3.2
Quality3.7
Difficulty50%
Would Retake92
Reviews50%
Would Retake
92
Reviews
Rating DistributionOfficial
5
29
4
19
3
13
2
15
1
16
What Students Say
“Easily the worst teacher I've had at Fairfield University”
RS0230 - 1.0 rating“She points out every last mistake, even when it is clear you're trying your best to put in effort”
RELIGION101 - 1.0 ratingClass Info
Online Classes
100%
Attendance Mandatory
96%
Textbook Required
100%
Grade Predictor
Your expected effort level
Predicted Grade
A-
Grade Distribution
Common Tags
Rating Trend
Declining
-0.91 avg changeRatings by Course
RS230
5.0
(1)HR
5.0
(1)RS215
5.0
(1)RSD
5.0
(1)RS237
5.0
(1)Difficulty by Course
RELIGSTUDIES
5.0
RSA
5.0
RSTENA
5.0
RELIG
4.5
RELIGION101
4.2
Reviews (92)
a lot of reading and work and hard tests, but a lot of extra credit too
Great class. Tests are a little hard...just know your stuff and you'll be fine.
lot of reading, but she is very intelligent, very nice, and sexy in a librarian kind of way.
No papers, no novels, just extra credit assignments and tests...you have to study for the tests, but they're not that bad
Very good prof, easy on the eyes, terrific sense of humor, doesn't bust balls for no reason, fair but tough.
No Comments
Great teacher, interesting and easy.. lots of extra credit and you know exactly what to study for tests... definitely take her if you can
Class is harder now that she doesn't give out extra credit anymore, a few tests are your only grade.
I LOVED HER! She made us laugh in class and was really easy to understand. She gave a lot of hard readings, but went through them thoroughly and made them applicable to life. At the end of the semester she even had us over to her house for brunch!!
She's a very good teacher. Very educated...made class interesting with her good sense of humor. class is only hard if you dont study. i took her for intro to catholicism and there is just a test, a final, a 2 page paper, 3 page paper and 5 page paper
You need 2 or 3 RS courses -- TAKE HER!! Great prof, REALLY knows her stuff. One of the smartest people I've met. The subject matter was basic -- prayer, sacredness, etc. Warning: she likes her early classes.
No Comments
THis class is the worst. She isn't that bad as teacher if you bring a dictionary to class. I still mangaged to get a decent grade, but good luck with her. If you ever disagree with her be able to really back yourself up because she hates that.
nice lady...kinda funny...doesnt b/s around class a lot...gets to the point and makes it kinda interesting..tests arent that bad...pretty easy grader and depsite the reading which u can kinda get away without doin sometimes,she doesnt assign anything else
I had her for RS 10 and RS 115. Great professor. Has her own theologian way of putting things, which can make lectures hard to follow sometimes. Tests are okay, most of the info is from the book. I definitely recommend her.
I thought she was rudely sarcastic. I did NOT like her, despite hearing from others she was good. If she doesn't like you, you are screwed. She calls on everyone even if your hand isn't raised and embarasses you if you don't know the answer.
Great overall teacher. A chapter to read a week and the test material comes directly from the text and important lecture material. If you want to do well make sure to keep up with the readings and GO to class. She also loves people that participate.
Good luck with this one, it seems that she makes up her own rules as you go, for example, i lost points on my paper for referring to god as "He" the reason, "I wont have any sexism in my class" Hmm i thought religion was supposed to b
I must agree with alll of the negative comments here. She is an awful teacher - plain and simple. She goes after certain people during class to embarass them. She should take a few courses in education at the graduate level to figure out how to teach
great
helpful and sarcastic and funny to listen to...enjoyed the class.
all the bad things written are true. she is completely full of herself and gets off on making you mess up.
shes a great professor; feminist and funny, makes u really think about the topic,.. quiet class although i took it at 8am which explains a lot... would take her again,... not an easy A but not at all impossible to get an A either
Nice lady and very helpful. The tests are very random, especially when compared to what's discussed in class. Overall, not too bad
She is a really nice person, and wants to help you do well. Don't be intimidated by her craziness in the morning... she drinks diet pepsi like it's a drug, but she's great and makes the class interesting. I liked her a lot and would definitely take her classes again.
