2.6
Quality3.7
Difficulty33%
Would Retake104
Reviews33%
Would Retake
104
Reviews
Rating DistributionOfficial
5
21
4
14
3
18
2
12
1
39
What Students Say
“just comes off as being on a power trip the entire time”
PHIL101 - 1.0 rating“Very intriguing class discussions”
PHIL100 - 3.0 ratingClass Info
Online Classes
100%
Attendance Mandatory
96%
Textbook Required
44%
Grade Predictor
Your expected effort level
Predicted Grade
B
Grade Distribution
Common Tags
Rating Trend
Declining
-0.58 avg changeRatings by Course
PHILOSOPHY
5.0
(3)WORLDRELIGIONS
4.5
(4)PILO100
4.0
(1)PHL105
3.8
(4)PHL101
3.7
(10)Difficulty by Course
PHILOPHIL
5.0
HUM121
5.0
PHILOSOPHY101
5.0
RLG120
5.0
ETHIC101
4.7
Reviews (104)
A very good teacher with a wealth of knowledge. Interact with him and he'll be a good teacher for you. He can be a little stiff otherwise
Awesome teacher. His classes never lack for informative and inspiring dialogue and fun assignments. Watch out for thoes quizzes though.
Great teacher, respects ALL views of students in this class, even the unpopular views. Test questions are difficult, but he grades them as if he knows it. And he will stay after class and philosophise with you if you hang around and keep him interested. He doesnt like it when students dont speak up. Plus, hes nice to look at too.
easy and good teacher. make sure you pay attention and speak up in class, turn in your work, and you'll do fine. the tests are pretty difficult, but he's a pretty understanding guy.
Good instructor. Quizes are not very difficult but the final was killer. Sometimes expects student to have knowledge of religions only possible if they grew up in those religions.
Great teacher. Really helpful and great to work with. discusions were great. And pretty cute!
His class is very boring. He is a nice guy but hard to decide what he wants. I did not see the results from the class that I wanted to. HE doesn't give you criteria on what he wants you to write and then rates them fairly. I received a B but the class is just boring you look at power points and try to write them down in not enough time.
If you don't want to think or have an opinion, don't take this class. If you want to be challenged, and have the opportunity to challenge in a reasoned way, you might have a lot of fun. Also, pretty easy on the eyes.
Keith is awesome. I had him for Intro to Critical Thinking, and I have to honestly say I have NEVER learned so much in a class before. Each class was so stimulating, and I always left feeling on vibrant and craving more. I'm usually not the type to speak up in class, but for the first time, I couldn't wait to raise my hand and give my imput.
very easy teacher.classes are incredibly boring.i took it during the summer and had take home quizzes.papers were super easy to write because it was your own opinion.notes from powerpoints proved useless.nice teacher.highly recommend for an easy A.
very boring class and teacher---he have his own world, nobody knows what he really wants----
Great instructor, he does make you think, but when he teaches the material he's SO BORING. It doesn't help that they always stick him in the coldest room in school. Even sitting front row center, I managed to fall asleep in every 3 out of 4 of his class sessions.
I didn't really like him as a teacher. The assignments are mostly easy, as long as you can back up your opinions. The quizzes are ridiculous, because all the notes you take from the slide shows are pointless. If you miss class he will hate you.
this teacher is the worst teacher i have ever had! horrible grader, oh and don't ever miss a class, he favors people, losses papers,you don't know what he wants BORING oh and not once during the semester does he tell you your grade
This teacher is in clear violation of what Waubonsee stands for as far a freedom of speech. If your view opposes his then little by little he no longer engages you in a conversation and almost ignores you during the class. He abuses his power as an instructor and only caters to those who agree with him.
After reading the other reviews of this teacher, I am quite disappointed. Anyone reading this needs to know any difficulty in performing in class is not due to the instructor, rather, a lack of application on the student's fault. True, he is a challenging instructor, but responsibility needs to be taken for our education; blame not the teacher.
The worst thing about this class is the people. Everyone only looks at it there way and dosent even let anyone else try to explain there side. the class was bad but most of it wasnt his fault. VERY hard grader, slide shows have NOTHING to do with quizzes. I never gave my opinion on anything because its hard not to zone out. FINAL IS ALL THE QUIZZES
He refused to give an A
Horrible! Wish I never took this guy! Tests are hard, material difficult to grasp. Boring lecturer. Had him for intro to phil and intro to ethics. One time he put me on the spot and asked about what happens when**** and egg unite, what does that have to do with philosophy is what I want to know
smart
I had keith as a professor in phl 100 i think he was a good teacher and he does not refusee to engage u! Me and him were always in debat it was great i loved it got a b in the class. He grades your papers like u were in an english class that is the only bad thing all in all. Hes not that bad!!!
