3.1
Quality2.8
DifficultyN/A
Would Retake95
ReviewsN/A
Would Retake
95
Reviews
Rating DistributionOfficial
5
25
4
25
3
12
2
19
1
14
What Students Say
“More lecturing than discussion”
ENG221 - 3.0 rating“She knows what she's talking about”
ENG221 - 3.0 ratingGrade Predictor
Your expected effort level
Predicted Grade
B-
Grade Distribution
Rating Trend
Declining
-0.88 avg changeRatings by Course
WGS360
5.0
(1)EBG226
5.0
(1)ENG226B
5.0
(2)ENGLISH38
5.0
(1)ENG225A
5.0
(1)Difficulty by Course
225
4.0
ENGLISH
4.0
ENG221C
3.7
ENG328
3.5
495
3.0
Reviews (95)
More lecturing than discussion. Very hard class to sit through in the morning.
She knows what she's talking about.
Very knowledgeable! A very different classroom atmosphere.
Not easy, but a fair class. She understands we have other classes besides hers.
She is very fair and knows her material. She is intelligent and kind.
Very willing to adjust the pace of the class /she seems to care for her students
She needs to focus more on the works, not the authors. Not a fun class.
Very unorganized/ due dates always changing/ but seems to care about students
Flighty at times, but VERY sweet and flexible. encouraging!
She knows her theory and how to make people comfortable learning.
Had for several classes and she's great...wants students to love lit
she's great! flexible and understanding to students' needs..take!!
nice teacher, knows material, very dingy
Really nice. Very understanding about late assignments. Due dates change a lot.
She is very flexible, and is willing to change the schedule to make it easier.
Cares for students & is flexible, But when did SWS courses mean oral reports?
Very intelligent and cares that we understand,
She knoww howw to make complex subjects clear because of her intelligence.
Smart, caring, makes material clear
Great teacher with good examples
Wonderful, kind, knows a lot
Enthusiastic and wonderful
She is awesome, sweet and understanding with an interesting sense of humor.
endearing and honest. want to take another class with her
Smart, interested and cares a lot
very understanding of other workloads, good discussions, easy grader
Unorganized, not focused, was not clear as to what she wanted for papers.
Very intelligent, but very onorganized. Very accessible via e-mail. Flighty.
Such a kind spirit. She is very understanding and unique.
Easily approachable, but not for the innovative
She makes difficult ideas clear and easy to understand. We need more like her.
So smart. Opened my eyes to what nature writing can be.
Very boring class, hard to write using theories, but Linda is nice
She is a wonderful and bright prof. as well as a bit of a push over.
kind & funny, sometimes unclear, willing to help
Very Unorganized, Not helpful during exams, scolded us for her mistake
doesnt analyze, just reads literature back, dont need notes,write 5 para. essays
No Comments
One of the best, but a bit eccentric
No Comments
Great person. If you have a problem talk to her she will help you!!!!
Her teaching methodology lacks structure. She is too lazy about helping students. Stay clear.
Do not take this professor if you need structure and clarity. Obviously very unclear in her manner of teaching as her students often had to rely upon one anothers knowledge of reading material because she didn't want to take the time with her students.
She is helpful and explains everything so we all get it.
easy, yes. sleeping a must. if you want to learn, this is not the class. idots apply within.
BORING! kinda unclear in what she wants. cant read her handwriting and it is hard to understand her. go to class (but sleep through it) she takes attendance. reads right back what you were supposed to read. nice lady but boring class!
She explains everything well. Keeps class moving--good group work--interested in us.
very borring class. she is very unclear about what she wants from her class...hard to follow. if you like to do a lot of reading in a day take her class. you read about 200 pages per class period. have fun
Linda is really a great person, however her class is unclear and requires a lot of reading. however you can do well in the class even if you dont read. Overall i have had better and worse classes
class lacked some structure but it's nice to have a chance to voice your opinion and it be taken serioursly, great professor, would reccommend
This is the worst English class I've ever taken. She is smart, I'll give her that, but that's where the compliments end. She doesn't put things on the syllabus but will add them in when no one notices. Interrupts students and doesn't listen to comments.
She is terrible! Worst English prof, I have ever had. If you aren't a favorite, you are screwed.
Very unorganized, and unclear. Kept changing syllabus around. Fairly easy class, though, if you keep up on the reading Exams are essay,w/ notes allowed. Open minded, willing to take suggestions on what is happening in class. Lack of structure a problem
get out now!! can't understand anything she is saying or anything she writes on your papers or exams...i stayed after class almost everyday to ask for clarity...and most days i would fall asleep in her class too because she was was so boring!
