2.3

Maria Beltran-Vocal

Languages - DePaul University

2.3
Quality
4.2
Difficulty
13%
Would Retake
86
Reviews
2.3
Quality
4.2
Difficulty
2.3
Helpful
2.2
Clarity

13%

Would Retake

86

Reviews

Rating Distribution
Official

5

13

4

7

3

13

2

20

1

33

What Students Say

This was a horrible experience

SPN201 - 1.0 rating

How about some clarity on the assignment

SPN201 - 2.0 rating
Class Info

Attendance Mandatory

100%

Textbook Required

88%

Grade Predictor

Your expected effort level

LowHigh

Predicted Grade

B+

74% confidence
Based on 8 grades
Most common grades:
A (3)
C- (2)
B+ (2)
Grade Distribution
A(3)B(0)C(2)D(0)F(0)A-/B+(3)
Based on 9 reported grades
A: 3
C-: 2
B+: 2
A-: 1
Common Tags
Tough Grader (3)
Tough grader (3)
Participation matters (2)
LOTS OF HOMEWORK (1)
Skip class? You won't pass. (1)
GROUP PROJECTS (1)
SO MANY PAPERS (1)
LECTURE HEAVY (1)
Rating Trend

Declining

-0.33 avg change
May
Jun
Jun
Feb
Mar
Apr
Last 6 months
Ratings by Course

FL401K

5.0

(1)

SPNISP

5.0

(1)

SPN300S

5.0

(1)

SPN207317

5.0

(1)

SPN103

5.0

(1)
+34 more courses
Difficulty by Course

201

5.0

206

5.0

DISCCHI

5.0

SPN115

5.0

ISPSECT

5.0

Reviews (86)
2.0
3.0
SPANISH
May 19, 2003

her class was very unstructured and SO boring and she is not very helpful outside of class

1.0
5.0
ISP103
Sep 9, 2003

She was the worst teacher EVER and I cannot believe that she is still teaching here. She is unclear and she expects WAY too much out of you.

1.0
5.0
ISP
Oct 21, 2003

This is THE worst teacher that I have ever had so far here in DePaul. She expects too much from students. Even students who meet her expectations still do not make her satisfied. Again, worst teacher EVER!!

4.0
3.0
SPN
Oct 26, 2003

No Comments

5.0
3.0
ISP103
Nov 5, 2003

Do not cry guys.....she is cool and specially profesional. You are in college not in High School anymore

1.0
5.0
ISP
Dec 17, 2003

WOrst teahcer i ever have

3.0
5.0
SPN305
Jan 4, 2004

ridiculously hard! three papers were due on the last day of class, 2 were 5 pages each, and the 3rd paper had to be at least 10 pages!

5.0
1.0
FL401K
Grade: A-
Feb 24, 2004

She is very clear on what to do.

1.0
5.0
ISP
Mar 1, 2004

worst teacher ever seems like if u have one bad paper....that is the grade u receive for all of them

5.0
4.0
SPNISP
Mar 3, 2004

Beltran is extremely intelligent in all the subjects that she teaches. If you don't know whats going on I suggest you ask questions. if you think she's hard, tough! It's college not hs.

5.0
4.0
SPN300S
Mar 10, 2004

Like people have mentioned before, this is college, not high school...You should not take a class for how easy a teacher is but what you will learn. College is for using our critical thinking skills and Dr. B does this, always pushing u to do ur best.

1.0
5.0
ISP103
Mar 13, 2004

Hard, unclear and 2 much expectation.

2.0
4.0
ISP
Mar 29, 2004

No Comments

5.0
1.0
ISP
Apr 2, 2004

Dr. Beltran can be challenging if you do not do your work. She is easy but demanding. If you put the effort and time, you should get an A in her class.

1.0
5.0
SPANISH
May 14, 2004

No Comments

1.0
4.0
ISP
May 18, 2004

Beltran is not helpful. She commonly brags about her own wisdom, rather than sharing it. Her classes sound like, "Blah, blah. This is how smart I am. Listen to me."

