1.9
Quality3.9
Difficulty15%
Would Retake111
Reviews15%
Would Retake
111
Reviews
Rating DistributionOfficial
111 total ratings5
7
4
8
3
15
2
25
1
56
What Students Say
“The only thing I learned in ADM1301 was that he has a PHD and how "he developed his first computerized video game at 13”
ADM1301 - 1.0 rating“Absolutely horrible prof”
ADM1100 - 1.0 ratingClass Info
Online Classes
100%
Attendance Mandatory
17%
Textbook Required
45%
Grade Predictor
Your expected effort level
Predicted Grade
B
Grade Distribution
Common Tags
Rating Trend
Declining
-0.50 avg changeRatings by Course
ADM1101ADM1100
3.5
(2)ADM2320
3.2
(10)ADM2626
3.0
(1)ADM3313
2.6
(5)ADM3322
2.4
(5)Difficulty by Course
1301
5.0
ADM1301
4.1
ADM2304
4.0
ADM2372
3.9
ADM1370
3.8
Reviews (110)
I found him to be a friendly individual; however, I found his teaching methods to be rather ineffective and dry (for me personally). Some of my friends had better luck with other professors for MIS and said the material was easier to understand. I don't have anything bad to say about him, he just wouldn't be my first choice if I could do it again.
Had him for entrepreneurship. I didn't buy the book, went to about 60% of the classes and got a good grade. His exams are mostly based on his slides.
No Comments
Extremely dry prof. Everything is directly from the book. Absolutely not recommended. Told class final would be 100 multiple choice questions all post-midterm. Actually was 60 multiple choice with 22 marks worth of long answer questions (one question pre-midterm). Refused to reveal marking outlines for major assignment. STAY AWAY
very very very dry but he is trying to make his class fun, everything from the book
The person a few above cleary did not even try to work in the class. Prof is helpful, and makes sure that you earn your mark, which I think is very fair. Very good at teaching what is in the textbook. Honest, and wants to help students. STRONGLY RECOMMEND!
He is a horrible prof. Arrogant, unfair, will not clearify ANYTHING, and even if you are right about something he refuses to agree. The assignments did not reflect what he said in class, and I would NEVER take on of his classes again!
did well in the course but one of the worst profs, tricks you into thinking the mid term and final is going to be easy.
for a course that only needs you to read the slides/textbook he tries to make is harder to compensate for the easiness of the course. there are better professors at telfer
There is no need to go to his class he reads right off the slides and gets the slides from the textbook.Don't expect to get your assignment back before the next one is due to try and improve on any mistakes you may have made. Don't take his class if you like to know the grade you have going into the final he doesn't mark work in time for anything.
Well the final is in 3 days, and we haven't received a single mark from anything we've done ALL semester.
Entrepreneurship is a fun subject. Combined with the slides, the textbook is quite insightful. Having a project-oriented course makes it interesting. I just wish that he was a better teacher and that he covered concepts in more depth.
Interesting class and assignments, but he continually changed the syllabus, adding too much stress. Working ahead of time was useless, because he always changed what he wanted closer to the deadline. He taught very little theory and expected we just knew things without being taught. Only 6/60 people passed the midterm. Horrible Prof.
He speaks very clearly and he's overall not super boring. His exams are cheap, all about material that wasn't covered asked in ways that you've never seen before. Overall pretty unfair exam wise, but he's not a horrible prof. Just a horribly mean test writer.
Overall horrible prof besides the fact that his lectures are very clear. His exams are very difficult (Ex: 100 MCQ and 2 short answers). Gives you MCQs and short answer questions in class but those are not at all reflected on the tests. Assignments are not clear, nor does he tell you what he wants on them. Avoid at all costs!
Obviously knows his stuff. You need to earn your marks; they aren't just given to you. Textbook oriented course. Nice guy. Willing to talk to students. Real world like - you don't get by in the business world if you don't work for it.
Horrible proff. Does not try to answer questions that he has never provided answers for in the first place. Marks your tests word by word, extremely unorganized, case studies each class marked very strictly. TA's useless. Avoid at all costs, there are better profs out there.
Terrible professor, not helpful at all, and the grades do not reflect anything in the class, it ends up being belled and what mark you receive is completely in the air.
Terrible prof. Very unclear about expectations. Very strict marker in the respect that he expects you to answer EXACTLY how he wants you to answer. Very unhelpful, answers questions as vaguely as h can.
