4.2
Quality3.8
Difficulty50%
Would Retake87
Reviews50%
Would Retake
87
Reviews
Rating DistributionOfficial
5
61
4
10
3
5
2
5
1
6
What Students Say
“I often find that I enjoy a professor personally, but not professionally, or the other way around”
HONR211 - 2.0 rating“Do not take him unless you are a fantastic speaker”
CMAT100 - 1.0 ratingClass Info
Attendance Mandatory
100%
Textbook Required
47%
Grade Predictor
Your expected effort level
Predicted Grade
B
Grade Distribution
Common Tags
Rating Trend
Declining
-0.60 avg changeRatings by Course
308
5.0
(1)CMAT346
5.0
(2)CMAT
5.0
(3)CMAT248
5.0
(1)CMAT470
5.0
(1)Difficulty by Course
JOURNPR
5.0
MULTIPLE
5.0
CMAT63
5.0
JOURN246
5.0
CMAT442
5.0
Reviews (87)
he is a hard teacher but you learn a lot! I really enjoyed his journalism class
Take 246 first and then you'll be able to pass all his other classes!
simmons is a fair teacher. study for his mid terms or you will fail.
Hard teacher which caused us to learn more
No Comments
No Comments
I have him for Public Relations. You need to study very hard for the midterm. If you study a lot, you will do fine. It's an interesting class, but not easy by any means. He is an excellent professor. I have learned a lot.
Great teacher, You will fail his midterm no matter what, but he curves by 20 points so you'll still do OK.
Tough classes, but a very nice guy. Don't expect to get an A, but expect to learn a thing or two about the subject matter of the class. Also, if he is able to bring back the Three Stooges class, TAKE IT!! The most fun I've ever had in a class at S.U.!
He seems overwhelming at first but is willing to help. The class gets easier just stick with it. He is a very fair grader.
he's a great guy. loved his class!!
hard very hard and frustrating, if you must teach yourself if you get the hang of it you will pass otherwise it will be a long semester
not much to offer
Most unfair and lazy teacher I have ever had in my entire life. He picks favorites in the class and does not grade on a fair scale. TAKE JOURALISM WITH SOMEONE ELSE!!
Journalism with Haven was a pleasure. Unfortunately, people don't seem to realize it's really easy if you just follow the rules of the writing. He does pick favorites, but he encourages people to work really hard.
Mr. Simmons is an excellent professor. He presents a challenging learning experience that encourages class participation. Real life scenarios & the book, amplify what he is teaching. Just try & learn. A+ Professor!
I loved him and took him for several classes during my SU career. I learned a ton and he really helped to strengthen both my written and verbal communication. All teachers should be as hard as he is - it's the only way you'll learn!
I am not going to remain anonymous here. This is Kristina Lawall. Haven Simmons is the greatest professor alive. He is the most talented and unrated professor at SU. If you don't take a class with him then you are selling yourself short.
Professor Simmons is the best teacher I had my 3 years at SU. I took 5 classes with him and learned more than I did with any other professor. He demands alot but if you work hard and go to class you will do well. He grades fairly and is willing to help
I had Dr. Simmons for 6 classes during my SU tenure. He was by far the most "real" professor in the CMAT department. He really cares about all of his students and his classes are about real life issues. It was a pleasure having him for a prof
I had Dr. Simmons as my professor for about 6 classes and he is the best teacher/professor I've ever had, bar none. He not only taught me everything about journalism (hence I'm a journalist now), but he taught me how the real world works after college.
Haven calls it like is, in the real world the better employees get more positive attention... that's not playing favorites. I only regret not being able to take more classes with him, in the meantime I will try to be more like him.
Excellent prof. Basically saved my interest as a CMAT major entirely because I had hardly been challenged up until I took one of his classes. If you are serious about getting something out of your cmat major, take his classes. - Rob G.
Haven Simmons is one of the greatest professors at SU. He's hard, but he's good and he knows his stuff. You learn a lot from him, unlike some professors I've had there.--Cheryl K.