5.0
2.0
SPANISH
May 27, 2004

At first the student will get a little intimidated by her, but she is really cool to talk to and I enjoyed her class. One thing though, if you take her for Spanish(talking), you BETTER be ready to talk! So take her if u wish to learn the language.

1.0
5.0
ISP
Jun 29, 2004

pick one name and stick with it. idiot

4.0
2.0
ISP
Jun 30, 2004

awesome class -lots of interesting material. true, her paper requirements are sometimes confusing but don't be afraid to ask she is always willing to help especially if you participate in class discussions -she loves that

1.0
5.0
DISCCHI
Aug 13, 2004

This is any English-speaking students worst nightmare. She speaks with a heavy Spanish accent. I do not understand more than 87% of what she is saying. She assigns pointless work. Do not take the Discover Chicago Chicano/Mexican Experience course.

5.0
4.0
SPN207317
Oct 13, 2004

Ok- if you whine about this prof its because you're lazy. I've had her twice & unlike the majority of the modern languages dept. She's tough...and um, you actually learn things! He accent is NOT bad, at all. Intimidating and hard at times, but awesome.

1.0
5.0
ISP
Oct 27, 2004

She assigns****, for a class thats not that ****en serious. And it PISSES ME OFF!

2.0
3.0
DISCOVERCHICAG
Nov 21, 2004

No Comments

4.0
3.0
EXPLOREMEXEXP
Nov 21, 2004

She's a very good woman and clearly knows her opinions. she's only intimidating if you think she is. i learned the most from her because I applied myself and I suggest that people understand that she is very expecting and you must apply herself. as for the accent. it made me like her more. :)

1.0
5.0
DISCOVERCHICAG
Dec 2, 2004

this lady does not know ****. everthing she lecture i already new. her assignments are not very clear. DO NOT TAKE HER

3.0
4.0
SPN300
Jan 8, 2005

I had her class about seven years ago. At times, her expectations were a bit confusing, but I still learned from her. She has a reputation for being intimidating, but she's a great person.

3.0
5.0
SPN115
Mar 28, 2005

WOW!! If you like working hard than take her, but if you don't its hell. I like learning but I don't like being stressed. Even though I passes I wouldn't take her cause its too stressful.

4.0
3.0
DISCOVER
May 9, 2005

At times, she can be helpful but at other times she can be hard. Her assignments are a little tough but if you read the material, you'll do fine.

1.0
5.0
SPNFORNATIVE
May 12, 2005

Assignments are graded harshly and unfairly. If you are one of her favorites then you will do just fine in class even if you don't hand in assignments. This teacher is horrible!!!

3.0
4.0
SPN300LEVEL
Jun 10, 2005

No Comments

4.0
3.0
SPN317
Jul 25, 2005

this prof is tought but great! you will really learn in her class! if you ACTUALLY want to learn something, take her class!

1.0
4.0
07
Aug 31, 2005

if u like reading several 400 page books and writing many papers, this teacher is for u. she assigns waay too much reading and stupid reflection papers. i do not like her personality and her teaching style sucks!

4.0
4.0
SPNFORNATIVE
Sep 19, 2005

I think, overall, she cares about her students and i think she is good at explaining things. although,i do think she assigns too much hw!

1.0
5.0
SPN
Oct 19, 2005

This woman has no symathy for non-heritage speakers. I could not get her to work with me to improve my grade, knowing i had to go to her class at night made all of my tuesdays miserable. avoid at all costs,

1.0
2.0
314
Nov 10, 2005

I did not like this professor at all.She seemed to like the men in the class and not the females.She also seemed to have a preconceived notion about her students, therefore grading them accordingly.She did not like anyone who challenged her opinions against the U.S. or Americans.As a caucasion in her class I felt uncomfortable.Not a caring teacher.

1.0
4.0
SPN
Feb 13, 2006

Worst teacher I have ever had. is the most unhelpful teacher, and is very arrogant and stubborn about her opinions. STAY AWAY

5.0
4.0
SPN
May 11, 2006

This is the best professor I've had a DePaul, she is an extremely intelligent woman who knows a lot about the Latino Culture, specifically teh Chicano culture. Class is always interesting and she assigns the most interesting readings! I take her every time that I can and you should too!

