This professor is new to the University, but has taught at several other top universities. She's great. She demands that you actually learn, and so you should probably check your motives before enrolling in the class. But, she's really good. Be prepared to actually read, and do the work though. I highly recommend her.

Professor Baynes is a very good teacher. She is passionate about what she teaches which makes it more interesting. She tries her best to make the students learn the material and actually getting something out of the class. Very interesting to talk to also. Very understanding. Overall, great teacher to take.

Professor Baynes is an excellent teacher. She is very sweet and understanding. She has a sincere desire to help students succeed, and is available to talk about the class or anything else you want to talk about. She keeps the class fun and interesting. You do have to read quite a bit, but the reading and discussions are usually interesting.

She is truly an amazing professor. She is not only highly qualified, but she is probably one of the most fasicinating people you will ever meet. Be prepared to learn , do not (I repeat, do not) take this class if you are not in it to acquire knowledge. She is probably the reason why I switched my major to Religious Studies.

Amazingly talented and interesting professor. Very passionate, excited, and entertaining. You won't skip thgis class, simply because you develop such a respect for her that you wish to not let her down.

Baynes is an excellent teacher and super nice, it's just too bad that the class is super hard! You are graded on 3 things (weekly essays and two tests) so if you botch up on one thing you're really screwed. Don't be afraid to go to her with concerns though. She is very helpful and loves to hear student's opinions.

she is one of the most intelligent people I have ever met

Baynes is a good teacher, but she grades hard. Her lectures are enjoyable, and she does enjoy input. When it comes time for papers or finals, you need to work hard to get a good grade. you need to think on a critical basis and not on a purely spiritual basis, and you need to take it farther than just the surface appearance. Overall, good teacher.

I took Dr. Baynes for New Testament and Dead Sea Scrolls. Both were great courses. Baynes is an amazing professor, and I highly recommend her. She is very knowledgable and I have the utmost respect for her. Take her if you can, but be prepared for a reading intensive semester. It's a lot of work, but it's worth it!

print out everything she puts on blackboard

I loved this lady. She has a very effective way of teaching religion without preaching to either side. She is also really understanding and fair. I would highly recommend this teacher to anyone taking a REL 102 class.

Great teacher; she's an asset to the department. I highly recommend her.

wonderful class. daily writing assignments and must keep up with reading for class discussions.

Love her! She is very intelligent. I would recommend not taking this class without and knowledge of the Bible.

I took Dr. Baynes last semester for REL 102, and I am currently in her REL 320 class. I am hoping to take her REL 323 class next semester. She is a wonderful teacher,person, and scholar. I consider myself blessed to have been in her classes. I also have her as my advisor, and she is very interested in helping her students succeed.

Professor Baynes is great! Knows what she is talking about and looks at Bible from a completely academic perspective for the class. Come to class pay attention and study. Papers require thinking, but not impossible, she usually tells you what is on the test before hand. Plenty of extra credit opportunities!

Great teacher! The class wasn't easy, but it wasnt too hard either. With an average amount of effort you'll get a B.

Smart lady and great teacher, very helpful...BUT it seems she forgot this was a 100 level class! Attendance is part of your grade,and tests are mostly from lectures.She requires two papers she grades VERY critically,which can really drop your grade.If you go to class,read the text,and are a TALENTED writer you can make an A, otherwise...good luck.

Dr. Baynes is great! I am very interested in her class and she really knows what she is talking about. She encourages discussion and is very organized and time-efficient. I thought the papers were easy. The tests are easy if you study. This class is great!

She is a very smart,educated teacher. Very kind and respectful. The class would be better if it wasnt and hour and 15 min. There is alot of reading assignments but overall this class is pretty easy

If the NT intrests you at all take this class!!! GREAT TEACHER! You will learn so much! She does not teach to a test (which I think is great - you learn more that way!) If you study the tests are pretty easy. Also, she is a pretty tough grader on papers but there are only two and I found them both really interesting. Take her!

Previous Bible knowledge does help, but it's still not that hard a class. Yes she's a tough paper grader, but guess what? You become a better writer! There are only 2 papers, I found them both pointless, but what can you do. Attendance isn't too mandatory, tests and quizzes are pretty easy, all multiple choice. Recommended.

AWESOME TEACHER! She is very educated and knows her stuff. Makes class fun and new with activities and movies. I went to every class because I wanted to. I never really studied and got a B. TAKE BAYNES SHE IS A GREAT TEACHER!

Dr. Baynes is a great teacher. She makes class interesting and fun. Although the material can be boring, she puts the information in a way that is easy to understand and even and almost makes you want to come to class. I'm looking forward to taking another course with Dr. Baynes!

Very easy going, fun class. Easy to pass. Makes the New Testament fun to look at historically. She's very passionate about her job.

