2.6
Quality3.4
Difficulty30%
Would Retake142
Reviews30%
Would Retake
142
Reviews
Rating DistributionOfficial
5
18
4
27
3
23
2
40
1
34
What Students Say
“Here's the sich guys: AVOID THIS CLASS AT ALL COSTS”
HIST150 - 2.0 rating“Though Professor Gayne is a nice lady, the class is a mess”
HIST150 - 2.0 ratingClass Info
Online Classes
100%
Attendance Mandatory
66%
Textbook Required
11%
Grade Predictor
Your expected effort level
Predicted Grade
A-
Grade Distribution
Common Tags
Rating Trend
Declining
-0.38 avg changeRatings by Course
HIST395
5.0
(2)HIST390
4.5
(2)HIST389
4.0
(2)HIST489
4.0
(1)HIST309
3.7
(3)Difficulty by Course
HIST350
5.0
HIST389
4.5
HIST489
4.0
HIST482
4.0
GHIST102
3.9
Reviews (142)
She was, quite honestly, awful. She gave 227 question tests to be done in 50 minutes, she didn't cover the test material in class, the textbook was simply background reading to what she thought she might feel like talking about. It had nothing to do with what I would be teaching in a classroom. And she was extremely moody.
This is the worst class. Her lectures are useless, she rambles on about things that have nothing to do with the class.Tests are at least 150 questions to take in 50 minutes and are made my the textbook company. but since she doesn't teach the textbook, you are teaching yourself. Have to read 5 books and final is based off of "flatness" theory.
Her class does not have to do with history. No one would think that taking World History since 1500 meant you were going to read 5 novels and be required to go to 'film screenings' I thought I'd be learning about history and I was wrong
This professor is actually quite amazing. One of the best I have had at JMU because I actually got something from the class, not simple empty memorization. She encourages critical thinking and is always there to help. At first, looks like a lot of work but WORTH IT. A REAL history class.
HER NAME IS MARY GAYNE!!!
Worst Professor EVER...She centers the class about the world being flat which is nonsense...Avoid her at all cost because you will not get the grade you want...
Hard to understand, very difficult
The class is hard and she may be confusing at times, however she is always willing to help and will teach more of the realm of critical thinking rather than memorizing dates and facts.
there's a lot of hype about how aweful hist. 395 is, but gayne made it nice because she understood that it was a lot of hard work. She's intimidating when she talks about the amount of work, but she stays on top of her students and is involved in their project! Gave me several sources, took extra time...etc. She still has empathy for 395 students!
Worst teacher i have ever had! I wanted to be a history major before taking her class and she ruined history for me. She reads off of a piece of paper and half the stuff she talks about in class is irrelevant to what were supposed to be learning in the class. Do not take her!
At first, she seems very hard. However, she is very helpful outside of class: one time I forgot to do a large assignemnt and she let me make it up. You do not need to go to class...just read the book and take the tests. Go to class on reading discussion days, though!! Two papers pretty challenging but you learn a lot. I got an A in the class.
Lectures have NOTHING to do with tests, which is annoying, and attendance isn't mandatory. Tests are based on the textbook, but read because the discussions are mandatory. Pretty hard grader (two essays) and a substantial amount of reading but she's not impossible.
If you're not a history major, don't take her. She's into teaching the craft of history, and it's a lot of work with really hard essays. Her lectures can be difficult to follow. BUT, she is very helpful if you show her that you're trying. I personally like her. 16 online open-book quizzes, 2 essays, a final.
She is incredibly intelligent & is a wonderful resource to have when working through the intense research project. She encourages each student to explore his topic & find answers himself, but is willing to give a helpful push in the right direction or provide resources for the student to succeed. She is fair. I'd take 395 w/ her again!
This was definitely the most difficult 300-level HIST I've taken, but I felt it was very intelectually stimulating. She forces you to analyze material and draw original conclusions about history. If you're lazy or a spoon-feeder, don't take her; but anyone looking to learn should get a lot out of Dr. Gayne's classes.
The class is challenging, but you learn a lot. Sometimes Dr. Gayne didn't make a point very clear, but she'll expand on it if you ask. There is a lot of reading so if you are lazy and think you can slide by without it, I'd take another class. Even though it is by far the hardest 300 level class I've had, doing well is not hard in her class.
