. He claims his tests don't have trick questions, but the way the questions are worded make them "tricky." He often goes off-topic and has a voice that you can hardly pay attention to for more than a few minutes. This class could have been easy if someone else taught it!

2.0
5.0
ECN203
Dec 11, 2008

HE is so wierd..doesnt know how to teach economics even though he knows all about it. He doesnt help outside the class.his exams are awful! poorely worded

1.0
1.0
ECN203
Apr 6, 2009

Why did he give us so much work today!!!! This is ridiculous

4.0
4.0
ECN203
Apr 12, 2009

he goes off the subject of economics very easily, voice at times is quite annoying, knows a lot about econ but cannot teach it well. Lectures are boring don't sign up for 830 class if you are prone to falling asleep in class

5.0
1.0
ECN203
Apr 15, 2009

I really like this class. People that complain are just lazy! If you just pay attention to his PowerPoints you can learn a lot. He is funny as well!!! I recommend his 203 class, I don't know about his upper level ones.

2.0
4.0
ECN203
Oct 14, 2009

Great subject, but he is not that great at teaching it. His tests are all multiple choice, but they are worded terribly. Lectures are pretty boring. Don't take this class unless you have to.

2.0
4.0
ECON203
Nov 4, 2009

He is a horrible teacher. granted he knows what he is talking about but he doesn't TEACH he just talks. I hate going to his class because he is overly obsessed w/ coffee and talks about it half the time. he's very smart but an idiot when it comes to teaching... does syracuse not check a professors teaching ability?

4.0
5.0
ECN203
Nov 10, 2009

Class is difficult if you don't pay attention and do the homeworks. His test are NOT easy at all. He does give curves because of how hard they are. Positive nice guy, doesn't care if you come to class or recitation

2.0
5.0
ECN203
Nov 10, 2009

So I looked at all the previous posts about Donny D and I just don't understand. He must've taken a crash course in how to be an awful teacher. His class is basically him rambling on about having us caffeinated and about how "this is the real Syracuse weather". Real funny... NOT. Overall just genuinely boring in all aspects.. it's hard not to sleep

2.0
5.0
ECN203
Dec 9, 2009

Dutkowsky is a, nice guy, terrible teacher. He reads his powerpoints quickly through class and is difficult to understand. He words the questions on his homework and tests to hard that I must re-read the question several times. The TA's are only helpful for homework and are useless for tests. I am basically teaching myself at this point.

1.0
5.0
ECN203
Dec 20, 2009

Don is a nice guy, and he will help you if you need it. However, he is an absolutely horrendous teacher because he is terrible at explaining things. He also gives the worst homework assignments because the wording on them is incredibly confusing. His tests are hard because the content is hard to understand and the questions are not worded well.

1.0
4.0
ECN451
Dec 26, 2009

bad bad class...nothing related to anything...readings, tests, homeworks..all unrelated.

4.0
4.0
ECN481
May 8, 2010

It's a highly practical class, and it would be inifinitely better if it wasn't always scheduled at 8am. Pretty straightforward following the powerpoints....overall still worth taking

3.0
1.0
ECN203
Jun 5, 2010

Take the Honors section. There are no tests & although the assignments are mundane, they're super easy. Easiest A I've ever gotten. Don't bother going to class if you don't want to. Don rambles on about nothing & refuses to let u leave early. Bring other homework or a crossword in, it helps to pass the time.

1.0
5.0
ECN302
Jul 7, 2010

ABSOLUTELY NOT FAIR. DID GET As on both exams, but got C+ for no reason. one of my classmates got A even though he did not hand in any homework. STUPID

2.0
3.0
ECNECN
Sep 1, 2010

The majority is accurate, Don is a nice guy but he cannot teach well at all. He is way to confusing. Basically, study the powerpoints, and teach yourself to fully make sense of the powerpoint slides on your own. That's how I got an A-. And I def showed up only 65-70% of the classes.

5.0
4.0
ECN203
Oct 19, 2010

People kind of give him a bad rap on here. His lectures are a little boring, but he is very good at explaining if you take the time to utilize his office hours. He actually cares about his students which is somewhat a rarity in big lecture professors.

