2.0
Quality4.2
Difficulty29%
Would Retake131
Reviews29%
Would Retake
131
Reviews
Rating DistributionOfficial
5
17
4
8
3
14
2
18
1
74
What Students Say
“This is bio130 for *nonmajors*”
BIO130 - 3.0 rating“In lectures, he teaches biology to non bio majors like they are majoring in it”
BIO130 - 1.0 ratingClass Info
Online Classes
100%
Attendance Mandatory
15%
Textbook Required
27%
Grade Predictor
Your expected effort level
Predicted Grade
B+
Grade Distribution
Common Tags
Rating Trend
Improving
+0.91 avg changeRatings by Course
BIO420
5.0
(7)BIO01
3.0
(1)BIO320
2.3
(4)BIO130
2.1
(50)BIO201A
2.0
(1)Difficulty by Course
0
5.0
BIO200
5.0
BIO
5.0
BIO201A
5.0
BIO102
5.0
Reviews (131)
No Comments
dumbs down the lectures and then uses different terminology on tests
Lectures are entertaining, but pale in comparison to Clyde Herreid. Recommended over Hennessey.
think of the goofiest looking person you've ever seen.... Add a dose of methamphetamines ...You've got James LaFountain
WHO'S BUFFALO STEVE?
No Comments
Tests have nothing to do with what he goes over in lecture.
He makes it seem like you know the material during class and then the tests come and you have no idea what anything means. The class is pretty entertaining though because he is CRAZY!
what the heck does he teach lectures for, if its never the stuff on the test!!
the course catalog would lead you to believe that this is cell bio 201.....the way he teaches, however, you'd swear it was cell bio 403.
Endless passion and enthusiasm for the subject, but he seems to have difficuly inspiring it in others. Sometimes feels like he is only teaching to the first 5 rows of class. If you are already interested in Bio, then he would be a good teacher.
He is the most unhelpful, jerk the biology department could have ever found. Most of his students are failing, and he refuses to curve. His stats are flawed bc most people have to resign the course, so you don't see the true amount of people failing.
COMPLETE WASTE OF TIME. I am sorry for those who have to have 201 with him due to time in their schedules and dept requirements!!
THE WORST TEACHER OF ALL TIME! Beware the microtubuoles... he talks all the time, very fast... and he laughs with that stupid freakin laugh heh heh heh... I hate this man passionately... Do us all a favor and retire like Fourtner
Very difficult course... do not bother reading the book... this professor is so into himself and expects all the students to listen to his lectures 5 tine over again after class... thinks he is a genius... also NO CURVE AND EVERYONE FAILS!!!!!!!!!
Horrible lecturer, likes to ask questions on exams about tiny, nitpicky details. Class average is somewhere around 50%, if that. He's been on probation recently for his exams. Avoid this guy!!!
Listen, never take LaFountain. He is a jerk. His tests are so hard and the Qs come back nowhere. Even though you try so hard, it's not going to get a good grade. He never post up the grade because this jerk doesn't want the students how bad the class did.
By far the coldest and strangest professor I have encountered. After bio 200 with Fourtner I was prepared to memorize a lot of information and take very hard test... I got an A in 200, i recieved an F in 201, lafountain does not curve, care, or teach.
Very good teacher, just pay attention, go to lectures and youn will do well. Very recommended.
please whatever you do if you can sign up for any other professor then him do so... you will regret any class you take from him. no curve. class average is failing. he is absolutely no help. he's will ask questions about the smallest possibly details
don't do it to your self. run as far as possible away from him. he is the worst bio teacher ever and really doesn't explain things clearly. he really expects you to know it all, which for bio can be very difficult. Again, he's the worst teacher.
ahhhhhh...DO NOT TAKE...ONE OF THE WORST!!!
he sucks...WORST CLASS EVER!! do not take this class if you do not have to....definatly NOT recommended....this guys an idiot
worst prof ever. Never take any calsses with him. for a student who can get an a- in organic, and has an overall GPA 3.7, I got a D+ in his class...studying gets you no where. him and his classes are a total waste of time.
WORST TEACHER EVER. If you need this class, take it from someone else.
dont take this class from him. find another teacher. he is horrible, not helpful in any way. doesnt curve, tests are extremely hard.