PRICK! Worst professor I've ever had, After four absences he withdrawals you from class, not fair in my opinion because he still gets paid. Always thinks he is right and tends to belittle students who don't understand his questions. It's best to just agree with him because after you give your views he picks it apart and shows you how you're wrong.
He made me think out of the box. i like his class very much.
Bickley is very straight forward. He always wants to argue, but that is what his class is about he pushes us to stop being vague. And if you want to prove something you better have a good argument because that is what he is looking for. I struggled but I learned alot from being in his class. I would take one of his classes again.
definitely loves to argue. he reminds me of curly from the 3 stooges, just not as funny. he will call upon everyone to answer questions, his tests are kinda diffcult, take good notes and study alot. the essays are really easy however. its just speaking your mind. his attendence policy is kind of ridiculous however
He makes you think outside of the box which is what critical thinking is about. He does grade your papers that reminds you of ENG 101.
do not recommend.
Everyone who does not like him simply does not like being argued with or have their thoughts challenged. It's school, if your thoughts aren't being challenged, you need a better teacher. He takes great command of his classroom and is extremely helpful. This isn't the teacher you want to take if you just want to get through class without a worry.
Everyone who does not like him simply does not like being argued with or have their thoughts challenged. It's school, if your thoughts aren't being challenged, you need a better teacher. He takes great command of his classroom and is extremely helpful. This isn't the teacher you want to take if you just want to get through class without a worry.
He does like to argue but I guess that's what the class is about. He tells you what he expects at the begining and he follows through with it so there are no surprises. Very organized. If you show up to class, participate and do all the assignments you'll get an A. I did.
This guy knows what he is talking about but he is extremely aggravating!!! he grades ridiculously hard and he is not very good at explaining himself with what he wants on the papers. I wouldn?t even recommend this class to my enemy!!
Awesome teacher! Show up and participate...and you'll do fine. He is hard, but fair. Mr. Horton
Excellent professor. Really gets you thinking and installs a clear understanding of what Philosophy is. I'm really glad I took this class
PHL is not my thing, but this class was still interesting. DO NOT SHOW UP LATE! If you show up and do the work you will get an A. The papers are graded harder than an english teacher grades so focuse on grammer, not on content. I would not take this class again, but if you are interested in PHL at all its not a bad class to take.
UGH. I don't even know where to begin. I took his class online and it was a NIGHTMARE. He graded us WAY too hard. He NEVER explained himself when I would ask him questions. He was absolutely the WORST teacher I have ever had IN MY LIFE. STAY AWAY!
He was a really good teacher. I liked the class,it was interesting and he made you look at things differently. I didn’t think he was a hard teacher, he just means what he says and he is fair. No one in his class is an exception and he treats everyone the same. He also doesn’t expect anything less than what a college level student should be doing.
Worst professor i ever dealt with, a loser that never helped any students with anything. Never replied to emails, or referred you back to his syllabus, gave me failing grades for being late when i wasn't then asked for proof and still denied it.
Took his world religions class as a telecourse and felt that his teaching method was very helpful. I felt as though I was in a face to face class and received an A after dropping another telecourse. He gives study guides, lectures, and powerpoints. He is a tougher grader on papers than I am used to, but still very fair grader. Knows his stuff
He never responded to my emails. I had to leave town for a funeral and had another family emergency during the semester and he didn't take that into consideration for my attendence grade. Attendence should not count that much for a grade when I got A's and B's on all my exams. Worst professor i've ever delt with and worst grade I've ever gotten.
He is the worst teacher ever. He is mean and he does not respond to questions in a nice manner. I hated this class.
This class was so pointless. We didnt learn anything useful. The information that he lectured about had nothing to do with the tests. He never talked about the writing assignments until like a week before they were due. He expected you to know all of the stuff he was talking about. He never told you where to read about it and never emailed back.