3.0
4.0
ECN203
Oct 22, 2010

He's a really nice guy. He's bound to make you laugh. However, do not let his cheerfulness fool you. This class is hard. A lot of people assume multiple choice tests are easy...not for this class. He will put two really good answers that go together, but only one is right. Either study, get a 70 or drop the course...options are...quite limited.

3.0
2.0
ECN203
Nov 14, 2010

I think he explains things well. A lot of other people commented that the class is hard. it's not at all as long as you pay attention and study. 90% of the material is common sense. the other 10% is memorization. study the powerpoints and the graphs, buy economics for dummies and take notes in class, and you'll get an A, for sure. =)

5.0
3.0
ECO300
Jan 21, 2011

Don is a great professor and an even greater person. He really cares about his students and his profession. Those of you who are complaining about his work may need to go and review the proper usage of the word "too".

5.0
4.0
ECN481
Jul 26, 2011

This is one of the best professors at SU. Yea, his lectures were a bit boring at times, but he explains the info really well if you pay attention. He's challenging, but not unfairly hard. Overall, quality professor for a quality course.

5.0
1.0
ECN203
Nov 15, 2011

he is funny and tests are really fair--everything on test is from class notes he has gone over

3.0
3.0
ECN203
Nov 17, 2011

Very boring class. he knows his stuff but doesn't teach it well . class is just 4 35 question tests non cumulative. do the extra credit assignment and DO NOT BUY THE BOOk u will never use it. class is all powerpoint. attendance is not mandatory but u will fall behind if u miss class. if u study u will do fine if not u will have a tough time.

5.0
3.0
ECN203
Nov 18, 2011

Don is a great guy. I would highly recommend him for 203. He is an excellent teacher. Just go to class and pay attention and you'll do fine. Buying the book is a waste of money. Everything on the exams are from lecture. He holds review sessions before each exam, which is very helpful. There's no homework. Your grade is based off of four exams.

5.0
3.0
ECN203
Dec 20, 2011

Dutkowsky is a great guy. It's not impossible to do well. He has 4 non-cumulative tests (35 multiple choice questions). Do not buy the book. You will not need it. Be sure to sit in the front, go to his office hours (having your professor know your name is never a bad thing!), and do the extra credit. Put in work and you will surely see the results.

4.0
1.0
ECN203
Dec 20, 2011

Attendance is not mandatory at all, he basically reads the slides and makes some analogies. If you learn the slides, you'll do extremely well. Received an A and only attended class 1/3 of the time. Very helpful during office hours, and in general a really nice guy.

3.0
5.0
ECN203
Jan 6, 2012

The teacher is unbearably boring, and very unclear. You barely need to attend, just read the powerpoints he posts before the 4 (35 multiple choice) exams. They're very hard and you need to seriously study for them, I made pages of study guides and got 60's on all of them. And DONT buy the book, never used it. I would NOT suggest the class.

5.0
1.0
ECN203
Mar 30, 2012

Received a great understanding of economics from Dutkowsky. His powerpoints are all online before class so and he doesnt take attendance, although I did because he was interesting and a good teacher. Discussions are optional but are useful to go over the optional homework problems. The tests are easy, nothing is cumulative. I highly recommend!

5.0
3.0
ECN203
Apr 20, 2012

Very good professor

4.0
1.0
ECN203
Nov 15, 2012

Very easy teacher. He posts all of his slides on blackboard so you never need to go to class.

4.0
2.0
ECN203
Dec 23, 2012

He is good!

4.0
3.0
ECN203
Jan 5, 2013

He's fine. You can download all the powerpoints, which is the only things that he uses for the tests. His exams are meant to be hard, and some questions can be misleading.

5.0
3.0
ECN481
Grade: A
Oct 28, 2013

Best professor at SU. All econ majors should take this class, especially if you are interested in finance/banking

4.0
3.0
ECN203
Nov 14, 2013

This can be a hard class considering the only things graded are the tests, and they're barely curved. Otherwise, if you go in for help and to the review sessions, he can be very helpful.

1.0
5.0
ECN203
Apr 1, 2014

If you do not understand what is happening in class there is no hope for you. In office hours he is no help, in addition class is just him reading off the powerpoint slides.