Very helpful. Tries to be sure all understand. Knows a lot. My papers are better because of her.She takes calls at home to help us better.
Moves fast. You do tons of reading and write out "short papers" on 5x8 index cards every class. She mumbles/speaks fast, and is unclear about what she is looking for in student work. But on the upside, she's way smart. :)
I'm and English major, and I'm scared to keep going after this class. This woman is so unclear and the class lacks structure. The only thing she has going for her is that all opinions are welcome as long as they can be backed up. She mumbles and is hard to understand. Oi, find a different prof.
I am currently in her class and I have no problem with here. I agree with the lack of structure but I dont care. I think she is kinda easy if you do your work.
One the few people in the world who just want to do what's right. She had some issues to deal with during our semester. Class isn't hard, she grades fair, and is a fun prof to have
She is a great person and so full of life and history. She has so much to say if you just listen. unfortunately she ended up sick for three weeks this sem. and we didnt get to have her for the whole time..the class overall is pretty simple..a lot of reading but no test or quizzes. recommend prof.
I think that there should be a retirement age for people who just shouldn't teach anymore. and she is one of those people. she was sick for 3 weeks which was a nice break. but she has really good intentions. just wants the good times to roll like when she was an activist. she's alright.
Nice person and she knows what she's talking about if you're willing to listen. Sometimes unclear and nobody knows what she's talking about but she says some deep stuff. She gets really mad if you don't talk in class she thinks it's a failure. She doesn't deserve the bad reviews though.
WOW! This has to be the worst professor in the history of college. Now, on saying this, please know that she is a very nice lady--she is just way past her prime. I just seriously want my money back, it was that bad. If you know what's good for you, you'll stay away--far, far away!
Three words: NEEDS TO RETIRE!!! I hope you enjoy confusing discussion and class being taught from notes she printed off websites dedicated to texts. Spends two periods on 400 page novel and expects HIGH quality papers...
She is an extremely nice lady. She just wants everyone to benefit from the class and learn. I like her as a professor, and she is easy.
This lady needs to go. Her class is intolerable. I can't take it anymore. Everyday I contemplate taking my life in her class, it's really that bad. For the love of humanity, stay away from this lady's class. I'm warning you, STAY AWAY!!!
I personally think that the negative comments made here are completely out of line. We should use this board for constructive criticism, not complete bashing of a professor. My thoughts on this professor are that she is a very nice lady, who really wants her students to learn. I know I did.
I had a great time in Dr. Chown's class. She really challenged my way of thinking and helped me realize my potential. Also a wonderfully kind and empathetic person. She is fair, and hoest, and very human. I hope I get another opportunity to take a class with Dr. Chown.
Anyone that tells you to take this teacher is setting you up....run like hell!!!
Dr. Chown is a wealth of knowledge and will provide various backgrounds on literary terms and theory--something many professors fail to do. She welcomes questions and comments and does not try to dominate the class. I've always enjoyed her humor and elegant wit.
Yes, she is a nice lady. But the class was poorly constructed. We had no work due the first 6 weeks, and then a paper due almost every week after. We read some great things, but I had a difficult time understanding her because she often speaks softly. She does grade fairly. I consider it an easy A.
Her class is boring and poorly planned. All we did was sit and listen to her talk about nothing! She is not very open minded about your papers and opinions, what she really wants to hear is what she and only she thinks. Don't take her class she will make you want to kill yourself. She is nice, however she is too old to be teaching.
This proffessor was very helpful.Some of what we went over -was- hard to understand but at the same time, she was more than willing to go over it. I think a lot of people didn't do the reading and that was what messed them up. (Cohn and Martin are dry, in my opinion) Quizes might have been a motivator. Those harsh comments are unwarented.
Professor is very intelligent.Do the reading and come prepared to discuss.It is the only way to get anything out of a strenous class.You get out what you put in.Class is student led encouraging interaction with the material.Professor provides guidance and support. New ideas on how to study literature.Difficult at first, but gets better!
Even though she is a very nice lady and tries to be helpful, she generally just ends up confusing you more with her slurred speech and mumbling. I was often confused on what she wanted and had to change my writing to suit her tastes. I suggest taking this class with somebody else if you're looking to learn.
Chown... WOW! She's seriously out there. But essays are easy and you can write about whatever you want. A lot of reading, but you don't always have to do it. If you're looking for a weird but easy class, take her. But if this is something you're passionate about, skip her and take it with someone else.
I was really excited to take American Lit but sadly she is the worst professor and she ruined the class for me. She is very scattered and she doesn't discuss anything that is revelant to the texts. If you actually want to learn something since you are paying money to take the class, do not take her.