By far this is my favorite professor at Fairfield. This is my third class with her and I absolutely love her. She is extremely smart and makes class very interesting. Just do the readings and participate in class and you will be fine. Definitely take her!!!
Worst religious class possible. Ugliest person ever, really saggy ****. Very boring, and terrible. Always calls on a random person, especially you. Don't take the class if you want an old **** to **** you up!
Horrible teacher, stay away from her. Had to take the class for IRC, biggest mistake of college.
I've taken everything she teaches, and every class was great. She's funny, sarcastic, and really enjoys getting a good debate going. Extremely knowledgable and intelligient. Christian Fem. Theology was the best, take it! She's always helpful and if you put in the effort, you'll be rewarded for your work.
terrible
People who say that she was intimidating need to get a tougher skin. The only thing that one could possibly find intimidating would be her intelligence, since she is very smart. If smart people intimidate you, then I am worried for you. She does her best to make her students comfortable. I recommend this class to anyone who wants to really learn.
she is horrible, there are only 2 tests in the class which are impossible to pass and if you fail one you are screwed, she does not help you at all her office hours are a joke, she is the worst grader she wants you to write a masterpiece of creation every time you hand in a paper, she is in my top 5 of people i hate in my life
Dallavalle is a freakin character. She's very smart and very opinionated, and sometimes a little condescending. Class is really tough unless you access divine knowledge during tests...she expects too much. She is, however, quite earnest and grounded outside of class and pretty understanding. Take the class if your a theological whiz but thats it
Dr. Dallavalle is a fantastic teacher--she kept me awake for her 8am class. If you ever need anything, she'd help you out in a heartbeat. Her class is very enlightening, and everything is spelled out in the sylabus. Take her if you want to learn and be entertained with sarcasm.
Very funny, very intelligent, slightly condescending if you don't do the reading and try to **** your way through class. Can defintely get and A, but you need to do the reading and pay attention - you know, be a student...it's a novel idea.
No Comments
One of my favorite teachers at Fairfield. SO funny in a sarcastic way. Do the work and readings and you'll be fine. Go to her about papers, she helps a lot.
She's AWESOME. she is like a HUGE wake up call during her 8am class - but seriously, so much fun, and worth attending RS class. awesome.
Very good teacher. Thought to be tough and was to a degree, but was fair.
One of my favorite teachers at Fairfield. Extremely intelligent and interested in her subject. If you read, take notes, and participate you will do fine. She is funny with witty comments and making fun of those who are apathetic. Overall, great professor.
MC on the tests is hard, but the written essay sections and vocab matching will save you.
Sarcastic? No, more like rudest person I have ever met. So confusing. Thinks she's better than you. Talks down to students. Makes you feel stupid. Grades terribly. Yea, she's smart. She can't teach. Doesn't care to help her students either. Office hours do nothing. I actually even plan on speaking to the dean about her. She's absolutely terrible.
terrible teacher. makes no sense whatsoever. office hours are pointless. good luck suffering in her class
One piece of advice. Avoid Dallavalle's classes at all cost.
this woman is out of her mind way too intense about RS10. Lets be honest, we are forced to take an RS10 class and nobody actually wants to take it. She picks on random people in class, expects you to do all of the reading, the tests require a ridiculous amount of studying and the final has 4 essays on it that count for more than half of the class.
