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Very hard grader. 5 essays and 3 in class essays. Many response papers. Helpful when he wants to be.

Well, Prof. Gifford is a good one; he really wants to know the class' opinions. He's nice, i guess. All we do is readings from the McGraw reader and do journals. oh, and numerous papers and response papers. Take him he aight.

young prof. grades hard but fair. as long as you participate hes cool.

he is a good teacher. very nice and cares alot about what you think. every night you have to read and right a short double spaced summary. write alot but learn alot. i recommend him.

He's a pretty hard teacher but I've learned a lot from him. He gives really great comments about the essays you write. I wouldn't take this class if you're looking for an easy A.

He is a pretty good teacher. Really nice but I have to say that there is A LOT of writing but he is very helpful and will work with u if u have problems. If u don't like to write--don't expect an A!

Professor Gifford will expect alot out of you, but it will help you in the future. If you ever need help, he makes it a point to help you. There is alot of writing in this class, but afterall it is a writing class. I enjoyed taking this class, and Gifford was a good teacher. Attendance is required, & be ready to work, but you will also learn alot.

He was a very nice teacher....although it is a lot of writing and reading in the end it will help you tremendously...highly recommended professor.

good teacher, lots of class discussion. he is willing to help you out alot. overall nice guy, doesnt grade TOO hard.

prof. gifford is a good teacher, he makes you write alot, though he's always available to help you, his class isnt very hard.

He's very helpful and really cared about his students. Very easy going, great atmosphere he creates in his class. TAKE HIM!

the BEST english professor ive had at UTSA, i took him for writing comp 1 and 2, and his class helped me SO much for my upper division classes, (the tests are essays in upper division classes.) im so glad i took him.

Good professor, but class is quite tedious. Reading basically every night with 'journal' entry and quizzes the next class period. Grades pretty strictly, and will call out minor mistakes. Not easy, but you could learn something.

Gifford is a very helpful professor. He is always asking if we need any kind of help. He really wants his students to do the best in his class but if you are a slacker then you shouldnt take him because he doesnt like lazy people. I really like his teaching skills. His class is not easy nor hard. I will recommend ppl to take him!

Mr. Gifford is a great teacher and is really nice. He is very helpful and likes for you to do well. He does take attendence and doesn't like if you come to his class late. He does use the books so buy them and he grades a little hard on the papers. I reccoment him and I'm taking him again for Freshman Comp. II. Enjoy his class!

Professor Gifford is the man! Probably one of my favorite professors I've had so far. He's really likable and charming, and takes all of his students seriously. You can tell he wants everyone to think above and beyond, which creates wayyy better writers! So if you'd like a very chill but challenging work environment, take this class!

Professor Gifford is a great teacher, probably my favorite professor I have had at UTSA. He does take attendance, and you do write a lot, but it is a writting class. If you do the work and show an effort, he will go out of his way to help you. He stays after class to talk, and he will work with you on office hours as well.

Professor Gifford is a great teacher, very clear makes teaching interesting. He does want his work turned in on time and his grading is very reasonable, he cares about his students to get the best education and good habits in work. i reccomened him for WRC II class you will find his class very interesting.

Professor Gifford is a really cool guy. He allows up to three absences before he starts marking points off and allows you a ten minute grace period if you're running late before you're marked tardy. I do really well on the timed writings, been so-so at the take home essays, but I enjoy the class. He gives out quizzes, extra credit, and he's cool.

Professor Gifford keeps the class engaged with interesting topics. He's very smart, and very approachable. I did better than the majority of the class on all my essays, but I consider myself a pretty good writer. He's a picky grader so make sure to ask for help, complete your journals EARLY, and study for the quizzes and you'll do fine.

Interesting class and professor, very little dull moments. Not too many essays and overall not a tough class but he is a tough grader. I was never able to get an A on an essay. Good professor but I would not take him again, his attendance policy is ridiculous; 3 free absences, then each one takes 1 point from your average. 3 tardies=1 absence.

Prof. Gifford is great! He's funny and takes this course seriously. He does give lots of work, but if you miss something, you'll have everything else to fall back on.

I had Professor Gifford for my science/pseudoscience writing course. He's a great and interesting teacher who really cares about his subject. He engages the class and expects a lot out of students. Essays aren't bad, quizzes are straight from the book, and the readings are interesting. I would recommend this professor.

If writing is not your strong suit or your favorite class then you will struggle with Gifford. In regards to essays, Gifford is a tough grader and can leave the prompt a little vague. Also, attendance is mandatory but I think all WRC classes require attendance.

Professor Gifford is awesome! I love this class, the material is engaging and it's always a good read. Although it's fun, he grades papers SUPER HARD. It's hard getting As on papers. He is strict about grammar more than anything. You will need all the textbook he requires. And attendance is mandatory. I liked this class a lot, not so much the grade

Professor Gifford is pretty cool. I liked his class because it makes you think about being more skeptical. I took his Hybrid course, it is a lot of online work but you just have to remember due dates. Attendance mandatory because you turn in weekly questions and journal entries. Somewhat of a hard grader but I got As on all papers. Recommend!

