Pretty cool professor...hooks me up with whatever I need if I need anything...lots of work for art though...

You really need to know your stuff. You do not get much time on the essay parts of the tests so you don't have time to think. As long as you know the information pretty well and participate in recitation, you'll be just fine. Don't take if you hate art

You really have to know the material inside and out...She is a great prof, though...very clear and knowledgable and extremely helpful...take her!

Sweet woman. Makes you really really know your stuff. Don't think this is just an intro course! But if you've got an interest in art, you will learn volumes by actually studying for her exams. I highly reccommend if you want to get your money's worth!

knowledgable, cute, organized

Art History is mostly memorisation, so as long as you can memorise titles, artists, dates and movements you'll do just fine. The course is a good introduction, if a tad difficult, and of course the prof is easy on the eyes ;-)

Very nice and interesting. Her exams are fair, but very fast-paced and detailed. Gives extra credit. Is very outgoing, and will help you to her fullest ability when you e-mail her or approach her after class or in her office.

She was an excellent teacher and the reason I am now majoring in HA&A. You have to know your stuff but it is worth it. She keeps even a boring subject interesting. Take her if you need to fill an art credit.

shes hot

Very Straight forward. Gives extra credit. May need a little effort for the tests to memorize the artwork but not too bad. Don't need to read txtbook as long as you take good notes in class.

The class is unbelieveably hard for an intro class. It is seriously jsut ridiculous. The school could not pay ME to take it again. The tests and papers are stupid and really hard...even for an english major

Very knowledgeable and will make the class interesting and worhtwhile for you. She's real cute too.

The tests were hard, but if you can memorize things, it's not bad. She's hot, always willing to help, and the extra credit is a plus.

This class was DEFINITELY not too hard for an intro class, all you have to do to excel is show up for class. She is an incredibly fair grader, very helpful, and extremely nice. Actually I think she gave students too many chances for extra credit. I would absoultely recommend her to everyone.

It's hard to fail this class. Lots of homework, papers and extra credit. Lots of variety, too. Be prepared to take copious notes. Definitely would recommend this class and prof.

It was such a great class.I learned so much. She covered alot of periods and artists and gave alot of information for each.She grades fairly.The papers can be a little harder and to pass the tests you have to study,actually be a good memorizer.I would reccomend this class if you're intersted in art.

Class is usually interesting but be prepared to study your ass off for the tests. Overall a good teacher if you don't mind a little bit of work.

She's pretty boring and mediocre. There's a lot to memorize in this class, but it's pretty easy. I got my only A+ in this class.

Best prof I've had at Pitt! She's helpful, personable, interesting, clear, and enthusiastic. I never wanted to miss one of her lectures! Tests are hard, but fairly graded.

Great professor! I never wanted to miss her class... she's clear and interesting to listen to but she expects a lot from her students... the work load isn't bad, but it is a lot of memorization... I definitely recommend this class! It's very interesting!

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You will never have a better professor at Pitt. Gretchen is very clear about what she expects and about all of the information. She gives you all of the information needed for the tests on weekly sheets, which is very very helpful. Her classes are always interesting because she is very enthusiastic. Gretchen rocks!

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Bender is very articulate and is a wonderful lecturer. She makes everything interesting. She is sweet and willing to help and clarify if needed. Very approachable. I only wish she taught more classes!!!

Gretchen was the nicest teacher I had all year. She is very precise and knowledgeable about every topic she covers. The tests she gave were a lot of memorization but they are graded fair enough.

Gretchen is WONDERFUL. Her knowledge and insight will keep you interested in every class! She is so sweet and nice and genuinely cares about every student! She is brilliant and intuitive. I loved each lecture, I learned SO MUCH, exams were clear and well covered in class. I wish every class were taught by Gretchen Bender...

she gives u every thing you need to pass.Example quizzes which are almost mirror images of the real quizzes,practice exams that tell u exactly what is on the exam.the only problem is she gives a list possible essay questions from which she choses.IMO,the ones she chooses happen to be some of the hardest.Plenty of extra credit(for FINALGRADE&exams)

Gretchen is FANTASTIC, and why I am an HAA major. Her lectures are extremely interesting, trust me, she brings much more to the table than many Art History profs do. She is VERY clear on what is found on tests. An inspiring professor. This is what college classes is supposed to be about- teachers who care deeply about their students and subject!

