Santiago is definately worthy of good words, given his dedication to cover controvercial material, but he can get rather frustrated when you don't hit the money on what he's thinking some times. Talk to him!! Strict, yet understanding.

best class offered at binghamton, but be prepared to read, read, read, read

This man made me into a Sociology major. Despise Anthropology with a passion but the discussion in class we had made me choose this as a major.

hes a little intimidating, but you will learn so much from his lecture because he isnt afraid to approach really controversial topics. the class is kinda hard cuz you read so much, but knowledge you get from him is worth it.

Not a bad class to get an N credit

Radicals love Kelvin Santiago because he makes Bill Martin look like Ronald Reagan. Kelvin is NOT easy, and some argue he is the most demanding. And he may not be clear to you sometimes-but rest assure he tries his best to be. He is, however, VERY helpful and goes above and beyond for his students.

Pretentious man yet you can do fine if you read and go to class.

Extremely interesting, knowledgeable professor. The cowardly students who annonymously slander him on this site are probably the ones who came to class with a closed-mind and then refused to engage in intellegent conversation. Whatever your views are, you will leave his class challenged.

He changed my life. I love him. He is a really nice guy, but he is HONEST. He doesn't hold back. He lets you know how it is.

He is extremely intelligent and will challenge your views no matter what they are. If you want to REALLY learn and THINK take him. Tests are open book & as long as you understand the concepts you are fine. Teaching method: Socratic

VERY intelligent man. Will listen to your views but won't let you state your opinoin, you will need evidence to back it up. I took this class because it sounded interesting and it was but it was not easy; tons of reading and hard tests.

Extremely interesting and pertinent to today's world. Not an easy grader, and the readings can be difficult, but its worth it if you have any interest in 9/11 or Iraq. Class truly opened my eyes to the world we live in now, and it is exactly what a college class should be like.

Class is thought provoking. I learned so much in this class about everything! He tends to go off topic but everything he says is amazing. Very smart man. Questions on tests are long and hard to read but once you start to answer, it will come to you easily. Tests are essay format. Suggest take final instead of writing paper.

lots of reading. most of them are interesting. he is critical but helpful to students.

this class is insansely hard. There is so much work it's rediculous, more than my other 3 classes put together. You will need to put in 15 hours a week to do decent. I got a B or B+ and it took over my life. Walking on water is much, much easier than this SOC 100a class. Trust me.

Walking on water would be way easier than getting an A in this course. I promise you.

I got an A-. I really like Kelvin. I had him for SOC 100, and didn't really like him but he grows on you. He pushes you, gives a lot of reading and expects a LOT. Which is good. He makes you think about issues you don't normally think about, and forces you to look at different perspectives. Those that complain about Kelvin are too soft, I think.

He is tough, but knows his****. Many people complaining seem very eager to create excuses for why they ****ed the class up. Its true that he will bring you down if you say something dumb, but he expresses WHY, which is key to a good professor. If you don't feel like working your ass off, don't take this class, but you will be missing out.

He deserves a better class of students. He expects you to read, participate, and think. If you can't do that, you should be in a university setting.

Give thanks for a professor who actually expects students to think critically, READ (as in SCHOLARLY material), and develop articulation and the skills to present an argument. It's refreshing to learn that just because a book/article is assigned, doesn't mean it's perfect, comprehensive, or even true. And it's up to the student to decipher and comp

He's a really smart guy who won't take b.s comments-he challenges you to actually think. It's really rewarding if you do the readings and ask him questions. Participation counts a lot, but he counts going to his office hours or even asking questions as participation. It's simple: If you don't want to learn, don't take his class. A great professor.

don't take the class if you are doing it for gen ed. if you want to learn about radical histories, racism, sexism, and capitalism, you should take his class.

Loved him! He makes you think for yourself and in the long run helps you to remember information better and see new perspectives.

His classes are difficult. There are many complex readings assigned and you're expected to discuss them in class. Class participation is around 30% so you're better off speaking up. Having said that, he will not be easy on you once you speak. Nevertheless, he's not a tough grader and you will have learned a lot.

Professor Santiago is AWESOME! Hes a little intimidating and seems extremely opinionated at first, but once you get used to whats expected of you you start to really enjoy the class IMHO. This class pushed me harder than many other classes and I learned a lot. Its expected of you to learn how to really know what youre talking about!

Til this day, I still think Professor Santiago is one of the best professors I have EVER HAD. He definitely scares the crap out of you when first starting the semester in his class bc of how strict/tough he is as a professor, but don't let that scare you! He's worth it. Once you see how seriously he takes the subject, youll see it was all worth it!

He is intimidating at first, but if you do the readings and participate in class BASED on what you read in the reading then you will do fine! Participation is 30%, but if you are too shy to talk in class you can just go to office hours. The exams are exactly like the homework discussion questions. If you read, go over the HW, will pass!

I learned a lot but the class seem a bit disorganized, you have to participate often if you want to get a good grade

Professor Santiago-Valles is undoubtedly a tough professor, however he is also one of the most insightful professors that I have encountered thus far at Binghamton. He teaches in a socratic seminar style and participation is 30% of your grade, but if you complete the assigned readings in time for class to prepare it is an easy third of your grade.

This professor is a no bull kinda person and frankly, i love that about him! I read a comment saying he grills those with more conservative leaning views, but what he really does is challenge viewpoints and force you to justify the ethics and legitimacy of your perceptions. unsurprisingly, most of the time these are the individuals who can't :-)

I think people tend to rate him poorly because of personal feelings. He doesn't coddle and many aren't equipped with the mental fortitude to step away from their egos and analyze various perspectives alternate to their own. which is a huge part of what it takes to learn sociology! digest the material as if you were the author - helps for discussion

Good prof. Can be brutal at times but he just likes to make you think critically. People who rate him poorly just lack critical thinking skills. I learned more in one semester in his class than any other class I've previously taken. Would recommend if you actually want to learn something.