Unclear about requirements for speeches and assignments

Best comm teacher every! Laugh is there but will make things interesting, easy class just do your work. He has some weired stories that makes things fun.

Wonderful professor who didn't do anything but tell dirty jokes and facilitate the class. If you want a laid back style take Patten.

Wonderful professor who didn't do anything but tell dirty jokes and facilitate the class. If you want a laid back style take Patten.

Patten often strays from the point and will spend lots of class time debating the topics of student speeches (which can be fun.) Do not expect to actually get through the syllabus on time.

Very fun and entertaining. Talks off subject or about speeches most of the time, so who knows when you'll actually present. Pretty easy class. A bit annoying if you hate speeches, but it's unavoidable.

He talks off subject a lot, but his class is pretty easy for the most part.

Fun and entertaining professor. He knows his stuff and makes class fun. He gets off topic and sometimes doesn't make due dates clear. Overall, good professor for COMM.

He is a good guy. Has a fasination with Barnes and Noble and nipple tassels.

This guy is hilarious. He is very blunt and isn't shy about saying what everybody thinks. His class will always keep you interested. He is a very nice and smart guy. I suggest him to all students looking to take COMH classes.

He is very funny, but if you are not a girl you will find it hard to get an A in his class. Very supportive in his comments, and always willing to help you. I have learned a lot of great factoids from him, which is something I appreciate in a teacher.

Great teacher, will take time to help students and will tell you what he is looking for if you ask. Knows the material and makes class entertaining.

His laugh gets on my nerves and he has a tendency to ramble. You always get out late, so don't schedule a class right afterwards. The work isn't distributed well either. You'll do nothing for a while and then he'll assign you 3 or 4 speeches at once.

Well...Mr. Patten has a stupid laugh. He also talks all the time and never stops. AND he likes to make three speeches all due on the same day pretty much. Yeah, I don't really like him.

WTF is wrong with you people? The teacher isnt there to make you like him, he is there to help you learn the material.. WTF does his laugh have anything to do with it?

Professor Patten talks way too much and you never get out of his class on time. He has a tendancy to have all of the major assignments due at the same time...usually the end of the semester.

Intelligent and witty. Yes, he can talk a lot, but I always got out of class on time AND know three guys who got better grades than I did!!

Awesome, witty, intelligent, helpful and encouraging. The best communication faculty Ferris has.

This professors is one of the best I've had. He does talk a lot and laughs funny, but who cares! He teaches VERY WELL and you will understand what you are doing! Also, he is ALWAYS going out of his way to help students out. Take him if u want your $ worth

Whoa! Diarrhea of the mouth! But extremely intelligent man! Good class, as long as you follow his instructions word for word and devote yourself to notes. Tends to have favorites.

Knows his stuff! I've improved my speaking and learned useful things both times I've had him.

Very sweet guy. I learned how to be at ease when speaking in front of an audience. This was a real fun class and Dr. Patten was full of energy!

Nice guy. Always willing to help. Go to office hours before a speech is due and do what he says and get yourself an A!

Wow does he like the sound of his own voice, but he's a comm prof so what can you expect. Other than that I thought he was a great guy, fun teacher, very helpful, really nice and at least acted interested in every speech. I would definitely recommend taking him.

good professor, he likes to talk a lot but thats what the whole class is based on "communications"

Great prof. Funny and at ease. Nice guy who provides constructive critisism. I would recomend him at all expenses.

Great professor. Just do the work and have it done on time and you'll be gold. Kind of boring to listen to sometimes, but interesting to talk to when off subject!

OH MY GOSH! He does not shut up, EVER! He is very helpful and wants us to do good but class drags on because he never stops talking... WARNING: At first it may seem interesting but by the 3rd class you want to gag him...

The only bad thing about him is that he does ramble on WAAAYYYY too much. Other than that, he's a pretty laid back and awesome guy (conservatives might hate him though). The class is insanely easy, since it's just three speeches/outlines and the final exam (which is a complete joke). Don't bother buying the textbook though since you never use it.

Dr. Patten is definately a professor I would recommend to another student. He knows SO much about everything and is a really interesting guy. I had him Fall semester of my freshman year and his class had the perfect atmosphere to make me feel comfortable and ease into the college experience. Take him if you get the chance!

Great teacher, provides excellent feedback on presentations. He does ramble on at times, but for the most part hes a terrific prof that I would reccomend to anyone.

Dr. Patten is a really funny guy. He's always willing to help you out with a speech, and he lets you know what he expects. His class is very entertaining....to say the least.