Best teacher ever! WOO HOO!
I don't even understand how a person like this can be a teacher. I worked very hard in this class and failed. I did everything I could do to score better on his exams, but, in my opinion, unless you already have a strong understanding of the subject, you're in trouble. Do not take this professor.
I really feel that this is an easy class. His tests are right from the lecture sheets, literally. If you go to lecture you can get an A. He is not that hard to understand either. The only problem I have with him is he deosn't stop waveing his arms around, lol.
horrible asolutely horrible...no point in going to class cuz u dont understand anything...all u focus on is the shine off his head from the overhead
Doesn't curve....tests are difficult. He will literally fail 3/4 of his class.
He makes no sense in class and his exams are crazy difficult! He always makes test questions that have more than one answer! Once, the answer was A,B,C,D,and E! If you dont bubble in all the circles on the scantron, you dont even get partial credit!
Even if you could get pass the fact he has the communication skills of a rat. His class is literally impossible unless you devote every waking moment to his class. No TA help available strictly for his class. Tests are extremely scrutinizing, been on probation by school for lack of passing kids.
I had him last year for BIO 201. His exams are insanely difficult, and yes, he fails at least 90% of the class. Tells you that if you can't pass his class you should get out of the major. This is the guy who is the Undergrad advisor for the Bio department? What a joke. Worst professor @ UB.
No Comments
He is so bad,it is not funny.I hate him and really wish he was not a professor at UB.He's the had of the bio department as well,which makes him difficult to remove.Probation doesn't stop him from being insanely difficult. I had to Resign.For those of you who got an 'A' in his class,good job Study old exams because they are the KEY to passing class
Will you people be quiet. My god. He does not fail 90%, not even close. People who complain don't know how to LISTEN. He tells you right off the bat to relisten to his lectures online to fill in any holes in the notes. He also gives you questions on the back of the lecture sheets that appear on the exam. If you would do the work, EASY EASY A!!
worst teacher i've encountered in my ENTIRE learning career! was doing bad on first two tests, went for help from him, and he only made things more confusing,the people that got "A's" in his class are the students that have the exams from the past two years cause thats all he uses, it's impossible if you don't have these, GET OUT OF HIS CLASS!!!!!
My TA told me I was one of the lucky ones that passed with a C... Lafountain is very condescending and you go to him for help and his tests are rediculous. Avoid this professor at all costs.
No Comments
No Comments
he just sucks
No Comments
I have mixed feelings about this prof. I actually took his class 3 years ago. His lectures were interesting and he got the concepts across well. His exams were very unfair though. There were often multiple choice questions with several correct answers. And they were NOT those "choose the BEST answer" ones. Good lecturs, rough exams.
Teaches a freshman course but sticks his nose high like he owns the place. Made an easy-medium course into a hard one. If you went to elementary, middle, or high school with him, you probably picked on him and stole his tots. Total jerk, has a too-cool-to-talk-to-students attitude. Avoid this guy.
all i know is that he has a bro. that works at the hospital and is a doctor, otherwise, this man will ruin your academic record with rough exams and attitude worth vomiting at
Oh, so you came to school to learn biology? I thought that you wanted to fail. Because that is what will happen if you take LaFountaine's section of cell bio. Exams are multiple-multiple choice and very nitpicky. Acts like he is some mastermind biologist but in reality is stuck teaching entry level classes because lectures poorly. Patronage PhD.
can not teach for****
This guy is out to get you. Teaches a freshman level course, swears he's some Med school professor. Avoid at all costs, even if it means destroying your whole schedule.
Class is extremly difficult. No practice tests, Only graded on 3 very hard tests.
No Comments
He is the worst professor ever and he give the most impossible exams. If you have him get out as soon as you can.
No Comments
hardest teacher ever! very rude! not helpful at all! even if you study for the tests you will still fail! worst teacher ever!