3.0
4.0
EXP103
Dec 12, 2006

I LOVE PROFESORA BELTRAN-VOCAL. SHE OPENED UP VERY INTERESTING DISCUSSIONS. SHE GIVES A LOT OF WORK, BUT AMPLE TIME TO DO IT. DONT PROCRASTINATE, BECAUSE SHE GIVES YOU PLEANTY...SHE REALL CARES ABOUT HER STUDENTS. XOX PROFESORA!!!

2.0
3.0
SPN205
Jan 7, 2007

AVOID this prof!! She was the hardest B+ ever! As a native speaker, I wanted to learn the grammar but she was NEVER THERE! Our class lost three wks worth of lectures bcuz she was absent. When she came back, she expected us to play catch-up at the speed of light! Very difficult woman, not clear at all & gives too much work!

3.0
4.0
ISP102
Jan 9, 2007

Ok, so sure her papers can be tough, and yes, there can be a lot of reading, but this is indeed college. Do the readings so you know what's going on in class. Ask questions if you have them. While this class was a little tough, it wouldn't have been so hard if I had asked questions. Take her if you want to learn and put your tuition to good use!

1.0
4.0
ISP200
Feb 23, 2007

If you are Hispanic you are fine, she hates white males. She makes you work hard and grades hard. She had 3 out of 5 papers due in the last three weeks of class. I expected a A- or B+ and got a B. A hispanic guy in my class I talked to was surprised to get an A-.

3.0
4.0
ISP120
Nov 6, 2007

Tough professor. My transition to college was rough because of this class. The class was on the Chicano Experience, not on her feminist views, I wish she would have kept that in mind. We learned nothing about the subject. She should NOT teach an ISP class next year. On a brighter note, if you get to know her one on one she's a much better person.

1.0
5.0
ISPSECT
Nov 14, 2007

DO NOT TAKE!! worst teacher ever!!! most boring class!!! for explore, i watched all my friends have fun at their explore classes while i had to do 12 page papers (she says minimum 4-5 but if you want to get all the stuff in she wants it's at least 10 pages, oh and i don't know anyone in the class who got an A) DO NOT TAKE

2.0
5.0
ISP120
Nov 20, 2007

She screwed everyone over with a paper that we had to do She gave us all low grades because she said that we needed sources when she didn't say anything. makes you buy books, i spent $30 for books for her class when we only talked about them once. She's really hard and expects too much. my suggestion, DO NOT TAKE ANY OF HER CLASSES

2.0
4.0
ISP102
Nov 24, 2007

this class and prof. ruined my first quarter at school.

3.0
4.0
ISP102
Dec 26, 2007

I was against all odds: white male, little desire for the class, surrounded by latinos and a biased teacher. None of the latinos were there to make friends, so I loved to start class discussions that often left most people pissed off. I probably wrote over 100 pages just for her class this quarter. Expect a lot of work, but you'll learn a lot.

1.0
5.0
ISP120
Jan 27, 2008

Don't take this teacher if you want a good GPA. She was ridiculous with her grading and overall opinions. I wound up with a C-, all the while she was telling us that if we do the work, we'll be sure to get an A or B. Avoid at all costs.

5.0
4.0
SPN207
May 13, 2008

i took her both ISP 120 and SPN 207. ISP is alot of essays, books, field trips...its just alot. SPN 207, on the contrary, was a piece of cake. All we do is talk! its great. she's a really good professor too, she knows her stuff.

3.0
5.0
ISP102
Oct 22, 2008

Wow, this class was incredibly hard!! and she said it would be easy at the beginning, whatever you do, do not take this class!!!!She makes you spend soo much money on books that you never talk about!!

2.0
5.0
ISP102
Nov 24, 2008

i personally enjoyed the topics discussed in this class but i believe that she should not be so harsh on freshmen. i am not going to complain about the readings because its college and they were interesting. And for those white boys who said she did not like them for their race, i disagree because i am hispanic and she did not like me.

