3.1
Quality3.7
Difficulty46%
Would Retake104
Reviews46%
Would Retake
104
Reviews
Rating DistributionOfficial
5
33
4
16
3
15
2
14
1
26
What Students Say
“He wants you to think on your own”
PHI121 - 5.0 rating“is the best to take for any phi class”
PHI121 - 5.0 ratingClass Info
Online Classes
100%
Attendance Mandatory
64%
Textbook Required
0%
Grade Predictor
Your expected effort level
Predicted Grade
B
Grade Distribution
Common Tags
Rating Trend
Declining
-1.36 avg changeRatings by Course
PHILOSOPHY
5.0
(2)SOC123
4.0
(2)PSY223
4.0
(1)PHI23
4.0
(1)HIS258
4.0
(1)Difficulty by Course
PHI232
4.3
HIS258
4.0
HIST258
4.0
ETH
3.9
PHI123
3.8
Reviews (104)
Are you taking is class? I don't think so... Always teaching trying hard to make students understand that they have to have their own opinions. Not easy to pass the class if you do not study. If you do study it is an easy A
Are you in his class? I have to say that that it is a Hard class if you don't study... If you do It is an easy A. Seem to me that He is also trying hard to invite students to think with their own head. I like It.
Simply the best professor I ever had. Only defect his Accent.
Giuseppe is great. If you don't have much interest in philosophy, he'll definitely get you hooked. Failure to get the grade you want is your own fault. He is more than fair with the way he grades exams and papers. Give a little effort and you'll see a lot in return
One of the best teachers at Middlesex. First class I had that actually made me think and not memorize. He is extremely clear about the assignments and what is expected of you. I loved going to his class and thinking about what we discussed at home.
He may come off a little strong in the beginning but once you learn exactly what he wants out of you, its not that bad, read read read!!! it'll help. Give it a chance you'll most likely like it in the end. Down to earth guy, as long as you're open minded and not stuck on one topic. Thats what I learned.
Coolest teacher! The only thing hard about his class is trying to understand when he says "turtle" in his accent...If you can think on your own you'll pass with flying colors.
The class is very enjoyable. The topics are great and he allows constant debate. The problem I have with the class is there are almost no chances to catch up if you make a mistake, ex. bad grade on a paper. He allows no make ups and will not do anything to allow you to improve your grade. It's a shame because otherwise it would be incredible.
Try to grab a front row seat for this class because this professor speaks very softly. You MUST read the book and know the material because his tests are tricky. He is a very fair grader on his papers which makes up for the tests. Really interesting lectures!
awesome professor, nice clothes! try to sit up front so you can understand what he's saying because he speaks softly. His tests are hard but the papers balance it out. His lectures made me think and explore things out of my comfort zone.
Awesome guy! I hated the thought of ethics but he made it really interesting. Lots of strange scenarios that really make you think in a way you normally would not. You can really learn a lot from this guy. Easy and fair grader too. definitely recommend him!
Great Class. I was worried about taking Ethics, but this teacher definitely made the class interesting. Not much homework, a weekly chapter summary & 3 papers throughout the semester. gave us the option of doing a book report for the final or a cumulative final. Grades fairly! Very nice guy, would highly reccommend him!
working har and attending to classes will guarantee your promotion!
Nice guy and a fair grader. As long as you put the effort, you will do fine. Tests are very specific so reading the chapters is a must.
I had him for Philosophy and we was an absolutely amazing professor. You read condensed chapters for homework and write summaries, then you discuss the main philosophical ideas. Think and pay attention, that's all it's really about.
I don't know what was going on with him during the semester I took him...but He never gave a paper or quizzes or tests. He only gave us a midterm and final. Both were based on his lectures. If you pay attention to his lectures and read the chapters accordingly, you will do fine. Also, the midterm and final were oral. Overall, nice guy.