The worste professor I have had, he is bad. AVOID AT ALL COSTS. Lectures are interesting and gets his point across but only covers part of the material in lecture. The rest you have to get from the book. Test are EXTREMELY hard multiple choice, multiple anwsers and to make it worse he DOES NOT CURVE. Doesn't care about his students at all
Avoid this professor at all costs...For tests you have to choose specific multiple answers per question in order to recieve credit. No powerpoint slides, no curve for the class.You have to study the textbook,lectures and the tests are still very hard and unfair.
he must be miserable with his life and takes it out on his students. he only has 3 tests to base your grade on and their impossible
DO NOT, DO NOT, DO NOT TAKE THIS CLASS WITH THIS PROF!!!!!!!!!! you can study and study and still fail. im so serious not kidding at all. If theres no room in other classes wait till next year or take somewhere else over the summer. Dont waste your time with him!
SERIOUSLy, GET JANICKE. LAFOUNTAIN'S TESTS ARE RIDICULOUS... YOU'LL STUDY YOUR BUTT OFF AND FAIL. No others curve, but he doesn't help.
Tests are very difficult, if you are the average student, you will fail.
There are at least 2 other professors who teach Cell Bio, both of whom actually know how to instruct students. LaFountaine seems to lack the people skills, social skills, or inclination to relate to students in any meaningful way, and it shows in the number of failures (which I hear is now around 95% of the class). Take another section or get an F
well well...i dont know how horribly i can talk about this guy and even BEGIN to grace over how bad this professor is. Lafountain is easily the hardest prof at UB,tests are insanely difficult and unfair, this wouldnt really be a problem if he wasnt such an ass tho..extremely unhelpful and unapproachableD doesnt care about his students a bitDONT TAK
LaFountaine is the black hole that will instantly suck your GPA into hell should you be unfortunate enough to land in his section for Bio 201. He tries to come off as some departmental bigwig, but then you realize there is a reason he's teaching entry-level classes and not grad students. Completely useless, offers no help in office hours.
It's been years since I took his BIO201 course, and my hatred for him still remains. He is by far the WORST professor at UB. Avoid him at ALL costs. Even if it means drastically changing your schedule to accomodate another BIO201 course (I recommend Janicke). He will crush any hopes of going into the Health field.
NO CURVE!!! 4 exams(three lecture and one lab exams) only 3 best scores count. Most exam questions are very tricky. Exams are not based on lecture notes, they are based on questions in the book. So, lectures are pointless. If you do not want to mess up your GPA do NOT take his class.
It is has been three years since I had the misfortune of taking cell bio with this hateful man. Needless to say my hatred has not diminished one iota. His lectures are almost completely unstructured and he puntuates each sentence with a psychotic chuckle. Easily the worst professor at the university. The man belongs in a padded room.
u don't want to take his class especially if you look foward to getting into early assurance program i was ended up with B .. and study almost every single day .....40% will be dropped out of the class and 30% will get the grade below C .but this class helps get u interested in bio.
theres a facebook group for people who got f's in his class enough said
Easily the <i>worst</i> professor on campus. He has no social skills whatsoever, making any attempt at earnest discussion in office hours futile. His test structure is atrocious; multiple-multiple choice questions render examinations virtually impossible unless you bought last years exams. Undergrad adviser for the department, but he's useless.
not only was bio 129-130 the most useless class in the entire suny system, having him as the 3rd teacher did not help. he cannot explain things in a coherent mannor, plays with things on 'visualizer' that do not make any sense at all. not informed that he was scheduled to teach, but if i had known i would have dropped the class.
Far and away the worst and least approachable prof. at UB. Has a wealth of knowledge about the subject and intends on using it to thoroughly confuse any student taking his gen-ed class. Some of these students take his class in order to test the waters of biology in a general knowledge based course. Lafountaine ensures that nobody leaves satisfied.
Horrible teacher who has no idea what he is talking about.
Makes a general education requirement far more harder than it really should be. Stopped going to class after the first week of the semester, and started teaching myself.
I can't even tell u!!! Today was our 3rd test and it's like "What the hell is going on?" He sucks! He's one of those professors that has been teaching the material toooo long....he thinks everyone should just get it because it's easy for him! His tests are impossible. The language he uses makes it more difficult. I hate him. Seriously.
LaFountain is by far the worst prof. that I have ever had at UB. He does not use slides or powerpoints during his lectures. Instead he relies heavily on visual representations, and expects his students to know as much about the course as he does. He is not helpful at all. His tests have complex phrasing and also have multiple multiple choice.