Constantly talking in circles without answering questions directly Entire class turned into a bunch of yes men just to keep him from calling on them. just comes off as being on a power trip the entire time
he introduces the topics and the arguments for and against certain viewpoints. but then he interrogates the class on what 'they think'. it was kinda difficult to come up with evidence when i just learned the topic. Be carefull! he will give tests on the readings, but not on the lectures. you need to show that you want the help before you ask for it
At first I didn't like him at all, but then I realized he is a fair teacher. No extra credit/no easy tests/read the book/and PARTICIPATE. He's a great teacher, but don't expect an easy A. Most of class time was taking notes and he would ask the class questions. Like a conversation. In that way it was a cool class. I would take him again.
Terrible teacher, do not take any class with him. He is not helpful and confusing. Yes, the lectures are interesting. But the tests are hard and do no relate to the lectures. I am normally an A student and struggled to get a high B.
he was a terible teacher! do not take him he is such a jerk. i dropped his class.
worst teacher at waubonsee
Keith is a tough teacher. You have to come to class. He enjoys those who participate. He is a tough grader and you have to work for your grade. I did get an A but it was very difficult. I spent a lot of time on this class. He is not forgiving of those who are late and kicked people out of class several times when he found them on their phone.
I'm currently taking his online class and, my god, is this the worst professor I've ever had the unfortunate chance to encounter. I'm not the best with critical thinking, as I am much more of a creative thinker. Never responds to emails, never explains anything clearly, and is so unbearably rude and inconsiderate of the needs of his students. Nope.
He is the worst teacher I have EVER had!!! I am a A and B student and I'm hanging on by a 70% right now. He actually said that he does not grade on effort purely if you are right, even in the discussion board( online class 40% of grade) I never write on rate my professor but he has been the worst teacher ever that I had to warn other students
He comes off as intimidating but overall he's a pretty good teacher. He is very strict about being on time to class and won't tolerate phones usage in his class, he WILL kick you out. The material was not the easiest but if you put effort into the class you can pass with an A. Participate and study and you'll pass.
Horrible professor. One of the worst I have ever had.
Very intriguing class discussions. He looks at things from a philosophers perspective. Makes you think very critically and philosophically which is what the class is supposed to be about. His class is difficult but not impossible to get a good grade in.
It all depends on his mood, it was rough in the beginning but once he got comfortable he was an awesome teacher.
Bad feedback, tough grader, non-responsive, too much work, hidden participation points unknown, avoid at all costs.
Seems very unorganized with class structure, no set schedule on the syllabus. Lots of class discussion and talking in front of the class. Takes a long time to grade anything.
Very tough and difficult teacher I do not recommend taking this course.
Sporadic tests and 3-4 papers, be aware that if he finds 5 grammatical errors in the paper, you automatically fail. I took him for Ethics, and he tends to talk to only a few people, and it can be hard to jump into the discussion. Occasionally though, he'll address you directly and ask you a question. Not too bad, but not a favorite either.
Not that bad of a teacher but if you've taken his prior classes definitely has a preference for those people and are graded on participation.. feel like you need to already know philosophy prior to taking course so it wasn't a good intro course. Won't tolerate cell phone use at all or coming in later whatsoever! overall mediocre teacher..
Absolutely, the worst professor ever. DO NOT ask me to write a paper on my religion not existing. Are you crazy? To me that is denouncing GOD! Sure science can not explain, nor can you! See the big picture my friend, is all I ask!
Does not tolerate people being late to class. Will kick you out of class if seen on your phone. Tests are not on his syllabus so you don't know when they are. Lecture is very boring.
Very tough teacher! Do not take him! Not only is he tough but he is a jerk. Sorry not Sorry. Sorry but he is in the wrong line of work.
Prof. Bickley was awesome in my opinion. It's a philosophy class though so you should be prepared to discuss personal topics like religion with the class and write papers on it (he won't grade based on your beliefs, just the content). He takes participation as a grade so if you interact with him, he'll be very personable. Super funny & interesting.
He is the worst professor I've ever had. I would not recommend him to anyone unless you want to mess up your gpa.
I had a love/hate relationship with Keith's class. He is very passionate about philosophy, which makes for interesting discussion! But his tests are hard, you'll have 15-20 min to take them, and he is a grammar stickler. Expect 3-4 essays and 8-10 tests. Your grade does mostly reflect essays and attendance, but you'll have to work hard for an A.
Easily the best professor I have ever had. Makes you think, class load isn't too bad at all, provokes awesome conversation and he definitely appreciates students who are respectful and participate. If you're upset that he's kicking you out because you're late or on your phone, grow up, show up on time, and act like an adult. Take him!!!
