OMG this teacher is so cool. I learned a lot in this class. I hate politics but he made it very clear to me. Thanks Mr. Shively

This teacher was absolutly amazing. Very VERY nice, will work w/you if you struggle

very interesting and intelligent teacher. He did however, fail to record grades on a fairly consistent basis, so keep your work handy.

Overall, a great class! Actually, it's probably the best 8-week class I've had at MCC. Shively lets the student learn the details (worksheets and such) then tries to tie that in with the "big picture". Very effective style!

Great personality--keeps a long night class interesting. I find myself surprised at how quickly time passes. Fair, realistic, easygoing. No tests, but a paper. Not nearly as bad as I thought a four-week summer course would be! Fun class, fun teacher.

I enjoyed his class. I took it via the internet and he was very helpful and the assignments were not boring.

Great teacher, very friendly and open to conversation. No test, just an essay and some take home work. The final is the best part! :)

He was amazing because I took this class on the web and I turned in late assignments by three months two days before finals were over and he changed my grade for me no questions asked. Very understanding teacher!!!!!!!!

Great guy. I had the class without knowing it and did not show up for the first couple of weeks until I noticed that I had it on my schedule. He let me enter the class with no problems. He's a good teacher and knows what he's talking about. Only 4 assignments and you don't have to buy the textbook. Take his 8 week class.

This guy was really cool, i would enjoy taking other classes he offers.

Class wasn't really hard but a lot of work for a 4 week class if you are taking other classes. Only 4 assignments and each is 1/4 of final grade. Midterm and Final are take home, but not easy. Also have to write a video and book review. He was very interesting but I don't feel like I learned much from him just random info about gov't.

Encourage the dissenting opinion, and will apologize if he has offended anyone. presents learning in and out of the class

THIS GUY IS GR8

This class was extremely easy. He is very understanding and I did actually learn, a little.

John is wonderful!! He knows his stuff and you will also learn through his teachings. Very fun teacher. I highly highly recommend him.

His class was nice and helpful, he made it interesting and most of us had fun while we were there. I would really recommend him.

Dude, Shively is awesome. Half the time we just sit around and talk about what we saw on the news last night, but he presents it in a way that makes you look at a broader picture. He makes you question it without actually trying to infringe upon your right to your own opinion. A couple of papers due, but no strict stipulations. Overall: AWESOME.

I was not too interested in taking a politics course prior to this. Shively, however, makes it VERY fun and I look forward to every lecture! Like everyone, he has his opinions, but doesn't project them on his students. He usually gives an efficient analysis of both arguments in any case. GREAT teaching style, VERY clear, VERY highly recommended! :)

I'm not crazy about politics, but Shively made it fun and interesting. He's a liberal; he doesn't try to hide it, but he also doesn't dock you for having your own opinions. He makes politics relevant and accessible. His class was only 4 weeks, but I honestly learned more in his class than I have in some of my 16-week classes. Highly recommended.

This professor is really, really hard... for muskrats... who've been run over... and had their intestines squished out their backsides. If you're human though, you'll need a couple of things. Eyes. Ears. A pulse. One last thing, you have to go to class and listen. I know it's hard but by god it's possible.

Shively is such an excellent teacher! A very stand-up character as well, which isn't all that common. Answers all questions fully and tells you exactly what you need to do to get a good grade and learn a lot. I swear he is a genius! He doesn't require attendance, but you'll want to go anyways. I'll very much miss his class - highly recommended!

PROS:Took his online class.Is very easy to get an A if you do ALL the work and there is a lot of work.Stay on top of it and don't wait until the last minute.He will also re-set tests/quizzes if you get locked out. CONS:Is fairly slow to respond to questions.He also chooses to not be actively involved in the discussion board. Overall,great teacher

Hybird Class,once a week you really need to attend class and listen. Very little notes. Very opinionated, but knows his stuff. Good powerpoints to use for online test. Do not purchase books till you attend class and find out the book he will be using. Kind of a fly by the seat of your pants teaching style.

BEST TEACHER EVER. very helpful in every way. got an A in the class. he is very smart.

Good teacher!

He is an overall good teacher. Sometimes he seems to get side track about what he is talking about, but he some how always brings it back around. there's not a whole lot of notes, but it is confusing exactly what to know for his tests. he will work with you though and its hard to fail his class. Good teacher if want a passing grade.

He's really the ultimate online teacher. Not hard or extra strict on times. Really easy work for the most part. I took pols135 online and it was the best class.

