2.3
Quality4.2
Difficulty22%
Would Retake87
Reviews22%
Would Retake
87
Reviews
Rating DistributionOfficial
87 total ratings5
15
4
11
3
11
2
11
1
39
What Students Say
“She is a nice enough person, but not a good professor”
POLSY369 - 1.0 rating“Don't bring your opinions to class or you will fail”
POL105 - 1.0 ratingClass Info
Online Classes
100%
Attendance Mandatory
93%
Textbook Required
100%
Grade Predictor
Your expected effort level
Predicted Grade
B
Grade Distribution
Common Tags
Rating Trend
Declining
-0.23 avg changeRatings by Course
POLYS109
5.0
(1)Y335
5.0
(1)I100
4.5
(2)POLS107
4.0
(2)POLY103
4.0
(1)Difficulty by Course
AA
5.0
POLSY3XX
5.0
POL103
5.0
POLSLOTS
5.0
POL105
5.0
Reviews (86)
You have to work in this class. It's not for those who want an easy A, but Dr. Abshire is very interesting to listen to and the class is great.
Dr. Abshire is has a pleaseant personaility but I find her teachings biased and promoting the left side of the political system. I think that a more middle of the road approac would be a greater benefit to her students.
Got off topic all the time.
Frequently off topic and not well organized. Has good knowledge of subject matter but pedagogy is scattered and expectations for research papers are not clearly defined. Was consistently late in returning grades for tests and assignments. If course organization is essential to your learning success, learn from someone else if you can.
Easy to get off track
She is a very nice lady always willing to help her students. I dont like her essay exams but if she believes we are going to learn that way the let it be.
She knows her stuff, but she's a very demanding professor. She teaches 100-level courses like 300-levels. Also, not very forgiving of lateness/ circumstances. Be prepared to work your butt off and be frustrated frequently.
She has very high expectations. She gives daily quizzes that prove whether or not one reads the 100 page reading assignments. She was very unorganized and rearranged the syllabus multiple times throughout the semester. Her tests were very difficult for a 100 level course. If you are not a political science major, then don't expect an A.
Best teacher ever! She is really smart and has helped me with my questions. Very receptive to emails. She really knows her material and brings a great perspective to the material
I think she needs a sabatical or just don't teach at all, her mood shifts all the time. Her classes are all over the place and she is very unorganized.
Dr. Abshire does not have lesson plans. At the beginning of class, she comes in and asks if anyone has questions about the reading. The entire class is spent answering questions that should be discussed during her office hours. Her study guides DO NOT reflect what is taught in class. She is very knowledgeable, but not good at teaching.
Biggest problems--too ambitious with her syllabus, class is too fastpaced. Unrepentantly unorganized. Does not return tests/papers in a timely manner. Helpful in office hours, kind when speaking to you but not when grading you.Expects you to remember a lot of minutiae. Study guide is 12 unrelated questions long, test is 2 questions.
Dr. Abshire is easily distracted and often rambles off-topic without intending to. Students are cautioned that though she may be easily triggered, she is not easily dissuaded from her sense of correctness. If she is wrong, you'll never know it and you'll be hard-pressed to prove it to her.
faboulous but doesn't do tests or testing well and requires high preparation to suceed on her tests
Pros: loves the topic. Wants to help you get into grad school/international program/etc. Great to have a one-on-one conversation with. Cons: Unorganized, slow to return papers, judgmental, holds grudges against past students, pedantic, doesn't teach so much as ask if anyone has q's about the reading.
The worst Political Science professor at IUS. She does not prepare for class and gets off topic every meeting leaving students to learn from the book not the professor.
She is a good professor for lower level classes. You can guess the terms she will put on the tests and she gives you a study guide prior. Her tests aren't easy- but studying isn't hard.
Decent teacher cares about the students. Hard tests though, but studying is easy.
TERRIBLE TEACHER! Arrogant and VERY rude.
She is moody, always rambles off topic, and has a terrible temper. She is the worst political science professor at IUS! Avoid her classes at all cost!!!!!
She is rude, and lets her personal views interfere with her teaching and her grading. She unfairly grades your exams. I highly advise not taking her for any reason. She was the worst teacher I have ever had.
very hard!! do not take her class if you can avoid it expecially for upper level classes!