Not as bad as all these comments. Yea she is sarcastic but its hilarious. Class is class and its religion so its not going to be fun. But she gives a study guide for each test and final. Just go by the guide and you wont do so bad. Not an easy A but def doable. I thought she was kind of funny
If you are an idiot, then by all means avoid this class. However, if you're not mentally challenged you will realize that she is a phenomenal teacher. If you don't do the work, you will fail. If you want an easy class and you don't want to learn avoid her. But if you are intelligent then she is a great asset and will help you do well.
She is not a bad teacher at all. What is expects is for you to actually do the readings and the work. Weird concept for a student, I know. If you do that, then you won't be picked on or feel like she is being condescending. The class isn't a breeze, but if you actually put effort into it you'll be fine.
took her freshman year for RS 10. wayyy too intense and hard for RS 10. she has a way of calling on you and while you struggle to answer she looks at you like you're an idiot. teachers should have compassion and help people who have a harder time. seems like a very depressed individual and never smiles. the 8 am class sucks.
Definitely one of the best professors that I had here at Fairfield. She is hysterical and definitely keeps you listening for her witty comments. While a challenging professor, you definitely feel rewarded when you have completed the class.
I had her as a teacher last year and she was the worst teacher I had. She picked randomly on the students and put you on the spot. If you try and make an inference she will say "no" and look at you like your an idiot. She also spoke too fast and never smiled. Her office hours were only one time a week. I do not recommend her to upcoming freshman.
Dallavalle is very challenging. However, if you go to class, do your readings, study for exams, look engaged during class, and laugh at her jokes, you're golden. She is a hilarious woman, and beneath her cynical exterior is a mom. Seriously, she's such a mom sometimes, it's really cute. If you want to learn things, take her. If not, don't.
Terrible teacher. Don't take her. She is extremely hard, if you don't have an incredible "interest" in religion, then don't take her. get away.
Dallavalle expects a lot of you. She uses a lot of books and the tests are really hard. She really cares about her students and she's a good overall teacher but her class wasn't for me. She's willing to meet with you pretty much ever and is very nice when you're one on one.
She was a terribly rude and condescending professor, you must work very hard to achieve on the tests which are quite difficult...she expects a lot.. I feel like she means well but she was just too harsh for my liking... keep in mind I am an A student and am not just a lazy person...I kept up with readings etc...her class just wasn't for me!
This was my cornerstone even w/o the religion major. While the class can be hard and the tests are not easy, she was easily one of the best professors at Fairfield. She really cares about the students in her class and their well-being. She is willing to work with students. You'll think you're failing all semester but get a good grade in the end
so difficult. seriously don't take this class if you want to be able to understand anything your teacher is talking about. wants to make things way more confusing than necessary to make herself sound smart. way too difficult for a religion class avoid at all costs
She comes to class with absolutely no plan and it shows. She is all over the place and her class discussions have no relation to the coursework. She gives off the feeling that she really does not care about what she is teaching or whether or not the class understands what she says. Very condescending and rude.
The material, exams, and papers are quite easy, but she is just so unapproachable as a professor. She picks favorites and if you aren't one of them then good luck.
Do not take this professor! Head of the Religion Dept, very hard grader. I was failing most of the semester, her tests are v. difficult and even if you work hard on a paper she still gives you a bad grade. If you study hard for her final you can pass this class.
I found this woman unbelievably rude and completely unhelpful. She points out every last mistake, even when it is clear you're trying your best to put in effort. She calls students out in the middle of class and embarasses them about their answers to questions. Course work is extremely difficult and unclear. I recommend no student to take her.
I was afraid to come to this class every day I had it. Too bad I couldn't skip or I would've failed. I missed one day due to a death in the family, and she gave me a very hard time for it. You read A LOT. Pop quizzes every now and then. She calls on students randomly and embarrasses them. I know I'm not a dumb kid, and she made me feel dumb.
She just wants to see students think. The study guides ARE the tests. Do them and you will do fine. Show that you think, that you worked hard, and you will get a good grade. Not an easy class at all, but if you put the work in you will be fine. If you are a hard major like biology or engineering dont take, this is a time consuming class.
