3.0
Quality4.6
Difficulty40%
Would Retake89
Reviews40%
Would Retake
89
Reviews
Rating DistributionOfficial
5
24
4
17
3
18
2
13
1
17
What Students Say
“Otherwise, go with a nicer, more approachable professor”
ENG - 2.0 rating“Gordan Van Ness is the worst teacher i ever had”
ENG203 - 2.0 ratingClass Info
Attendance Mandatory
94%
Textbook Required
50%
Grade Predictor
Your expected effort level
Predicted Grade
C+
Grade Distribution
Common Tags
Rating Trend
Stable
-0.12 avg changeRatings by Course
5
5.0
(1)AMLIT
5.0
(1)ENGL230
5.0
(1)WR
5.0
(1)ENGLISH324
5.0
(1)Difficulty by Course
209
5.0
ENGLISH
5.0
USLIT
5.0
ENG331
5.0
AMLIT
5.0
Reviews (89)
YOU SUCK!!!!! He bases his opinions on students by their works cited page...better not leave out a coma!
No Comments
AVOID!
If you by some misfortune are forced to take his class, SEE HIM IN HIS OFFICE! BUG HIM ABOUT EVERYTHING!! THAT'S THE ONLY WAY TO SURVIVE IN HIS CLASS! Which isn't a good strategy for teaching...
I had to drop this class, it was so difficult. This class is great for English majors, but not for anyone else.
Van Ness belongs on another campus with prof's who push as hard as he does. I learned more in that class than any other, even if it caused a nervous breakdown!!
GRRR!! Of the orignial 30 students in the class, only me and one other person were around at finals, wish he graded on a curve :( P.S. Always visit him
Hard as hell class. be prepared. Ask questions outside of class. And if you are a female -flirt. If you are a guy - withdraw into Flanagan's class.
One of the greatest single professors I have ever had. Always pushing students to work harder than they have before, and very approachable. He does not "give" A's, and some people have a hard time dealing with that...
HE IS A TOTAL ASS! worthless teacher, finds it more amusing to put you down than anything else. Believes that women are so much better than men and he grades accordingly!!! IF YOU VALUE YOUR COLLEGE CARREER AVOID!!!!! AVOID!!!! AVOID!!!!
Smart man, but goes WAY overboard in an intro course. Tried to kill us with outrageous papers. Dont take.
Do not take. Treated an English 100 class like a 300 level english majors class. Lives to be an **** and convince you of how dumb you are. Had a 40 page final paper due along with 5 other 10 pagers. That's first semester of Remedial Freshman English.
A terrible man. Not helpful and tries to make you look dumb if you have an interpretation different from his. He likes you to come to his office, but I'd rather get a lower grade. Creepy.
So the first thing he told us was that if we were taking this class for a gen ed requirement that we were in the wrong class! I was only in it for 3 days before I dropped it!
Although he is difficult, he is always willing to take time and meet with you. He does have a habbit of making you feel like an idiot sometimes but only if you don't read what he assigns. I like him but I don't think I would like to have him again.
Van Ness is a teache that you will learn from but be prepared to put forth the effort. He will help you in any way possible and is an exceptional teacher. He commands excellence and you will leave with it. Take him if you want to learn something.
First thing he told us in class was about the death of his wife and that he was bitter at the world. Out of about thirty of us only five took the final (one being me) and I failed. Berates students in class. Bitter, angry old man. Avoid
The hardest English teacher i've ever had, but the BEST. I learned so much in this class. Go for help outside of class and show an interest. That will help you out!
You're best bet is to go to him and get help. He is always willing to help students and expects them to be above the rest. He does not "give" out good grades you have to be willing to earn them and try your best!
amazing teacher. i learned so much from him, but it was because i put forth the effort. if you want an easy class, this is not it! read the assignments, he doesn't tolerate you not doing them. for papers, go to him outside of class! you wont regret it
This man is satan in human form. He makes you feel stupid about not knowing the right answer in class. He will tell you that your paper is correct and then when you turn it in, he fails you. It's stupid that he fails you for 1 missing comma in the pledge.
blah, guy is a goof
Only his interpretation of material is right. Disagree with him and he tries to make all the class laugh at you. Avoid.