This teacher was the most confusing teacher I have ever had. She couldn't answer student questions and she had the most boring, monotone lectures ever. Bad.
Absolutely terrible. She doesn't explain, she's not professional, she's confusing, she contradicts herself ... Just. Avoid her.
One of my go-to professors; I had multiple classes w/her as a polsci major. Helpful, informative, and (here's what people don't like about her) she makes the students work. No easy As here. If you're willing to give the class your all instead of coasting through, Dr. Abshire is one of the best.
I really liked the teacher I was scared at first but I was able to make it through with an A. The worst i thought I would get was a B. She was available for questions and easy to approach. If you had trouble see her. She did contradict herself but if you listened to the lectures and read the book you would probably do just fine. That's how I made i
Horrid. Don't bring your opinions to class or you will fail. Thinks she knows everything and babbles on without stopping to see if anyone has anything to say. I hated her class.
I really enjoyed her. I learned the most in her class about the world than any class I have taken. Her class made me change my major to Political Science. She is very smart. She may get side-tracked in class a lot and we were always behind schedule, but she really loves what she teaches. You have to work hard, but you get the grade you deserve.
She is horrible! Fell asleep during a movie and the whole class left her sitting in the clasroom after the class period was over! During presentations, she can barely keep her head up, let alone her eyes open! The tests are rough, very rough and you can't really study for them so good luck.
AWESOME CLASS!! AWESOME PROFESSOR!! International Relations was the best Political Science class I have had at IUS. The class did not ask too much (except when it came to the reading, there was quite a bit). The UN simulation was great and class discussions and lectures were entertaining. I would be glad to have another class with Dr. Abshire.
Very nice to some, vern mean and rude to others. Most students stopped coming to class after two weeks. Wouldn't recommend.
Would recommend that no one enroll in Abshire's classes. Unethical person and a waste of time. Surprised that she is allowed to teach.
Abshire is a difficult professor, very easy to understand. Her random tangents on the class discussions are very insightful, and can be rather enjoyable. Her tests consist of a map portion, multiple choice portion, and an essay question. I really enjoyed her class.
Dr. Abshire is an excellent and engaging professor. I have no idea why people have griped about her teaching so much. She taught the course well and did expect a lot from you. Dr. Abshire is one of the best professors at IUS and I would recommend her to anyone wishing to take political science courses.
She is a fantastic professor... if she likes you. She has a very bad habit of playing favorites and woe betide you if you are not one of her favorites. In group work she will give the person she dislikes less points even if the group worked equally. Very easy to offend, and does not take to having another view but hers offered.
Bad teacher -- Stay away if you are a General Studies major. She goes out of her way to grade you below PS majors. I REALLY didn't like this class. Stay away.
She is an excellent teacher, she is always there to help and accomidate to her students needs. The topic was not at all interesting to me since I am not a Political Major. As long as you attend the class and read (or skim) the book then you know the material!
Terrible teacher, impossible exams, not a nice person. Avoid
Excellent Professor! Very thought provoking class.
Terrible, hard, unpleasant class.
Avoid at all costs unless you're willing to put up with an elitist who isn't afraid to publicly make a mockery of you for the sake of a decent grade. If you so happen to validate your own opinions founded outside of the given readings, she'll rain hell on you. She's difficult to understand, and her monotonous tone will drive you absolutely insane
Great person and good teacher. Requires a lot of work and you have to pay attention and put effort into any class with her. Not an easy A class but is very thought provoking and challenging.
I'm not quite sure why so many students rated Dr. Abshire so abysmally. There was a quiz at the beginning of every class over assigned reading. It definitely was not an easy class, but in no way impossible to get a good grade as long as one does the required reading for tests and can demonstrate knowledge of material. I enjoyed the class.
Difficult, unpleasant class. She talks down to students and won't help if you are having problems. Bad.
Terrible Terrible Teacher. I hated her. Trust me, if at all possible take a different teacher. There are so many other good PS professors out there and this is definitely not 1 of them. She really can't teach, literally and she refuses to teach some of the material just because the class "didn't read the book." Who the hell does that?