Professor Dallavalle is brilliant. That being said, she isn't always the easiest professor to get along with. The classes she presents are designed to make a point, and that point can be difficult to present. I have known her to be an effective professor and an amazing role model. The perspective that she can provide is unparalleled.
Requires a significant amount of reading and acts as she is the only teacher who matters. DO NOT TAKE THIS TEACHER EVER. Easily the worst teacher I've had at Fairfield University.
Grading scale is hard to understand. Have reading responses every week. Do not skip class. A lot of readings as well. I didn't mind going to this class, I think Prof Dallavalle made them worth it. I learned a lot.
I took her for Christian Feminist Theology and loved her. Her tests can be challenging at times but if you follow her study guide you should be fine. Even if you don't do well her extra credit will help you out tremendously. Easy class if you put in the effort.
Literally do not take her. I took her for Intro to Catholicism and I am drowning in work. She assigns a blog post and an essay a week, which isn't that bad but the end of the class is brutal. Never written so many essays in a short span of time. So much reading too, all of the essays are based on readings she posts or in the book.
Says the course is "frontloaded" but just uses that as an excuse to assign a lot of work early on. In reality, it's a ton of work from September to December.
Prof D is a professor who will make you work for your grade, but I learned a lot from her class. She is accessible outside class and encourages students to email or go to office hours. She also skews grades lower in the beginning and then adds points at the final grade. I would take her again.
took for an accelerated class. had lots of homework, but expected for a shorter class. lenient grader as long as you don't slack off. good choice if you want an easy core class
Professor Dallavalle, while seemingly tough at first, does her best to make every class interesting and engaging. She is extremely understanding and personable, I have never had any conflicts with her and couldn't be happier with the way my interactions with her have went
Was an accelerated course, so it's understandable that it will be a lot of work but there really is A LOT of work. Lots of reading, discussion post (300 words) due every Wednesday, short essay (500w) due every Friday. Professor was amazing though! Very understanding, will give extensions if you need it. Not a hard grader either
She cares about her students and gives explanation when necessary. I had her for Catholicism 2.0. The course early on is very lecture-heavy. While she is willing to work with students, the workload was honestly a bit ridiculous. It seemed as though she was trying to cram things in, one time we had something due and nobody knew until the day of.
Dr. Dallavalle was definitely stricter due to COVID restrictions than past years. I always found myself really stressed out with this class, it gave me more work than my majors courseload to give you some perspective. The essays werent necessarily hard to write but there were a lot, as well as a ton of random projects. Its a ton of work, beware.
I use this website a good amount and I read pretty good reviews about Professor Dallavalle but I was disappointed. The class proved to be stressful- the amount of work she assigns is just inconsiderate and shes often not specific enough,random projects. If you plan to take this class, be ready to do a lot of work for a basic religion requirement.
I had prof Dallavalle for religion and the critical mind, and the amount of coursework was unbelievable. There are tons of readings and essays which she grades very tough. You need to participate in class discussion, and she cold calls people. Her workload often overlaps each other with unclear directions. Would not recommend for a core religion.
Professor Dallavalle can definitely be a tough grader but truly wants her students to do well and grasp all the information. There are a few papers, a midterm and some projects, but the syllabus lays it out clearly. She has an interesting sense of humor, but as a business major, I did enjoy her class. If you cant take sarcasm, you may not have fun.
This class was a 2000 level WAC class, so the workload was extremely heavy. We had at least 10 presentations throughout the semester and read a ton. Dallavalle is an easy grader, but if you don't like religion, I would find a class with an easier work load. We had two final papers that were 1500-2000 words each, so prepare to write A LOT.
Get ready to work - she assigns readings each class, and 5 close reading essays (500 words) to do over the course of the semester. One group project, midterm and final. However, she is super effective at getting material across and makes a really dull subject rather interesting. Do the reading, put in effort and participate and shell love you.