Great teacher! knows what he is talking about and he does get side tracked. if you want less on your tests get him side tracked and he will omit questions from the test because we didnt get to it. But a great teacher and increased my interest in politics.

This is the best teacher I have ever had. Take his class you will love it. He does not give homework or tests. There is a lot of in class participation which is fun. He lectures and is fun to listen to. He knows his stuff so pay attention. I will take every political science class he has to offer. This guy is great and the best teacher I have had

Take this class at night. If you do, you will Ace this class with minimal effort as long as you have perfect attendance, and participate.

Hybrid 8wk class at night. Very much enjoyed the discussions even though he and I disagree on many topics. He thrives on student participation. Want to do well? Know the topic on which you are speaking on (both sides is helpful) and participate in class. Remember: at the end of the day, he is the one standing in the front of the room. Memorable.

Awesome teacher! TAKE IN CLASS and TALK ALOT! As long as your in discussions and raising good points you will do fine.

A LOT of reading. Every week was multiple chapters out of the book, a Powerpoint, and a few articles. Tests come mostly from the Powerpoint but they're still tough. Two papers for the semester but grading criteria is clear and he seems to be a very fair grader. Be prepared to work hard for an A.

Take his 8 week night class! He is just great. He does not hold back any of his opinions and that is admirable. We had to do two papers and read a book. It was a class really just to open your mind up about what is going on in politcs right now and in the past. Did not want to take the class but actually enjoyed it. TAKE HIS CLASS!!!

He's very lenient and willing to help any student. Although, you should never need any help because there is only 2 assignments. Very knowledgeable about his subject. Easy A for sure

John is a really cool professor. He is always willing to stray from the material to talk about current events. He always listens to your side of the argument and then gives his thought. I looked forward to his class everyday. We had 1 test and one paper. Both with extra credit available. It would be hard to fail this class.

I took his night class at Longview. The course was not at all what I had expected, however, as the semester progressed, I quickly found Shively to be not only a well-rounded professor, but also a truly awesome guy. Wouldn't recommend for hardcore Political Science enthusiasts, but if Pols135 is a pre-req you need, I highly recommend this guy.

Easiest professor I have ever had! Really smart guy who knows his field and is willing to talk about anything in class. Learned a lot from the discussions we had in class about various current events. No final, but he did offer that our final be us students show up to a bar and buy him drinks. If you are looking for an easy A take him.

John's a laid back teacher. Super chill. His class is easy and based on class discussion only. There are no tests and attendance isn't required, but you should go because the class is interesting. He gives out few assignments so it's vital that you do them. Beware he doesn't respond to e-mails or texts so attend class to avoid missing assignments.

POLS 136 this summer! We only had a few assignments: Amendments paper, Scavenger Hunt, and a Final Paper. All assignments were useful. John is very laid back, passionate about his students and politics, and has a great sense of humor. An excellent professor. He loves students that attend and participate in class! Do that and you get an A!

Fun class if you attend and participate. Don't be afraid to debate your opinions on issues if they differ from the professor, it makes class more interesting for everyone and he will not hold it against you when grading. Easy to contact and assignments are well explained.

Fantastic professor. Shively's funny, smart, knowledgeable about his topics, and a great professor for any History/Political Science course. Be wary: He will cancel class a lot, his papers are hard, and he wants you to do your work.

This is the second class I've taken from John. His class is discussion only, but he makes them interesting and I've learned a lot from him. He's liberal, but is very respectful of differing opinions. The class consists of a scavenger hunt, a paper, and a book review so do them! Show up, you'll like his class.

If you are lazy DO take his class. I have taken 2 classes with him, the only assignments that you will do is a scavenger hunt(you can work in a group), 1 or 2 papers, and a take-home final. John is very laid back, occasionally he will cancel class to give you time to work on his assignments. One class all he talked about was movies and The Royals.

Mr. Shively is a great Political science teacher he is an atheist liberal who enjoys a great debate. We had a scavenger hunt and read the text book given early in the semester. I would suggest if you gonna give him a argument make sure you know your facts because he will debate your ideas. Otherwise great teacher to express History and Pols.

A real gem absolutely everyone loves shively he is the best and if you want a good Grade do take his class.

He's is awesome teacher. He's really cares about the student and helping them get good grades, not just in the class he teaches! He is very fun and would strongly reccomend!!

He's a great teacher and this is a great class! He gives great lectures and he's so funny.

