Wonderful teacher, valuable class. Class discusses core philosophical principles and takes an unbiased approach to dissecting arguments and beliefs of world religions. Most tests are take-home. He has a good sense of humor and is very easy-going and helpful. Class is mostly lecture, discussion, and note-taking.

He's a great teacher, he knows how to get the point across, and in a class lke that where it is so hard to knw how to say things, he pinpoints it so we all understand, no matter how high each of our individual understanding is of the subject.

Great teacher, and would recommend any of his classes to any student. He is very clear in the subjects he's discussed. I've taken his Intro. to Philosophy, Intro. to Ethics, and his World Religions class.

I think that he is a fantastic teacher. He is very well informed, and he is helpful too. Dr.Deaver does expect a lot out of you, but it is worth it. I would definitely take his class again, and if you like to have a great understanding of what you are learning, then you should take his classes too. It was an enjoyable experience!

Mr Deaver is very smart and witty. He is a good teacher who knows alot about his subject. This class isnt to hard if you know what he expects. Just take notes, listen and digest it. hes alright but expects alot.

Best teacher ever

Long class periods...No Homework...All we did was sit and take down notes... His test were Essays...1 inclass essays....and 2 take home essays...The last essay is about everything we have learned in class about religions....I really didn't read the text books until the final essay...and I got a B. He might be the smartest person at Rancho..serious

cool dude

Not the easiest grader, but definitely an awesome teacher. He knows his stuff!

Prof Deaver is an AMAZING teacher. I highly suggest everyone take a class with him. He is incredibly intelligent, scholarly, UNDERSTANDING, caring, helpful, and just an all around cool dude. You will take away more than just the material (pertaining to the class) when you leave his class. Youre the best, w/o a doubt, Prof. Deaver :)

Deaver is a great professor! I had him for Ethics. He expects a lot but is very thorough. Open to different points of view. He suggests other points of views without it seeming like he is force feeding you. Is very willing to help out and is very understanding. Project was fun, tests were take home and open book essays. I plan to take him again!

Had professor Deaver for World Religions and he is fantastic. Be aware though that he will hold you to a very high standard on exams. The grade was based on 3 exams, one in-class and two take home. He will give out A's, but only for perfect work, so be sure to write down everything he says. Expect to spend 14 hours on the final exam.

Deaver knows his stuff! He is a great teacher. Its not a class that you just show up to and pass but if you pay attention its pretty easy. I enjoyed it.

Dr. Doug Deaver is a very very intelligent man. He is usually very clear on his expectations. If you try to copy the book, you'll score low. He wants you to UNDERSTAND it and show you understand it. I got an A (probably the lowest A in the history of A's) and I worked damn hard for it, Good class!

he is TOUGH

Unbelievably intelligent. He could be a bit more active in some of his poorer or unfocused classes; but his style is supreme in a class of focused and intelligent individuals discussing anything.

Dr. Deaver is reasonable. He makes it explicitly clear what he expects on your tests: 1 a synopsis of the material 2 YOUR evaluation. Grading is an assessment of your knowledge; if you fail to demonstrate your comprehension of the test?s subject, expect a poor outcome. You WILL get an A if you do what is expected (not a novel concept).

Dr. Deaver is reasonable. He makes it explicitly clear what he expects on your tests: 1 a synopsis of the material 2 YOUR evaluation. Grading is an assessment of your knowledge; if you fail to demonstrate your comprehension of the tests subject, expect a poor outcome. You WILL get an A if you do what is expected (not a novel concept).

Dr. Deaver is an extremely intelligent man. Take his class so you can be enlightened! There is no homework (only reading), just note taking during class, one group project and about 3 tests, two are take-home. You don't need to show up everyday because he doesn't care about attendance. VERY WISE MAN!

Mr Deaver is a very smart man. His class however is super hard! I didnt expect it to be so difficult. Attendance doesnt count, but I went to every meeting and still am getting a D+ in the class. He's straight forward but goes over a lot of info. in a short period of time. Uses a lot of logic and critical thinking.Lots of memorization.Overall-hard

Absolutely the hardest class ever. seriously, the final exam is a 75 page paper on the entire history of religion. he grades extremely tough and most people get C's or D's. this class should be 4 units instead of 3. overall, the HARDEST class you will probably EVER take in your life. read the comments below me and see.

THE hardest class EVER

Deaver is one of the best teachers I have had. His only downfall is that he tends to have some class favorites. Also, he does not curb the class discussion when it gets off topic as much as he should. His class is hard, but you will learn.