CS Lewis course: Dr. Baynes is a fantastic professor, and it's unfortunate I only had enough time to take 2 courses with her over the course of my undergraduate work.

LOVED this class. I pulled off an A, but it was definitely not easy. Dr. Baynes is an AWESOME professor, really knows her stuff. She is genuine and sensitive to different beliefs. Encourages questions. Brings in discussion of current events and personal experience too. You gotta read the book! And, do the extra credit!

It can be an easy A as long as you read the book and attend the classes. Tests aren't very hard and do all the extra credit possible.

C.S. Lewis is a fascinating class. Would suggest it for anyone who enjoys his work. Most reading intensive class I have ever had. 15 page paper at end of semester...

Took C.S. Lewis with her. She is so sweet and interested in the subject, got the whole class interested in the subject and everyone talked, unlike a lot of classes. SO reading intensive... I think I read about 3000 pages total for this class. No joke. I absolutely loved it, but you have to work your butt off for an A. Definitely worth taking.

She is awesome, but if your are not a religious studies major do not take this class. It is a lot of work and the quizzes, tests, and papers are all really hard. I liked the class, it was not what I was expecting.

This is the third (and final) class I was able to take with Dr. Baynes. She is a brilliant woman, but a bit quirky at times. She is so insanely passionate about her field of study, which made this class a bit harder. I would recommend taking any class possible with her: she's excellent.

Leslie Baynes is a fantastic professor. Very passionate, quirky, and intelligent. Her class was by far my favorite. I learned so much. Class isn't easy, but she works hard to make sure her students understand the material. Highly recommended.

Great professor and very passionate about her work, though it sometimes causes her to go a little too in depth into the material for an introductory class. Very quirky which can be off-putting at times. Loved the class though some of the history can get a little boring!

I've taken MANY college classes and Dr. Baynes stands out among them all as my most favorite. She cares so much about her students and knows her stuff better than anyone else. She has real world experience and can contribute so much to her lectures. I'm thinking about auditing one of her classes. She is what made me decide to minor in religion.

She is down to earth and will respect your opinion. She is incredibly knowledgeable and has first-hand experience. She isn't easy, but is clear about what she expects and very willing to help. Gives great feedback, makes insightful points, and inspires me to look into material outside of class. Incredibly intelligent and would take again.

Surprisingly interesting!! Loved lectures, boring sometimes but overall fascinating. She is very tough on grading for participation points (50 total), and tough on papers. Tests are mostly easy if you study. Make sure to participate a lot and get help from bear claw and other sources for your paper.

Professor Baynes is AMAZING. She is the sweetest teacher out there. She gives extra credit. There are 3 tests, and one of them counts as the final. There are also 2 short papers, 4 quizzes, and weekly 1 page essays. It might sound like a lot of work, but she cares about her students and if you put in a little efffort you'll get an A.

Dr. Baynes is kind, and willing to help her students in any way that she can. If you have a question about an assignment or essay go in and ask her; she was always happy to help. There are 3 tests in this class, a few quizzes scattered throughout the semester, 2 papers, and weekly journals. Attendance in this class is important.

Professor Baynes is a great teacher. She cares about her students and wants everyone to do well. That being said, you have to show up to class and do the readings (which seem like a lot) but ultimately will help you overall. I really enjoyed this class and would recommend to others.

Dr. Baynes is an amazing professor. She knows a LOT about her field and is good at explaining things. The class can be difficult you have to do the reading and come to class. She gives good feedback and is respectful to students. She will answer any question you have with the most honest information she can find. I would take a class with her again

Ties lectures well with readings, lots of reading, TA grades hard sometimes, tests are not impossible but you do have to study

She is a very tough grader. You have to speak up during class, participation is a huge part of the grade. No textbook, but we read 13 books. 5 pg Research paper with 5 scholarly sources, quizzes, and small writing assignments. She mainly wants students to listen to her. She likes to share her opinions. She is extremely intelligent.

She has a clear grading criteria when it comes to essays. Her class was tough & heavy for a 100 level class but it was doable. Her lectures were interesting & she's very knowledgeable about religion. I enjoyed her class and I felt like I learned a lot. Reading is a must as well as viewing things from different points of view. Highly recommend!

Her class was definitely tough for a 100 level gen ed, but she was very knowledgeable and made it clear that you could ask questions, email her, or come to her office hours for extra help. She was a bit condescending in that she would say things like "Wow, you guys have a lot of studying to do" if no one answered a question the first time she asked

I really love being in Dr. Baynes class. She did a wonderful job of making you think and made the material interesting. The homework was tedious at times, but she always left really good feedback and you felt good afterward. I would definitely take a class with her again. 10/10 would recommend.

Lot of textbook reading, but mostly to keep students involved.

