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Very challenging, but equally worthwhile. If you want to learn a lot and feel that you really earned that A, he's a great teacher...but not for the faint of heart.

A good, intelligent teacher, but also challenging

He is challenging but fair, makes you work for your grades and is sometimes sort of.. condescending, but i dunno, i liked him.

He's tough as nails and a bit condescending but he knows his stuff and what you get is what you earned.

Very tough, but really smart. Learned a lot. Ask him about Doritos

Like another person said... not for the faint of heart... he can be somewhat condescending and rude at times, but he is very intelligent and does give good feedback on papers and assignments. Good for a challenge.

hard but fair

J.W. Danford is a hardcore badass. He knows he is smarter than his colleauges, and lets you know that too ever so subtly. You will not get a good grade, but you'll end up smarter. Plus, its fun to hear him make fun of...well pretty much everyone.

He is very intelligent and he will make sure you know it. Knows a ton about his subject matter and expects the same of you. Can be very condescending towards students and co-professors.

Danford is one of the FEW professors at Loyola who actually expects hard work and will make you learn at all costs. He is simply excellent. I am a better student and a better person for being taught by him.

Hardest professor you can take, but you will learn plenty if you have the ears for it. He doesnt suffer fools lightly. (And we would criticize you for that missing apostrophe.)

Difficult teacher, and a grammar nazi, but appreciates intelligent thought to the fullest. Most people find him condescending but that's because he doesn't hide the fact he's smarter than us. Take him with a grain of salt. He will teach you a lot.

I hated him at first, but I grew to love him. He's very condescending, but take it with a grain of salt. Make sure you go to the party and any social event he goes to. He's a riot outside of class!

devil in a bow tie

I loved to hate Dr. Danford. His condescending remarks eventually grow on you. He knows his subject matter and expects you to know it aswell. If you work hard and proof read your papers well you should do fine. I actually learned something from this man.

Fun guy but condescending and arrogant. Pretend you are a student at Oxford to prepare for your grade. Very tough but very intelligent and interesting.

I had him 3 years ago as a freshman, and now, going into my senior year, I still feel prepared for anything because Dr. Danford set the bar for what is expected of college level work. He is tough, but that's how it should be. You will learn a great deal

Yes, Dr. Danford is a little full of himself. And yes, when you get there the first day, he calls you illiterate. But show him some signs that you are intelligent life and he immediately develops more respect for you. You will learn tons, become a better writer and thinker. He knows his stuff.

(not enough room so gonna try 2 b short) H102. discussions were informative and had a relaxed environment. The 1st day we spent time getting to know each other. If you are an A person then dont take him its kinda hard. If ur B go for it u'll learn alot. If ur lazy, run for ur life. Truthfully,

Had Danford when he was at U of Houston, looked him up on RMP out of curiosity. Yes, he was a tough grader, but his classes were outstanding. Looks like a lot of the students rating him were mad about their grades. So was I, once. But I learned more from him than from 99% of my professors, once I learned to work harder and quit whining.

Great teacher. He challenges his students. He grades pretty harshly (especially papers). there's a midterm, 2 papers and a final exam. Lots of readings. But he's a good teacher nonetheless.

One of the most intelligent professors you will encounter at Loyola. He is not impossibly hard; he just requires that students actually put time and effort into the course. If you are willing to do the work and study, you aren't likely to get a poor grade and will definitely learn from him.

He was an amazing teacher and I was amazed by how much he knew about his subject. Not the easiest class, but it really makes one think. If you do the readings and follow his paper rules, you will be fine. His tests surprised me by all that I actually knew and understood from the class. Take him if you can, you will not be sorry.

This professor will read your papers and acturaly help you improve your writing skills. He may grade harsh at first, but on papers he allows students to do rewrites. He is also very inteligent about the material he is teaching. If you are motivated only enough to take good notes in class and read the sections covered in class you will get an A.

Amazingly hard grader. He tell you exactly what he's looking for, so try to pay attention and do exactly as he says.