Dr. Simmons is not an Easy class! But if you are here to get an easy class... LEAVE! He will prepare you for the real world and what Journalism is really all about! He is the most helpful prof i have had in a long time! If you are ready to work hard and really learn he is the guy for you
Dr Simmons is fair, challenging, and wants you to do well. He is by far the best teacher I have had in 3 years and I hope to have him again in the future. -Ashley B
He might be a hard teacher but youwill learn the most from him. Itake his classes for himand his teaching rather than for the subject. His classes are hard but always entertaining.
Can come across as strict but is the most real teacher I've come across here. He is a nice guy and teaches like he is your employer which means something in this world.
Everyone should have a teacher like this atleast once in your college career. He's the realest teacher I've ever met and he makes you think about things in a way you never imagined. Good Man.
Haven is the best teacher I have ever had! He really knows what he's talking about and will help you if you're willing to work hard. He's tough but it really makes you improve your writing. Def take anything you can with him. I'm on class number 7 with him! wish i could take more!
i heart dr. simmons. if you like to write, take his journalism class.
Dr. Simmons is THE BEST teacher in the CMAT department, if not school. Challenging but is the reason I got a great job waiting for me after graduation! He knows what he is talking about and is very helpful if you have any questions. Just be serious about your work and he will amaze you.
Haven is a great teacher.... That is the most important thing that you should be looking for here at SU. Someone who can teach you what you need to learn. Not someone that is going to hold your hand and baby you like your mommy and daddy... If you want to learn this is the man for you... If you want an easy A try a Community College! ~Tyler
Fantastic professor. I've graduated and I still turn to him for advice. Tough as hell, but the advice he'll offer will carry into your professional life.
No Comments
Simmons is ultra knowledgable and helpful. He is having my baby. He also taught me how to write properly, and helped me land my first gig at the Daily Times. If you want to learn how to write clearly, take Simmons.
Dr.Simmons is easily the best professor I've had at Salisbury. He is very clear about what he expects, and his assignments are usually pretty interesting to work on. His class is enjoyable because it is hands on and not directly from the book.
He is the best teacher I have ever had! I learned so much from him!
Excellent teacher. Knows his stuff and keeps you on your feet the entire semester. You will learn a lot from him. I will be taking more classes with Simmons because he is one of the best teachers I have had so far :)
Great Teacher!!
GREAT PROFESSOR. if you want to learn, take his class and you will. If you are looking to be inspired as far as fashion, he wears bright orange sweaters!! AND he tans so it matches his skin. In the spring he leaves town to teach PR stuff or something so you miss a week of class. He was also the PR person for a very controversial mayor in FLorida.
One of the best teachers. Hard, but very smart and interesting and easy to learn from. Cares about his students. love him!!!
Really nice teacher. He is a huge University of Iowa fan. Have to take notes on the groups presentations for his midterm. Kind of a hard grader but fair. Participation is expected.
Simmons is the man. THe first class he tries to scare the crap out of you, but he's chill the rest of the way. He wants you to learn, and he's willing to help, but you have to do the work. I'm taking 2 more classes with him next semester, he's awesome.
Dr. Simmons is one of the best teachers at SU. He takes a personal interest in every student. He's a hard grader but if you learn the style, it's not hard to follow his guidelines. We did 10 articles and 1 final paper. Only 3 A's in my class but everyone came out a better writer!
By far the best cmat professor on campus. Has TONS of experience in the field (which makes for some great stories). people give him slack for his grading but he treats students as training professionals. Listen to him, and take his critique advice and you'll be fine. GO TO CLASS.
I took 5 of his classes and best advice: GO TO CLASS. If you intend to take Haven then be respectful, go to class and intend to work for your grade. Treats you like you're training for a job. May come off as a hard ass but he's the man and very helpful. He has a ton of real world experience he relates to his classes. Best teacher at SU by FAR!
One of the only professors you will actually learn anything from in the entire CMAT department. Take him if you can but don't expect a free ride. You WILL fail the midterm, get over it.
Haven Simmons is great. He really scared the crap out of me the first couple classes but he eases up. He does expect you to work for you grade, and when you do it's totally worth it. Learn his style, and study/work that way. If you care about his class, he'll care about you. Simmon's is great!
He taught our honors class and was excellent. Taught the class, let the class discuss and helped us whenever we needed. Our class was a about media and terrorist, he took a middle approach and kept to it. No politics which was really nice. Also remembers you outside of class, always a plus.
