3.1
Quality3.7
Difficulty23%
Would Retake84
Reviews23%
Would Retake
84
Reviews
Rating DistributionOfficial
5
24
4
16
3
14
2
16
1
14
What Students Say
“I've worked in management for years and he is simply delusional”
MGMT485 - 2.0 rating“Professor Key was the worst professor I've ever had”
MGMT485W - 1.0 ratingClass Info
Online Classes
100%
Attendance Mandatory
34%
Textbook Required
33%
Grade Predictor
Your expected effort level
Predicted Grade
B-
Grade Distribution
Common Tags
Rating Trend
Declining
-1.12 avg changeRatings by Course
MAGMT325
5.0
(1)MGMT
5.0
(1)MGMT425
5.0
(1)MGT485W
5.0
(1)MAN325
5.0
(1)Difficulty by Course
485
5.0
MGT325
4.5
FIN485W
4.3
MGMT485W
4.1
MGMT485
4.0
Reviews (84)
His tests are very hard! The content is common sence, but this class requires you to remember lots of different processes and procedures and there names.
Great teacher! Really nice and sincere. His test are directly from his notes. I would recommed him to anyone.
He is a great teacher, but his tests are all 60% essay. If you like that, take his class. I hate it.
Very sincere and helpful. Sets you up for success, day before test he ALWAYS goes into a review to help you prepare and know what to study which comes directly from notes. If anyone failed, it was because they didn't come to class.
No Comments
He has a tendency to ramble on a bit too long on subjects even after the subject matter has been sufficiently covered. He tends to enjoy embarassing students also by singling them out; however, he is generally a nice enough guy.
One of my most favorite professors I have ever had at my time at Old Dominion University. Loves to "pick" on his favorite students, and is a very fair grader.
I like this professor. For taking a mgmt485w class he is [the] class to take. His exams are very easy-knowing definitions, and short essay questions are ok to me. I waas recommended by alot of people before I took his class and they were right I learned alot from him, and passed!
Great guy, hard class. You go into the class thinking "how hard can bus. mgmt be?" My GPA is above 3.7 and his tests are HARD. His tests: normally on 4-5 chapters (there's about 30pgs/ch) with 20 multiple choice and you get to choose 6 of 8 essay questions. He also tends to favor the girls
I learned a lot, but he gives 2 tests on exam day. He gives one on the last 5 chapters, and when you turn that one in, he hands you a cumlitive on the first 12 chapters. Very confusing study times. also, favors girls and ones who arrive late to class!!
Mr. Key is such a cool guy. I actually enjoyed coming to his class, even started coming on time. His class was fun and enjoyable most of the time. His tests werent too bad, although sometimes you had to remember a lot. and he doesnt favor girls... just people that come in late! Take this guy!
he tried to make learning management through more real life experiences. Even though they were mostly his experiences, its still pretty easy. Make sure you know definitions in the margin and really read the book. Pay attention to diagrams as well
He is a really nice guy who if you go and see before your case study is due he will basically tell you the answer. He is the best prof to take for MGMT 485!
Be VERY VERY prepared to work for your grade. He doesn't mess around when it comes to grading your case studies and business report. However, it is still possible to get an A...just work hard!
Really works with you on any issues you have in the class. Tests aren't hard as long as you have notes from class. Assignments in his class were easy; even the book report which I was not too happy about in the beginning.
This class was great. A bit of work involved but nothing was to demanding or hard. Great Guy looking out for his students.
awesome teacher...he's awesome i'd recommend this prof for mgmt 325 as well as 485 he's cool but make sure that you study for ur tests because he gets very picky when it comes to grades tho u go to him and he'll help you alot...great teacher
seriously ...he's a good teacher..i'd recommend anyone...he'll give three test and one final w/ one book report...test are not hard but since its a 300 level course u gotta study no matter wat..but overall..he's a bit humorous and genuinely a nice teacher..