You better be ready to work hard, but the end result is well worth the work and effort you put into this class. I have learned more from the 1 semester I had with Dr. V then I have in the past 14 years of my schooling! THANKS A LOT! :-)
He will work you as if you're his only class. He will fail you for a slight error in the work cited page or for not writing the honor code on your paper. He will stress you to the very max. He also makes you feel stupid in front of the entire class and assumes we all understand we everything he says
AVOID THIS MAN. He's not that hard b/c all you have to do is regurgitate his opinions, but he is EVIL. He actually suggested I skip my grandmother's FUNERAL to avoid missing his class. I HATED this man and his classes... and I loved Dr. Craft, so that's saying something.
Heis super hard, especially if you take his class back to back...the work load is ridiculous. He thinks his class is the only one you have and will make you read a 400 page book at the end of the semester when you already have 2 of his papers to do and 2 of his finals to study for.
Really guys, how hard is it to write the Honor Code exactly right when it is sitting at the front of the room? Dr. VanNess is amazing and he made me work for every grade I got. Yes, it is a really hard class but I DID learn more from him than any other teacher I have ever had. HIGHLY recommended for serious students.
he is super hard, but brilliant. he teaches you to learn from your stupid mistakes, like not knowing the Honor Code. i learned a lot in his class and he made me passionate about reading, the thing i hate most!
I love Dr. Van Ness he is so cute but he is extremely hard...his tests are killers!
he's very hard, no freshman (especially not english majors) should have to take this man. he wants you to think exactly how he does and not form your own opinions.
He is a brilliant man, who is passionate about his subject matter. Though his courses are hard, and he makes you work for your grade, you can learn vast knowledge from this man!
Not quite Satan, but a damned scary little man. That said, he's brilliant and his classes have been the most satisfyingly challenging ones I've ever taken. But he's still scary. Very scary.
If you aren't planning on working hard, then don't even consider him, though it's nice to be challenged. He knows his class is tough and tells you to have meetings with him in order to do your best. He is honest about how hard the tests are. It was hard but I have learned a lot. What else would you expect of the department head?
Yes, his class is a "tad" difficult, but it is interesting and he is willing to help you. If you take the time to read what is assigned, take really good notes, and meet with him in his office a few times to dicuss papers and progress, you'll do great. Do NOT procrastinate on his papers and DO get him to look over your papers before they are due.
Dr. VanNess is a great professor! He may be difficult but if you interract in class and visit his office, believe me it helps out greatly! I suggest taking any type of course from him!
Dr. Van Ness well worth the difficulty if you have the time and dedication to give the class; you will learn so much. If you are taking him, then MEET WITH HIM OUTSIDE OF CLASS! It is essential to do your best and a great help on papers, during class discussions, and for papers, which he will revise for you as much as you need until it's due.
Ahh, the infamous Mr. Van Ness. Pros: He expects a lot from his students and is available for outside help. Cons: He is not a fair grader, definitely plays favorites, is very egotistic, and plays games with students (he'll get pissed out of nowhere and cancel class- right after a major paper is due... wonder why.)
A scary man with a napoleonic disposition. You will fail a test if a word of the honor code is mispelled, or there is comma out of place.
I encourage all students considering an English major to take his 333 course as soon as possible. It is an excellent barometer of your abilities, because Van Ness grades you on the quality of your work. The grade you receive is the grade you have earned. This is college.
he's a horrible teacher
It is IMPOSSIBLE to get above a C on any of his papers. It takes hours and hours to write one of the 10 papers he assigns for the semester. He definitely has favorites, but it won't affect your grade. It will just affect how much he randomly calls on you. He means well, but treats everyone like an English major.
Difficult professor definitely expects a lot out of students, however, he is always there to help. There are times when he can seem a bit intimidating to people. His assignments alone are intimidating. I was surprised to see him teach a general education course with non English majors. In my opinion he should only teach upper level English majors.
No Comments
His class is probably the most pointless and boring class I've ever taken. He grades too hard, and there are teachers much easier than him! DO NOT TAKE HIM! That is the best advice I could give anyone!
Do not take Dr. Van Ness unless you are serious about learning. He will not patronize his students and expects nothing but top performance from them. If you expect to breeze through, take someone else. If you want to learn, I highly recommend Dr. Van Ness. He is old school, but a good mix of professors ='s a great education.