Apparently Dr. Lafountain is bad for other classes, but for BIO420 Cytogenetics Lab he is awesome. It is a very small class, we work with microscopes the whole time, and it is very laid back. No written exams, just oral "check ups" which are intimidating but easy. Definitely recommend him for Cytogenetics, as for other classes I cannot say
Fantastic teacher. Gave me a real love for cytogenetics. Hoping to continue this sort of research in a graduate respect. Take this class.
Not a terrific teacher but if you do a little review before the tests you'll easily get an A.
Entertaining enough to make a gen ed bio class enjoyable. Not too hard, tests were almost exactly like the practice exams. Just do the labs well and study the practice exams and you will have no trouble at all.
Lafountaine is hilarious. He's so passionate about Biology, and it shows. He explains processes very thoroughly through analogies, so they're easy to understand, and in my limited Biology experience I found his notes and lectures very helpful. Definitely has improved as a professor since his previous reviewers... I'd definitely recommend his class!
His Bio130 class is pretty boring. His lecture slides are paragraphs of information and he goes on a lot of unnecessary tangents. The only redeeming part of this class is that you can teach yourself from the book! Lectures aren't mandatory, just lab & exam days. Overall, he teaches this genED like you're majoring in it. Useless class.
He's slightly humorous. His classes are packed with info and you don't need the textbook for his class at all.
If you took 129 and now have to take 130, take my advise Dont this teacher seems nice and straightforward. but the material on the test is a mystery. I personally studied for weeks for his tests and every time I got to the test the material is different than the material in the study material if you are stuck in his class don't do the pink sheet!
Dr. Lafountain is a very enthusiastic professor which makes the class worth going to. He is very clear in lecture and definitely puts an obvious emphasis on terms and ideas to know.
Professor is nice and easy going. 4 Exams and 4 short labs. Gives a sheet of what to study for each exam and a practice test. STUDY PRACTICE TESTS (he uses lots of questions from practice tests on the actual exams). The labs are short but can be difficult. Not the easiest gen ed but if you give yourself time to study for exams you should be fine.
I would give this man a 0 if I could. Taught this gen ed bio class like we're all bio majors and constantly tried too hard to be funny. I stopped going to lectures/labs halfway through the semester because you can google all the lab answers and for the tests all you have to do is study the practice exams because he uses about 85% of the same ones.
Dr. Lafountain was a a great professor and does a great job integrating the lab and lecture into one. He is always willing to meet with students, gives great feedback, and really wants all his students to learn and succeed. This class does require a lot of time in the lab and is very detail orientated, so a good grade requires a lot of work.
It was the BEST class I've ever taken as a biology sciences major. Dr. Lafountaine is super helpful and give a lot of time to help his students. He cares a lot about his students. However hard work is required for this course. I really love this class.
Microtubule
Dr. Lafountain's lectures are heavy with a lot of info but he's clearly enthusiastic about biology and tries to be animated and make jokes. Class is graded by four exams, each 25%. Most of the questions on the exams are straight from the sample tests he gives you, with a couple new ones. Pretty easy gen ed, not a horrible professor
Dr. Lafountaine is really not a horrible teacher. He is enthusiastic, knows what he is talking about, and while he may go quickly in lecture, his powerpoint slides that he elaborates on in class is clear, concise and easy to study for exams. If you do the pink sheets and practice exams, the tests will not be difficult to take. :)
4 tests, each worth 25%. Tests almost identical to practice tests he puts online. Attendance isn't mandatory but always helps to go. Professor doesn't really connect with students but does care about how they do and will help you out if you need it. Material might be a little challenging but attending lectures helps!
I loved this professor. He was so enthusiastic when lecturing and his notes were clear and repetitive which helped you to really remember what was taught in class. The tests are basically identical to the practice exams. If you do poorly in this class you're probably one of the slackers who save the study guide until 10pm the day before the exam.
The material is very in depth and hard to understand. His notes are very repetitive (of the info that isn't as important) and don't coincide with the study guide at all. It is hard to follow along in his course, even with attendance. I chose to drop the course. It's very hard for someone like me who isn't a bio major
Terrible professor. In lectures, he teaches biology to non bio majors like they are majoring in it. Study practice tests before exams, but beware because he almost always has a wrong answer on one or the other. Hell say that the answer to a question is one thing on the practice test and something completely different on the exam.