Fantastic professor who understands that an intro class should be easy. If you study for the tests it is an easy A.

She is a very good professor. You always know what to expect for tests, she knows her material, and the TAs were good. You do need to study, but if you attend lectures and prepare, you will do fine.

Easy, easy, easy - totally take this class for a humanities requirement, because it's interesting, easy, and Dr. Bender is superb. It's easy only if you do all the work however .. reading can be bad, but at least it's not incredibly boring.

Gretchen is a very good teacher. She no longer does quizzes instead, there are two exams, a paper, museum assignments, and a recitation grade. Go to class because she gives you all the info to do well during class. Also, if you participate in lecture, you get % points added to your FINAL grade!

I really liked this class, but i didn't think it was as easy as others made it out to be. Professor Bender is really nice and really knows what she's talking about. She's extremely helpful in her office hours. I thought the she and the class were extremely interesting, but the class overall was a bit tougher than i was expecting.

I barely attended class and got an A- on the midterm. If you're the type that has a strong memory then the tests will be easy since they're all essays about works of art. The book explains everything about the works of art. Bad part is only about 5 out of over 20 works of art are on each test, so there's memorization of useless info.

Dr. Bender is a very good professor and is very organized, clear and extensive about what she is talking about. You really do need to attend lecture and recitation because she talks more than what is in the book. There are tons of opportunities for extra credit and it's very interesting, highly recommended!

Prof Bender is awesome! it was a really good class and she explains everything very well. she prepares you very well for the test, she doesn't try to suprise you with anything-very straight forward. She knows its an intro class so she doesn't give you too much work. The work she gives is very fair, even easy. Deffinately take the class!

Gretchen is wonderful! She is easily one of the nicest professors I've ever had. I won't say that I particularly loved most of the assignments/readings, but Gretchen's lectures were always interesting and informative. She'll do all that she can to help you. I highly recommend her! Not terribly easy, but she is a very lenient/understanding grader.

She is really really good, easy class, but helpful.

Gretchen made the class, a gen ed for most, very interesting and engaging. She was very clear when presenting the material. Don't buy the book - just go to lecture/recitation and take good notes and an A is easily attainable. I would definitely recommend this class and professor - very sweet lady.

really awesome professor! Lots of extra credit opportunities, tests are pretty easy and predictable, great gen ed to take

Gretchen is one of the nice professors I have ever had and she wants everyone to do well. She provides plenty of extra credit opportunities. Just by doing extra credit and decent on exams you should easily get a B or higher

GREAT lecturer. I skipped class a bit so I didn't know the works of art well and that hurts for the midterm and final. Go to class, listen, take notes on main and interesting ideas about the works. Easy class if you put some effort in. Mandatory but pointless recitation with trips to museum, two short papers, midterm, & final.

This class wasn't as easy as I thought it would be. I went to every single class and recitation (recitation was mandatory) and still had to study and read the book in order to get a good grade on the tests. It's not a hard class, it just wasn't as easy of an A that people claim that it is. I would definitely take this class with Gretchen though.

As long as you show up to class and pay attention, you got an A. She is so passionate that her lectures aren't boring at all. I could listen to her forever. She tells you exactly what to expect on exams and even gives you the topics and essay questions. I really loved this class.

Dr. Bender is a fantastic lecturer and an incredibly caring professor. She gives you extra credit opportunities, and her 'pop quizzes' are essentially a reward for lecture attendance. Technically you could probably skip and get an okay grade, but I would only call this class relatively easy if you plan on attending lecture.

Good lecturer. Manages to get more out of her students through discussion and extra credit, despite the class size. As far as her class went, it was a pretty standard intro course. Show up to the lectures and recitations, and you're basically guaranteed a good grade.