Very hard grader especially for a 100 level course. He expects a lot from speeches, as if though everybody is a born excellent speaker. Some people have stage fight, and he didnt seem to care much about that. Barely uses the book!!! Kinda boring at times. Overall, I would prefer a different teacher for this class!
Hands down the best teacher I have ever had. Really knows what he's talking about and refuses to give you a good grade unless you've learned something. Would recommend this class to anyone who actually wants to get something out of college. I can't wait to take him again.
i have taken simmons for intro to JPR, sports communication, pr cases and strategies, and im taking him for seminar in the spring. best teacher i have ever had. hes the only professor at salisbury who actually knows anything. you really have to work to get a good grade, but once youre done, youll be happy you did! im going to miss this man...
I learned so much in his class. You'll do well if you like class discussions and can read in time for his exams. You have to earn a good grade. He gives great feedback quickly. He's a very smart man and I have a lot of respect for him.
Veryyy good teacher! I tried to take him again this semester but his classes were all filled up. You HAVE to go to class, but in the end you learn a lot. There is a lot of writing involved but just follow his guidelines and the "writitng bible" and you will be fine. If you were want to persue a PR or Journalism job take him!!
The only teacher worth rating. Simmons is a great guy, who is very experienced in his field (PR,Journalism). Extremely helpful and enjoyable professor. However, you must earn your grade.
Honestly the single best professor at Salisbury University. He rewards hard work and has the experience to teach you everything necessary to succeed in the J/PR field. He is a really stand up guy who genuinely cares that his students succeed. I wish I had time to take more of his courses because there is so much more his classes have to offer.
As my final honors credit, I took a History of Sports class with him. I have gotten 2 A's in history classes here, and A's in all of my other honors classes. He gave me a C. Why? Because I am not a CMAT major. He didn't grade our presentations for content as much as he did our speaking capabilities. Mean, unapproachable teacher.
You will not find a better teacher in the program. Honestly anyone who submits poor ratings simply lacks the work ethic or drive to succeed. Simmons is extremely fair and unbiased in grading. Even if you start rough, he will give you a chance to close the gap. Excellent professor, I would recommend him above all others 100%.
Never rated a professor before but Dr.Simmons deserves it. Hated public speaking and night classes but he made both of these worth dong. Wont judge you on your views, just asks that you participate in class actively and share your opinions. Comes off as mean the 1st class but he is pretty approachable and has a good sense of humor. Take Him!
Good Professor. Nice. You earn youre grade. Participation is important.
I had Simmons for two classes, CMAT 345 & 448. Amazing teacher, but not someone you're gonna get over on. Work hard & participate, you'll be fine. Hard, but fair grader. You'll learn more & will have a more rewarding experience than you ever imagined
I took him for 5 different courses. He has personally done almost everything he teaches He has personally created a lot of the classes he teaches. He brings on-the-job experience and you will enjoy and learn a lot from the projects, videos, presentations, and the stories he gives. You will have to work hard for an A, but will have fun doing so.
TAKE HIM if you are serious about being a journalist. Most definitely the best professor I've had. I am graduating this spring and wanted my only and last class to be with him. He's a hard grader and doesn't take excuses. Due dates are final! He's fun and super cool. You will learn a lot from him.
Dr. Simmons is one of the best professors at Salisbury. He teaches you everything about whatever class you're taking him for and he also makes the class enjoyable for all. Tough class to get an A in but with hard work it can be done. He's very willing to help students and has really helped me become a much better writer.
I've had Haven twice now and he is by far one of my favorite teachers in the CMAT department. He knows his stuff and will help you ONLY if you seek it. Make sure to practice your public speaking skills for this class!
The single best teacher I've ever had. He is a makes you work hard and expects a lot, but if you follow his directions and apply his feedback you'll learn LOADS about good writing. Gives fantastic feedback and is always willing to help you out with assignments in and out of class. Really wants to see students succeed. Do not skip, you'll fail.
Honestly I didn't feel like I learned a whole lot in his class besides how to write under pressure. You write every week. He is only a stickler when it comes to certain things. If you go to his office hours, you'll get better feedback. Overall a decent teacher. I'd probably take him again.