I would gladly take another class with Professor Bickley. The class made me think of stuff that I would never had thought about. For example the meaning of life.
basically the class was just regurgitating the textbook, and he only gave 20 minutes to take each test
Took Bickley for Phil/Rel & his classes are so interesting. You talk about all kinds of things that actually matter, even the difficult things, like religion. You must be prepared to be challenged about your beliefs, share your opinion on a topic, and ask questions that matter. Don't sit there like a sack of potatoes, he doesn't like that.
No technology in class A lot of notes
Ive only been in the class for two weeks and Im very unimpressed. Boring regurgitation of the book everyday and he makes you read paragraphs out loud like were in grade school. I need credits to finish my degree or I would just drop. The man makes it incredibly difficult to join discussion too. He doesnt ask open ended questions.
I got an A- average on papers and an A average on tests. But my discussion board was a B because 2 of them were "late." There are due dates for posts, but you must post MORE THAN 24 hours before that due date. What is the point of a deadline if you don't abide by it? For a professor who teaches "critical thinking" he sure has illogical policies.
Where do I begin... do you want a professor to only allow you 20 minutes for a test? Keep reading because this is the dude for you. His philosophical explanations for hypotheticals are super pretentious. He doesn't enjoy when you disagree with his opinions. He gets overly defensive, which creates an excessive amount of tension that is problematic.
definitely wouldn't recommend Hes very stuck up and his lectures take absolutely forever. It's a pattern where he'll have a few longer sentences on a power point, read it aloud and then he'll write practically the same exact thing on the board while reading it out again, then make some poor soul read aloud from the book. The class is Too easy ...
Took the course for a credit. Was given a paper to write and within the paper, there were spots that I took text directly from the book and I had mistakenly forgotten to cite it. Instead of coming to me and inquiring, was immediately given a zero not only on the assignment but also in the course for the semester. Definitely don't reccomend him
He has a cocky tone that is unnecessary when a student actually needs help. He is strict about being in class on time no matter the weather! We live in the Midwest where snowstorms happen, apparently he doesn't care even if you are a minute late it will still go against your grade.
Writing assignments are 60% of your grade. If you don't do writing assignments, the BEST you can get is a 40%. If you're a great writer, then take this class. If you're a not a good writer, then take this class. Writing assignments have a lot more weight to them than tests do. Don't be think you can blow it off since it's only 15 points.
WORST PROFESSOR EVER! I cannot stress this enough, do NOT take his classes. I had him for 2 classes this past semester. If you do not match his beliefs, you will not get an A. We had a paper about every other week the entire semester, no tests or quizzes so mostly everything was opinionated. Grades the papers with such a closed mind.
He assigns weekly homework of paragraPhs that eventually build a paper. He usually tests every 2-3 units and the tests are not long, only 15-25 questions. He is a very interactive teacher he gets you to put yourself into perspective. I have taken almost every class he teaches because he is a really great teacher!
Was given wrong text book for the class, asked him to help me find the right pages and he did not do that. Did not follow guides for VISA that was handed to him
I would heavily recommend that you do not take professor Bickley's class. He is incredibly conceded and talks down to his students. On top of that, he is an incredibly harsh grader and does give all the criteria that he wants when you take a test. He also likes to listen to himself talk. A lot.
He's funny and inspires thought. He seems mean because he's strict and points out poor arguments in papers but it's philosophy so that should be expected, and if you follow the syllabus, like every class, you should be fine.
There is no technology is allowed in class once it begins. You will be turned away if you are more than 15 minutes late. It's a good discussion class and he keeps it interesting. There is heavy reading material and about five tests total. The homework is relatively easy but tests are graded strict. I passes with a 79.98
I will leave you with this, class average for EVERY TEST WAS 40%. He also told my class in the last week he gave my class the wrong test the whole semester but he did not really care. You can pass the class with a B if you fail every test, but get a B on the writing assignments DO NOT TAKE THIS CLASS, you will walk out more confused and $500 Broker
He is tough to deal with... There are absolutely no electronics allowed in his class, including note taking devices. He called out people and kicked them out on a first strike basis after using their phones. It is very unlikely I take another class with him, as he also made a few comments that were off color to say the least...
Had a great experience in philosophy. Definitely lecture heavy, you won't pass if you skip class. TAKE NOTES. Anything that is on the test is usually said in the days prior in the lectures. Always willing to give feedback on writing. If you show up more than 10 mins late, you aren't allowed in. Had very thought-provoking discussions in class.
NO, just don't. and if you do goodluck.