Like others have said, if you attend all of the lecture/recitations and take a few notes here and there, you'll get a great grade. It also helps to have friends in the class, because the exam questions are given ahead of time, so you can divide up the work. Really, the class is a pretty easy A though. Would take again.

Dr. Bender is super nice and gives a lot of chances to boost your grade through extra credit and participation. When it comes to the tests, the grading criteria was really harsh. Definitely go to class and do the extra credit.

Gretchen is actually a superstar. Her classes are amazing and /will/ bring you homemade cookies. She clearly knowledgable and willing to work to accommodate you. There's a lot of reading though, but if you like art she's golden and if you don't like art she will get you to

One of the sweetest and most caring professors I've ever had. Super knowledgable about the subject and really cares about her students. Lectures can be a bit boring at times but definitely worth attending. No tests, just a few quizzes and one final project. This class definitely requires effort but Gretchen makes it interesting and enjoyable.

Gretchen was one of the best professors I've ever had. The class is 100% fair. Quizes are all announced, 7 throughout semester. All information discussed in lecture. No exams, final is an 8 page paper but is very do able!! She is very light hearted and funny in class. 10/10 would recommend!

Gretchen is an amazing lecturer and a very kind individual. She definitely cares about her students and always asks for opinions on ways to make the class better and more interesting. I would take her again for any class---she's probably one of the best professors I've had at Pitt.

Gretchen is absolutely amazing. She baked us cookies and brownies for the first day of class, she genuinely cares about every individual student in the class, and she will do anything to help you do your best. She arranged a meeting with a visiting professor for me to help me with my paper. Incredible woman, almost made me cry on the last day.

I was in the first group for the new museum class this fall and it was a very meaningful experience. We did a lot of discussion in class but most assignments are individualized and introspective. Gretchen has done an amazing job structuring this course and was a fantastic teacher. She is very easy to reach outside of class. I cried on our last day!

Kindest and most caring professor I have had at Pitt. She has been so kind and understanding during the pandemic. She made it enjoyable to learn without the pressure of grades. I think she seems like the one of the only professors to have truly cared for the mental health of their students. She is also passionate about art.

Her online class is so easy because everything is asynchronous! Most weeks I only spent 1-2 hours on her class. There were weekly open note quizzes that u only need an 80% on, discussion posts, and 3 homework packets. Recitations were optional and lectures were recorded. Great course for an easy art gen ed ;)

Taking a class from Professor Bender was lovely. She's so understanding and caring about students and is genuinely passionate about the subject she is teaching. Even with online learning, she did her best to make sure you walked away from the class with something new. Please take her if you have the chance, you won't regret it.

Prof Bender clearly cares about her students and our ability to learn rather than recite. We have lots of cool field trips during recitation. Currently (Fall 2021) we do about 1-2 hours of online lecture per week and only have to come to lecture in person once a week. We have a quiz every week (unlimited tries, only need 80%)

Wonderful class. Everything was graded by completion (80% or higher complete). Gretchen was so caring and so accommodating. Class material was really interesting and the field trips to the museum were really cool. Super easy to do well and super enjoyable!!!

Prof Bender is a lovely person and I really loved her class! The field trips to see art in museums were really fun and her lectures are well put together. As long as you complete all of the assignments you can get an A.

Professor Bender was so thoughtful and I would recommend her intro to art history classes to anyone. She obviously cares a lot about both the subject matter and her students, and the majority of the class was prerecorded and very accessible.

Professor Bender is so lovely, and I will definitely be taking more of her classes. There are no exams and she gives you an outline at the beginning of the course of how to receive an A, B, etc. She is very approachable, and lectures are very interesting. There is quite a bit of reading, but you don't have to read to be successful in the course.

Gretchen is a great professor who clearly cares about teaching and her students. A lot of the class was spent at the Carnegie Museum which was an awesome way to break up the monotony of the week, and assignments were loosely structured and easy to make your own. Ongoing projects throughout the semester but if you have a schedule you'll be fine.