There are 6 cases! and he grades them hard. Must know the material and be able to apply to the cases since he is looking for specific things! tests are the same as 325. just make sure to study the material, read the margins and summaries at the end of the book! DEF BUY THE BOOK.. mistake a made not buying it! boring class but doable
curriculum conflicts with other topics in management, a waste of money to purchase textbook, will demote you one letter grade if you use synonyms, rambles on and on and its hard to distinguish the pertinent information, will not explain questions about your grade. On appearance is the sweetest old man ever, but if you have a grade discrepency he's
His resemblance to Brett Hume is humorous and made me feel more comfortable in the class. He was very willing to help students, even offering extra credit after he said he wouldn't. Weekly quizzes were open book. Tests weren't too tough if you studied. Good communication, especially for teletechnet studnets!
Good Teacher...very willing to work with you if you have a tragedy...my dad passed away this semester and unlike My marketing teacher (Glassman) Prof. Key worked with me and was extremely understanding. You have to study in his class but it is not so hard you can't take another class with it(if you are going part time)
He's tough but fair. A nice guy, but class can be really boring. It took me a while to realize that he actually hates case reports with filler. I had to unlearn everything I had learned in previous courses where writing with filler in papers was a good thing. Less is more
Class was boring he tells stories about his life all class long that barely relate to the topic at hand. Nice man. Class is not that bad, tests are pretty hard but you can do really well if you know everything on his slides like the back of your hand, because the short answer questions are completely random.
5 CASE REPORTS WITH ONE FOR EXTRA CREDIT AND 1 BUSINESS REPORT. TESTS ARE LONG AND YOU MUST STUDY BUT THEY ARE DOABLE. vERY KNOWLEDGEABLE BUT QUITE BORING. aLL IN ALL NOT A BAD CLASS TO TAKE.
VERY friendly and nice guy, but HORRIBLE professor. I his class and got a D and took it with another professor and got an A. Tests are all long essays and he grades really tough. Average test grades were in the 60s.
lots of writing is required in this class. The instructor is up to date with current events and correlates todays news into class. Highly suggested teacher
Dr. Key is an interesting professor. He explains the material pretty well, but he does go off on wild tangents that are sometimes unrelated to the material. The tests are fine if you study hard for them, the short answer will kill you though. Book report takes a up a lot of time.
Very nice guy, cares about students, but tests are ridiculous. Many people end up retaking the class with another prof to get grade forgiveness. One of the nicest people you will ever meet but be prepared for your GPA to drop. Test grades averaged around a D.
Prof. Key was very nice & willing to help out as much as possible to get the class to understand the material.HE IS THE BEST TEACHER FOR MGMT 485. I'm doing grade forgiveness & he is MUCH BETTER than Morris. He is also funny, which makes the class a little more enjoyable. GREAT TEACHER all around. MUST THOROUGLY READ TO PASS CLASS THOUGH.
He seems like a nice guy, but his tests are definetely a stab in the back. I think he's known the stuff so long he forgot how to teach it.
I just had him last semester, he's a nice guy and you learn a lot in his class but his tests are very hard though. Unless you know everything it's very hard to slide by because he doesn't emphasize what he wants. I've seen worse though.
Very lively and communicative but the tests are way too difficult for anyone who can not completely memorize the book. Essay questions are difficult to impossible to answer unless you can read his mind. Nice guy but too hard on the grades.
Good teacher, very helpful, but tests are a little unreasonable. The good thing is you get 4 tests(last counts double). His tests are 40% M.C., and 60% hard short answere and you pic 6 out of 8. You won't slide by if you don't really know it. After his class you will have a very strong foundation for business(If you make it through) gotta study
Professor key is a wonderful professor. This was my first managment class and he made it so much fun, he does not grade hard and he is so understanding about everything. Attendance is not mandatory but it would help you a lot if you go everyday. Just stydy his notes and you will be fine. IF YOU CAN TAKE HIM. BEST TEACHER you will ever have
BEST TEACHER EVER, TAKE HIM IF YOU CAN. the nicest person in the world and exams are easy too. Just study his notes and you will get and A in the class. TAKE HIM IF YOU CAN
I have taken this class TWICE and both times, I managed to get a F. Do NOT take this teacher if you want to graduate. Test are unreasonable, if the case reports are not how he would write, you will pay!!! The absolute worse!!