Dr Rotolo is a smart and soft spoken guy who wants his students to put their thinking caps on. He relates well to the topic and go the extra mile to help students understand. As long as you take good notes, read the text and be able to apply the theories to real life situations, getting an "A" would be as easy as anything. Take him.
Oral Midterm and Final. Summaries for each chapter due at the end of the semester. 10% Class Participation grade, if you miss class, he'll grade you harsher. These are your only grades. Chances are, he'll miss more classes than you will (he missed 4 this semester, it's a once a week course). You won't get an A, you won't learn.
He is a very intelligent man. I had him for Ethics however his classes are short and doesn't cover any real material from the book. Lectures consisted of general discussion with little to do with the course work. It has up to me to study and read, not very good since I paid to teach myself. No writing at all just oral tests. Fun class.
Professor Rotolo was a pretty good professor, class was interesting and he let us out 1-2 hours early which was fun
Good Professor
Take this professor, he is great if you work hard
He wants you to think on your own. Participate, study and you will be passing with a good grade.
The class was very interesting but I do not recommend taking it if you are not willing to do the work! It is a lot of reading and writing and some of the material takes time to fully grasp. The exams are not easy, you will have to study A LOT. Great class if you are interested in philosophy and have a good work ethic.
class lectures were interesting . I just didn't like how he gave oral exams !! those were the worse. you get tested in the front while the class is sitting behind you listening. if you have anxiety this class isn't for you.
This was interesting don't get me wrong, i didn't like few things. We had 3 test, each of which is oratory. You sit in front of the class & he asks 3 questions from any 4 chapters he assigned and not a lot of time to answer. 2 essays & reflections on every chapter. We didn't use the book in class but needed for reflections. Good guy, not good class
He's good
Good professor, made me a better student
He was a great teacher just focus on your reflections, study and pay attention in class. Hes a really interesting guy that can give you opprotunities.
The main reason there's a low rating for this professor is because of the oral exams. To be frank I was intimidated at first as well, HOWEVER, if you pay attention to his amazing lectures and read the readings when assigned, and look it all over you'll be set. It's not a hard class, he lays it out on the syllabus. If you like philosophy -TAKE HIM.
Professor Rotolo is a phD in Philosophy, he is the most qualified teacher you can ever have, he loves what he teaches, he cares about his students, and will do anything he can to help you if you show a genuine will to learn. Pay attention in class, take notes, study, participate: you will learn and love Philosophy, and your grade will be: A.
He makes you write reflections on the reading material each week. His directions are to summarize the reading and analyze. After my first reflection he wrote needs more detail. I emailed him asking how much detail was needed since I wrote a 2 page paper and he never answered. His grading is all over I never know what he's looking for in my papers.
Very straight forward class. Lecture, weekly "reflections" (summaries of the readings) they are all due at end of semester. 2 in class essays. Midterms and Final are oral! So make sure you're able to speak face to face with the class behind you. (It really wasn't as bad as you think) Rotolo is extremely intelligent and knows his stuff.
Stay on top of the journal assignments, this will prepare you for the tests and essays. The format I followed was: 1) synopsis, 2) affirm historical contribution, and 3) critique. Don't be intimidated by oral exams. If you do above, and understand the main themes in the schools of ethics, and remember terms and authors. You'll do fine.
Professor Rotolo is a nice guy. He's funny. This class was called History of Women. He provides the book for the course. I didn't read and still received an A. Just take good notes and you'll pass. The midterm and final are oral, two in class papers and 7 reaction papers. The only thing I didn't like doing was a summary after each reading.
I took this class thinking it'd be easy since I've taken Women's History before but credits didn't transfer... I had a 4.0 GPA and am somehow doing poorly in this class, even though I read, take notes and have a fairly good general understand of the material. He is an extremely tough grader on papers and, although a nice guy, I don't think fair.
This professor will change the way you think of college. He changed my life!