Gifford is a very intelligent professor. He was going to do law school but chose to teach instead. Loves what he does, and is passionate about what he does. ATTENDANCE MANDATORY. Is definitely a hard essay grader, but if you work hard you will at least get a B. Average essay grades are a C but dont let that scare you. Recommended if passionate

Mr. Gifford is a really great teacher and is passionate about what he does. He is a strict grader, the highest grade I ever made was a B, but he gives good feedback and opportunities to get extra credit on papers. There is some reading, but there are good class discussions for essay topics.

Took Gifford for the first half of Freshman Composition, and I'll be taking the second half with him, too. He's a great professor, but not necessarily an "easy grader," as people have said. He does you submit revisions of your essays for some extra points, though. Virtually no testsquizzes, if the class participates and has active discussions.

I loved Gifford. Not only is he super hot but he's very clear, corky, funny and loves what he does. He's a tough grader but He gives out bonus points on papers :)

Professor Gifford is super helpful and cares about his students. There's 4 papers total and it is easy to get at least a B on them if you put in effort. With the journals, online quizzes, and weekly questions it is easy to get an A if you do the work!!

Mark Gifford is a really awesome professor. His assignments can be confusing and he is a hard grader but he gives you so many opportunities to meet with him face to face to discuss what is wrong. He genuinely cares about seeing his students grow as writers and he is an interesting person.

It's a fun class, but not an easy A. If you want an A make sure to work hard! There's alot of work that goes into this class, but if you stay on top of the ball you'll be fine. Lectures are interesting, but Gifford is a tough grader. HOWEVER, he makes you a better writer and you'll definitely learn. There's extra credit at the end that may help you

Great professor. Yeah, he's tough but he makes you a better writer. Not an easy A, which makes getting that A much more rewarding. Super interesting lectures, too. Would definitely take again.

my man mark. super intelligent guy. i took his hybrid class over skepticism and pseudoscience. SO interesting. awesome lectures. a lot of work but it's easy. always available outside of class. i'm pretty sure i emailed him once around midnight and he still responded. take this guy if u really wanna learn.

One of my favorite professors. I only saw him once a week. He has a great attitude and has no shame when it comes to joking around with his students. Also, he gives plenty of opportunities to redeem your grade throughout the semester, but you have to work for it. He is always available to help and give constructive criticism. Definitely recommend!

Professor Gifford is a verb intelligent man who takes who work seriously he gives you a clear rubric but he is a tough grader you have 4 papers throughout the semester and weekly quizzes if you enjoy writing comp youll be fine but if youre not a fan you will struggle

Professor Giffords's class on Pseudoscience was interesting, and the content covered is applicable to future learning. The ideas and subjects we studied throughout the course were always interesting, and the class challenges you to challenge your worldview. The essays were tough and long but can be fun to write with the right subject.

Video notes are short and give answers for quizzes. Quizzes are short, unlimited in time. 10 min journal entries. His lectures helps with essays, he gives detailed instructions for essays. Extra credit which could raise grades up a letter. He has fast responses and offers zoom meetings. Remember, watch his videos and attend his helpful lectures!

I took this course online fall 2022 and honestly thought this professor taught pretty well and was very well informed. The essay topics were very engaging as well. He would offer meeting times to get essay revisions through zoom which I thought was very helpful. The only thing I did not really like was the extensive end of semester portfolio.

Professor Gifford is demanding and lectures heavy. However, you actually learn how to write and the importance of good writing. He is not an easy professor because he will challenge you no matter your level. But i completely recommend his class for overall life materials. 10/10 for people that want to learn, don't take him if you're lazy.

If you are a low IQ individual that cannot follow basic instructions about due dates and checklist requirements, do not take Gifford. He is clear on expectations and gives great essay feedback. While the class felt like a Carl Sagan fan club at times with outdated video lectures, you will become a better writer. Be prepared for a high workload.

Absolutely amazing professor- I found his lectures very enjoyable. Gifford also left super helpful feedback on my writing, and I feel that my writing and research skills genuinely improved throughout this course. He's way too strict with grading and attendance though, which took some of the fun out of the class and made it super stressful at times.

He is an exceptional professor who provides incredibly detailed feedback on papers. While he can be intense, especially since many students need the credit, he is strict with grades. However, if you put in the effort, he is more than willing to help you succeed. Overall, he is a fantastic teacher.

Probably the easiest and best English teacher at UTSA, he is intense but genuinely nice and not a hard grader at all. Lots of reading and writing homework every week but none of it is hard other than essay 3. Overall would take again, if you took AP english in high school this course and this teacher will not be hard or surprising at all ;)