She is horrible. She expects so much and this was just a gen-ed class. She is rude and disrespectful. I WOULD NOT TAKE HER. AVOID THIS WOMAN!!!!!
Excellent professor, don't be fooled by some of the bad reviews, she may be a bit difficult and does expect some more work, find something you are interested in within the context, and she will help you focus on it. Dedicated professor who definitely cares.
This class is absolutely ridiculous! By far the hardest class that I have had at JMU-EXTREMELY more work than any gened should ask of you. Unless you are a serious history major you will be totally lost in this class. she makes you feel inferior to her and shuts down anything anyone has to say besides maybe three of her favorite students. avoid!
This is the worst teacher I have ever had in my entire life. She is not clear about anything and all she does is name drop how she went to Cornell and has been to Paris. Makes you think you are stupid compared to her and now matter what you say it is wrong. avoid her at all costs!
she is not a good teacher, at times very unfair, makes incomprehensible statements. does use the book alot and assigns massive amounts of reading for online quizes. lots of primary source reading and movies. very arguble. TA knew more and explained better than she did most of the time. dont take her unless you gota.
She is a very knowledgable professor and enjoys her subject. However, she has poor speaking/communication skills and lectures more than the class discussion she said we would have. Primary sources with a 2 page paper... seems easy but she grades hard. Tons of reading for online quizzes, but you're allowed to use the book.
I absolutely hated this class. Im a history major but i felt that i was not learning history. Everything is jumbled up with the 4 movies, 4 primary sources essays, and the 15 quizes that were made by the textbook company. avoid her at all costs. just happy she hasn't ruined my love of history
AWFUL TEACHER! I never wanted to go to her class, because it was a waste of time. Her grading system is absolutely ridiculous, quizzes are 1 point, papers are 6 points, and the final exam is only 10 points. She does not explain her assignments well at all, and grades harshly. Avoid her at all costs please.
Most of the people who've taken GHIST 102 with her either say she's too tough or end up dropping the class within the first week, but this happens because she tries to weed out the easily intellectually intimidated early. I went to class maybe once a week, but I still took a lot away from the lecture. Stick through the first 2 weeks.
She couldn't understand what i wrote in my paper because the words i used were too big for her. Also, she managed to call my thesis gramatically incoherent, when the gramatical structure was entirely proper.
wow everything lived up to my expectations and its a **** class with more busy work than high school, and for the "comprehension" reading quizes dont miss one word in the text or you will get one of her favorite nit-picky questions of all the above or none of the above wrong. The papers you write will also never satisfy her. She needs to quit.
I think she's a fair grader, but just comes across as awkward. She is extremely knowledgeable in her field, but can't really teach that well. It is easy to be successful in the class if you just show up and fill out worksheets.
Even though I didn't learn a lot in this class, I absolutely loved it. Mary Gayne is so smart that she finds it hard to dumb things down, but if you pay attention, you'll be fine. Shs has 20 extra points in her class, so an A is easily attainable. I'd reccomend her to anyone. Just make sure you read, otherwise it won't be a good semester.
Smart prof who loves history, but that sometimes gets lost in translation. Several papers, all 600 words; getting A's on the papers is simple if you actually know how to write. Daily busywork, but helps to pad your grade if you need it (which you shouldn't). Good professor if you have good reading comprehension and listening skills.
Professor Gayne is eccentric to say the least. She truly attempted to teach the class so that every type of learner; auditory, visual, ect., would have an equal opportunity to succeed. In her quest though she failed to convey the material in a way that made sense. She had an idea but it just didn't reach the students. Work hard and you will get A!
Dr. Gayne is an interesting character. She definately knows her stuff but sometimes seems like she is teaching herself instead of the class. She tries to help her students, but leaves them with more questions than answers. Also participation is mandatory if you want at least a C. I would not recommend.
I understand some people's frustration with the course because it does consist of a lot of material, a lot of reading, & a lack of organization in lecture. However, the text was great, I kept up w/ the work easily, and if you arrange the subject matter in the parts the book does, it's easy to keep track. She improved this semester, & grades fairly.