Rotolo teaches Ethics very well. The class itself can be confusing at times but if you read the chapter in the book it usually helps. There is an oral midterm and oral final. You have to do reflections on every packet you get and every chapter you read. Definitely a difficult class at times but Rotolo is an amazing professor.
Second time taking him since PHI 121, he is still the most competent professor I had; I have the utmost respect for him. His lectures are amazing and thought provoking. Oral exams are easy if you do the reflections on time. He lists what he expects from you in the syllabus. Def recommend the philosophy club if you're more interested in the subject.
I took phil-123 and found it very interesting. The lectures were usually easy to understand, I would not suggest missing them. You do have to read and write about chapters and many packets throughout the course. Although this is time consuming it helped better understand the material
He answers your emails 1 week to 2 weeks later. Be prepared to read the entire textbook by the end of the semester, I took him for an online class on top of 3 other classes and compared to the other classes he just gives too much work a discussion board every week and 2 summaries on the chapter every week and once in a while essays. Ridiculous
Reflection summaries on ALL chapters covered and readings given out. 2 in-class essays and pop quiz minute writings. Both midterm and final are oral (know key terms, their meanings, and important people youll be fine) PARTICIPATION MATTERS! But overall he is really nice and will joke around
I took him for my online class, tried my best not to drop out but I had to. He assigned work every week that I guess was straight forward but even with a lot of information it was still not enough. Other people told me that online classes are much more organized and active then what he provided. Also he did not give good feedback.
Professor Rotolo is literally the man that inspired and encouraged me to do philosophy. His guidance and teaching gave me a new outlook on everything around me and myself. He genuinely cares for all of his students and wants to guide them and help them to become their best selves and to reach new levels of thought. I am incredibly thankful for him.
interesting class! hes really nice and cares for everyone and is super understanding. Its some work but as long as youre not super lazy, its completely managable. Loved his class
Dr. G. is the best to take for any phi class! Best advice is to write yr reflections right away after each lecture. Participate and ask questions will help u understand, start the oral exam with what u know and u will def pass! Hes real and funny and knows his stuff. Just respect him and take his class seriously its worth it
Prof. Rotolo does Philosophy justice. He doesn't tell you how to think. He asks questions to help you uncover the meaning and implications of what is being said on your own. His class changed my life, reflections, quizzes, exams, all of it is his grandeur picture of making you a critical and independent thinker. I'd rate him higher if I could.
Professor Rotolo online class can be difficult since he does not give much feedback on your essays, reflection or discussion post. The book is mandatory but the online version cheaper, the essays MUST BE APA style, the reflections keep them short (1 page) and to the point, it is important not to miss anything since he does not assign any EC.
The most work I've ever had to do since attending MCC. After every class you have to read about 15-20 pages of some packet he gives you plus the chapter he assigns. You sit infant of the class and he asks you random questions for the midterm and the final is a 10 page research paper. DONT SIGN UP FOR HIS CLASS
Great professor that is really motivational when he teaches Ethics. Theres a lot of reading and grading is heavy on the essays and the midterm/final, so make sure you know all that youre reading. Had him during the COVID transition and he handled it well. Overall, really cares for his students!
I took this class as a 4 week online course, His class is pretty easy and straightforward, just follow the grading criteria and read the syllabus. Get ready to read a lot of pages tho. The book is required
I took Professor Rotolo summer 1 course and in the beginning, it was frustrating because of the number of readings he gives out plus reflections, discussion at least 3-4 per week, and other assignments. Do the work and make sure you meet his requirements for each assignment and textbook is a must for the reading assignments.
DO NOT TAKE HIS CLASS. Harsh grader, doesnt appreciate the effort you put into the huge load of homeworks he assigns. You have to discuss topics with your classmates through recording videos and uploading them on Flipgrid, instead of just zooming..? Doesnt accept late work even if you have a family crisis. Doesnt provide you with feedback.