He's very clearly very excited about the material he's teaching which makes his lectures more fun and engaging. Notes can get confusing if you don't go to lecture and hear his explanations. Only four test grades total so you have to study to do well, but he provides a study guide and dedicates a whole class to it, as well as provides practice tests
This is bio130 for *nonmajors*. He goes into extreme depth into human genetics that is completely unnecessary. Bio129 hit the mark for a gen-ed that teaches you about how the body works at a level appropriate for non majors. He should consider changing the material he goes over and restructuring the course.
This is one of those general bio classes non science majors have to take. While his lectures were super boring, Dr. Lafountaine sets you up for this class so there is no way you won't pass. Study guides clearly outline what will be on the exam and the practice exams questions were almost the same as the real test.
Professor Lafountain is a good guy and certainly knows what he is talking about. However, during lectures, he goes off on irrelevant tangents and speaks super fast and unclear. The slides are confusing so going to class is recommended but the chances of you actually understanding what he is rambling about is slim to none. The book is not good too.
took this course as a gen ed and regretted it. this class is made to fail you. this guy talks about the most irrelevant things and super fast at that. there's lot of material to study for each test and the tests look nothing like the study guide. his office hours don't help either. paid for the textbook online that we don't even use.
Professor Lafountain is a good professor. You're only graded by your performance on 4 exams. He gives you study guides and practice tests to help prepare you for the test. In order to do well in this course however, you do need to attend class even though it isn't mandatory. Lastly,he teaches super fast so you need to be attentive the whole time.
Dr. LaFountaine is a real gem in the biology department. This class Cytogenetics is one of the most fun and interesting classes I have taken at UB, this class should be mandatory. This class will prepare you for working in a lab and lets you take charge of your own learning through 3 poster projects that you work on at your own pace. take it!
Terrible class set-up. Stopped going to lecture because there was absolutely no benefit. If you're taking this course for scientific literacy save yourself the time and take something else. This is not an easy course due to the lack of comprehensible notes. The slides are so hard to get the main point from. Acts like we already know all the materi
PowerPoint slides contain unnecessary information and are all over the place. His lecture is extremely boring and a lot of the information is more in-depth which isnt required for the class. Study guide and practice exams dont help- a lot of the questions are worded differently, and a lot of questions are on things he speaks about once in class.
This class is not for people taking biology for the first time. This is much harder than a gen-ed. It is relatively difficult and specific.
As said before, the slides are all over the place and Lafountain goes on useless tangents that dont get to the point of the course material. If you're coming fresh out of taking BIO in high school, find a tutor, or a different professor because this class will be awful for you.
Not a good class for nonmajors. He goes too in debt about the topic and the tests are extremely hard. There's no extra credit so if you fail the 4 exams you're screwed. Please don't take this class unless you're into bio. This is something not made for nonmajors so proceed with caution! The lectures don't represent the test he gives out.
Please be careful this is a horrible course! Do not take it at all costs. Find another class for your science requirement. Bad professor. Talks too much about complex topics. Not a class you want to take. Period.
Dr. Lafountain knows a lot about biology, but definitely is not good at teaching it, at least not a class for non-majors. He only grades you on exams, nothing else. He should definitely make this class easier as it is for non-majors. The way he teaches the material in lectures is hard to understand.
A wonderful guy, very enthusiastic for his age and pretty funny. Class is based on exams only. It is certainly not an easy science requirement, and if you don't like bio... don't take it (take rocks or nutrition for easier course). But, he's a lot of fun and cares how you do.
The class is advertised as being for non-bio majors yet is taught like the entire class already had the knowledge of a veteran bio course taker. I was recommended this course as a graphic design student, and am used to getting straight A's. Now I am currently bunkering down in preparation for the final exam, which I will need to get a 100 to pass.
The professor seemed to blame the students for many of the problems. If an exam had a bad accumulative score, he would claim the students didn't use the platform properly, etc.