She is a really great person. She is also really willing to help her students. I've taken her for several classes and while I respect her and think she is incredibly smart -- she makes things complicated when they don't have to be. She also is probably the hardest grader in the entire history department.
Dr. Gayne is really smart, but her lectures are hard to follow because she goes off on tangents. That's fine though because the only important thing is to read and know all the vocab words for quizzes. Papers are short and based on books. Expect to read a 30 or 40 page chapter before most classes-you'll get an A easily if you read.
Read a chapter before each class. no more than 30 pages. easy if you review the vocab words at the end of the chapter; that's what's on the quiz. three essays, went to her office hours for two of them -- she's extremely helpful. I dont know why she gets such a bad rap -- take her!
May seem intimidating in class,but if you go to her office hours she is really nice and remembers you. I only went once and she still speaks to me on the campus. Read the book. The PSE are graded harshly but the final and midterm are ridiculously easy (if you review for roughly 30 mins).
The class was really easy, and its not difficult to get a good grade. Only had to write 2 papers, had one group project, and no test. The class was really interesting.
While Dr. Gayne is an incredibly smart woman, she expects a lot out of her students, sometimes to the detriment of their grades. The essays are graded very harshly and that is the bulk of your grade. The final was pretty easy, but I found it hard to bring my grade up to an A, despite having 2/3 of my essays be a 95%.
She is so scatterbrained, lectures are impossible to follow. she doesn't use a powerpoint. basically the whole class is just other students discussing the book in order to get bonus points. quizzes are ridiculously hard. dont take her.
I hated this class. She's super hard and not understanding. If you decide to take her, go to her office hours and read the book. Her quizzes are hard and the class is boring. She goes off on tangents all the time and not very understanding. If you can, avoid taking her class at all costs.
Dr. Gayne is very enthusiastic about her job but she is a very hard professor. There isn't much leniency in her grading and the quizzes you take every class can make or break you. If you're good at History and like to read this class would work but otherwise, stay away from her.
Seems intimidating but is actually really nice and funny! boring class but it's really not that bad. Hard essay grader. We have quizzes every day, which is annoying but she curves the quiz grades at the end.
Dr. Gayne is really nice. She expects a lot out of her students but is very clear about what she wants. You have to read the book because their a quiz every time but its vocab and a lot are in the back of the chapter. At the end of the semester she curbs the grade. She gives TONS of extra credit so its easy to do well in the class!
Dr. Gayne is a nice woman but her lectures are kind of boring. You have a quiz almost every class based on the vocab for each chapter. I would recommend using the book's online website for studying the vocab. The midterm and final weren't that bad. You get extra credit for perfect attendance and there are a few other extra credit opportunities too.
Wow. Still trying to get over the stress of this class. Lectures didn't go with the homework reading. Expect at least half an hour of reading every night. Uses same format for ALL 3 essays... VERY vague. Only good thing was the easy final. I will say that her sense of humor made the course bearable. Use her office hours!!!!!
Dr. Gayne is smart, yet she assumes that her students are just as smart as her. She doesn't explain much, and her lectures jump from topic to topic without explaination. Course project is a 5-7 page paper. Tests aren't too bad, as long as you read. Final was RIDICULOUS. Attend class! 3 extra points of course credit for perfect attend attendance!
Dr. Gayne is friendly most of the time, but it is very hard to keep up with this class. The readings are long and the tests almost never match up with what we discussed in class. The final wasn't too bad. She gives lots of extra credit opportunites though.
I found her grading to be reasonable. She has a genuine interest in what she teaches but sometimes can be over the top. attendance is recorded but not "mandatory". ton of reading that may or may not be required depending on what type of student you are. it was a tough gened but I'm generally glad I took it.
Taking the online course. Lots of different activities are confusing, at first. Once I figured out how the course worked, I loved it. It's non-stop interaction. I learned a lot about world history and I can even explain what I learned to someone else. I'd take another course with her.
This course was great. You learn history by reading it and going to web museums instead of someone shouting it at you. Its still like a class because your forced to interact with alot of different students online. A ton of work to do in 8 weeks but she was fair, is very real and kinda funny too.
She is an excellent teacher but she is sometimes hard to understand. She is helpful if you go to her office hours.