Extremely strict with his grading. Literally grades as incomplete for minimal error. Then he sends an email to drop out if you are struggling and that he doesn't encourage his students to. The fact you have to send that kind of an email shows he has many students taking his class that struggle and probably does this often. Would NOT recommend.
Gives little to no feedback,if you dont reach out to him you wont know where you stand. He literally gives incompletes for the smallest things
Doesnt provide feedback and gives incomplete grade for the smallest mistake. You are left in the air and without knowing your grade for the entire semester because he doesnt provide an actual grade. He knows his stuff. I did learn a lot from the textbook and his lectures, but the way he runs is class is odd.
Does not give feedback and gave me an incomplete for a minor error he doesnt encourage students.
If you do not want to write and submit a 27 single spaced page paper do not take this class. Im sure he is a good guy but its just too much work. He responds to emails well. The material is not bad its just too much work for this class.
I took his online class and if you want to pass his class you have to be disciplined. Most of the assignments are on flipgrid and if you dont want to type a 25 page paper the night before its due, you should start at the beginning of the semester. He doesnt give much feedback on assignments. Does respond well to email.
The professor gives you an incomplete for the smallest mistakes. You are not graded based on 70s, 80s etc... you either get a 100 or a 0. So, this class is all or nothing. It taught me to be disciplined. You also have to write a 25 single-spaced paper. I have never written so much in my life. This is approximately 18,000 words.
This class just adds more to your already busy lives. A lot of reading, and sometimes you can even do a assignment for him just to find a small error and give it a incomplete grade. Pretty much, you have a high chance of wasting your time for no reason. Also, get ready to do a 20+ page essay at the end of the semester. Dont recommend.
You will write nearly 30 single-spaced papers in this class. You also have to write 2 essays that have to be 3 full pages. He either gives you a 100 or a 0 for your work. He is not rude to students, but you will be reading A LOT. The textbook is green and is free on libgen, 9th edition. If you can find a better ethics 1 teacher, take their class.
Course load extremely heavy
Recently wrote a bad review because i let my emotions get the best of me Professor Rotolo is a tough grader if you dont put the work in but a good professor and will talk to you when needed and answer questions over email does a great job with his class and students tough professor but is just looking to do whats best for you!
Grades are either a 0 or a 100. Heavy use of the textbook and outside reading material. Not accommodating AT ALL and accepts no late work at all. Would not take again.
Terrible professor. SO MANY papers every single week. At LEAST four reading materials every single week. Takes off points for tiny little things and doesn't give you percentages, it's basically 100% or fail. Incredibly stubborn and lazy, doesn't take late work because he doesn't want to grade it. CHOOSE A DIFFERENT PROFESSOR.
Harsh grader. Either you will receive incomplete, pass or exceptional. Those are your grades, literally. A lot of reading and single spaced essays. Takes no exceptions for late homework. Does not care what happens in your life for anything and just expects the work to be absolutely perfect. He is not a caring professor at all. Beware !!
I had Rotolo 2x a week, and on each day, there would be one reading from the textbook assigned, and one reading from an excerpt or philosophical story. For each of these readings, you have to write a page summarizing it, and all of the pages are due at the end of the semester. It's a lot of work if you don't keep up with it, but he is very fair.
Assigns a lot of busy work and does not consider students time. I understand that University is a "full-time" thing but so is life. Some of us have jobs, kids, etc. His workload is extremely heavy, assigning anywhere from 2-3 essays per week along with readings. We have other classes and responsibilities, please respect our time.
Professor Rotolo is a very nice and funny professor. He does give about 2 readings for each class and you need to summarize each but are not due until the end of the semester. I really like this professor and always have a good time in class. As long as you keep up with your summaries and attend class this class is an easy A.
