Kennith Darensbourg
Speech Communication - Northern Virginia Community College (all campuses)
2.7
Quality3.2
Difficulty28%
Would Retake95
Reviews28%
Would Retake
95
Reviews
Rating DistributionOfficial
5
26
4
12
3
10
2
10
1
37
What Students Say
“He has that attitude/mindset of "I am always right and everyone else is wrong"”
CST100 - 2.0 rating“He doesn't even know your name”
CST110 - 2.0 ratingClass Info
Online Classes
100%
Attendance Mandatory
78%
Textbook Required
48%
Grade Predictor
Your expected effort level
Predicted Grade
B+
Grade Distribution
Common Tags
Rating Trend
Declining
-1.06 avg changeRatings by Course
SPEEC1
5.0
(1)CT110
5.0
(1)COM110
5.0
(1)COMM110
4.7
(3)CST229
4.2
(5)Difficulty by Course
CST11O
4.3
COMM110
3.3
CST100
3.3
CST110
3.3
SPD110
3.3
Reviews (95)
He takes too long to grade your test if he will grade it at all. He takes a whole class period to talk about his family and his accomplisment. if you do not care about learning anything then he is your man. If speech is important to your carrier, this is not a class for you. You are not going to learn anything.
pointless teacher rambles doesnt look at you when you speak, i dropped his class because first impressions are everything and he def. was not a good teacher. He actually is not a teacher even.
He talks about how good he is at his job,and he makes fun of people he works with. don't even buy a book if u have him, trust me your wasting your money. he is really tight with grading and his topics and assignments have nothing to do with speech. dont take him
Online assigments have nothing to do with lectures and do require some thought. Even though this is not a hybrid class, he teaches as though it is. You do not need the book. Exams are straight from his notes, therefore easy to pass if you study. He is very full of himself and thinks he is smarter than anyone he has ever come in contact with.
terrible, do not take him
I enjoyed the class. He was very passionate about the subject. I disagree with the person that said his assignments were pointless. They required you to really think about the theory's by applying them to your own life. I learned a lot that way. He was very nice and as long as you put effort and did your assignments and studied for the test you wou
I think his assignments did related to the class. You have to research to apply the theories to your life and end up learning a lot. He is very passionate about the subject. If you put effort into it, complete assignments, and study for exams you will be fine. He can be hard to reach at times and does ramble but is nice and will help if you ask.
I made one mistake in Mr. Darensbourg's class. That mistake was then compounded on by Mr. Darensbourg's complete lack of professional communication. He answered 2 of my 10 emails and when the communications department told him to contact me he did not. If you take his class be prepared to have a teacher that is there for only himself.
What a interesting character, he's tries to clarify a topic, then leaves you even more confused. He also talks way to much about himself and gets way off topic. Don't take him!
Nice guy but does get off topic and ramble. Assignments are very clear and easy to do. Not sure if anyone every gets 100% on his assignments. He would emial me great answer! but would only give me a 95% for the assignment..
Great teacher. Very helpful.
He's a great teacher. I learned more from him than my other teachers. Loved his online assignments and class activities. He is the best ever
This guy really knows his stuff. A lot of students don't want to work but he makes sure they learn. I would take him again anytime.
He is an okay teacher by a longshot. He loves that word and used it too many times lol. I found the class interesting as to what I learned and he makes it pretty fun as well. His tests are not difficult and you should do well if you make the effort.
Dr.Darensbourg is a very helpful and interesting teacher. His grading is kind of rough but I've learned so much in his class. I'm currently finishing up his hybrid class, I would deffinetly reccomend taking it. His online assignments are really hard but the mid-term is super easy along with the other assignments. Oh, don't bother getting a book.
Dr. Darensbourg made CST 110 interesting and fun. Minimal homework, but it is designed to make students think; therefore, if thought is not something in which you frequently engage I would not recommend him. This class is NOT difficult, but you do have to put in effort to get an A. Also: he talks fast. ESL students might have trouble following.
He's a good guy. If I had to take another communications class, I would look for one that he's teaching.
great professor, had a great time in his class. he lets you hand pick all of your test//mid-term//final questions!! how much easier could it get. his papers he assigns you just have to start on immediately and not procrastinate
Great teacher. Highly recommend.
Hybrid class. Ask him as many questions as possible because he gets off topic ALL THE TIME during class. Dont believe a single thing he says because he makes up a bunch of BS and feeds it to his students. He told my class he graduated from USC (South Cali) which is a lie. Told us he makes 100k+ a year but after google he makes 62k... kinda annoying
I think Dr. Darensbourg is a great professor. I have learned a lot in his class. The discussion board assignments are awesome because the questions force you to understand them and apply them to your life. You learn about communication and who you are. He does get off topic, but what teacher doesn't? I have an A. Do the work and you will be fine.