She requires too much work for her online classes and never gives enough notice. EVER. She does not explain the essay prompts. We even got an e-mail for our last essay saying that she would not hold office hours/answer student questions through e-mail. Additionally, when she did reply she was VERY rude and sarcastic. DO NOT TAKE THIS CLASS EVER!!!
Definitely do not take online to make your life easier. She actually expects you to read and learn as much as if you were in the classroom, maybe more. She also answers questions on the course blog, which I guess is fair to everyone else, but it makes it even harder to get an A.I like the course, but don't know if I'd do it again.
I really enjoyed this class. Dr. Gayne is a great professor but is sometimes hard to follow. She is more than willing to help and go over material until you understand. You have to do the reading assignments otherwise you're pretty much screwed. I loved this class.
She is so hard to follow ans rambles non stop and goes off topic non stop. The readings are ridiculous, I never read the book because she tell you what will be on the exam so I just listend and took notes and researched the nights before. she is very helpful and the final essay is easy along with the project. Perfect attendance is extra points!
One of the most intelligent people I have ever met. She is completely committed to her studies and her students, and holds her ethics in high regard. Her dedication to truly enlightening her pupils is extremely inspiring.
Explains nothing clearly. If you have a hard time with history or don't enjoy history don't even think about taking it. 3 essays and a final. Gives extra credit but essays are impossible, prompts make zero sense. Just do not take her
DO NOT TAKE THIS PROF/Class. Only 3 papers and a final, but all are impossible to get good grades on. Very confusing, rambles, doesn't know how to teach. I regret taking this class.
Do NOT take this class/professor. Only three essays and a final and the essays are IMPOSSIBLE. She rambles and doesn't explain the essays at all. Overall a boring and terrible class.
Her in class lectures make no sense. I have never seen someone talk so much to not get to a conclusion. She goes off on tangents a lot. There are 3 essays and a final which requires you to draw 10 comparisons from a list of over 100 terms. Try to avoid taking her.
this professor is impossible! I would not recommend taking this class! The essays are vague and confusing and the final is ridiculous. She rambles and absolutely nothing seems to make sense. Avoid at all costs!!!
Professor Gayne was extremely unorganized, and her lectures never matched what we were supposed to have read in class. She was unhelpful and did not care if you passed or failed. Her 3 essays were nearly impossible, as well as her final exam. If you are only taking this course for a GenEd,do not take it with Gayne.
Honestly the worst history teacher I've ever had. She does not care about students, is extremely unorganized, and her essays and final were nearly impossible. AVOID AT ALL COSTS.
Very egotistical. She knows she's smart and likes you to know it. Her prompts are never clear and you will spend more time deciphering what she wants than actually writing her papers. You only have four grades (three are papers and an exam) and she grades absurdly. DO NOT TAKE!!!
You will seriously regret taking her. Avoid her classes at all costs. Rude and sarcastic, vague and demands the impossible. Definitely cares about her students on some level, but you will find little consolation in that after 3 absurd essays and a very difficult final exam. She missed every deadline for grade turnaround that she set. PRETENTIOUS!
Professor Gayne was a nice enough individual, but an awful teacher(probably the worst I've had in 2 years at JMU). EXTREMELY unorganized, seemed like she never prepared for lectures, very difficult to follow and quite pretentious. Please avoid taking her if you can, not sure why she is teaching this class/or even at JMU.
She only has 3 really hard papers and a final exam. I was always unsure of where the class was going as far as content. I never felt prepared for class even after reading the book chapters. Save your GPA and don't take this class!
She presents her lectures in a monotone, and her assignments are very unclear and unorganized.
Though Professor Gayne is a nice lady, the class is a mess. You won't know what she's talking about 90% of the time. She does help out a lot during office hours. Do yourself a favor and don't take this class.
Dr. Gayne was very vague at explaining what she wanted. Her lectures were long and boring; I almost fell asleep in just about every one of them. She is very helpful in her office hours and really encourages you to go. She will answer your questions, but if you don't ask anything or talk to her, then this course is very hard to follow.
Gayne has good intentions, but I would NOT recommend taking History 150 with her. It was her first time teaching this course, so I will cut her some slack, but this course has absolutely no substance. A lot of writing. Unclear about what she wants. Must go to office hours. Learned very little, only did assignments for grade. Disappointing class.