He's a great professor, there's no doubt about it. If you're not here to learn and challenge yourself, don't take Dr. Danford. Very knowledgeable about his subjects. Ok if you take a class and the teacher doesn't know grammar, how can you trust that person on anything else? Be thankful; he truly know his stuff.sometimes lecture topics are scattered

I took him for Honors. He was hard, but worth it. He's a good professor and is always willing to help. Make sure you read the book and show up to class. But he's great, and doesn't try to push his beliefs on his students.

Dr. Danford is the most challenging professor in Loyola's PLSC Dpt. His grading is rigid. However, he is fair if you work really hard. Meet with him, offer substantive arguments in defense of your low grades (he dispenses high grades as a mule dispenses diamonds). He wants to challenge you and he will. He's stubborn, but I'll thank him when I'm 50.

Tougher than some 300-level courses. If you can't write well, he'll try to help you, but it's probably better if you take a different professor. A lot of work, very rewarding, but I'd only recommend it to a political science major.

Extremely difficult. He is a good professor and I enjoyed his lectures. However, if your GPA is important DO NOT TAKE HIM!!

He is DA MAN!!! His class is the best class I've ever taken!!! And he is the best professor I've ever had!!! I learned a lot in his class and fell in love with political science even more!

By far the most difficult professor I've ever had. I defnitely learned a lot but I had to work extremely hard for bad grades. I dont reccomend him, but if your stuck with him definitely go talk to him outside of class he's really really helpful and not half as arrogant as he is in class.

It IS a hard class, he is a tough grader on the paper, sometimes even being rude. But, the midterm and final are not as hard as everyone on here says. If you can get all the quote identifications right(they're well known quotes, not obscure ones) you're set for a high B or A on the respective test. He seems slightly arrogant, but is generally nice.

Most of the past reviews hit it on the nail. Tough, old school teacher that expects a lot from students. Attendance is mandatory for his explanations of the work. One midterm, one paper, and the final is the class. Highest grade in the class was maybe an A- if not B+. Take if Poli-Sci major, Core take some other prof for a better grade proba

After several classes with Dr Danford, I can honestly say he was an absolutely amazing teacher. Challenging but fair and probably the best teacher at Loyola. He taught me how to write since none of my prior teachers ever cared. Anyone who says otherwise is just too lazy and dependent on grade inflation to take his classes. He knows his stuff!

If you thought you could write before,he will show you otherwise. But you can tell just from the comments on here that the people who liked him learned how to write and those who didn't can't even type a logical sentence. He's arrogant but he is a genius. If you are in college for a joke, don't take his class; otherwise, you owe it to yourself.

He made me cry after my first paper...especially since I thought I could write. He is tough, picky, and demanding; but at least I learned something.

John Danford shows you how to critically think, and is categorically brilliant in the field of Political Science. He makes time after class to talk, though rushed, and has professionalized the way I write essays. This "strict grammarian" will ask you to write a coherent and flawless paper, so if this makes you nervous, drag your knuckles elsewhere.

John Danford essentially taught me how to think critically and improved my writing immeasurably. Yes, his classes are very challenging, and he will bust you if you are sloppy, but he takes his work seriously. If you are willing to learn, he will teach you. By the way, I took several classes with him in the late 80's and have never forgotten him.

Tough, but really amazing professor. He's not going to just give you an easy A just so you'll like him. He's a stickler for grammar, so have others check your papers before you hand them in and if he marks you off for something, LEARN FROM IT! He sometimes will let you rewrite papers. Great sense of humor.

Such a cutie!

Amazing professor. Extremely difficult but well worth the effort. You will leave his class enlightened, better able to think critically, and a much improved writer. Highly recommend him if you desire a real education over an easy A.

Really an excellent professor. Yes, he grades very hard on papers and on exams, but an A is not impossible. Grammar must be flawless and he will make sure it is by the time you're done with his course. Only take him if you really want to learn. Definitely one of the best professors I've had -- I've taken him twice, by choice.