Great teaching skills. Test where not difficult but you need to study. Test are multiple choice/written essays. Multiple choice easy but written part he is very picky about you need to really know it to get full credit.
Others are right, if you don't write what HE wants (or his TA,) regardless of it being legitimate, you're toast. I've worked in management for years and he is simply delusional. He's gotten so wrapped up in his world of academia he's forgotten actual management. He knows nothing other than what the book says; he basically considers it the Bible.
Mr. Key is a GREAT teacher and you can tell he enjoys it! The class is not easy - you MUST read and take notes. There are 6 case reports and he drops 1, a Business Report worth 25% and 3 tests MC/Essay. You have to really understand the material to do well. He gives lots of examples to help the class understand. Take him if you can!
Absolute horrible teacher. Very difficult to get a hold of if you are a distance learning student. Does not use Blackboard or email proficiently. Takes forever to return assignments. Relies too heavily on TA's grading and wants it written exactly how he would or you get no credit. My second time taking this class, and graduation depending on him
Professor Key is a very good professor that uses real world experiences to explain concepts. Although he is a little wordy, he get his point across. He has a genuine concern for all students. Test aren't bad. The multiple choice part is usually very easy, there are 8 essay questions in which you have to answer 6. You MUST read and study to excel!
Horrible professor. Try to avoid him if you can. He is very contradicting in his words and can often confuse students. He is very picky on the written assignments (there are five of them), and on the term paper which is worth 50% of the grade! Very poor quality.
I liked professor Key. I did not like his tests. the multiple choice always brought my grade way down, confusing questions. He expects a lot from his students but the requirments are doable. 5 cases, 3 tetsts, 1 term paper.
This class is designed to be hard, but with a professor who is unclear about what he wants and then expects you to know exactly what he wants this is extremely difficult. He takes off for things not being EXACTLY the way he would word it and never returns graded work needed to help study for the tests and write the papers. AWFUL PROFESSOR!!!
Given the choices of professors teaching this class,I'd have to say Key is the better choice. However, try to get in his head and figure out the SPECIFIC word/words he wants to see on the test/case studies.Use ONLY the information he teaches and what's in the book. Don't try and "think on your own" - it won't work. Not for this class. Good luck.
He was very clear about the instructions for the assignments, and this professor is a lot better than the last one I took and had to drop for MGMT 485W. Overall, I learned a lot in this class!
This class was hard because the professor graded papers with difficulty. He was not clear with the instructions. Stay away
This was probably the hardest class I have taken because he is the toughest grader Ive ever had. Even if you answer all the questions perfectly, there will always be something that he wanted you too add, making the writing assignments almost impossible to do well on. He is a nice guy, but jeez that class was impossible
Key is by far the best professor I've ever had at ODU. His lectures clearly prepare you for the exams and the papers. Yes it's a lot of writing, but it's a writing intensive class. I've never had a professor who cared so much and worked so hard to get every student an A. If you don't do well in his class, it's because you don't put in any effort.
Case studies have to be word for word what he wants, and if its not perfectly what he wants, your grade drops tremendously. His lectures are the most boring thing I have ever listened to and he does not explain things well. Also he gives extra credit to the girls in the class that he likes and no one else.
Incredibly harsh grader. Tests were pretty easy thankfully as those ended up being the reason I barely passed, but those papers have to literally be word for word what he asks for or you will get a VERY low grade.
Extremely nice professor, but incredibly hard grader. Take notes, pay attention, and read the book. His papers are really tough. If you do not write what HE would write, then he will crush your grade. He goes over them prior to the due date, so take EXTENSIVE notes. Add all of the key words he says into your paper and you will do great.