I would give her a 0/5 if I could. She assigns an absurd amount of essays, get ready to write a 500 word paper every week. She is an extremely harsh grader. She gives us unhelpful feedback. She didn't give any feedback on the rough draft of a project that counts as 15% of our grade. She is a very cold person. I always dread going to her classes.
It was the most work I've ever had for a core class, mostly took it for WAC/SJ credit. A ton of writing, paper every week on the reading. She is a light grader though so do the work and you'll get an A. It bothered me that she talked down to us like we were immature, she sounded like an elementary school teacher, rather than treat us like adults.
Prof Dallavalle may seem tough at first, but follow her directions and the syllabus & it is not a bad class to get your religion requirement done with. Weekly short essays but only have to do 4/7, cold calls, must actually read for class, fair grader, midterm, final test. If you exactly follow the study guides she gives, you'll be good on tests.
If you show up to class, pay attention, and put in the effort, you will be fine. Decent amount of writing, but if just focus and get it done, it's not hard. Do all your work with some effort and you shouldn't have a problem. Go to class! She is witty and interesting. A little tough for an intro course, but nothing that's not attainable.
She is not a bad professor, she is just a hard grader. There were a lot of essays for a class that wasn't a MWAC credit. Good jokes from her tho, she a goofball for real. She makes herself available outside of class for help so that's neat. She thinks everyone who is taking the class is a feminist theologian tho...
I'm not sure why she has such bad reviews. If you think writing 500 words a week is hard, drop out of college. Dr. Dallavalle is so funny and cares about her students. Put a little effort in and you'll do completely fine. 5 essays, 2 quizzes, 1 group project, 1 individual project, and an optional final essay if the class does well.
This class has been my favorite this semester. There's a fair amount of work, including 5 essays, group projects, individual projects, and readings, but it's manageable, and she seems to grade lightly. There are two exams throughout the semester, with the highest grade worth 15% and the lowest 5%. Shes also really funny and cares about her students
I recommend Dr. Dallavalle for Intro to Catholicism. She made class engaging, has a dry sense of humor, but she tries to make it as enjoyable as possible. Five 500 word essays and 2 quizzes with one project. Work is manageable and doesn't grade too harshly. She makes herself available outside of class and wants you to do well.
I took an MWAC before—this was way harder. Heavy reading, cold calls, and priest-level expectations. Passive aggressive. Gives assignments in class and expects deep answers instantly and gives tight deadlines with a Mon/Wed schedule. Everyone's scared to go—it's overwhelming. Not a hard class, just takes a lot of my time.
Weekly readings and expected us to understand them as well expect us to know everything about the church and religion. Has a lot of attitude and would pick on anyone in the class and would make rude comments. She made class so misrable that I would always be anxious going to that class and would pray that she does not walk into class.
She is a very caring teacher. Has dry humor and wants students to succeed in her class. Class has 2 quizzes, 5 (500 word) reading essays, a big project/ 2k word essay (your choice), and a 1,500 word final essay. Class is definitely a difficult one, but one I recommend taking.
Wow, talk about a course that puts any normal human's brain on the brink of implosion lol. I mean, watching, hearing, and simply attempting to follow the "strict guidelines" that are constantly changing would drive anyone mad, no? One word? Condescending. Is Dr. a good hearted person? Sure, I'm not here to be rude, but more to act as a Paul Revere.
Class Info
Online Classes
100%
Attendance Mandatory
96%
Textbook Required
100%
Grade Predictor
Your expected effort level
Predicted Grade
A-
Grade Distribution
Common Tags
Rating Trend
Declining
-0.91 avg changeRatings by Course
RS230
5.0
(1)HR
5.0
(1)RS215
5.0
(1)RSD
5.0
(1)RS237
5.0
(1)Difficulty by Course
RELIGSTUDIES
5.0
RSA
5.0
RSTENA
5.0
RELIG
4.5
RELIGION101
4.2