Everything is either 100 or 0. If your missing something thing you wont get credit. His work load was unnecessary and assigned way to much reading. Papers are single spaced. The effort I was putting into his class was more than all my other classes combined. Please Dont take Rotolo. I had to withdraw after several weeks but those weeks were hell
I was very scared taking this Professor after reading these reviews. However, I found out that people do understand what he askes. There is a specific grading policy that helps students. You can fail a lot of assignments and still get an A for the class. Also, the papers that are single spaced are just one page summaries, not all of it. Take him!
Despite the reviews, this is actually a great Professor and getting a good grade is fairly easy. Make sure to read the material and the syllabus and you will have a great time in class. Philosophy is fun and he does it justice. If I could, I would take him again! Don't be worried about the reviews, give him a shot, you won't regret it.
DO NOT TAKE THIS CLASS. I am a straight-A student and ended up with a C. He is unclear about directions and grading criteria and gives no feedback on assignments. Overwhelming work load and unusual class structure make it impossible to succeed.
The class was really enjoyable! I wasn't doing good at the beginning of the semester, but his strange grading policy allowed me to end up with a B+. Read the syllabus, do you weekly assignments, and you will easily pass this class. He also responds to emails quickly. I would take him again in a heartbeat!
swag prof
Not bad, just lots of reading and writing. Can be a heavy topic but the reading is straightforward and the summary page reflects opinion based on topic. Easy enough you can use as a filler class but not so easy its just skating by.
Overall this professor was good. He brought the subject to life but sometimes the work was just exhausting. I wish he left more feedback on assignments and you have to be meticulous about your work if you want to get an A. I would make sure you like philosophy before taking this class because if you don't, the assignments will make your head hurt.
Overall the course wasn't hard or overtly difficult, but the Professor is extremely harsh on grades and provides absolutely no leniency. I made 3 different attempts to reach out over the span of 2 weeks to discuss something exigent and was ignored all 3 times. The only feedback I ever received was "Good work!" on an assignment, nothing more.
he is very nice and his lectures are extremely interesting. only bad thing is there is a decent amount of homework and he uses his own grading scale, which got confusing.
Honestly, just keep up with everything in class and do the assignments as they are posted and you'll be fine. Nothing to stress out about. Papers were easy to write as long as you spoke your mind. He doesn't care too much about the English side of papers and overall a good class. Pay attention and you'll enjoy it, and learn a lot in the process.
This professor was absolutely horrible in his grading. He wrote the wrong dates on all of his modules on Canvas, and then graded "late" because in the assignments there was a fine print that read a different due date. I tried to reason with him, but he ignored my part about the wrong due date. Management of class is very bad. Assignments are easy.
2 papers, a few discussions and assignments. This can be an easy class if you stay on top of assignments!! Read the syllabus and make sure you hit every mark on the assignments or he'll take some points off. idk why people give him a bad rating... he doesn't have a VERY clear grading criteria but it's pretty self explanatory. take him!
Took him online for philosophy and let me warn you, do not take him. He was unresponsive the whole semester and gave me 0 for assignments which I had done. I had to reach out to the chairperson because there was no forms of communication and that was not much help either. All my hard work was for nothing. Worse experience with any professor !
Don't take this professor.
If you are lazy don't take this course. Long essays, long discussions, very dense long readings. It's passable but you have to lock in bro, lock in. Do the additional assignments bro idc if your a lazy bum do them all, don't wait until last minute to write the essays bc you will hate ur life and he dont give extensions.
very fun professor to have. work isn't too hard.
I took this prof because he had a lot of good reviews. He gives a lot of work that is too complicated and if you do assignments incorrectly he gives you a 0. I handed in almost every assignment and still failed the course. Although this was an online course, he barely taught or gave materials to help. DO NOT TAKE HIM!
His class was just annoying overall. His assignments take forever and if you don't follow his rigid guidelines, he claims he will give an automatic 0 for the assignment. He also is HORRIBLE at replying to emails. He doesn't give any extra credit and is very unforgiving even at the slightest thing. He's an alright professor but he's a last option
Final essay grade are not graded on the basis of content but it was graded on the basis length as it was just 2 lines less than the full 3 page , this thing made a 40 percent drop in final essay. So make sure to write in excess rather than focusing on the content
such an amazing professor. cares a lot about engaging students and making sure they understand the content. my favorite professor I've ever had!