Dr. Gayne started a new curriculum for HIST 150 this semester. It involved reading, a research paper, group work, and planning a public event. The class is an easy A if you participate. There aren't tests or grades really besides projects and participation.
Here's the sich guys: AVOID THIS CLASS AT ALL COSTS!!!!! Honestly you'll do yourself a favor if you do so. She is a very nice lady who undoubtedly means well, but she has no idea what it is she wants. Pay attention in lectures, and she'll love you, not that it helps makes this class less vague or anything. If you want clarity, here is not the place
I have never had a teacher in my life that is more confusing during a lecture. Cant say I have learned anything from this class. Struggling due to the mid term grade and should have dropped the class.
Dr. Gayne is a great professor but if you are looking for and easy Gen Ed than this isn't for you! The first half of the semester is history the global migration of refugees into Harrisonburg. The second half you create a project for her website. There is a midterm that you absolutely have to study for to do well but she offers a LOT of EC.
Dr. Gayne is super passionate about her work and is awesome to chat with, but do not expect an easy first half of the semester. She barely goes over readings and her lectures can be very confusing. Tough midterm but she's pretty fair if you know basic knowledge and try. TONS of extra credit, can bomb the midterm and still get an A if you do it all.
there is only one test and it is really hard BUT, EVERYTHING else is super easy and it is very easy to get a good grade. She is very passionate about what she teaches and sometimes her lectures do not make sense but she is a very good person and has SO MUCH extra credit if you get behind,
The midterm for the class is nearly impossible to even get a C+, but with all of the extra credit offered it is easy to get an A in the end. The final project is fairly easy as well. As long as you don't worry about your grade throughout the semester, do the extra credit, put in the work and show up to class, you will get an A.
Doctor Gayne's class will cause you to spiral into constant worry because there is a lot of reading, videos to watch, and the midterm has so much on it you may not be prepared for. HOWEVER, she offers so many extra credit opportunities that greatly improve your grade. I had a D on the midterm, did OK on in class assignments, 6 EC- Got an A.
Basically if you put in the work, show up, and be involved in the conversation you will get an A. However, there is so much more to take away from this class. Dr. Gayne is incredibly passionate and knowledgeable about the content and the history/political field in general.
She is super sweet and is very invested in her classes, however she is all over the place and unorganized, does not put due dates on canvas and will just link all readings on syllabus so it gets confusing. Easy grader and very fair with tests. LOTS of readings and videos that I never did and still could understand by going to lecture every class
Mary is a great lady! There is a group project and one quiz. All other grades are through classwork, extra credit, and participation. You do read one short book that you can listen to on audible, which is about immigration. GO TO HER OFFICE HOURS, it shows her you are interested in the class and she will like you and help you out more.
Nice lady, but not a great prof. Pretty politically skewed lecture, big group projects, and TONS of reading. She's pretty disorganized - loses papers & doesn't update grades. No tests, just one quiz based off of hours of videos & readings. Otherwise, this whole class is basically one big group project. Go to her office hours & suck up. avoid her :/
very unorganized, it felt like each lecture was all over the place and i never knew what was going on. one book we read and assignments are relatively easy if you figure out yourself. she expects you to read 100s of pages but i never did and still did fine. just participate and contribute to her website and you'll pass. 1 quiz and no tests
Dr Gayne is super unorganized and gets off topic every class. Too much reading assigned but I never read them, and was still able to understand everything going on in class. One quiz, no tests or final exam. She was very caring though about students when class went online, she was more nice with grading due to pandemic.
Whatever you do, if you have a choice, do not take a class with Professor Gayne. She is very unorganized and never seems to have a plan prior to class meeting. She expects you to read 100s of pages but then not refer to them at all in class, choosing to instead to rant her political views all session. Respectful disagreement is not tolerated.
This entire class is a poor attempt at indoctrination. Aside from her blatant disregard for any sort of concrete grading criteria or lesson plan, she also assigns dozens of readings for every class period (Socratic seminars in small groups). 50% of your grade is based on these "discussion groups" and credit is only given if she happens to be near u
I never met a professor who was understanding to personal and COVID related problems, yet lacks the ability to truly support you in the class. Very unstructured and disorganized. During lectures, she has no back up plan if we finish our discussions early. She cannot respectfully remove her personal beliefs and opinions from discussions.