1.0
5.0
ISP120
Nov 30, 2008

She was real mean but gave out her office hours, but was so unapproachable that you wouldnt want to go. She showed no respect to anyone elses opinions. All of your time will be consumed by this class. Does not explain anything. Speaks in Spanish ALL the time when it is CLEARLY not spanish class.. avoid at all costs if you want a good GPA

2.0
5.0
ISP120
Nov 30, 2008

This woman is without a doubt, the worst teacher I've ever encountered in my entire school career. She has no sympathy for her students that do not understand the work, she explains things horribly, and if you do not do the million-page reading she assigns daily, you are screwed for her class. Do not take this class if you want a decent GPA.

3.0
5.0
SPN315
Mar 20, 2009

You should be warned that she is a very, very challenging professor. The reading load was unreal. I talked to her outside of class a couple times because I was struggling so much. She's brilliant, and is aware she has super high expectations, but I think her attitude is pretty much deal with it or drop.

2.0
5.0
ISP120
Mar 21, 2009

HORRIBLE PROFESSOR. DO NOT TAKE HER. GIVES TOO MANY READINGS, LIKE TO PICK ON HER STUDENTS AND OVERWHELMS YOU WITH FINALS. SHE GAVE A FIVE PAGE PAPER AND TWO THREE PAGE PAPERS DUE IN THE SAME DAY. HARD GRADER. I REPEAT DO NOT TAKE THIS CLASS AT ALL. HORRIBLE TEACHER.

2.0
5.0
SPN201
Nov 18, 2009

Worst professor I've ever had at DePaul. Has extremely high expectations of her students which is fine, but she can't even meet those expectations herself. Always late, never at office hours, never prepared for class, and constantly changing assignment directions/due dates to fit her needs. Extremely unprofessional and just plain rude. AVOID!

2.0
5.0
SPN201
Nov 26, 2009

Here s the thing; AVOID. Plain adn simple, if you can, do not take her. She assigns a ton of work and she is an EXTREMeLY hard grader. I have no idea how she gave me a B when all a got on the quizzes were Ds. No joke, i guess it was a mircle but she ll put you through a lot of unnecessary stress. Please, AVOID her!

1.0
5.0
LSP110
Nov 8, 2010

She is very strict and unaccommodating. Yes, she has high expectations, but she is seeming unequal per student. I asked her one time if we could meet outside of class, and she said, "I am not going to change your grade". She is hands down, the worst professor at DePaul.

3.0
4.0
LSP110
Feb 12, 2011

She is a strict professor with high expectations. Her class is not easy but i mena you leare a lot thanks to her i have something to sya in my WGS class and SPN. take her if you like to challenge your self but if your the kind that it's looking for an easy class then it's not for you.

2.0
5.0
LSP110
Feb 13, 2011

She is the hardest teacher ever. She knows what she wants and you are expected to read her mind to know too. Try an avoid her. Also, I found her teaching at times to be mildly offensive.

5.0
3.0
SPN315
Aug 1, 2011

Dr. Beltran is brilliant, she knows her subject and really values education. She has very high expectations from her students and this would not be an easy grade but if you really want to learn something valuable, please take her. And do all your readings and your work.

5.0
4.0
LSP110
Aug 17, 2011

She has HIGH expectations from her students, something that should be a rule from professors. I learned tons of new things through the chosen books, discussions, and individual meetings. In fact, what I know from Latin America is thanks to her. So I say TAKE HER, but if you like mediocrity, then she is not for you.

2.0
5.0
SPN323
Jun 2, 2012

This professor is among one of the worst I've had at DePaul. She is absolutely unclear in what she expects from her students. Additionally, she assigns enough work for 3 courses. We were required to read 6 novels and watch 8 full length films. There were also 4 7-page essays assigned, 3 due during finals week.

1.0
3.0
SPN201
Oct 2, 2012

I came into this class extremely excited about the subject and she ruined that for me. We teach ourselves all of the subject material, and all we do in class is talk about meaningless topics. we had to watch 5 movies outside of class. I also had a legit excuse for missing class because of a religious holiday and she was completely uncaring.

2.0
3.0
SPN201
Oct 9, 2012

She responded to an email so rudely getting angry when addressed without the proper title. How about some clarity on the assignment. Are you kidding me? She has zero respect for her students or their time. DO NOT TAKE HER! If you have any interest in the subject, she will screw it up for you.