Yes, he loves to talk about himself and spends a lot of the class doing so but he extended dates no problem if needed for the entire class. As long as you do assignments on BB you're FINE. MidtermFinal matching and NO in class tests. Online chapter tests. One of the easiest classes I've ever taken. NEED TEXTBOOK FOR ONLINE TESTS. No use in class.
Gives way too much work that was hardly informed to us. You will regret taking his class.
He's my favorite teacher!
He talks way too fast non stop!! Always get headache after his class!
He is great if you really listen to him, and he literally tells in class what is going to be on the test He always asks the class if there questions about homework task, and if you ask a question, he would answer it in full detail. Didn't use a textbook at all In long term, I must thank him for a lot of stuff he taught Hard to understand sometimes(
I like everything. Amazing professor. Needs to give longer breaks. Greatest professor at NOVA. Keep him forever.
I liked the fact the professor talked about intercultural aspects based on his own experiences. Conversations were fun.
I liked his relevant stories. Nothing needs improving.
Had a good time and learned a lot. Would take again!
He knew his stuff and was enthusiastic when teaching. Nothing needs improving. He is an awesome teacher!
Great teacher! Participate and he will like you. Dr. D was extremely flexible with our class & pushed due dates back several times to accommodate busy worklife schedules. Group project due at the end, but it was easy after a few hours of work on a SatSun. Also, Speech given at end of course & you get to pick the questions to the Final! EASY A!
Material is interesting and he is passionate. He does not like being interrupted or disagreed with and prefers an audience more so than an open discussion. Grading wise, you can submit all your assignments for review and he'll help you modify them. Best way to pass read. Worst part was the group project and speech at the end.
He is very enthusiastic and knowledgeable. The course is excellent as is. It was super easy to study for each test and he gave lots of opportunities. The good thing is that he is very open to discuss with students and was non-judgmental. I liked that the most.
He was very funny and connected with the students in the class. Very active and talked loudly and clearly. He made me laugh a lot and I learned a lot. He took time after class and helped me with my writing class.
Did too much work for a communication class. If you want an easy class then don't take his class. Horrible prof.
Took this class summer semester 2015. Great teacher! I had the hybrid course, you must manage your time appropriately. He is willing to proof-read anything you turn in (take him up on this offer) The class was accelerated- not a lot of time for the group project (get on it!) Anyone that rated this professor poorly didn't do the required work :p
My dear sisters and brothers avoid this guy i swear I'm writing this review to help you guys out. I already transferred but had to retake this class. YES RETAKE IT! If you truly care about your grade just avoid him :)
Terrible professor
Makes class interesting/funny but are long/tedious. Assignments are few/thoughtful. EMAIL UR WORK TO DR.D B4 TURNING IN--the difference from a 65 and a 95. Txtbk needed for chapter tests only. Have a friend rent a book and ask to borrow it for a week or two. Likes to go on tangents and laughs at his own stories. 9.5/10. Would watch Ken laugh again.
Yes the class is an easy A if you have him but if you don't want to hear him brag about his life 24/7 then turn the other way. He doesn't even know your name.
He has that attitude/mindset of "I am always right and everyone else is wrong". He only wants you to listen and answer his questions, and doesn't like it when you try to have a civil debate with him even if you have valid points. He believe that his students can't have proper opinions because we're too young to have them. Avoid him if you can.
He's a great teacher, and gives a lot of opportunities for you to succeed!
Professor Darensbourg is very funny and talkative. Instead of essays he lets us write 100 word summaries. You can send him a rough draft as many times as you want so it is not hard to pass the class. In his lectures there is much to learn about life. He is inspiring and thoughtful.
His lectures are never actually lectures on content material. He incorporates real live examples in his lectures and makes the class interesting. He gave out 5 online discussion boards and the midterm and final exam were all questions selected by students. The only reason why you wouldn't get an A in this class is if you don't do the easy work
Great teacher!
Inappropriate. Unapproachable. Don't take.
He was a good teacher but sometimes he would spend a class talking about his past life instead of the actual work. His syllabus was clear, 5 online tests of 20 questions, 5 online 100-word assignments where he drops the lowest, gives us an exact study guide for the mid term and final and also a big group project and a speech. Talks too much tho.
Ridiculous policy on electronics, INCLUDING not allowing ebook version of the text. This professor needs to unglue and unwedge his head from his backside.
He is willing to proof-read your work, you can send in your drafts as many as you like to improve. However, if you want to actually learn something in the class - I recommend you to go to another teacher. He talks too fast, makes jokes that are inappropriate. He sometimes talks for 30+minutes about his life, which is not interesting at all.