Not very understanding of students, seems to be teaching more for herself than for others. You're assigned hundreds of papers to read, but never have to do anything with them. The whole semester she was very petty and rude to our class, and often made snarky remarks to pressure students to participate. Overall a very unorganized and uneasy class.
Dr. Gayne is very passionate about what she teaches, but maybe too passionate. Her lectures would usually end up very off topic; it wasn't unusual for us to not discuss the reading material at all during class. There's a ton of reading but you don't have to do it. Just participate in small group discussions and you'll get a good grade.
She is the most unorganized teacher I have ever had. Our canvas wasn't even set up until after a week of classes starting. She only uses modules and none of the instructions are really clear. She is a good person but as a teacher she could definitely improve.
I liked her a lot. You will have a lot of pointless readings that I never read, but I would summarize some parts of it. She cares and wants you to be involved in group discussions.
I really liked Mary Gayne's HIST150 class. Although sometimes she can be a little disorganized, this class is super easy and her lectures are very entertaining. There are reading activities before each class but they are so simple, and there is only one paper and one project at the end. I recommend if you're looking for an easy, laid-back genEd.
Dr. Gayne is a wonderful lady, but her class is really boring. Especially when you are an international student. The semester is almost over and I am not sure what is going on. There are really important critical issues in recent global history such as conflicts in the Middle East and Europe, but we are still stuck with a book about immigrants.
She is an easy professor if you need the credit, no tests or quizzes. One major paper and project. She is very disorganized and horrible with canvas. But I do barely anything and got an A. She is also very caring of her students and easily extends deadlines.
She is a kind lady that gives extensions when you need them and is understanding of circumstances that you might have. With that said, you get assigned an absurd amount of reading materials earlier in the semester that if you don't stay on top of you will get swamped. If you are willing to put in the work and read a lot this class is pretty easy.
She was totally chaotic throughout the semester, unfamiliar with the content she was teaching, regularly went on tangents that distracted from the class, and was terrible at answering questions in a way that mattered. Also, she puts students who aren't performing well on blast in front of the class and calls it "constructive".
Quite possibly the worse professor at this school. She's eager and willing to help you, but makes no sense in her explanations and goes off on many tangents. The class and the assignments have little to no framework and you will feel lost at all times.
There's no doubt that Dr. Gayne does care about students and wants you to do well at the University. However, her explanations, lectures, and assignments make no sense. The canvas page is the hardest one I've had to navigate. The set up is not user friendly and links seem to fail all the time. It's simply too stressful for a GenEd. Don't do it.
Goes off on so many tangents that anything she says that actually matters doesn't really get heard. Only has three grades all semester: Reading test, paper that is nearly impossible, and final exam that you don't even know what you're being tested on. She wears a mask still and it muffles her speech, she talks slow, and about stuff not relevant.
She definitely cares about her students and wants you to pass, but there are only 3 grades for her class. One book exam that she curves so you cannot get below a C, a critical thinking paper which took forever, and a final exam which is from the lectures that she rambles on about nothing for the whole class.
She cares. Lectures cover many topics, very detailed, spoken not read. Lectures are linked to other lectures so they can be hard to follow and can seem like tangents when you skip. She expects you to have a class notes partner when you do skip before asking for a recap. She still wears a mask even though everyone in this department has stopped.
This professor is so unorganized and if you ask any questions she somehow avoids answering. there was 3 total grades and the paper she gave was so difficult for no reason. her lectures do not cover anything to the point where I just skip because if I do go she rambles and goes on tangents for the hour and 15 minute class. DO NOT TAKE HER CLASS
Dr. Gayne cares about her students and is understanding if you need to miss class or an extension. That being said, I really do not recommend this class. Her lectures are not very organized, she rambles, and I do not feel as though I have learned anything at the end of class. There are three grades; an easy test, a hard essay, and the final.
Professor Gayne did not care about her students. Ridiculous lectures that didn't make sense, rambled on and on. Her one big paper was one of the worst things I've ever had to do and she was such a harsh grader and left rude comments. The midterm was impossibly hard, she did end up curving it though. I do not recommend this class to anyone!!!!