EXTREMELY EXTREMELY HARD! read all the comments below about his professor and see. no joke. if you don't drop the class, you will have to work your ass off for a "C" then you will feel like you climbed to the top of mount everest. THATS HOW HARD PROFESSOR DEAVER IS.

good and dedicated professor. HARD AS HELL! you will learn plenty but I promise there is no way you will walk out of the class when its over and not say, "oh my god, that was the hardest class i have ever taken and probably ever will take in my life" that is a guarentee. no joke. very intelligent professor though

If your looking for an easy pass and a laid back class take someone else because you will not get it with Deaver. Treats undergrads like PHD students and although he is a smart and organized teacher, his class is incredibly hard, all the comments below are true. ALMOST impossible to get an A.

I found Dr. Deaver to be one of the most cleaver teachers I ever had. Instead of just spelling out an answer for you he will lead you to understanding through asking questions. Very Socrates of him delivering knowledge from you that you already had. The exams are long, but if you understand the material you should get an A. He is anti-memorization.

I have had Prof. Deaver for World Religions and walked away with an A, and am taking Ethics with him and expect an A as well. The concept is simple: He tells you precisely what he expects from you on assignments. Receiving an A is not difficult if you know how to follow instructions. Enjoyable material. I highly recommend him as a professor.

Professor Deaver's classes are no more difficult than other philosophy classes I have taken. His exams are in-depth and highly note-based, and he thoroughly states what he expects you to provide: Foundational information and your evaluation. Provide these and you will receive an A.

hard class, great teacher. An A is possible, but are just difficult to obtain.

Very interesting and insightful, does not inflect his personal ideas and opinions on students and leaves thoughts and ideas open for discussion. Very receptive and intelligent man.

This class is very interesting and insightful. You will learn more than you ever thought about religion (if you actually attend class). Professor Deaver is a great teacher and his attempts at humor are noble. Overall this is a great class but not an easy A. If you're willing to put in the effort you should get at least a B.

A fantastic professor. He uses the Socratic dialect very effectively. Put in the work, participate and ask questions. It's not easy. It can be an incredibly challenging class. However, it is as a college class should be--enlightening.

helpful, funny at times, wants the best for his students

Really enjoyed this class, Mr Deaver was funny and informative. As long as you do the work you should pass this class. Would recommend

He is an incredibly smart man. His lectures are engaging and funny as hell. It is definitely a class that you look forward to. It isn't an easy class, but it is well worth it with Deaver teaching. His class with blow your mind.

Dr. Deaver is a great professor! He is so eloquent and presents arguments so well. Very interactive and cares about understanding over than memorization. Do not be fooled by this class, it is not an easy A. May seem that way then you get your test back and reality hits you hard. Such a great class and wonderful teacher!

The HARDEST class one can ever take. Smart teacher but painful class. Don't take unless you are taking a LIGHT LOAD OF UNITS because this class will occupy most of your time. The take-home final paper is supposed to be 50-75 pages and hardly anyone gets an A. When its over, you will think this was the most unbelievably difficult class ever!

Class is hard, although attendance is not mandatory, I recommend not missing a class. Very interesting, and he is not a bore. Little bit of a dry sense of humor. Great professor, will take another of his classes.

He is passionate about what he is teaching. makes the students interested. recommend participating. entices questioning. always available for office hours. i am now a master logician. thanks deaver!

CLASS IS HARD!! There is a journal (paper) due every other week on the chapter, 3 take home exams (papers), and a 1 project (term paper). This class took up most of my time and I worked my butt off but I still cannot get an A. I like Deaver himself, though. He's pretty funny, but I wish he would've lectured more instead of students "teaching" us.

very interesting class. He gives essay exams. Has class participation. Dont miss a class you may get lost. Very good professor. Easy to understand.

Deaver is a good professor and his classes are pretty interesting. It isn't an easy class, but obtaining a B grade wasn't too difficult. No homework but has take home essays that require a lot of work. Don't take if you're not interested in World Religions.

Extremely interesting topics discussed in class. He allows for the students to input and debate amongst one another. He's very well educated on each religion in my opinion. The only negative would be the papers that you need to write, including the final. Very time consuming and he doesn't grade easily on them.

Dr. Deaver is a VERY intelligent man, and he does his best to make philosophy interesting. Unfortunately, it can be a very dry subject, no matter how it's taught. You MUST read the book and pay attention in class to get a passing grade. By no means an easy A, but not impossible either.

Such a good teacher, he really inspired me and made me so much more interested in philosophy i have even thought about making philosophy my minor because of his class.

Has an infectious passion for Philosophy. Sadly, he can get a bit too excited about the subject and keeping up with him becomes a challenge. Hard class, but worth it.

I don't understand why anyone should think grades should be easy. College is college. Grades follow us throughout life. Dr. Deaver has inspired me to read material I never would have looked at before.