2.0
3.0
SPN201
Oct 11, 2012

If you love feeling frustrated and confused during class, she's the teacher for you. Spanish is my minor, and honestly I was willing to work, but she changed the syllabus so frequently and then got mad when students had questions. She's not very organized, gets side-tracked, and is not helpful in any way. The movies were interesting, at least.

1.0
5.0
SPN201
Nov 24, 2012

This was a horrible experience. If I could go back in time I would NOT take this class. I have never had a professor make me feel so small. There is no communication, no set instructions, no clear agenda, just a big mess that you will regret and your GPA will suffer immensely.

3.0
4.0
SPN201
Nov 29, 2012

She was very unclear on assignment expectations and there was a lot of miscommunication between here and her students. But she was also always willing to help students outside of class and she is incredibly knowledgeable about the Spanish speaking world.

3.0
5.0
201
Jun 11, 2013

She is Strict. Don't stereotype. She doesn't like it- At all...

5.0
4.0
SPN305
Grade: A
Nov 9, 2013

She is definitely not an easy grader. But she is an excellent professor! If you take her class, you will gain so much knowledge. She pushes you to become a better writer, but is always there to help. Additionally, she is very understanding. She takes everything into consideration, so things like consistent attendance and participation really helps

1.0
5.0
SPN312
Feb 14, 2014

She is one of the hardest professors ever! Several students dropped, one right before the midterm. She relies heavily on text but is so unclear during her explanation of its history and there are 4 essays, 3 due the last few weeks of class. DO NOT TAKE HER if you can help it. She's also a hard grader but says she goes easy. Yeah right!

4.0
4.0
SPN206
Apr 1, 2014

She is a very hard professor but only because she wants you to learn. She literally gives you no choice but to learn. If you don't work hard and make an effort you won't do good. If you actually want to improve your spanish definitely take this class. She grades on improvement and effort not on test scores!

2.0
4.0
SPN203
May 20, 2014

The workload is ridiculous. I am a Spanish minor, but felt like I was just bombarded with assignments. Definitely no walk in the park. Do I feel more competent with my Spanish? Maybe a little bit. Obviously, college shouldn't be easy, but when I have more homework in this class than all others combined, I start to wonder. Not recommended.

1.0
5.0
SPN203
May 21, 2014

She changes the syllabus almost every class to the point where no one knows whats going on and gets mad when you ask her about it. The workload is unnecessarily excessive for a nonnative speaker language course. The class itself is a very dry and uninteresting hour and a half which will make you regret taking Spanish altogether. Avoid this class.

2.0
5.0
206
Nov 30, 2014

She is unorganized with her assignments, constantly changing the syllabus. The amount of homework she gives out is ridiculous and feels more time consuming than actual learning. The lectures can be very long, teachers should be motivating us but instead she always makes everyone feel so small. I would not take another class with her again.

2.0
5.0
SPN205
Grade: C-
Feb 13, 2015

Never again. Worse class I have taken. Really hard greater and doesn't help much.

1.0
5.0
SPN205
Sep 13, 2015

Dropped this class ASAP. Honestly, she makes the class more difficult than it should be; I was going for a Spanish minor but definitely reconsidered after this, the first day she lectured us on 4 cited papers and a 5-7 min presentation we'd have to do. I could go on, but for your own well being DO NOT take her.

1.0
5.0
SPN206
Jan 1, 2016

Overall, I WOULD NOT RECOMMEND THIS PROFESSOR. She is knowledge and accomplished however, her grading criteria is very unclear. This was a heritage speakers class, I failed every single test however ended up with a B+ in this class.

1.0
5.0
SPN201
Feb 16, 2016

If any other professor is available take advantage of that. I dropped her class because I disliked her teaching method. She would get easily frustrated if a student did not know the answer. I went to her office hours for help but still failed to explain clearly. The amount of homework a day is extreme. ONLY PICK HER SHE IS YOUR LAST RESORT.