I've taken many history classes before and I felt as I learning nothing from this class she rambles and goes off on many random tangents. I never have felt so unprepared for class in many ways. She would go around my questions asked and never prepare you for exams. She assigned a paper that was nearly impossible to do. she's also very unorganized.
I thought this was an excellent course. Challenging but definitely worthwhile. Learned more than expected.
I don't recommend taking her class because she talks a lot during the lectures most of the students barely show up to her class. Also, it's hard to find things from canvas that she aspects to memories from the previous classes overall was awful.
Prof. Gayne is one of the kindest, most caring teachers I have had at JMU, however I don't think she is great at teaching. She goes off on tangents and the lectures are very hard to follow. The class is also graded on only 3 assignments, however, they are fairly easy to do. If you have some experience in synthesis writing, the paper should be fine.
Dr. Gayne is a really sweet person and honestly makes a lot of compromises to ensure that her students succeed, and is very open to curving grades and assignments to help out students that need it. She does place a LOT of your grade on literally one paper, and the rest on two tests (including the final), and she's hard to follow in lectures.
Professor Gayne is one of the worst professors I've seen at my time here at JMU, I love history and the teachers in this department here but Professor Mary Gayne does not fall into that category. Her class was built up of two tests, and one paper. So if you don't do good your going to have to just hope for the best because she won't be lenient.
Worst professor I've ever had. Lectures were so unorganized and unimportant. The only grade that really matters for this class is the singular paper due that is 60% of the grade. Worst mistake of my life was taking this dumb gen ed. I'm begging you please don't take this.
Excellent prof, great readings, good discussions.
Professor Gayne was not too bad, she is definitely patient and seemed to always extend deadlines if really needed. She also helps you fix your paper as much as possible before giving you a final grade. She does get off topic a lot and in the lectures you really have to listen to what she says because all she puts is pictures on her slides.
Dr. Gayne should not teach a 400-hundred-level course. She is very unprofessional, has no class management skills, and quite frankly does not know what she is doing.
dr gayne changed her entire set up of this course after harsh evaluations last semester. she got rid of exams, and instead created a semester long project which isn't really that difficult to do, but the directions were pretty unclear and i felt really lost at first. but she's really lenient on late work so take her for an easy A and you'll be fine
dr gayne is genuinely such a kind soul, she deeply cares for students and truly wants to see them succeed, it does get a little confused with some of the project directions but she's more than willingly to simplify it for you, she will extend deadlines and will make sure you're passing, definitely take her
She grades on few assignments. Each class don't know what she's talking about, because she always lost focus on the topics she's elaborating on. Can't get her point. MOST IMPORTANTLY: you couldn't see your grade for this class on Canvas, as she locked up the grade section. Don't take her class. Better option is taking the 4-week summer session.
I had her for HIST 309, while I like her as a person, her class is not my favorite. There were immense readings (which she generously gives you a day off to read) and the class consists of no lecture. We just discuss the readings every class. The assignments are each 10% of your grade which was nice (final is 20%). I just wish there was lecture.
She gives you reading days and has a generous attendance policy. She's an extremely nice person, but they had her switch her classes from lectures to the Socratic method. The Socratic method does not work with her teaching style and it made everything very confusing. She does go on tangents but they're interesting.
This class was an easy A. She went on tangents however, you could tell she cared about her student's success. Sometimes the rubrics weren't very clear but she always made sure she explained everything better. She was a very easy grader and if your grade ever dropped she would want you to talk to her and would fix it quickly. Very respectful teacher
Dr. Gayne is such a caring teacher who really gets to know her students and wants to see them succeed at JMU in all aspects. Sure she is a little unorganized at times, but she is a great human being and her class is worth taking!
Dr. Gayne is very kind and is concerned about making sure her students do well and feel good about her class. The class was disorganized, especially with the final project, and often times the rubrics are posted very late. Overall, an easy A but can be frustrating at times waiting for clarification on assignments.
Lots of papers and reading in French history. Dr. Gayne is a wonderful professor. She is highly approachable after class. She makes sure nobody is left behind on assignments. She is also flexible and willing to work with students on due dates. I would take her again.