This guy talks a million miles an hour, and most of the time he's talking about himself. He makes very inappropriate jokes that aren't even remotely amusing. Probably his worst offense is the fact that he does a very poor job of communicating due dates (he said the speech was due "in a month" and then out of nowhere that it was due next week).
This class was alright. He doesn't care about his students & doesn't clear what students should do or learn in the class. Many assignments but they are easy. There is a group project which is unfair because there might be some students don't do their part. There are online quizzes & chapter tests from the textbook although he didn't use it in class
Professor Darensbourg was a pretty okay teacher.. What I mean by that is his class felt like it was easy, but when it comes to assignments he is very picky how you want to write it because he wants it his way. Also, he does have the mentality set of he is always right which gets frustrating because it makes him unapproachable as a student
You literally get 5 blackboard assignments throughout the semester for hw. He never used the book, but you will need the book to do these 5 online tests on blackboard. literally did all the tests the last month of the semester and it was the only time I touched the book. Got 100 on the midterm and final because he lets us pick the questions!
Overall an amazing professor. We had one group project that I was the only one doing and he helped me through it and understood my problems of 4 other group members who did nothing. He makes his expectations and directions extremely clear and if you follow them you will do well. He does everything possible to make you able to get a good grade.
worst professor i have ever seen. strict in grading. i had done all the things that he told me to do, he told to send a draft to correct and i did it but also he gave me 77 after correction. guys don't take his class if you want to maintain your GPA. mf sob
Class time was so much fun! I enjoyed showing up to the lectures because they were mostly about his life! This class is pretty straight forward & the only way you can truly fail this class with THIS professor is if you don't do anything & don't show up to class. Although attendance wasn't required, you'd receive points for showing up!
This professor is amazing. He truly has a passion with what he teaches. You will never be bored in class and will be willing to attend every lecture. His class is an easy A as long as you follow the assignments.
He is a absolute awful professor. The lecture is beyond boring, and he is incredibly sexist, and vague. You think that if you attend class and do the work youll be fine, but after sitting in that four hour lecture, youll change your mind.
For all students who are from ESL class. Don't take his class. He talks too fast. Am not even sure if the native speakers understand him clearly. The exams are too easy tho
Worst professor I've ever had, he rarely gives feedback and is unfair. He sometimes loses your assignments and gives you a 0 for it. Had to speak with dean because he gave me 0's for assignments I submitted. He expects you to read over 200-400 pages per week depending on the chapter. Then proceeds to review irrelevant material. STAY AWAY/AVOID HIM.
Bad grader makes you work hard not to get an A but to pass the class. Taking him was a nightmare , try not to take him if you want to maintain your GPA.
not good
DON'T TAKE HIM. All he talks about is his life and how smart he is... his exams are easy because you pick the questions, there is 5 online assignments on bb but he is a tough grader he expect you to do it exactly how he THINK is right. Then there's a group project towards the end which is a bit hard since he is a tough grader.
do not take him!! all he cares about is himself and is so ignorant. Nobody in my class liked him because he was so annoying. He takes off points for dumb things do not take him you will regret it.
trash
do not take him.
One of the worst prof at Annandale campus. Regret taking him because his grading really messes up my GPA. :(
Because of him, I have the only C in my transcript. Worst professor at Annandale campus. First, he doesn't know how to teach although he is a pretty knowledgable person. Second, he loves talking about his personal life. Third, he doesn't listen to his students. At the end, he assigns a huge group project which is just too much for this type of clas
Dr.D is amazingly intelligent, funny and energetic. He makes the class a fun time but BEWARE he does talk fast and you do need to take notes. Be prepared to read the textbook and do a lot of tests online. You know what will be on any tests & the final - so NO surprises. Try to remember stuff he says, it'll help you on assignments. NO PHONES!
this class and professor was a nightmare, save myself by dropping this class :( :(
He acts funny, but when It comes to grading he's horrible. Don't take him!!!!
Terrible prof, teaches literally nothing during lecture just talks about himself. Any time a student doesnt agree with him he gets defensive and thinks hes right all the time. There are 5 online assignments(>100 words), 5 extremely tough,heavily weighted online exams as well as a heavily weighted group project that has nothing to with communication
he is a terrible professor
Professor Darensbourg was the smartest professor I met while at NOVA. Like holy cow, his amount of knowledge is incredible!The workload itself was super easy, but what I remember the most from NOVA are his lectures. I took his Intercultural Communications class, but I would recommend taking his Interpersonal communication. I came away with so much.