5.0
2.0
ECN203
Grade: A
Apr 22, 2014

He is an excellent professor! But you have to go to his lectures to understand what is happening because most of the test is based on what he says. The textbook help sometimes, but not always. He is very cool and excited about what he teaches. He made me very interested in the subject. Highly recommend him :)

2.0
3.0
ECN203
Grade: Not_Sure_Yet
Apr 30, 2014

Even after doing all the optional homework and attending every class, I am not doing as well as I would like to. He grades his whole class based on 4 tests which makes the class more stressful than it should be. Additionally, he is not helpful in office hours and puts out the mentality that he doesn't care about his students.

4.0
3.0
ECN203
Grade: Not_Sure_Yet
Apr 30, 2014

Dutkowsky's lectures are packed with information, but the way he presents his material is often pretty dry. I had him at 8 AM, so staying awake was quite the challenge (even he advises grabbing coffee before class). He can be funny sometimes and definitely knows his stuff. Recommend taking the class, just wished he'd be more compelling.

5.0
2.0
ECN203
Oct 24, 2014

Dutkowsky is absolutely phenomenal. He made me so interested in the topic I will now be declaring a minor. He makes the topic fun to learn. Attendance is not mandatory, but if you do not go to class his test will be very difficult. Go to class and you will ace the tests. He is also amazing with extra help and really wants everyone to succeed.

4.0
3.0
ECN203
Grade: A
Oct 24, 2014

This class only consists of 4 multiple choice exams each consisting 35 questions but don't underestimate it, make sure you study accurately and to detail. the code to getting an A is only study the power points and carefully read test questions as they can be tricky. And, no homework or cumulative exams and he includes 1 extra credit assignment.

3.0
4.0
ECN203
Grade: C-
Dec 14, 2014

He does not stick to the slides when explaining concepts. Not really helpful when it comes to exercises. Has to many corny jokes.

4.0
3.0
ECN305
May 8, 2015

No need to go to class. You can hand in your homework at office. I only went to class 3 times. First day of the class , midterm, and final, but managed to get a B+. He is there to help you. However, if you actually go to his office hour, he is not friendly as he is in class. His lecture is boring. He has a weird sense of humor.

2.0
4.0
ECN305
Sep 29, 2015

Struggling for air in this class. He says he wants everyone to do good but you could tell he doesn't really care.

5.0
3.0
ECN101
Grade: A
Feb 29, 2016

I took 4 classes with Pros. Dutkowsky while at SU. He was great, and I still use the concepts he taught me in his classes. While current students may not always understand how they are relevant, I can attest to the fact that you learn in his class, and you can take the Econ concepts and apply them for years to come.

2.0
4.0
ECN203
Grade: C-
Mar 16, 2016

He's a tricky professor. His powerpoint aren't very clear and his lectures are bad. I've decided to not even bother going to class because I feel Ill do better on my own. Not a fan of him

2.0
5.0
ECN203
Grade: C-
Mar 24, 2016

Horrible!!!!

1.0
5.0
ECN203
Grade: C
May 4, 2016

Dotkowsky is one of the worst prof at SU. His lectures are long, boring and have nothing to do with what's on his tests. Yet the tests are the only grade entered. He treats his students like children. Overall an awful class. No point in going to class because you won't learn anything anyways

1.0
3.0
ECN203
Grade: B
May 4, 2016

Didn't need to go to lectures or recitations however the homework he assigns has absolutely no help when it comes to preparing yourself for the exams

3.0
3.0
ECN203
Grade: B
May 14, 2016

Not as bad as a lot of students say. Tests can be a bit tough, but not horrible. He does not give + or - very often unfortunately so if your 1 point off from an A on all the exams you will get a B instead of A- like most professor. Tests are the only things graded so make sure u do well on them all

1.0
4.0
ECN203
Grade: C
May 29, 2016
Wouldn't take again

He is very boring to listen to so although most of the material on the tests is in the lectures, it is hard to process it.

4.0
3.0
ECN305
Grade: B+
Aug 4, 2016
Would take again

Really nice guy, total jokester in lectures. If you want to get a B or above you should not skip lecture.