Gretchen is kind and genuinely cares about her students. The "field trips" during recitation were fun and informative. She doesn't do exams and you have a variety of ways to learn and get points. Highly recommend!

I love Gretchen so much, she is the sweetest ever. So understanding and kind. I took this for a gen ed, but I enjoy going to class for her, she is so sweet and pashionate. The class itself is basically set up that if you complete all the assignments, you get an a. I love her, couldn't recommend her or a gen ed more.

Great class! Really interesting and intriguing lectures. Prof Bender was very understanding. It is very easy to be successful in her class. All assignments graded on completion as long as there was evident effort. Would highly recommend her class to anyone, especially those not interested in art and just looking to complete their Art Gen Ed.

She's so sweet and understanding! Interesting class and lecture isn't required. Recitations are basically field trips to museums and all assignments are completion based to get an A.

i love prof bender she really wants you to learn instead of worry about the class. weekly modules + quiz that you only needed 80%. a couple semester long projects but as long as you set aside some time each week ur good. does specs grading so you can track your grade/if you need to go to class yourself. lots of trips to the carnegie museums!

Prof Bender is passionate about art history and wants you to focus more on learning than worrying about your grade in the class. If you keep up with the module quizzes, journal/ archive entries, and the project then you will get an A pretty easily. Took this as a gen ed and ended up enjoying it and learning more than I thought I would.

Do all the work andyou will get an A. Best gen ed at Pitt. Love Gretchen, she is so nice and amazing. Super easy class, definitely recommend. Literally everything is assignments for completion.

All the good things you've heard about Prof. Bender are true. She is super kind to all her students and makes it very easy to do well in her class. She grades based on completion and there is no final. Recitation consists of field trips to Carnegie Art Museum, which is super cool. So, if you're looking for a fun, low-stress course, take this one!

i loved intro to art. attendance isnt mandatory but make sure you know what youre gonna write for the archive entries, as those were tougher than i expected. everything is completion based and it is not hard, but the archives were time consuming

Bender is one of the most spectacular professors I've had so far. She is such a kind person and structures her class to benefit her students' needs. Her lectures were also very interesting and taught a broad range of world art.

Not much to say that hasn't already been said. Dr. Bender was the most caring and wonderful professor I have had thus far. The lectures are always interesting and some classes were even held inside the museums.

Gretchen is genuinely one of the most caring professors I have had. She cares more about your learning than your grades. The material was interesting and not too tough for a gen-ed, and as long as you participate you'll get an A.

Professor Bender was one of the most caring professors I had this past semester. As long as you show up and participate you will get an A. The work isn't hard. She is a lovely person.

One of the best professors I have had at Pitt. Gretchen genuinely cared about us and was very accommodating. Really enjoyed the class fields trips to museums, was a nice change from sitting in lectures all day

There is a decent bit of reading but it is worth it. She is an amazing professor and truly cares about her students and has a passion for her teaching.

One of the best classes I have taken at Pitt. Gretchen is very caring and accommodating. She cared about us actually learning something instead of giving us busy work. The class was also a very nice change from sitting in a lecture. It is a great opportunity to check out the museum near campus. 1 outside essay (400 words) and weekly readings.

Great professor and person, well structured course and actually enjoyable recitations at the museum.

She was super nice. Has basic criteria you need to meet to get an A (not too bad). There's a journal and quiz every week, and a slow looking assignment at the end. Overall a great professor, and she definitely changed the way I approach and perceive art (the final class really does feel like a culmination of everything you learned in the semester)

The class is fully completion grades. Attendance is mandatory but lectures are really interesting, especially since you don't have to memorize for a test. Dr. Bender is also super kind. I forgot to submit a part of a major project and she let me resubmit for full credit after it was due.

She's so understanding and accommodating - lectures were a lil boring but an easy A regardless

The goat!!! I absolutely loved Museums: Society and Inclusion, and Prof Bender is such a queen. Graded mostly on engagement points (participation in activities in class). She is a fantastic lecturer and is always willing to work with students in terms of assignments.