Mr. Key is a good professor but very meticulous on grading. If you don't write EXACTLY the way HE wants, forget it. Doesn't matter if you write according to the book. It has to be HIS way. There are 5 short papers (2p max), a bus. report (10-15p) and his exams have both MC and 6 short answers. Again, good prof. but his grading method not so much.
His "instructions" are lengthy and ambiguous. Several student's emails asking for clarification were ignored or treated like the answers were obvious. All work must be typed or you get a 0, which is fine, but his "feedback" is handwritten illegible chicken scratches. My GPA is 3.6. It's OK for a class to be challenging, JSK made it painful.
Professor Key made this class a lot harder than it should be. If you don't write what he wants you to write, your case papers will receive a bad score. Tests are difficult, consisting of multiple choices and a writing section which can hurt your grade if you don't write what he expects from you. Try to avoid taking him.
At first, I was not a fan of Dr. Key. He is very straight forward with what he wants and grades you based on that. Once I actually listened and learned what he wants for his papers, my grades increased. GO TO LECTURE EVEN IF YOU'RE IN WEB EX. He will remember who shows up to class because there's only a few people. He's a precious old man!
Professor Key was the worst professor I've ever had. Guy is harsh grader who will royally screw your grade on your case reports if you don't write exactly what he wants. He was the sole reason why I failed to graduate on time. Avoid taking him at all costs.
Avoid this class, there are many other sections that won't ruin your GPA. Grades writing assignments very tough and PowerPoints are useless. Nice guy but this class shouldn't be this challenging for a student who usually does well.
wow this guy is a HARSH grader, I did every assignment and got decent grades on all the case studies and still failed the class, his tests are brutal way too much information packed into one test. avoid please!!!
This class was extremely boring, professor key is a nice guy though. He gives tons of help when assigning case studies. The class consists of 3 tests, 6 case studies (lowest one dropped), and one business report. It is possible to do well in the class you just have to work hard.
The class consists of 3 tests, 6 case studies (lowest one dropped), and one business report. The best way to do well on the exams is to study the test bank because the multiple choice section is drawn from it. If you go to his office hours for the case studies/ business report you will do just fine in his class.
I am a senior and I have never had a professor that grades harder than him. If its not WORD FOR WORD what he wants then he wont give you credit. He is extremely picky and very unclear about what he wants. Take this class with another professor if you can. I went to office hours and emailed constantly and still did not do well.
Great Professor. You must READ the book and WRITE what he suggests for your papers. Go to class, even (WebEx), he keeps track. I'm a good student (3.7 GPA) and this class was one of my most challenging. He wants you to do well, but he will not give away grades. Use KEY WORDS in everything. Grammar mistakes killed some of my classmates.
He's an OKAY professor. He assigns case studies and sometimes it is hard to figure out what he wants. His class is point-based, so the more points you earn, the better grade you will receive at the end. You will definitely need to study for the exams. They consists of multiple choice and essay questions.
Professor James Key is one of the nicest old men ever, HOWEVER, he grades like his life depends on it. He is not lenient when it comes to grading, but he does help if you are struggling in his class, but he still grades hard to the point where it feels like he is not even grading and is just copying and pasting the same grades for each case study
This guy is completely rude to you. He doesn't respond to emails and doesn't care if you have a problem. He is the opposite of a teacher. He just reads the presentations that he has prepared and that the whole class.
Professor Key is extremely kind and caring. He wants you to succeed and will help in any way possible. Tough grader but is very clear with what he expects and wants. He is very helpful during office hours. This is not an easy class but it's not suppose to be. Put in the work, talk to him, focus on grammar and his case directions and you'll do fine.
Professor Key is a very kind and caring person in general. That said, I have never experienced a more brutal and cut-and-paste grader in my time at Old Dominion. Unless you write WORD FOR WORD what he is looking for, he will give you a horrible grade on case studies and business report. Try to take another section, or your in for one awful semester
Graded on weekly hw, quizzes, papers, and tests - lots to keep up with on this class, but as long as you do, you're good! I think he isn't too bad of a grader, as long as you get your work done and keep up with everything you'll do great.