5.0
2.0
ECN203
Grade: A
Dec 8, 2016
Would take again

Dutkowsky is a great guy. Go to his lectures and be engaged in the material and you'll get an A. Everything you need to know comes right from the power points. I did well in his class and he wrote me an awesome recommendation for an internship.

GRADED BY FEW THINGS
4.0
3.0
ECN481
Grade: A
Dec 17, 2016
Would take again

Four non-cumulative exams in total, only two written assignments and one extra credit assignment in total.

Gives good feedback
Clear grading criteria
EXTRA CREDIT
2.0
4.0
ECN302
Grade: C
Dec 26, 2017
Wouldn't take again

The tests are only out of 40 points, and there are only 4 tests in the semester, so if you do poorly on even one your grade is shot. The tests are unnecessarily tricky and the practice questions are no help, they're much easier than the tests. Professor is not friendly or helpful during office hours. Do not recommend.

GRADED BY FEW THINGS
Tests are tough
LECTURE HEAVY
3.0
3.0
ECON203
Grade: A+
Feb 18, 2018
Would take again

He is an average teacher for an average class. Don't expect to much out of it, the teacher is extremely lifeless and his lectures hold no punch. Take the class if you just want to get it over with, don't expect much from any of his lectures, use the textbook and you'll be good.

Respected
LOTS OF HOMEWORK
TEST HEAVY
1.0
4.0
ECN481
Grade: B
Feb 26, 2018
Wouldn't take again

He is honestly the worst teacher I've had at Syracuse, I even went to his office hours with questions to make sure I understood the material and he was useless.

TEST HEAVY
GRADED BY FEW THINGS
5.0
3.0
ECN302
Apr 7, 2019
Would take again

Prof. Dutkowski clearly loves what he teaches. He tries to make lectures fun and tries to help you understand. 4 tests and 1 from the first 3 tests gets lowest grade dropped. He doesn't take attendance but if you don't go to class you will be confused. Take lots of notes the tests are open notes! Overall the class is awesome and so is Dutkowski.

Skip class? You won't pass.
Clear grading criteria
Hilarious
4.0
4.0
ECN302
Grade: B-
Jul 2, 2019
Would take again

I took his online class over the summer and it wasn't that hard. 4 homework assignments 50% of your grade and 2 exams 50% of your grade. You're able to use your notes and all course materials for your exam. Watch every single lecture thoroughly (1hr & 40min) and take notes. It might be draining but you can easily get an A like this it's worth it

Skip class? You won't pass.
Clear grading criteria
Lecture heavy
5.0
1.0
ECN305
Grade: A
Jan 7, 2025
Would take again

Easiest class I've ever taken. Such a good professor. Provides all slides and online lecture videos. Only graded on 4 exams and 2 short assignments. Exams are very simple if you watch the lectures. Class requires minimal effort, highly recommend.

Clear grading criteria
Graded by few things
Class Info

Online Classes

100%

Attendance Mandatory

6%

Textbook Required

81%

Grade Predictor

Your expected effort level

LowHigh

Predicted Grade

B

95% confidence
Based on 20 grades
Most common grades:
A (7)
C- (3)
C (3)
Grade Distribution
A(9)B(4)C(6)D(0)F(0)A-/B+(1)
Based on 22 reported grades
A: 7
C-: 3
C: 3
B: 3
Common Tags
Clear grading criteria (4)
GRADED BY FEW THINGS (3)
TEST HEAVY (2)
Skip class? You won't pass. (2)
Gives good feedback (1)
EXTRA CREDIT (1)
Tests are tough (1)
LECTURE HEAVY (1)
Rating Trend

Stable

-0.03 avg change
Dec
Dec
Feb
Apr
Jul
Jan
Last 6 months
Ratings by Course

ECO300

5.0

(1)

ECN102

4.6

(9)

ECN101

4.5

(2)

ECN481

4.4

(11)

ECN305

3.8

(4)
+5 more courses
Difficulty by Course

ECN451

4.0

ECN302

3.6

ECON203

3.5

ECN481

3.1

ECN203

3.1

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