Worst professor I have ever had. I'm a straight-A student, this is the only C I have ever received. Unresponsive and confusing. Course content is pointless. All he does is assign readings— does not teach. Spreads harmful, ultra-conservative and racist rhetoric.
DO NOT TAKE THIS PROFESSOR! By far worst academic experience you can sign yourself up for. Even if this is the last class available, dont. Very unclear grading, does not provide any feedback to help you improve. Oh & when you start failing the class because of this, he wont answer any emails, expect to wait about 4-5 business weeks for a response.
No shade to this professor; much shade to the class. He's usually like 3 weeks behind on grading papers. You can have a B but then drop down to a D because of your assignment a MONTH ago. This is very bad because this is a half semester course. Imagine the course ends and you're unable to drop? The layout of the course is OKAY but not clear either.
Decided to write more (I'm the person who wrote the review below this). One time when I asked him for clarification on what the question was asking on an assignment he told me “it's in the module/assignment”, has his PhD in being sassy. Surprisingly is head department of social sciences but doesn't seem very social.
To everyone who decided to take this professor, please avoid him at all costs. I am currently taking his class for ethics, and he is a horrible grader and the assigments he assigns are not clear at all and rather confusing. Professor Rotolo is a horrible emailer as well and always writes one liners instead of explaining him at full detail.
I am WARNING you. DO NOT take this professor. I've never done a rating on a professor before. But, I had to come on here to tell you guys. DO NOT TAKE HIM. He does NOT respond to his emails, and he grades assignments a month later. He will fail you and will not give you any time to fix it.
I had Giuseppe when my dad died, and despite emailing him multiple times about the situation I was ignored and given 0's for attendance. When I asked him about office hours and extra time for an assignment I was told by him to drop the class. He completely lacks empathy and respect towards his students, despite teaching ethics.
Forced to withdraw from this class after receiving multiple zeroes on assignments I spent hours completing. The professor showed no remorse and gave me four zeroes in a row based off false assumptions. He takes several days to respond to emails despite insisting in his syllabus that he replies within 24 hours. Awfully frustrating experience. -$430
I usually don't write ratings, but I think this is necessary. He's just ridiculous, he gives out zeros like it's candy and constantly accuses of AI use when even when the turnitin score is a straight up 0. I had to drop the class or he was going to fail me. DON'T TAKE HIM
If you have integrity, this class is super easy. He is super detail oriented and you have to read the syllabus to understand what the standards are. What I noticed is that everyone who got zeroes admitted to using chatgpt in our group chat at one point. Just don't cheat in ethics class and you should be fine. Thought that was common knowledge, idk.
Don't even think about ChatGPT, literally. He does not play. Just read, take notes and do your work the old fashioned way.... TRUST!
Had him for an online philosophy class. He doesn't give any feedback, doesn't respond to emails, and he grades you on a few assignments. If you use ChatGPT don't take this class, you'll fail. If your honest w your work you'll do fine. Expect a lot of lectures and readings.
Really tough grader. Gives literal zeros if anything is detected to be AI or instructions aren't followed, doesn't allow you to explain.
Class Info
Online Classes
100%
Attendance Mandatory
64%
Textbook Required
0%
Grade Predictor
Your expected effort level
Predicted Grade
B
Grade Distribution
Common Tags
Rating Trend
Declining
-1.36 avg changeRatings by Course
PHILOSOPHY
5.0
(2)SOC123
4.0
(2)PSY223
4.0
(1)PHI23
4.0
(1)HIS258
4.0
(1)Difficulty by Course
PHI232
4.3
HIS258
4.0
HIST258
4.0
ETH
3.9
PHI123
3.8