Excellent; helpful; exuberant; strong desire for students to learn/apply material and does a lot to help them achieve that; peppy; never boring; challenging but totally worth it
This class was worthless and the professor was annoying and obviously can't communicate with students. She is a "my way or the highway" type of prof. Avoid.
I agree with one of the previous commenters, I'm not exactly sure why she received such a low rating. My guess would be because her class was WORK! However, she was always available when I had questions (email or office hours). Only complaint that I can think of is her review sheet are VERY comprehensive and sometimes arbitrary but, good professor!
She is extremely helpful and easy to follow. You have to work for your grade but she is fair. Also, she assigns many extra credit opportunities
The material was not diffucult, but it is impossible to get a good grade. Abshire is the worst prof at IUS!!!
Terrible class
I also had her for Y107, 200, & 369. Her low ratings are because she is a CHALLENGING PROFESSOR. If you want an easy A, don't take Dr. Abshire, because she makes you work for your grade. Her courses are informative and interesting. She also cares about her students and wants them to do well. Go to her if you are struggling! Fair and funny. :)
She is a hard grader, unclear in her expectations, and can't explain basic concepts. I found her to be angry and intolerant of students who disagree with her. This was the worst experience I have ever had in a classroom.
Worst class ever. Boring subject, boring teacher. Abshire thinks she is funny and will derail an entire class for her bad jokes
Ton of reading, short quizzes almost everyday, assignments aren't that difficult. Tests are multiple choice, map section, and an essay question. Dr. Abshire is a nice person, but not a very good professor. Lectures go on tangents and have nothing to do with exams. Very slow grader. Class is too hard for 100 level, but not impossible to make an A.
I really like Abshire. She was super nice. She is very passionate about teaching and loves her students. That is not to say you're going to fly through this course. She most certainly makes you work for it. TONS of reading and TONS of quizzes. Make sure you attend the class; skipping this one will get you NO WHERE.
Abshire is a disaster. She is confusing, rambling, and she has a bad temper. This class was VERY unpleasant. Stay away.
I am fairly confident that we didn't talk about one thing in class that was on the test. She spent half of class time trying to market her "Bollywood" meetings. Worst class I have ever taken.
Terrible
Abshire is a great professor of the many I have had she has been the most helpful and easiest to approach. She likes to see that you apply yourself and as long as you do you'll do fine. Do NOT skip class almost daily quizzes and the lectures are helpful. If you apply yourself and show you care about your grade and this class you'll do great.
Tough class, unclear grading criteria, lacks focus. Don't take.
She was a wonderful teacher and very passionate. She'll help you, and gives good feedback. There were times she went off topic, but it's only because people asked about something and she felt it was necessary to elaborate. She is a tough but fair grader. She gave half sheet cheat sheets for tests, USE THEM. She wants you to succeed.
Awsome Prof. If you really want to learn something take her class
She is a nice enough person, but not a good professor. Class is not well organized, she rambles constantly about irrelevant topics & doesn't hardly teach on class materials. She only gives about 3 min for daily quizzes so you're always rushed, and her expectations are ridiculous. I work hard, but I've never had to work so hard for so little payoff.
A terrible professor that is way too tough for an entry level course. I have never had to work so hard for a grade only to have my efforts hardly pay off. She has very unrealistic expectations for what should have been an enjoyable course, and I will avoid her in the future. Also, be prepared to read and take a quiz every class.
Her lectures made no sense at all. Class was difficult, no guidance at all. Mean person.
I'm not going to sugarcoat it, she's hard, but in a good way. You do have to work for your grade but it pays off in the end because I learned so much from this class. The professor is knowledgeable about the subject and is willing to help you if you have questions. Don't take it you want an easy A but do take it you want to learn something.
Accessible after class if you request. Laughter from a horror film and likes to drone on about her personal life. Gets sidetracked often and we have to remind her what her job is. Quizzes before most class meetings which sometimes have answers that are based on opinion and not fact. Grades you based on "studies" she reads rather than whatmakessense
Abshire is a great person, but horrible professor. Her lectures are so confusing, and most of the time she just rambles on and on about something that is not related to the class at all. There is a quiz almost every day, and the reading is very dense and confusing. She doesn't help by making her lectures chaotic.
She will get off track and not talk about the topic until the last few minutes of class. Her quizzes are too hard for a Level 100 course. Want to survive in college? Never take her courses!