His lectures were recorded so that I could view them when I was able to, which was about the only positive from taking this course. His lectures - prepare to sit there for 2-3 hours and listen to him tell stories that are supposed to support the material but really just confuses everyone. Half the time I had no idea what point he was trying to make
Out of touch with technology, should not be teaching online... not his fault. Unclear grading, again, out of touch with modernity, does not understand current business world. Seems unclear as to what he expects, asks for brevity one moment and for length another. Example in class are antiquated and irrelevant, needless pontification mostly.
Not in touch with reality, should be retired. Does not understand technology whatsoever, yet they have the old fart teaching an online class... His stories drag on and have nothing to do with things. He stumbles through the lecture like a child... Absolute garbage.
ok... not great... his assignments are not very creative, but they can be relatively easy if you follow his exact words. hint: when he assigns case studies wait until he posts the hint a day or two before.
Professor Key is a very kind and very caring professor who wants all students to do well and understand the material. However, the lectures are very dry and I found it hard to retain information when he was talking for hrs. Also did not use blackboard so hard to determine an overall grade. Also a VERY tough grader nice prof but wouldn't take again.
He talks too much during his lecturing and does not explain things clearly. His materials are unrelated to the exams. He has zero clue of how technology works and you will not be able to know what your course grade is. He MUST be RETIRED. He is now probably almost 80 years old and is not caught up with modern technology. He is too old.
Professor is kind. He does not grade as much to your views aligning with his but to understanding the material and your writing skills, so you really need to pay attention in the class. I didn't do well on one writing and asked him to explain my mistakes and he stayed after until I understood. Exams are easy if you do the study guide.
He is probably the worst professor i have had in my odu experience. doesn't upload any grade till the end of semester, comments o papers and assignments make no sense and it an extremely hard grader even if you give him everything he asks for. I would never take his class again and wish i was told how bad hthis experinec was going to be.
Professor Key is the worst professor I have ever had. I am normally and A student and will receive an F and will take again with another professor. He does not use canvas proficiently, this makes accessing the material and navigating extremally difficult. He does not make his assignments clear, and does not make his grading criteria clear.
If you take his course, be prepared not to receive an A. He grades all the case reports, business reports, and exams extremely hard. He also does not put in the grades until the last week of the semester. So, if you want to be stressed from day 1 until the end of the last day of class, I highly recommend not taking this course.
Most of your grade is based upon the final report so I would recommend focusing on the weekly writing assignments which are to be revised and included in the final report. Thankfully exams weren't worth much as they did not correlate to the study material.
Had to physically handwrite case reports during the class time (1hr & 15 min). When students complained, he said we could type them, email them to him, but then he lost our email and graded them as missing. Also, not updated at all in Canvas/ technology.
Although ODU has textbooks included in tuition, he still makes you pay out of pocket for multiple assignments. You must pay for access to case reports from multiple institutions such as harvard and Darden business school just to complete an assignment worth 1/6 of your grade. Many classmates paid for testing materials but I found free bluebooks.
case reports every other week and one major paper, but kind of a harsh grader. Tests aren't too hard and the lectures pretty much cover everything. no attendance grade. not tech savvy with canvas. responds to emails in 1-2 business days.
Class Info
Online Classes
100%
Attendance Mandatory
34%
Textbook Required
33%
Grade Predictor
Your expected effort level
Predicted Grade
B-
Grade Distribution
Common Tags
Rating Trend
Declining
-1.12 avg changeRatings by Course
MAGMT325
5.0
(1)MGMT
5.0
(1)MGMT425
5.0
(1)MGT485W
5.0
(1)MAN325
5.0
(1)Difficulty by Course
485
5.0
MGT325
4.5
FIN485W
4.3
MGMT485W
4.1
MGMT485
4.0