Absolutely loved having him! I was scared because of the reviews, but an easy A isn't rewarding, especially because you don't learn anything. Work hard, pay attention, and participate! Journals on each section of the chapter due every two weeks, and 3 take home exams (write about 10 pages). Very intelligent professor. And take the Honors class!

Such an awesome teacher!!! His lectures are funny and he is extremely intelligent. A lot of writing but if you take notes it's easy. Learned a lot. Great teacher.

Had him for multiple classes, honestly one of the best and most interactive teachers I have ever had. Has plenty of office hours and is willing to help any student that comes by, likes to get the class participating, and will help you revise rough drafts of your essays even. Overall a sociable and intelligent man.

Had him for Ethics. Awesome course. Highly interactive professor, great sense of humor, incredibly intelligent. He really made me look forward to going to class. A lot of studying, but worth it. (Fall '12)

Took this class to learn about other religions mostly atheist kids arguing. When he did get to lecture he does explain good. His test are pretty hard 2 question take home test turns out to be 15-20 pages of typing and don't get me started with the final. Managed to pass with a B with only 3 things to determine our grade 1 test 1 essay and a final.

Deaver is one of the most intelligent and passionate teachers at SCC. He's extremely helpful; DEFINITELY take advantage of his office hours, especially in regards to the essay exams. It's unreal how much interesting information I learned taking his class. But if you think you'll breeze effortlessly through it all, think again.

Professor Deaver is a true philosopher and wonderful teacher. His lectures are clear and concise and are packed with information. He uses questions very effectively in helping students learn. Deaver is also extremely helpful during his office hours, I recommend that you take advantage of them. He will essentially tell you everything you need.

Easy prof, just go see him in his office for help and follow his notes (take good notes and work from your notes and its an easy pass).

Dr. Deaver is honestly one of the best professors I have ever had the pleasure to encounter. He is very knowledgeable about his field. Going to class is not mandatory but if you want to succeed then its necessary. Also the textbook, "World Relgions" by Huston Smith is the most well-written, well-worded books about religion I have ever read.

Professor Deaver is awesome! I had no interest in this class and only took it because I couldn't get an English class and this replaced the requirement. Anyways it was super tough and I thought about dropping it but I'm glad I hung in there it got a lot easier to understand as time went on. Very kind and helpful professor.

Professor Deaver truly is a philosopher. He knows his stuff down to the bone and does a great job teaching it. Took him over the summer and worked my tail off. Class requires extensive amounts of reading, note taking, and listening. If you want an A, be sure to show up to class, pay attention, and put in the effort. Overall, amazing professor.

Was very nervous when I began the class. THe professor was very helpful and likeable. Group interaction and self opinions are encouraged.

Truly a great professor, clear and concise with grading, lectures and makes it clear on everything that is expected of you. Fair grading, moderate workload.

Deaver is probably one of my favorite professors! He is so knowledgeable about philosophy. Im not a philosophy major but i took 110 and 106 this semester and im taking 108 next semester just because i love his class! Tests are easy as long as you take good notes and write as much as possible on tests. i highly recommend deaver

Deaver is a really good lecturer. He writes the notes on the whiteboard so that you are writing them at the same pace as him. He gives in class and take home finals which means you must be detailed and meticulous in your answers. Don't skip class, or you won't pass them. He's also really good at replying back to emails.

Very helpful when it comes to tell you partial test question, now, make sure you take all notes from the board other wise you will not pass his test. The fist in class essay is ridicule because he wants you to do an essay style right, well if you copy down all info from class as bulet point, you will have an A on the essay as others did in class.

Deaver is probably the best professor at SCC and one of the smarter people I've had the chance to encounter.

I have taken him 3 times for obvious reasons... HE IS AMAZING! Talk to him after class for advice on papers and tests (which are the same thing) and he will grade your papers better based on the fact that you care enough to talk to him. Show up to class!! You will miss critical notes!! Very inspirational and smart. Text book can be useful for final

He's a good teacher! I really recommend taking him as a class if you're thinking about taking philosophy 101. The class wasn't hard, it was pretty easy to understand and compare to some of these teachers on campus, Mr. Deaver can be named as one of my favorite teachers on campus.

I had him for two semesters, that should say enough. From someone who was out of school for five years I found his intro to Philosophy to be an ejoyable class. Lots of writing though, but if you like discussions and being challenged I recommend starting there. I also took his critical thinking class harder, but I still recommend it.

Deaver is very funny. the group project isnt that hard. do the animals group, very easy, and get a lot of feedback from classmates. easy class.