Sooo many people who do not have Danford as a discussion teacher think he's pompous, when really he just wants all college students to learn how to write!!! Great teacher, extremely helpful when you ask for it, and although he can be a little tough when grading, it's just so you learn from your mistakes. I had a B+ with good effort. :)

I had him for honors discussion and liked him a lot. I think I did as well as I did in honors because of him. He's definitely hard to please but worth the trouble.

A very mentally demanding professor, but well worth the effort. Probably my favorite teacher from Loyola so far because he pushes you to push yourself and come out a smarter, more analytical person. Don't take him if you don't have the intention of working. Very challenging grader. Worth it though.

I had heard really bad things about him and was pleasantly surprised to find that he was super easy. He didn't mind that nobody read the books and only had two tests, both of which I finished before the end of class. And when he wore his "fun hat" (an old tophat with a flower) I just melted with laughter, and he's a silver fox, ladies. Take him!

As I'm sure you've gathered, he's hard. That being said, he's a nice guy. He's always willing to answer questions. The big thing is grammar. You can do fine on a paper even with a very simple thesis, as long as you make sure your grammar is fine.

The thing with Danford is you have to agree with him. If you don't, you won't do well. He is pretty close-minded and rough around the edges. He'll tear you apart in class, but one on one he's much better. His ideas are insightful. He's a really tough grader.

The professor is nice, but when he grades your papers, he RIPS IT APART. You will feel like a total loser; however, most of the class will be required to do rewrites, so you won't be the only one. A note to those who are shy: you will be required to read out loud in class, and attendance is mandatory!

he's a great professor! tough grader. high on grammar and writing. one paper. midterm and final. classes are very interesting and the material makes you want to go to class. has no favorites. really fair. most interesting class ever

He's too difficult for a 100 level class. I don't recommend him unless the required readings are something you think about in your sleep. He knows his stuff, and a real smart man. I just think he grades too hard unnecesarly.

Goes over all the readings in class. Interesting stuff. Only 3 grades for the semester. Extremely helpful and a good resource if you put in the work. "I rarely give out A's, mostly C's and B's." - Keep that in mind. Other than the difficulty of his classes, he's really smart and a nice/funny guy.

Most people don't like him because he's a tough teacher and is definitely more conservative than most of the professors. However he is really willing to answer any questions and if you go to him during his office hours to talk about your paper he is super helpful. He comes off as mean but in reality is super helpful.

Very strict teacher. Follow his instructions exactly and show up in class everyday on time. Uses many textbooks but class is overall informative. Great learning experience for students who enjoy a mildly rigorous course. He is an old, white, male academic and his personality shows in the design/teaching of the course.

Primary criticism for Dr. Danford comes from students who just don't do well. I did not do well in first semester honors, and got a B in the course. That said, Dr. Danford made me into a better writer; and I was interested and grateful for the challenge.

He is a tough professor only because he is one of the few that actually requires you to show up, do the readings and contribute to the class. I knew going in I couldn't get an A, but if you ask him for help he will help you. And he let's you rewrite papers. This is a good class for someone looking for a challenge.

Without reading a lot of the assigned stuff, you can do well as long as you pay attention in class. Only 1 paper which you have option to re-write and then 1 midterm and a final which are both ok if you study. Takes attendance every class.

Dr. Danford gets a lot of hate from students who think they're better writers than they are. He has exacting standards and expects you to meet them for everything you do. His exams are hard, but he wants you to write well on your papers and supports yoh in doing so. I don't agree with all of his politics but I really enjoyed his class.

Dr. Danford is an excellent professor whom I would highly recommend taking. He gets a bad rap at Loyola for being a tough grader, but I think much of the negative feedback he gets is undeserved. Yes, he's a very difficult teacher, but if you work hard, do the reading, and ask questions/go into office hours, Dr. Danford will teach you a LOT.