Terrible prof. Very difficult to deal with. Half the material on midterm and final was never seen in class. Midterm was 3hrs and had 140 Multiple choice. Going to lectures was pointless. You're better off just reading the slides yourself. Does not show up to meetings. He is an ok lecturer.
Very difficult to get an A or A+. After the midterm, I had the highest mark in the class - 79%. His impressive knowledge and use of real world examples make him an excellent lecturer. If you want to learn cool things about MIS, this is your guy. If you want an A or A+, good luck.
Doesn't teach anything. Might as well go home and teach yourself.
He's extremely passionate when he lectures his students. However he isn't helpful whatsoever and it took forever for our midterms to get graded. The midterm was extremely hard, however i end up with an A- which shocked me, guess he uses curves which is awesome. Average professor.
He is extremely monotone and no one listens in class. His slides hardly match with the textbook and it's impossibly difficult to follow what he's saying. His tests were not even remotely the same as the topics in the slides or textbook, so most people got marks 20% lower than their regular grades.
His exams are not at all related to the notes or lectures. Everyone always fails and then he bell curves the exams. He doesn't even write his own powerpoints. He didn't write the book either. His lectures are only 45 minutes long and he escapes out of the class before anyone can approach him, you literally have to run after him. He's boring.
I had him for two different classes. His lectures are extremely boring. He is horrible at communicating with his students. He takes forever to give grades back. I would not recommend anyone take any of his classes.
About to finish the semester and I still haven't received one mark back from this class. Midterm did not reflect anything in the slides, I think just about everyone had either failed or a had around a 50 before the bell curve. Half the class stopped going to lectures bc he adds nothing on to the slides, avoid if you can
Does not clarify his expectations. Very boring and monotone lectures. Mid term did not cover material taught and was very hard. Avoid if you can
Worst lecturer, you can't go see him for help, his lectures last no more then 30-45 minutes, he took a week off to go on vacation and he canceled the last class to avoid being evaluated. His midterm was incredibly hard and he gave no clear information on what was going to be on the final Never answers his emails
So the final exam is in two days and he's told some people that it covers the whole year and told others that it only covers after the midterm. You get the feel that he is only here for his research and doesnt really care about his students.
tough test, no helpful to students. won't recommended!
Incredibly boring lectures, gives little to no information about exams and slides have nothing to do with them. Avoid at all costs
Avoid at all cost. Terrible prof whose lectures are nothing related to what he puts on the exam. Always the last one to enter the class and leaves exactly when class is over. Instructions for assignments not clear and tests were hard.
After having him for a semester, I would go out of the way to not get him again. He ends every hour and a half class 45 min early and mumbles when he speaks. He doesn't reply to any e-mails and he does not elaborate on class material at all. Its more beneficial to stay at home.
He was such a joke!!! He wasn't there for his office hours, so no way of getting your midterms back and it seems like he runs away to avoid answering his students questions! And on final exam night, started 30 min late, don't know if it's because he didn't have the exams ready or what.... He has the worse lecture voice even with the speaker mic
It's a shame that such a wonderful topic was butchered by such a horrible teacher. The worst part is that the administration will not find out about this tragedy (unless they are reading these many comments) as the courseprofessor evaluation never took place in class. Marks for projects never received. Midterm never handed back. Unreflective tests
The exams were nothing like any of the lecture material that we covered. It was absurdly hard and unfair. Do not take a class with him unless you have no other choice.
Communicating with this prof is very difficult. Every email or question is answered vaguely with a "yes", "no" or "look at the instructions". Tests are either really easy or very abstractly difficult which is slightly frustrating at times. Have a good work ethic to learn the material yourself and you will probably be OK.
He was such a nice person and may seem a bit bland but honestly such a great professor when you talk to him and he is always willing to help.
Anyone taking this course with this professor should drop his class because he's not very clear. For the midterm he gave us approximately four short answer questions and FIVE fill in the blanks worth 2 marks each!! For the final he said that we only need to study the second half of the course but the exam was on the first half. :(
Prof was very boring, extremely monotone and usually ends class like 30 minutes early. Very quiet, even with his mic. Tests are not too easy, so get ready to study. He is an alright professor, but would not take his class again if I had to choose.