I'm currently taking my third class with Deaver, so that clearly says something. Missing class isn't a good idea, but if you go and take notes, the tests are much simpler. His lectures are fun and interesting and he's always encouraging of his students learning in and out of his classroom. By far one of my favorite professors.

I LOVE Deaver. He is hands-down the BEST Professor I have ever had. That being said, his class isn't easy. It's not difficult, don't freak out, but don't expect to get an easy A or B. But he is very clear and helpful, and I absolutely loved the way he taught his class. Because of him and this class I am minoring in Philosophy!

Deaver lives up to every expectation I had of him. The material is a little difficult and there is a lot to remember, but he is VERY plain with what he wants to see and it's not hard at all if you attend lecture/pay attention. You will learn so much from him, he is worth every difficulty. I will be taking another class with him very soon.

Deaver has a great sense of humor. He challenges your arguments Be prepared to be comfortable with discussions Presentation that you need deliver within 40+ minutes Two textbooks are required You have to earn your grade Because of him, I am now a Philosophy Major Amazing lectures, very easy to follow NO EXTRA CREDIT Tests are hard

No extra credit. The grade you get is fair depending on the amount of effort you put into your assignments. The test are essays and then there is a presentation. Honestly, as long as you pay attention, take notes, and read the book you will be fine. His lectures are very interesting and he is very knowledgeable about what he is presenting.

Deaver is one of the best profs I've ever had. He is kind, funny, respectful, and engaging. He's interactive with the class during lecture & tells stories to go along with the lecture. No HW. Exams were a couple take home essays (which I LOVED). You do have to put a lot of work into the exams and pay attention in class to do well. I recommend 100%!

Deaver is a great professor, but his class is DIFFICULT. You can't slack off on anything, and you need to participate. I have pulled so many all-nighters because of this class. 4-page essays every two weeks, a term paper, 3 take-home exams (do not be fooled, they are not easy), and two 45 minute SOLO presentations. You will be challenged.

His lectures are awesome and his teaching is great. He really knows what he's talking about and teaches in a way that by the end of the semester, you really know what you're talking about. No joke, the answers to his exam papers are the notes you take so copy everything down word for word and you'll have no problem as far as tests are concerned.

Only about 3 papers that were each about 8 pages each (final was 11 pages). I LOVED his lectures &format, but if you skip class& miss notes it will heavily affect your understanding. The textbook is helpful mostly for the final .

The textbook, World Religions by Huston Smith was one of the most insightful, well written, unbiased books I have read to date. I loved Deaver's teaching style and learned so much in his class. I definitely recommend reading the textbook it will help tremendously with your depth of understanding world religions.

Phenomenal Professor. Great mind. During group presentations, his personal beliefs become clear but I vocally disagreed with him regularly and it seemed to have only increased my grade. He loves discussion and discourse. Group presentation. Take home exams in the form of essays, textbook used as a good source. Don't skip class, and take notes.

HE IS AMAZING! even if your major is not philosophy, take his class! his lectures are memorable. he is very well-educated and one of the best teachers at SCC. The group presentation was awesome and not hard to dissect. The tests were take home and not the end of the world. all the material he goes over is mind opening. very class discussion oriente

Class is fun but hard. You will learn a lot, and write a lot. There will be a group presentation near the end of semester, and holpfully your group members don't drop class by then. My group used to have 8 members and 5 of them droped. In the end, the 3 left have to do all the work.

Amazing professor and amazing person. If you do not go to class, it will be extremely hard to land a decent grade on his exams/essays. He does such a masterful job of stimulating discussion and explaining concepts in a clear, thought provoking matter. I had to work pretty damn hard to get my grade, but it was a super enjoyable class.

Let me just say, philosophy is not for everyone and I am one of those people it is not for. However, I still found Deaver's class interesting. 2 of the 3 tests are take home, so if you take good notes and put forth the effort, you will get a good grade. However, if you don't attend and just show up for tests, expect that to reflect in your grade.

Really cares about the class and the students. Wants you to learn and think. Take lots of notes. Stick to the notes, you will pass. Fun material to think about.

Great professor, he only grades one 3 papers which are all take homes. He knows a lot about philosophy and makes the class very interesting. He does not take attendance and does not care about participation.

By far one of the best professors at SCC. This was the first philosophy class I took and I loved it. Just make sure to pay attention to the lectures and take good notes, they're very interesting and lots of open discussions. There are 2 exams in which you get to pick from a list of questions and do it at home. Deaver is truly a gem!

Fun class, very easy if you do good on the exams.

Professor Deaver is awesome. He does create a hard class, but he really helps and encourages you the entire time. The reading is a lot, and weekly, but doable. I had a group presentation and my partner dropped and still had to do the two-week long presentation alone, but he was super understanding and helped me throughout it all a lot. Loved class