This is the worst professor I've ever had. He loves to talk about religion until it gets boring and calls people out to read text or elaborate. Papers are easy if you've written papers before. Tests are hard since all the questions are written, but to help, for all tests try to study ultimate reality and purpose, and how do we live in this world.
Never again. Does not care about you. Very egocentric and talks a lot.
Think positive. If there was a grade I would give this man, it would be an A+. In this crazy world, we need knowledge. It is our power, it is our wealth. It is used as good defense. There is a reason why attendance is important. There is a reason why students chose to take philosophy and religion classes with any instructor such as this one.
Honestly the class was not hard but his way of lecturing is boring. No type of electronics allowed he will literally kick you out of class if your phone accidentally makes a noice.
He was honestly great. The class was always very interesting. I was scared of taking him because of the reviews but seems like the bad reviews are from people who don't want to do the bare minimum. You have to come to class and be respectful. (obviously?) You get the answers from each quiz before exams. Ethics was a pretty easy class.
DO NOT TAKE A CLASS WITH HIM!!!! He talks down to his students, and once you get your first grade, thats going to be the rest of the grades he'll give you. Even when studying and changing up your answer. If you don't side with his beliefs or opinions there is no way you're going to pass the class.
TAKE NOTES. It is lecture heavy, but thought provoking. 90% of what is on the quiz is straight from lecture. He is strict on his policies, but they're extremely do-able. He will play devil's advocate, be prepared to argue your point in essays/tests. He is clear and up front about expectations and due dates. He prepares you well for essays/tests.
I had him for intro to ethics, he's a pretty good professor. His classes are lecture heavy and he doesn't like tech like that so you have to take notes by hand. He likes when you participate & if you like to share your opinion then he'll call on you for each class if not he won't. Also he doesn't like when people get up during his class.
I purchased an online textbook and so did other people, but we were not allowed to use them because he does not allow any devices. The worse thing is he does not really respond to emails. I asked for help on preparing for material and did not tell me until next class when it was pointless it was so frustrating. be cautious with him.
I had a terrible experience in Mr. Bickley's class. All work must be done by hand, and phones/computers are prohibited, even for notes. He has a big ego, talks down to students, and is rude. Lectures are unproductive, with him talking 90% of the time without providing value. I learned nothing and would not recommend his class.
His tests are hard for most students. I had to learn a new way of studying to do well on them but it helped me in the long run. They are all essay questions. He was very passionate about religion and it was a great class to prepare me for college in general.
I overall did not enjoy having this teacher for my intro to philosophy class whatsoever. Often times he made the class feel like we were idiots, or like we had no idea what we were talking about when we constructed our own ideas and opinions. VERY critical and very picky when it comes to grammar and punctuation.
It was an intro class that wasn't that hard, and should've even been fun. He ruined it with the zero teaching he did besides slides with no recorded lecture. Would hardly explain why he took points off, class average for like every assignment was a D, if you emailed him for help he would give a lazy email a few days later that was no help. AVOID
Do not take this class absolutely horrible teacher talks down to his students and if you don't have his opinion you WILL NOT PASS. And if you need frequent bathroom breaks consider yourself gone cuz he will kick you out and drop you from the class!
The class is lecture-heavy, so be prepared to take detailed notes. Avoid using devices in class, as the professor is strict about no electronics. Consider using unstuck AI alongside the textbook to supplement your study prep. Overall, the class is challenging but rewarding if you engage with the material.
When I took his class, I lasted one class, he kicked me out, and dropped the class . Ever since then, I've used this website before scheduling my classes. I've achieved A's and B's since then. He's helped, but in a way a professor doesn't imagine to help their students- he helps me avoid professors like him.
ok so i haven't taken a class w this guy since last year BUT he still remembers me and i saw him in the halls recently and he looked at me and said, "isn't it time for you to... i dunno, move on?" unprompted and i just think that's relevant to the kind of person this guy is and i wanted to share it with you all
Class Info
Online Classes
100%
Attendance Mandatory
96%
Textbook Required
44%
Grade Predictor
Your expected effort level
Predicted Grade
B
Grade Distribution
Common Tags
Rating Trend
Declining
-0.58 avg changeRatings by Course
PHILOSOPHY
5.0
(3)WORLDRELIGIONS
4.5
(4)PILO100
4.0
(1)PHL105
3.8
(4)PHL101
3.7
(10)Difficulty by Course
PHILOPHIL
5.0
HUM121
5.0
PHILOSOPHY101
5.0
RLG120
5.0
ETHIC101
4.7