Professor Baynes ranks amongst the best professors Ive at Missouri State. The lectures were very profound, as she made them very interesting. Make sure you show up and pay attention in class, as you will miss information for the test. If I have any more credits to fulfill, will most likely take her again.

Dr. Baynes was probably the best Professor Ive ever had! She cares so much about what she is teaching and the students! She was so accessible outside of class and helped me in anyway she could! I learned a lot!

Dr. Haynes changed my life and outlook. Dont take her courses if you dont want to learn

Professor Baynes is seriously amazing. Her lectures are professional, organized, but also hilarious and insightful! She is exceptionally understanding and provides good feedback. You have to read a LOT, so don't take this class if you don't enjoy reading. REL 102 was my favorite class this semester.

Prof Baynes is very passionate about the material, and sometimes that can be bad because her lectures can get very long and quite boring. She cares a lot about students and really wants them to succeed. 3 tests of 100 questions, but they are not proctored so not too bad. No cumulative final which was great. Great prof overall, just a little boring.

She is extremely knowledgeable in her field and you can tell. Class was not bad, there were weekly discussion posts (and you have to reply to 2 people which is annoying) and quizzes, but both were always short and simple. Good amount of reading is required, but I usually just skimmed the textbook. Tests are easy, no trick questions.

HIGHLY recommend Dr. Baynes. She is so kind. So unbiased. So intelligent and genuinely cares about her students. She gives out weekly quizzes but they are super easy if you listen to her lectures. Shes not one of those professors that will trick you. She prepares you really well for all assignments and is one of the best professors at MSU.

Professor Baynes is a good instructor, but this class is way too difficult for a 100 level Gen. Ed. The weekly quizzes are 10 questions, and you only have 5 minutes; the weekly discussion boards are easy, but you have to make a post, and reply to 2 people, which is annoying; and the tests are 100 questions, but you only have 60 minutes. Very tough.

Dr. Baynes is highly intelligent and I learned a lot from her lecture videos. I put them on x2 to get through them quicker. This class has more work than it should for a 100 level class, but I loved it. Just watch her videos & read the Bible; she covers everything you need from the textbook. The quizzes and tests are overall easy if you do that.

Dr. Baynes is obviously VERY passionate about the subjects she teaches. Her lectures are thorough and well-developed. I thought I knew a lot about this topic but she taught me so much throughout the semester. She's also very kind and caring about her students. Homework & tests are straightforward. It was an absolute pleasure to take her class.

Dr. Baynes is an amazing professor. She is so knowledgeable about what she teaches and she is very passionate about it as well. She puts slideshows, as well as posts them in blackboard for you to follow along. She really cares for her students and their well being. Tests are 100 questions, and they cover only the material that she discusses.

Dr. Baynes is very knowledgeable in her subject and truly cares about her students. Her lectures are so interesting to watch and I feel like I learned so much from her and this class. She is a great professor and the assignments are clear. There are three 100 point tests, but she only grades you on the things she taught in class.

Dr. Baynes was an amazing professor with very engaging lectures. I found the content to be difficult at times, but she made it much easier to grasp. Dr. Baynes definitely wants you to succeed and will give students all the tools needed to do well in her class.

This class does require you to do a fair amount of reading and the professor has pretty lengthy lectures but if you are interested in the class itself you shouldn't find this to be a problem. It's very obvious she is knowledgeable about this topic and cares to share her knowledge. She responds outside of class and was overall a great course!

I did not expect to like this class as much as I did, but Professor Baynes made it so enjoyable. She's funny, her lectures were entertaining, and she is so wise. I would definitely take another one of her classes in the future.

if you're at all sensitive, do NOT raise your hand in her class. i loved her as a professor, would take her class again if i could, but she is very unaware of her tone and the way she speaks to people and can be very belittling on accident when redirecting wrong answers. she is very knowledgeable though and gives great lectures!

I've loved the classes I've taken with Dr. Baynes so far, and I look forward to having her in the future. She can definitely come off as a bit snooty sometimes and toot her own horn, but her lectures are very well structured and never fail to keep me engaged. She assigns a lot of work, but I never found it to be too hard.

I loved having her as a professor and you can tell she knows what she's talking about. Not many assignments, but plenty of extra credit. Beware though, you will be reading A TON. This class is super reading heavy. It can be a bit intimidating to raise your hand in her class because of her tone and responses, though I think it is unintentional.

i've loved taking new testament with dr. baynes! she is very knowledgeable and passionate about what she teaches! 3 tests and a few assignments throughout the semester but it is very heavy on reading! overall i enjoyed her class:)

Dr. Baynes is so knowledgeable, and I learned so much during my time in this class. The class is very lecture and reading heavy, but on the flip side you only have a couple of assignments throughout the semester and 3 tests. The final isn't cumulative, but each of her tests are 100 questions. She makes sure to keep her personal opinion out.