I had him for marketing a long time ago. He was very nice as a person, and the course was more about reading the textbook. Group project was fun. You have to read the book! He asks all questions from the book! I remember skipping a few parts in the book and they came up in the exam (They were about packaging products).You dont need to go to class.
wooow... I unfortunately was stuck with him as I had taken the course late and was left to suffer as if it was karma I hadn't taken it earlier. He seems nice and approachable, but he doesn't help his students. He literally runs away at the end of class to avoids questions from students and is not present at Office hours. And the exams... I can't
Boring but informative. Not very clear on test content.
I notice that a lot of the comments on here are "this class is hard." Well, welcome to real life, being an adult, and university. You aren't in a mandatory pass high-school anymore. His material is tough, but clear, and makes you think outside the box. The answers are not in the textbook, you actually have to use your brain and listen. He is great
His lectures are awful, the assignments are dull and unnecessarily long, he does not get your grades back (I had one grade back going into the final), he puts material on exams that was not covered, and dozens of midterms were LOST. I still managed to get a good mark, but do yourself a favour and avoid him at all costs. Run away upon sight.
This teacher was the only section to ADM 1301. He left class early each and every time. Treated fire alarms as a way to escape class and go home. Never answered student questions with a real answer (ie yes, no...). Bowen gave examples that were always irrelevant. Stay Away if you can. Grab your classes early online. Don't wait too long like I did.
Horrible professor. His voice is monotone; which makes paying attention in class extremely difficult, that is if you even bother in going to class. He does not give you any information on what to expect for the midterm or the final. His midterms and finals are extremely hard. Does not post grades online. AVOID HIM AT ALL COSTS!!!
By far the worst prof at the University. Some people are made to teach, others try really hard... This guy does not give a damn. Does it for the money and nothing else. Boring, monotone, uninteresting, and fails to convey the subject matter in a way that makes it remotely interesting. If you get stuck with him, drop and take it next semester!!!
worst prof at this university. Waste of tuition dollars in my opinion. Does not care about the students, is never available outside of class, and never gives back marks. Midterm was confusing and involved content from chapters that were not supposed to be on the midterm. Avoid at all costs
worst prof at uottawa! final exam was nothing like he said it would be, and he is never available to answer questions outside of class.
Avoid him by all chances!!!!! I got the worst mark in my entire study life on his class!
Not the worst professor I have ever had, but not good either. Lectures lasted less than an hour and not all material from the chapters were covered. Gave no direction on the assignments and was overall boring.
Avoid at all costs. Unhelpful and unengaged. You will get a poor mark in his class.
you will pass his classes as long as you show up to class and read the textbook. his 3 hour lectures do not usually go on the whole 3 hours. The final is also very fair
Bowen was pretty boring, and his midterm was really difficult. Final was also pretty tough. His slides are straight from the textbook, and the lectures are 45 mins long, so you're better off just learning it on your own. Bloomberg Project was really difficult, but the other group project was easy, and he gives free marks for participation.
Read off the slides and nothing more. I taught myself more just reading and going over the slides. No additional information given. Tests were alright, but not necessarily easy.
All he does is read off the slides so it literally doesn't matter if you show up to class or not.
Run. Change profs as soon as possible. Just get out. He doesn't teach. He just reads off of slides identical to the textbook, so just read the textbook. The midterm was horrible, he asked VERY specific questions, as if you have to memorize the textbook. The final wasn't very fun either. Just find a different prof.
As a teacher he is fine, but his midterm did not reflect what was taught. He literally took computer-generated questions and stuck them on the test. Do not take his class willingly, however if you find yourself in his class READ THE TEXTBOOK and make your own notes. Do not go based off of what was taught in class. Won't help, sorry.
Powerpoints are straight from the online textbook. Only goes through class concepts briefly. I spent better time skipping the lecture and studying the textbook on my own.
One of the best profs at the University. Would walk on hot coals just to take his class. 10/10!!
His lectures are really dry..... and all he does is read off the powerpoint
read the textbook
The only thing I learned in ADM1301 was that he has a PHD and how "he developed his first computerized video game at 13."
Learned absolutely nothing in the course, lectures were awful and bland on top of the fact that they didn't correlate to the tested material. He doesn't answer emails quickly and does not seem engaged in teaching us anything really.
guys a cheese ball, no direction and very specific random questions taken from two textbooks.
Absolutely horrible prof. Didn't give any guidelines on what to do for the 30% group project, or what to expect for the exam and the mid term. Very boring person, and always seems to show off how many "connections" he has and how many people he knows. Stay away from him if you can.