Worst experience of my life. I went to his office for two weeks straight to get help on a big 10 pager we had due, and I was pysched cause I thought I would get a good grade. I failed it because I made one mistake in my works cited. He's So NUTS. He DEF. has favorites. He'll make you feel stupid in class if you don't agree with him. I HATE HIM.
I LOVED him!!! i thought that he was one of the best professors that i have ever had. His teaching methods seemed extreme at first because i didn't have any other professor that were as divoted as he was. If you needed help his office door was alway open for questions and help. He is an EXTREMELY gifted Porfessor and you would be lucky to have him.
He's a cute old man. Dr. Van Ness does have his favorites, but work hard and participate in class, and you will be one of them. Take drafts of papers to him. He is more lenient with some people (not necessarily his favorites), but I EARNED a B+ with no leniency.
Most of his grading is dependent on his mood at the time- I got everything from As to Fs on papers. He also is super strict on stupid things, to the point that he will fail you if you misplace too many commas in a paper, or mess up the period or comma on the honor code. I will never, NEVER take him again.
Avoid unless you're serious about working hard. He will meet you at the level of work you're willing to put in.This is not a profesor for lightweights. Much reading. Not an easy professor, but an A means more from this guy than from others.
No Comments
Very difficult professor. He is extremely intelligent, a brilliant critic of literature. However, he teaches the course as though it were graduate level; he expects your papers to explore "new" topics, as though you intend to publish them. He belongs in a doctoral program, not an undergraduate one where most of his students intend to teach.
hes not nice, not helpful, isnt clear on what he says
He wasn't extremely pleasant in class, but outside of class he is really nice. Very hard grader, but you end up really learning from him.
I have mixed feeling about VanNes he is a good teacher and you will learn alot but his class is so hard. Also he has his favorites in class and if you dont get on his good side then you are screwed
VanNess will burn you out if you are not careful. I went into the final with a B+, but came out with an F for the only reason that the weeks leading up to the exam broke through my stress tolerance.. VanNess raised my grade to a C- citing my work from earlier in the semester to be derserving of a better final grade.
Fabulous! Inspirational.
I had him three years ago as a freshman. One of my favorite teachers so far. Extremely helpful. I do think you have to be on his good side and if you ever have a problem go to his office and get him to help you. I would recommend this class to anyone willing to work hard and who is here to learn. If your lazy, dont take it.
There are a lot of mixed feelings about him, but the truth is pretty plain.He is extremely intelligent, very difficult and you will learn more than in any other class. If you work hard and participate in class, he will notice and you'll do fine. If you are lazy or don't care, he'll notice and you're screwed. Don't take him if you want an easy A
He really is a good professor. He is interested in what teaches and tries to get students involved in the lectures. BUT he is a very difficult grader and grades papers at about the same scale to a masters level class. You will learn a fair amount from this class, but it's not worth the time and effort you put into it to receive a mediocre grade.
Van Ness has a lot of interesting archives but that is quickly overshadowed by his hard grading. If you miss write the honor code, you lose 5 points, which is BS. Sometimes its kinda confusing and he wants you to write like you are published doctor.
He only wants to hear his words, regurgitated. Your own thoughts do not matter.
This guy's pretty hardcore seriously. Tough grader, I couldn't finish his class
I endured three years of this guy's classes back in the early 90s. I truly earned my English degree. I am a professional writer by trade, and know that he is the one that gave me the mad skills to do what I do today, all of these years later! He grades tough, and will help when you SHOW that you want help. He will not spoon feed you.
This guy. Is a strange little man. He used students' work, calling them out on it, mind you, as examples of what to do and what not to do. You were either praised by name, or humiliated by name. I kind of hated taking this class, but it was a necessary evil. I have used every. single. thing he taught.
Worst Professor EVER!!!!!!
Very very interesting guy. He is very smart and has his own way of thinking. He wants to be your friend. If you go to him her will be very helpful. He is very sociable to the class, and he will call you out.
He's one of those professors who believes his way of doing things is THE ONLY way and his class should be the most important class you'll ever be in. Rather arrogant, I did not like his class at all. I completely advise against taking him, especially for a gen ed class.