5.0
4.0
SPN103
Grade: A
May 26, 2016
Would take again

I am shocked to see such poor reviews for Dr. Beltran-Vocal. I have never learned more in such a short amount of time. Very difficult teacher but it is all because she really knows how to teach and make you understand the language quickly. Wish she taught more classes at my level because I loved having her as a professor.

1.0
5.0
SPN322
Grade: C-
Jun 13, 2017
Wouldn't take again

Dr. Beltran-Vocal was horrible. I was belittled constantly. The last day of class she only knew about 4 of the 10 students' names. For the midterm, she gave two full essays in addition to 10 short answers to be completed during the standard 1.5hrs' class time. She brought me literally to tears in her office as a 28 year old. Final exam 6 essays!

Tough Grader
Participation matters
LOTS OF HOMEWORK
1.0
5.0
SPN207
Grade: Not sure yet
Jun 6, 2018
Wouldn't take again

Although professor Beltran is a tough grader, that is not the issue. She is very rude and at times can make you feel so little. She has a doctorate so she feels disrespected by unnecessary things. If you take the Conversation class everything is done in group and it can be challenging because everyone level of Spanish is different. DO NOT TAKE.

Tough Grader
Skip class? You won't pass.
GROUP PROJECTS
1.0
5.0
SPN207
Jun 21, 2018
Wouldn't take again

Unprofessional. Unfair. Rude. She clearly had favorites in the class and projected her judgmental views on students who were least fluent. I was surprised by her demeaning attitude the entire quarter. Amount of coursework is unrealistic for a 200-level class. We were spread too thin and therefore had little opportunity to actually learn.

Tough Grader
SO MANY PAPERS
LECTURE HEAVY
2.0
4.0
SPN205
Grade: A
Feb 8, 2019
Wouldn't take again

Very unclear about her expectations for assignments. You will learn in this class but very vague and will criticize you even though there is no guide for what to do in the class. Take her only if you have to.

1.0
1.0
SPN205
Mar 18, 2019
Wouldn't take again

This is the worst class I've ever taken at DePaul. This woman ruined spanish for me. She is so stubborn that she will never admit she's wrong, she grades things so absurdly I am considering going to the dean. My one regret in college is taking her class and I warn every person who considering- do not.

Lecture heavy
So many papers
Tough grader
1.0
5.0
SPN202
Grade: B+
Mar 29, 2019
Wouldn't take again

At first I didn't mind Beltran-Vocal, then she let her true colors show. She's extremely rude and aggressive. She is a very harsh grader, which is fine if you learn something but I didn't learn much. The things I did learn were from the movies we had to watch. I would rather take a quarter of Spanish off than have her again. (And I LOVE Spanish!)

Participation matters
Tough grader
2.0
4.0
SPN205
Grade: B+
Apr 24, 2019
Wouldn't take again

Do yourself a favor and do not take her. She has a terrible superiority complex and believes she is above everyone else. I went to her office hours constantly, emailed, participated, did all my reading/assignments and she would not give me the grades I deserved. Decent person, bad bad professor.

Test heavy
Tough grader
Class Info

Attendance Mandatory

100%

Textbook Required

88%

Grade Predictor

Your expected effort level

LowHigh

Predicted Grade

B+

74% confidence
Based on 8 grades
Most common grades:
A (3)
C- (2)
B+ (2)
Grade Distribution
A(3)B(0)C(2)D(0)F(0)A-/B+(3)
Based on 9 reported grades
A: 3
C-: 2
B+: 2
A-: 1
Common Tags
Tough Grader (3)
Tough grader (3)
Participation matters (2)
LOTS OF HOMEWORK (1)
Skip class? You won't pass. (1)
GROUP PROJECTS (1)
SO MANY PAPERS (1)
LECTURE HEAVY (1)
Rating Trend

Declining

-0.33 avg change
May
Jun
Jun
Feb
Mar
Apr
Last 6 months
Ratings by Course

FL401K

5.0

(1)

SPNISP

5.0

(1)

SPN300S

5.0

(1)

SPN207317

5.0

(1)

SPN103

5.0

(1)
+34 more courses
Difficulty by Course

201

5.0

206

5.0

DISCCHI

5.0

SPN115

5.0

ISPSECT

5.0

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