Worst professor i have ever had. His lectures are god awful-he just reads off his slides and gives no extra information. He's monotone and super boring. his tests are extremely hard and have nothing to do with his review sheets. the review sheets do not resemble the lecture material either. they're 60+ qs. he's not flexible or polite about ANYTHING
Taking BIO 130 to meet curriculum requirements, I am not a biology major, but still, I found human biology is very interesting and attractive. You have to put a lot of effort into this class to get A, but Dr. Lafountain is very helpful and patient. If you only want to attend class and get A, don't pick this class.
The worst professor at UB. Do not take this class. The lectures are equivalent to watching paint dry. He just reads off the slides for an hour and a half. This is definitely not an intro BIO course and NOT AN EASY A. Take nutrition instead, it is easier and more useful.
The absolute worst class I've ever taken at UB. His lectures can be all over the place and you're only graded on four exams, this is supposed to be for non bio majors but it definitely didn't feel like it. I should have dropped this class in the beginning of the semester
4 tests, 25% each, good luck even trying to get in touch with him and if you do, expect a snobby and bland response. never again.
Be prepared to not have any medical problems because there is no leniency. I would not take a professor again. Clearly, he does not care about his students. It is supposed to be a non-bio course but felt like a level 400. Even bio students looked over my notes wondering why we were learning certain unnecessary material.
If I could give him a 0, I would. Asked for his help multiple times for him saying he couldnt. Doesnt care how well you do. He always seemed annoyed when I emailed him questions and concerns. He sets up the class to make you fail. The bio lab couldnt even save me since he likes two separate grades...
LaFountain bases your entire course grade on four tests (unfair in my opinion). He is hard to understand and tends to jump from topic to topic randomly. I am taking his course online and seeing that we have barely any communication with him, it is hard to ask questions and get help. No extra credit or other assignments given.
This class is not a level 100 class. I have friends who are bio majors, and the content in this course is more difficult than their 300 level bio courses. Avoid this class at all costs if you want to take an introductory bio course. Tests are EXTREMELY difficult.
This was literally the WORST course I have ever taken at UB. With the grade based off a mere 4 exams, this professor gives you absolutely no opportunity to get a grade that fairly represents the amount of time and effort you put into this class. His lectures are over an hour long and cover content that YouTube can teach you more easily in 5 min.
Professor lafountain was extremely non lenient during covid times and extremely rude when we tried to reach out to him. Definitely would recommend you find a different professor
Good Lord... No Labs, just hard lectures for non-Biomajors. Take at your own risk.
He doesnt care about how you feel or how you take his thoughts. He shares whatever comes to his mind, which is usually rude. He says it in front of the entire class and will do it over and over again. If he doesnt like you, which rides on absolutely nothing, you will not do well. I thought Id like the class because its writing papers, but no.
This class is NOT for nonmajors, it's for masochists. Lafountain doesn't care about how you do and blames you for his shortcomings as a professor. Boring lectures, incredibly heavy material. DO NOT TAKE
He is great, the 320 lecture and the 430 lab are both good. Very interesting, if you try you will do well, attendance is not mandatory as long as you get the work done.
Does not care to help students and will give whatever grade he pleases.
For BIO 320 lecture, no exams or quizzes, attendance isn't mandatory and 12 weekly assignments (2 are dropped). For BIO 420 lab there's so much help and you have a lot of time between experiments (which aren't difficult) and reports. You also have to do one 5 min presentation for one project. As long as you stay on top of due dates you're good.
The professor has a blunt teaching style. While lectures can be dry, using unstuck ai and the free textbook helps supplement the material. Attendance is mandatory, so staying engaged is key to doing well.
The best professor I've had so far at UB. He truly cares about the success of his students. Setting reminds me of a high-school classroom... laid back. Lecture is optional to attend, but why wouldn't you go to a class you're paying for? No exams is even better, with just 12 weekly papers to write. Take the 420 lab too, as the content is the same.
Class Info
Online Classes
100%
Attendance Mandatory
15%
Textbook Required
27%
Grade Predictor
Your expected effort level
Predicted Grade
B+
Grade Distribution
Common Tags
Rating Trend
Improving
+0.91 avg changeRatings by Course
BIO420
5.0
(7)BIO01
3.0
(1)BIO320
2.3
(4)BIO130
2.1
(50)BIO201A
2.0
(1)Difficulty by Course
0
5.0
BIO200
5.0
BIO
5.0
BIO201A
5.0
BIO102
5.0