He is a really nice guy. He's kinda scary on the first day , but he's a good teacher. His class is the hardest CMAT class I've ever taken and to be honest I wouldn't take him again. His grade really shook my GPA and my confidence. Don't take him unless you have too . And if you do, read the "BIBLE" that he gives you like your life depends on it!
Simmons was an awesome teacher but definitely difficult. He gives you the "bible" during syllabus week and as long as you follow his guide in there and examples you will do well. It is possible to get an A you just have to take his feedback and apply it for the next paper and participate.
I often find that I enjoy a professor personally, but not professionally, or the other way around. However with Simmons, his narcissism and blatant disregard for fact made it difficult to overlook in the class setting. He very clearly knows his stuff, and has an impressive background, but he knows it. Would not recommend.
He is an extremely hard grader. It is nearly impossible to get an A in this class. Grades so harshly even though this is a 100 level class. Do not take him unless you are a fantastic speaker. Mostly all grades are based on speeches.
Best professor at SU. Makes you feel validated. Expects you to work hard, and if you aren't good at public speaking or receiving feedback and applying it to your next assignment, you will not do too well. Only one person got an A in the class, so he is a tough grader but very fair.
Very easy, book needed but not for anything important, funny guy, only accepts Word documents which is weird but I had a good time
While this is probably the hardest class you will take as a CMAT major grade wise, I learned more in one semester than most of the others combined. He is strict about what he wants but is super clear and consistent. You will have to work to even get a B, but tells you how to succeed but expects excellence in return. I would highly recommend.
He was very vague about what he wanted. Favorited athletes in the class. Told unprofessional stories. Hated his class. The textbook was useless and he himself has never even read it even though he tells us to read it. Funny guy but terrible teacher. Would not recommend.
Took his class semester and was hoping to take him again for 240 but couldn't fit his class into my schedule. He is such a great teacher, he gives good feedback so you know what you're doing wrong. definitely recommend you to take his class if you're majoring and/ or minoring in business or communications. You'll learn a lot from taking his class.
If youre not comfortable with public speaking dont take this class your senior year. Simmons is the worst when it comes to favorites. He chatted with all of the students who worked in the PR office in class & it was very apparent who was liked and who wasnt. I got lucky.
Tried to be relateable but just comes off as cocky. Yelled at students as if he was their father instead of their professor. I couldnt even do the course reviews because he is so weird that I was scared he would fail me if I did one. My parents guidance is the only thing that helped me through this class. Stay away!
Good guy. But if your not good at presentations you dont stand a chance. He wrecked my GPA.
Easy class. Dont miss one of his classes and conversate with him often or you will fail.
Hard.
This class consists of papers, presentations, and online testing. If you put the effort in, you get out what you put in really.
He is a decent teacher but a somewhat hard grader. He comes off as a know it all. If you can ignore that you should be fine. Just show up to class and do your speeches and work and it shouldnt be hard to pass the class.
Mr. Simmons is by far one of my favorite professors. He is an honest teacher and heavily respected in the communications department. His class is so fun but participation matters! you really get what you put into the class but his enthusiasm makes you want to participate and push yourself further. would take his class over and over if i could!
This is a great class to take if you are interested in going into the public relations field! It will definitely help you out in interviews and really help you work on your PR writing and presentation skills. Do not take this class if you are not interested in public relations.
Simmons and this class in particular is the epitome of why someone goes to college -- to be challenged and to develop & grow as a higher education student. The lectures are engaging and the curriculum challenges you to learn a tremendous amount about the subject area. Well-crafted projects and good feedback in grading. Show up and participate!
Class Info
Attendance Mandatory
100%
Textbook Required
47%
Grade Predictor
Your expected effort level
Predicted Grade
B
Grade Distribution
Common Tags
Rating Trend
Declining
-0.60 avg changeRatings by Course
308
5.0
(1)CMAT346
5.0
(2)CMAT
5.0
(3)CMAT248
5.0
(1)CMAT470
5.0
(1)Difficulty by Course
JOURNPR
5.0
MULTIPLE
5.0
CMAT63
5.0
JOURN246
5.0
CMAT442
5.0