He always talks clearly about assignments. He is also good at teaching the class. Definitely recommend taking him versus the others. Also mostly lecture quizzes in the class and a few 100 words or less written things. So, as long as you show to class, you'll pass! Also, he will look at written assignments ahead of time, and you can correct mistakes
Grading criteria unknown gives no feedback Lectures mostly about his personal life/flurting with the female students There was a heated discussion between him and a student when asked to clarify instructions Instead of doing so he became offended and argued with her for half the class period His setup of canvas is not user-friendly Bad group projec
If you pay attention to every detail in class and take good notes you will pass. Lets you pick the questions for midterm and final exams. Very energetic; lectures are very interesting!
He is definitely a professor that I would recommend at the bottom of the list of communication teachers. He talks way to fast and mainly about himself. He told the class that he never gives anyone a 100 he only gives up to 95, so grades on other assignments might be unfair. He only see things his way.
First, he is very nice but he gives A LOT of work. 12 quizzes that require the textbook 6 lecture quizzes based on exactly what he talked about in class. (pay attention and you'll pass. 5 100 words or fewer assignments. A big group project which is a lot and a speech. Like I said he's very nice and energetic but his work is so much.
Ironically, he is a terriable communicator. Illogical questions on quizzes, not covered anywhere. Not based on class material. Talked about himself A LOT! The energy of the class he presented was a class that I felt I would be dealing with a Ego driven professor. Its like he is trying to get validation from students how great he is. Ugh, stay away
This professor was my worst professor ever. I regret everything about taking this class. I regret that I wasted my time and money. This professor's quizzes are so terrible. Literally, all choices are the answers in quizzes. I even look for the answers from google after the quiz, and the teacher is wrong but he doesn't accept it.
Overall he wasn't terrible but there are things that are kind of just annoying about him. He SWEARS he's one of the smartest people to ever exist and does tend to get off-topic and talk about how "great" he is. His lecture quizzes answer choices will all be somewhat correct at some points and it is relatively hard to find the correct answers.
horrible prof!! he puts you in groups & halfway though the semester my group had all mentally checked out, I told him this and he said he'd look into it. 2 weeks before the end of the semester no word from him so when I asked him he said I should've talked to him sooner and that I would basically have to do the project on my own AVOID AT ALL COSTS
I tried hard to like him he seems nice but he is a horrible teacher, spends 90% of the class talking about him and how great he is and how much money he makes. Talks in circle for lectures never on topic. Good thing tho is everything is open book and note including the final. Easy to pass if you teach yourself, excellent at responding to emails
Is there anyone who want to have a terrible experience in their college or university life ? If the the answer is yes, this professor will be the reason for you to hate college. Please avoid him at all cost. He talks about him self all the time will never give you fair grades for your assignments. HE IS SIMPLE THE MOST TERRIBLE PROFESSOR
Basically if anyone wants to really hate college and never pass or take a 6 minute timed final online to 50 multiple choice questions THIS IS YOUR GUY!! Expect lots of stress the whole semester and a lack of "communication" via email.
Professor Darensbourg always makes the class interesting with funny stories. He always asks the students whether we want to use the textbook or if we need more time for assignments. He will also proofread your assignments as many times needed until it is perfect. Would definitely take his class again.
We had a research paper due that was worth 20% of our final grade. We turned it in at milestones and he gave feedback and approval on each step. Cut to 3 days before the due date. I meet with him during his offices hours so he can look over my paper and see if anything needs to be changed. Told me he doesn't like the survey or the question I used.
The class is easy but hes horrible. He talks too fast and goes on tangents. He is also the type of professor to never give a 100 on an assignment even if you did the work perfectly.
He could literally read the world's most influential literature of all time and give it a 9/10
Professor Darensbourg is genuinely a nice guy, but his class work is very inconvenient for he assigns weekly quizzes and just multiple assignments throughout the semester. Attendance matters for those weekly quizzes because he announces things in person that will be on the quiz. But, he is not terrible.
Assigns way too much work for a communications class
Would not recommend. He assigns way too workload for this class. He assigns heavily towards the end of the semester when we have other classes to worry about. He is a tough grader and makes you feel dumb when you are confused. Lastly, doesn't try to help when you need it.
His lectures are all verbal but he is entertaining.
Class Info
Online Classes
100%
Attendance Mandatory
78%
Textbook Required
48%
Grade Predictor
Your expected effort level
Predicted Grade
B+
Grade Distribution
Common Tags
Rating Trend
Declining
-1.06 avg changeRatings by Course
SPEEC1
5.0
(1)CT110
5.0
(1)COM110
5.0
(1)COMM110
4.7
(3)CST229
4.2
(5)Difficulty by Course
CST11O
4.3
COMM110
3.3
CST100
3.3
CST110
3.3
SPD110
3.3