Sometimes, Dr. Gayne will post a rubric late or go on random tangents in class, but other than that, she was a good professor. She seems knowledgeable about the material and can lead a discussion pretty well.
Dr. Gayne may be a little disorganized, but she cares SO MUCH about her students and her classes that as long as you do your due diligence and stay on top of your work this class will be an easy A. While it takes a little while for rubrics to be uploaded, they are super comprehensive, and make essay and presentation creation super simple.
Dr. Gayne cares deeply about her students, but the class can be a bit disorganized at times. Stay on top of the work, and you'll likely get an easy A. unstuck ai was a lifesaver for preparing for assignments.
She has a weird way of putting words which makes it confusing to understand her but if you feel like your falling behind go to extra help and she will do your assignment for you. I sat in her office for 2 hours while she did my whole slideshow presentation for me. She is very disorganized but if you do your work you will get a good grade.
Super nice and cares a lot about her students. Not many assignments and not a tough grader. Easy A if you do your work on time.
Gayne was truly okay. She was nice, which I appreciated, but we got 0 instruction on most things, including the midterm (which was a handwritten essay). She is a nice grader, so as long as you try and ask her follow-up questions, you'll do well. "Final" is a simple group assignment. Attendance is a huge grade!
Professor Gayne tends to ramble a lot and is not clear with directions or instructions on assignments, however she is really easy to talk to and get help on things that she makes unclear. The class was really easy and stress free.
Dr Gayne is an incredible nice and kind hearted person, but she is completely scatter brained. It took me half the semester to even figure out what was going on in the class. Group project is pretty easy and she gave everybody in the class a 100. Goes on long radical political rants which can sometimes be annoying. Overall easy class for cluster.
She is extremely unorganized and the course had no direction whatsoever. Spends full classes ranting and doing things she should have done during planning. Barely any graded work and most of the time she forgets to assign things. Randomly takes attendance. Hard class to sit through, but easy.
I couldn't keep up with her thoughts. Every lecture made no sense in context with the work given.
Professor Gayne is just all over the place. The entire semester I have absolutely no idea what is going on and she makes things extremely unclear. She randomly takes attendance and does not answer emails right away. Easy class and no homework or readings, but I had no idea what her expectations were the entire semester. Take someone else if you can
Dr. Gayne is very kind, but she can be pretty disorganized. She often overcomplicates assignments when explaining them, making them seem more confusing than they actually are. If you have the option to take another professor, it might be a good idea, unless you're willing to put in extra effort to keep up and make sense of the class.
She is hard to understand and doesn't make a lot of sense. She gives a lot of weird assignments that don't really correlate to what we need to be doing. Shes also only put in grades twice and its almost the end of the semester. Her class isnt hard, just not worth your time. I think I lost brain cells in this class.
Dr. Gayne is very scatterbrained. She goes on rants, and her entire lectures consist of the most random stuff. She named her Chat GPT "Rosie" and thinks AI is going to take over the world, so we should be respectful towards it. Every essay can be written with AI as long as you include how you used it.
Dr. Gayne is very kind and caring. However, she is extremely scatterbrained; her lectures make no sense, and the assignments do not correlate with any of her lectures. She is very pro-AI, so you can literally use it to do every assignment if you want to. It's an easy class; there is little homework and readings, but she doesn't make sense.
Dr. Gayne is a very sweet person, however, she is a horrible professor. I enjoyed chatting with her but when it came to class clarification, my questions were rarely answered. She came into class late the entire first week of class and was always scatter brained. The assignments were really confusing since the instructions weren't there or short.
She is a good professor that knows what she's talking about but she is very unorganized. Her grading system can be off and she doesn't upgrade dates very often either
Class Info
Online Classes
100%
Attendance Mandatory
66%
Textbook Required
11%
Grade Predictor
Your expected effort level
Predicted Grade
A-
Grade Distribution
Common Tags
Rating Trend
Declining
-0.38 avg changeRatings by Course
HIST395
5.0
(2)HIST390
4.5
(2)HIST389
4.0
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4.0
(1)HIST309
3.7
(3)Difficulty by Course
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5.0
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4.5
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4.0
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4.0
GHIST102
3.9