Two things are apparent with this professor. One, he is a very difficult professor, he will challenge you and his tolerance for mistakes is very low. Two, he will teach you(whether you want to or not) how to be a better writer and especially how to cite things. He is old school and can be blunt, but nonetheless a good professor if you can cope.
He's the best!
He is a good professor if you are getting a Phd in English not a gen ed class. He expects you to read for hours every night on pointless material. He is the hardest professor I have ever had. The worst thing is that he speaks in third person and brags about how good of a student he was back in the day.
This professor is not for the faint of heart. DO NOT procrastinate on the final paper or you will be up a creek without a paddle. Go to him for help and clarification often! Utilize his office hours!
Awful. I have never had such a difficult English class. He thinks this is graduate level or something. Stay away.
If you want constant panic attacks and feel like you are not very smart no matter what, take this professor. Otherwise, go with a nicer, more approachable professor.
Van Ness is a tough grader. He will expect a lot out of you and there are very few grades in the class so the three papers and two exams are worth a lot. He will also preach to you about every class and give you life stories that no one cares about.
Gordan Van Ness is the worst teacher i ever had. I went to multiple office hours for help on my paper. i rewrote the paper 3 times to his specification, and still failed it for little things on my works cited page and he takes a letter grade off if you mess up on the honor code and if your not a hot blonde you'll fail his class.
It is close to 30 years on since my undergraduate time with professor Van Ness. Obviously his classes had an impact as I found myself looking up author Thomas Pynchon again today after more than 25 years. I did not get exceptional grades in Dr. Van Ness' classes, but they were some of my most memorable as an undergraduate. I remember him fondly.
Worst teacher ever.... He contradicts himself all the time and is generally the most unhelpful and spiteful instructor I've had to date. Doesn't give help or suggestions even when asked directly by students, in person, during his office hours. Very harsh grader, even when you follow his directions and examples to the tee. Would not recommend!
Never will you work so hard and benefit so much. He expects A LOT but they all should. This is university work people!!! He does NOT spoon feed you but he WILL help you grow in your writing and understanding of literature. Take him when you have a lighter course load, though - it will be a consuming class. LOVE IT!
I took Honors American Literature for Goal 3, and I ended up dropping the course. I really liked the content of the class and didn't mind the content of most of the homework, but the quantity was insane. It's a very intense class with only 6 total grades. I think that an English major would be able to survive, but it's too much for most students.
Dr. VN expects a lot from his students, but if you make an effort you'll do well in his class. I went to his office hours for every paper, and he was incredibly helpful. He's a stickler for citations, but after having his class I can finally do them correctly. I really enjoyed the class and learned a ton! Definitely would take again.
The entire class was very hard. Would mark down our papers for copying the pledge off of an example paper he gave us because it was missing a single word, which he knew about.
This was by far my hardest class freshman year. He criticizes good work and takes off points for no reason on your essays and exams. If you want a constant headache from a professor take Van Ness.
Seems like a decent man, cursed me in his office hours, honestly reminds
He is condescending. He becomes angry when people are behind on reading, but then goes off on tangents about non-related topics during class time. The one I remember most was when he was peering through a bottle of amontillado and reminiscing about a girl he became disinterested in due to her dating his friends instead of him while he was a hamster
Excellent professor if you are willing to work hard. He gives a lot of feedback. Use office hours. You get out of his class what you put into it; work on papers as soon as they are assigned and do all readings. He is amazing, but you have to be prepared!
A do nothing man who blames his own inadequacy on others. He views being a professor as an opportunity to get back at the type of students who probably picked on him when he was younger. He is an immature man who has brought more people down than he has ever lifted up.
Van Ness is one of the toughest professors on campus becasue he cares, and respects hard work
Class Info
Attendance Mandatory
94%
Textbook Required
50%
Grade Predictor
Your expected effort level
Predicted Grade
C+
Grade Distribution
Common Tags
Rating Trend
Stable
-0.12 avg changeRatings by Course
5
5.0
(1)AMLIT
5.0
(1)ENGL230
5.0
(1)WR
5.0
(1)ENGLISH324
5.0
(1)Difficulty by Course
209
5.0
ENGLISH
5.0
USLIT
5.0
ENG331
5.0
AMLIT
5.0