The best prof ever he is a great guy, really easy marker, really energetic and fun personality during lectures and he cares a lot about your success. An A+ is guaranteed if you show up to every class and not read a single page from the textbook
Does not have a clear grading scheme and did not grade all of the course work before the exam. Expectations were not clear in this course.
obviously the worst prof uottawa has to offer. has lectures that are literally dry cuz he reads off slides, boring at teaching the course at all, monotoned, and does not give back project grades before the exam. the midterm was ok BUT don't get me started with the final, it was something else, my advise is read both textbooks or stay away if u can
Okay this course was the hardest course of my first semester of university! It was so much content and Prof Bowen did not aid in helping us understand and learn the content. His classes were so boring because of his monotoned, and soft voice... I felt like I was in an ASMR movie. The midterm was pretty good... but the final... we don't know her.
His lecture is really dry, just read all the slides. Didn't offer any help for the group project and the final exam as well. Although this is only first year course, I find it much harder than my second year course because of his teaching style. He didn't organize the final well, lots of students didn't even get exam booklet when 20 mins passed!
Okay he is actually the worst. You will D's on all your weekly assignments no matter how hard you try and never get feedback from the TAs. His midterm had questions from the second last chapter in the textbook a which was 8 while we were only at 4. The exam was a complete mess.
the prof knows his stuff but he is very boring. He dos not tell you what to study for the exam.
Oh this guy, just stay away, one of the worst profs at Ottawa. His midterm and Final didn't reflect what he taught at all. He just makes boring slides and draws from 2 separate textbooks. Never take this prof!
Avoid this teacher at all costs
If you had to sip on melted lava or take bowen's class, I think ud reach for ur famous glass cabinet you almost never touch, reach up so very high 4 that one glass mom or dad always say stay away from, yknow the 1 coated in glimmering gold pellets? set it down on the countertop, add some fresh ice from the freezer, pour ur lava and chug that puppy.
Very hard marker don't take this class if you want an A you won't get it.
Is this the real life? Is this just fantasy?
Don't get all the negative feedback. Professor Bowen was accessible outside of class hours and gave good feedback. The class isn't very complicated and as long as you do the readings and pay attention even a little bit, good grades aren't unachievable. One thing I can say though, is that jumping between different textbooks can be confusing at times
Horrible! I switched the class.
Most boring teacher I ever had. Lectures are boring and his grading criteria is unclear.
His lectures are very relatable to the material however you are tested on the textbook. Read the material then come to class and he will further your understanding of the concepts with real-world application.
He is an great professor and his midterm/final was very fair. However, he is just an boring professor but he has an great personality. Although he wants the class average to be an C+, you have to realize that Telfer does not accept an class average above an C+ for the first two years to establish an brand name.
Horrible teacher, doesn't care about his students, he always only talks about what his masters students are doing, and teaches for only 40 minutes per class instead of the full 1h30. His grading criteria is unclear and final exam is ridiculously long and unclear with its marking scheme aside from the multiple choice section. Fanatic of case studies
Terrible prof. His lectures were pointless. Every class was a drag+every time I forced myself to go I regretted it; literally a waste of time. Read the first 3 chapters thoroughly and you'll be good for the rest of the semester. Midterms were difficult, not because of the content but because you literally had no idea what was going to be on them.
Very mundane classes. Prof seems to do the best he can to NOT prepare you for the midterms and exams. The midterms use very difficult language to confuse you and contain lots of choose the best answer type Multiple choice questions. If you have this prof, try switching into another class if possible. Best advice is, memorize the whole textbook
Does not care about students as he ends lectures around the 40 minute mark. Slides are different than the textbook. Explained how he expects the class average to be a C+ for 20 mins (half the class) rather than explaining what would be on the midterm. SWITCH OUT. Midterm was random questions never spoken about in class. Save yourself please.
Boring prof, but caring, his lectures put me to sleep. The midterm had stuff not covered in class so be prepared to read the boring textbook written by one of the university's profs (such a scam). Other courses use pearsonmylab and connect and they were such great textbooks. However the one used in class is so hard to follow. Try to avoid him!
Kind professor, but seems a bit disinterested in what he teaches. Pretty boring teaching style. Lectures are not necessarily from the book itself, but the midterm and final was very textbook heavy, so get ready to read a LOT!