Whoever put a smiley face by this professor is completely insane, in my opinion. I took her for a summer class this past semester, and I thought that she was by far the worst teacher I have ever had. She is a nice person, but her lack of communication skills, and not staying on track really did it for me. If you are enrolled, get out now!!!!
Dr. Chown's knowledge is amazing. She really knows how to help students learn for themselves. I hope many GVSU students will benefit from her passion and dedication.
i agree, her wealth of knowledge is just amazing! she is quite skattered, but definitely worth the experience if you are willing. i suggest meeting with her if you are having difficulties. in my experience, she apperciates honesty and was extremely helpful when i needed it. skattered can be a good thing, just different to deal with.
She has the knowledge, but she can't share it. She's scatterbrained, disorganized, and unclear, plus she's very inconsistant. DO NOT TAKE HER
She is extremely scatterbrained and is not open to any other opinions but her own. You must learn how to write to satisfy her, not help further your studies. She can be publicly demeaning to her students. AVOID!!!
Confusing and unclear. Lectures are scattered. I often left class confused at what was going on and why. She seems to be knowledgeable and is passionate about what she is teaching, but ultimately she cannot present it in a clear and understandable manner.
Ugh. You have to REALLY love the text to survive this class. The class is based out of only 100 points which means their is little room for error. If there is something that doesn't make sense, ASK or else you're screwed. Chown is very knowlegible but often confuses even herself. Attend class, do the ready, participate and ask questions!
STOP!!! DON'T DO IT!!! AVOID THIS LADY LIKE THE PLAGUE!!! YOU WILL RUE THE DAY YOU STEP INTO HER CLASSROOM!!! SHE IS THE SINGLE WORST PROFESSOR IN THE HISTORY OF UNVERSITY SCHOLARSHIP!!! RUN!!! RUN FAR, FAR AWAY WHILE YOU STILL CAN!!! DON'T SAY I DIDN'T WARN YOU!!!
Yes her class is easy if you are very knowledgable of the puritian era. She moves quickly thur the text and does not give you enough time to absorb her explanations before she moves on. Her opinion and thoughts is what she considers correct and refuses to listen or consider others opinion. SHE ALWAYS HAS TO BE RIGHT SHES SUCKS!!!!!
She is all over the place. Don't take from her if you can help it. I learned nothing. Horrible.
Wow. Where do I begin? Professor Chown is a very sweet lady, but her lectures are all over the place. She is not very clear in her expectations, assignments, and lectures. Asking questions did not help because you would leave more confused and your original question would still not be answered. I would not recommend this professor to anyone.
I have no idea what this lady is ever talking about in class. She jumps around way too much and talks very fast and quietly. I always feel lost in class, but my grade is pretty good. I don't think she has any clue what is going on.
I thought she was a very good professor. She can be a bit confusing, but she is incredibly knowledgable of the time period and all of the authors. She also has an almost child-like passion for all of it. I definitely recommend her but be prepared for alot of writing. Also, she's incredibly helpful if you TALK TO HER.
She has A LOT of quirks, and I could see why some might be put off. However, I could see the relevance of everything she did and the texts were great choices. Tries to be interactive and allows a lot of freedom in papers. Tough grader but a good prof. Proves you should choose your English classes based on the book list, not always by ratings.
I loved professor Chown, she was always helpful and encouraged asking for it. We had a very small class and a lot of one on one time. She taught us a lot about writing, what works and what does not. Very down to earth, open to all writing styles. knows her stuff and I found her to be an easy grader. never felt like i was going to class, take her
Her lectures all over the place but if you go to her office she is very helpful and understands things better. Some of the assignments are confusing and not very clear and it seems like there's only a little class participation because she isn't always very encouraging.
Two words: Pure brilliance! I cannot rave anough about this woman! She is a delight to have for class, she REALLY knows her stuff, VERY down to earth, and really just loves to talk with poeple and get to know them through genuine conversation. I would recommend her to anyone! She really does have quite the passion for what she teaches and it shows!
Very nice lady, but extremely disorganized with lectures. When talking about a book, she will be discussing page 30 one minute, then page 2 the next minute, then back to page 14. She claims to be very "free" with everything, but yet she wants you to write about what she wants. However, she is helpful and reasonable with grading.
Grade Predictor
Your expected effort level
Predicted Grade
B-
Grade Distribution
Rating Trend
Declining
-0.88 avg changeRatings by Course
WGS360
5.0
(1)EBG226
5.0
(1)ENG226B
5.0
(2)ENGLISH38
5.0
(1)ENG225A
5.0
(1)Difficulty by Course
225
4.0
ENGLISH
4.0
ENG221C
3.7
ENG328
3.5
495
3.0