The absolute best teacher i've had

This was my first history class in college and I've never been really good. He is an AMAZING teacher. I learned a lot that I have never heard before.

I barely went to this class and passed with an A. You do not need to read the books or go to class unless he is handing out a test. The tests are just questions you answer with an essay. Really easy, got an A on all of them. His lectures are usually just talks, nothing required.

Great professor! Lectures a lot, but gives good information for what will be on the test.

The class was super easy. There were 3 papers you had to write, and he outlined the questions you needed to answer. You could easily find the answers in the textbook, the online PowerPoints, and the lecture notes. The lectures were interesting, though sometimes awkward. Though I disagreed with his political views, he does make unique arguments.

Mr. Shivley was truely an amazing teacher. Fun and easy lectures with a paper of questions due by next class. He cares about history very much and makes you get excited about it too. I was not happy I had to take a history class because I find history boring but Mr. Shivley gave me a whole new perspective on politics. Super amazing professor.

I absolutely loved this professor! He has a different style of teaching than most teachers and it works really well. He only shares information that he believes is important to know about instead of sharing information that is irrelevant. His lectures were always fun and very interactive. He was also very clear on what he wanted on assignments.

Great professor easy course. I've taken 2 of his courses and plan on taking another this fall. Just show up and participate and he will not lecture you. You do have a few assignments but nothing hard. If there is a paper he does not grade hard. He will let you know if you'll need the book, so i would not buy the book until the day of class.

Shively is great. I'm a type A personality who values organization so at first I thought it would be a disaster. He is very laid back and doesn't assign very many assignments, but after taking the class I realized that I have actually learned quite a lot. Liberal, which I appreciate, but respectful of other opinions. I am taking him again for sure.

Very easy A. All you have to do to get an A is write 3 papers/tests by answering a list of questions and complete a 50 question scavenger hunt assignment. All the answers to the tests are in the Powerpoints and the Course Handouts on Blackboard. He does offer a 10% grade boost on the final assignment if you submit it early. DO NOT buy the textbook.

I had a lot of fun in his classes, it was so much fun to listen to him lecture and learn about what he had to say. An easy A. So glad I took this class, it was no stress at all. Do not buy the textbook. Everything is online.

Very laid back and doesnt take attendance. You turn in homework when you want as long as its in before last day of class. He gets off subject and hates Trump but in all a great professor. I would definitely take again.

Great! Love him Super laid back but does talk ALOT

Shively is one of the most chill professors. He is very real with the class and doesn't sugar coat any world problems. Very liberal, but is respectful to those who are not. Tests are take home essays which you have 1-2 weeks to complete. Very easy grader. Do not have to show up to class, but do because it is always interesting. 10/10 recommend!

He loves to talk about movies and politics. He is very liberal, but is respectful to everyone. You are graded off of a couple take home tests, which you get plenty of time to do. It is an easy A, but I recommend you go to class because it's fun! He is the only professor I've taken that wears a led zeppelin t-shirt to class lol. An icon!

I enjoyed this history class very much. Mr. Shively was very lenient when it came to exams. On Blackboard there would be a 20+ multiple choice portion and then an essay and vocab part. I also learned that it doesn't hurt anything to add a historical meme to the end of an answer on the exam. We even got to touch base on Rock 'n' Roll history!

Easy A. As long as you pay attention and do the tests, you'll pass.

Nice, laid back, understanding professor. He is very lenient on due-dates and works with you with things like that. You can tell he is passionate about history when listening to his lectures. He doesn't check to see who is in class, but its best you sign in to listen because he goes over everything you need to know for tests.

I had his class in the Fall of 2020, I am glad his lectures where not just strictly about the book. He would start important and interesting debates in class.

He was relatable and non-conventional and made class fun. He gives lots of time for assignments and there wasn't much homework. The tests were open note which I appreciate.

John is a great teacher and human in general. He cares about his students and wants everyone to succeed. If you are really into international relations this class is for you If not I would look for a different class. I took this class as a grad req. and kind of regret it. I was immensely confused about the topics but still enjoyed listening to John

He is very caring and understanding. He allows you to text his personal cell about school related things.When I had an issue going on back home and I was struggling in the class, he was more than willing to help me out because it was even more strenuous because I am graduating this May and I need the credits for my degree.

Professor Shively was awesome! Super nice and his lectures were enjoyable. His grading was straightforward forward and tests were easy.

His platform is confusing but I'd take. If u do the work u can get an A easily. He's also a really nice person and will work w you.