Not that bad just boring. Lots of theories to remember. Mid term was tricky in terms of the wording of multiple choice. Not sure how the grading is yet but hopefully its easy
Professor Bowen's class is the most boring class you will ever attend. He is very monotoned and will put you to sleep. He does not tell you what will be covered on midterm or final exam and puts questions on there that are not related to and or taught in class. Highly recommend not taking this class with him. He is also a very hard marker.
Just finished the final exam today. A few of the concepts (names of people especially) on the exam werent even in the textbook or on his slides, and it was already tough without those. Lectures were not even worth going to, youre better off reading from the textbook. Never gave any rubrics. One word. Inept.
The only good part about the course was a group project that he didnt have to grade. Its clear that the exams are made last minute, with confusing wording that I cant imagine how international students would be able to read. Lecture slides seem simple and you think you know your stuff until he copies the textbook onto the exam, lack of effort.
The prof is neither good at lecture nor easy on exams. If anyone takes his class, then a super low GPA is guaranteed for you.
Lectures were very boring. The midterm and final were not fair. One group project was assigned, however grading criteria was unclear. Avoid this prof if possible.
James Bowen isn't the best prof but it seems like he tries hard. Midterms and exams aren't easy, but passable. He is a nice guy, brings treats for students on Halloween!
Prof Bowen's class makes you feel like the tuition that you paid is a total waste of money. University puts him in a first-year course makes me wonder if uOttawa wants to motivate students to transfer to uCarleton or uMontreal.
Good story teller, pretty boring though. Seems like he tries hard to get class involved but no one is ever interested. Midterm questions from textbook.
Extremely boring lectures. Uses another profs notes and reads off them in class. All assignments are very unclear and is determined upon the students. Grading is unfair as the instructions are unclear. Every quiz requires extensive knowledge of the dry content he teaches as well as plenty of textbook reading. Avoid prof at all costs. Very monotone
After all the negative feedback from students, prof Bowen still stays the same as he was ten years ago. The first year should encourage students to work harder, but his teaching style and method make me want to drop out of university right now.
He is a mediocre professor, although he tries to relate content to the real world but he just goes off on tangents and he can be unclear. Exam was not reflective of class content whatsoever. Midterm was okay. You need to read the textbook if you want to pass, even then the test questions are ludicrious. Would not recommend. Sorry.
Terrible final exam
What a horrible prof! I still cannot believe that Telfer actually hires him as the prof for many mandatory courses for this long time. He taught every class with zero passion and he always expected students to learn everything well In advance so that he wouldn't bother to even give a proper lesson. Just avoid him if you get the chance.
He was okay for this course in terms of teaching (not extremely stimulating but not a 1.9/5 like this site says) but I'm annoyed about the fact I have no clue what he thought of my work since I didn't get any feedback from him on assignments nor do I know what the grades are. Would have liked to see what he thought of my hard work.
The prof is probably among the few ones that can change my life completely, only in a negative way. His lecture feels like a guy who is mumbling for 75 minutes straight. It is such a miracle that this prof can still teach so many classes with a huge amount of negative feedback. I wonder if he is a relative to the principal.
Only 3 projects, very easy with clear instructions. The class is pretty boring and the textbook is kinda useless. There are 3 m/c quizes but he doesn't really tell us what's on it except that it will be for each section of the course and only worth 7%. Final was hard to study because didn't know what to study for plus was in quarintine.
Professor Bowen is a 3-4/5, one of the kindest and most approachable profs at Telfer. He isn't stuck up or vague like others. The classes he teaches have a tough curriculum no matter the prof. You will have to work for an A (duh) in the class but this prof is nice and approachable if you need help! And he gave us candy on Halloween!
He said I had done really well on my test, however," really well" to him means a 78%. He is a tough grader and the max mark he gave was an 82%. Avoid.
Class Info
Online Classes
100%
Attendance Mandatory
17%
Textbook Required
45%
Grade Predictor
Your expected effort level
Predicted Grade
B
Grade Distribution
Common Tags
Rating Trend
Declining
-0.50 avg changeRatings by Course
ADM1101ADM1100
3.5
(2)ADM2320
3.2
(10)ADM2626
3.0
(1)ADM3313
2.6
(5)ADM3322
2.4
(5)Difficulty by Course
1301
5.0
ADM1301
4.1
ADM2304
4.0
ADM2372
3.9
ADM1370
3.8