She was very nice and passionate about her work..... but she's almost too nice. Her lectures were very sporadic and hard to follow, she was incapable of putting grades into the system, and she graded everything way too strictly for an entry level class. I took this as a filler class and it ended up being my most difficult class last semester
Abshire, while a fun and spontaneous professor, does NOT get the job done. I took her class as apart of my Freshman Year Seminar class (FYS) for only 1 credit hour. Her class was harder then any other class I was taking. She is extremely off topic almost constantly and always uses the excuse of "Well studies say" when she is wrong/to prove a point
Very rarely on track, is frighteningly lost and meandering most of the period, and is quiz heavy just to be quiz heavy. Her intro to IS class was beyond frustrating as we HAD to attend (or fail), yet we often talked little about ANYTHING pertaining to IS in class. I dropped my IS major because of her.
Not at all down to earth. Very out of touch. Loves lies.
Dr. Abshire is highly intelligent and really knows her material. Her classes are tough, but you learn valuable life skills, such as the importance of being present, critically analyzing information, and being able to test your own limits. I learned how to scry through a multitude of information and find what I was looking for. Love this professor!
Although her lectures can be very informational, she sometimes spends too much time on one topic and can tend to get off track. Make sure you do and understand the reading assignments, there are quizzes almost every class! I also recommend studying in groups for exams because the context of the study guides is difficult at times.
Very off topic and confusing. During class activities she would be all over the place and tell us to do a multitude of different things. Takes forever to grade anything, and makes huge assignments worth very little points.
Okay so Abshire is so bad I made this account just to better society. I am a strait A senior and have taken her 3 times (mandatory). Each class was the worst of that year. Giant assignments for few points. Long lectures that arent on the test. Everything you will learn or be tested on will be from the many massive readings she assigns. Do not take
I love Dr. Abshire. She is definitely an approachable professor at IUS. Just be prepared to have rabbit trails in your conversations/lectures. It keeps you on your toes! Overall, do the work, attend class, and get to know Dr. A. I would not suggest her class to someone who does not take school seriously.
Dr. Abshire is super kind, yet she gets off track super easily. She is a really tough professor. The 100 level class I took from her was harder than many of my 300 level classes. Be prepared to do A LOT of work, but she is super nice!
Very fun course, lots of anecdotes. Stay up to date on current events, and make sure to do the readings before class.
I thought the class would be fine at first, it turned out to be a disaster. She is one of, if not the worst teacher I have ever had. Gets off track extremely easy and doesn't fully explain lectures. I took her for political science major and ended up dropping it after this class because of her. Don't take her if you don't have to, be ready to read.
Dr. Abshire is very sweet and will 100% take time out of her busy schedule to help with course material. But her lectures are honestly all over the place. Everyone in her class was always scrambling to figure out what she was doing for the day, because she was never clear on instruction. If you HAVE to take her class, it's doable at least.
She is the worst professor I have ever had. Doesn't know what she is talking about and rarely comes to class prepared. Cannot effectively answer questions. Frequently marks tests wrong when they are not then argues about changing grades. Guidelines for assignments are confusing and grading criteria is not provided. Do not take her!!!
We had a class about International Relations regarding the genocide in Gaza and she basically spent the entire class spouting (sometimes debunked) Zionist talking points while talking about "both sides". Got visibly upset and said "um I'm sensing a lot of sympathy here for the Gazans" when people were calling her out
She is very nice, but has wildly unrealistic expectations of how much reading undergrads can do while taking other classes. She assigned half the textbook within the first month and expects us to type four-page papers once a week while keeping up on readings. We are also three months into the semester and she hasn't graded a single thing.
Class Info
Online Classes
100%
Attendance Mandatory
93%
Textbook Required
100%
Grade Predictor
Your expected effort level
Predicted Grade
B
Grade Distribution
Common Tags
Rating Trend
Declining
-0.23 avg changeRatings by Course
POLYS109
5.0
(1)Y335
5.0
(1)I100
4.5
(2)POLS107
4.0
(2)POLY103
4.0
(1)Difficulty by Course
AA
5.0
POLSY3XX
5.0
POL103
5.0
POLSLOTS
5.0
POL105
5.0