I actually like his ramblings...it makes for an interesting class and you get to know him pretty well. He's a very funny man and is fairly lenient with grading. He'll push you without knocking you over, if you know what I mean. Great professor.

Easy class. 3 major speeches that required outlines. I'm probably the worst public speaker and I got by with an A-. Put thought into the outline and you should be fine. Funny guy and cares about his students. Rambles alot about current events. Doesn't prepare well for the final throughout the year. Just share the handbook with someone else.

Class was fairly easy for someone who hated standing in front of people and talking. He rambles on a lot, but some of the things he says is useful. He gives you a study guide for final exam but it has NOTHING to do with what's really on exam!

Great teacher. Extremely helpful and charismatic. Challenging course, however we had plenty of time to do work. Over all one of the best teachers Ferris has I thought.

One of the best teachers I have ever had. He does ramble, but it is entertaining. Very intelligent, kind hearted, and extremely fun to be around. Highest reccomended professor in the Comm dept (Im a comm major). A+!

Patten does like the sound of his own voice but he's not a terrible teacher. class is pretty boring but just pick a couple days and skip. as long as he likes you its an easy A. not a lot of work either, just like 5 speeches. very easy considering some of the horror stories i have heard about other professors.

He has his favorites. It becomes even more evident after the semester is over and you talk to other people about their grades. It doesn't seem to matter what you get on all of your speeches, if he likes you, you get an A. If not, you get a B+. He was better than other profs I've heard about, but I wouldn't recommend him unless you like sucking up.

Very thoughtful, and thought provoking Professor. I recommend him highly. His ramblings as you read other raters comments were expanding speech topics and related issues, so I enjoyed learning more about the subjects covered by students. I appreciated his input.

I liked him. He was very funny in class. He does like to talk a lot. Not very helpful one-on-one. Wasn't always clear on assignments. Speeches were easy.

He was very talkative, but the class was pretty easy in general. Speeches are easy, just make sure you do a good job on your outlines and you should be fine.

Chatty but fun nice guy. Sometimes he says snarky comments to people but you just need to not take it personally because it definitely is not personal. If you work hard on the outlines and don't stress so much over presenting then you have a for sure A. I'm pretty sure as long as you work hard he will give you an A.

Pretty cool guy, easy to get an A if you do your speeches and try and improve each time. Super chatty, but overall I was really comfortable with the class.

Dr. Patten is a great prof. The coursework is a bit confusing as there was not much to study for. Show up to class, do the work, and one will receive a high grade. I recommend this prof.

Patten is a great teacher. He has a great sense of humor and likes to laugh. If you attend class and do your work you can get a good grade. I was scared of speech but somehow I felt really confident and comfortable to talk in class.

Very good professor!

Everything I want in a communications course!

not too tough of a grader. he has a lot of knowledge about a lot of different subjects. he does spend several classes just standing up there talking before getting into the speeches. but he points out all the small things about being professional. taking his class has helped better prepare me for a professional environment.

Dr Patten was a pretty solid choice in a communications professor. He does talk a lot, which can be a bit annoying at times. However, he does give good feedback on outlines so that your speech is as good as it's going to be. He is very caring and tries to relate to his students. Don't get the book.

Neil's a great guy. He really cares about the success of his students, and will help you out if you seek his help. He talks forever, but its interesting. I didn't open the textbook. Get your outlines checked in office hours and you should get an easy A

Neil was a great communications professor. He likes to get off topic a lot, but also he likes to be very interactive with the class. Also, if you go to his office hours to get help with your outlines, then this class should be an easy A for ya.

I had an amazing time in his class. He's funny and INCREDIBLY knowledgeable in his field! He knows and remembers EVERYONE! I thought the lectures did drag a little, but I've never been a fan of them. He's a super nice man and gives a fair grade. Take this class!

the only flaw I would say that he has it he talks ALOT. Sometimes we would get behind schedule because would talk for the entire class. He's super nice though and gives really good feedback. I think we only had two tests this semester.

Neil Patten cares deeply about his students and their education. His lectures tend to go off topic and can be long, but put in the effort and you'll do fine. There are only 2 major speeches the whole semester, the rest are impromptus and a game at the end. Grading criteria can be a little vague. Don't buy the book, you don't use it. Good overall.

Super easy and he really cares about his students. Would highly recommend.

Dr. Patten is a great professor to have. He's friendly, entertaining, and a VERY easy grader. My only complaint is that we didn't learn a lot in the class, but I really enjoyed it.

Amazing Prof! You're only expected to give 2 speeches and it's very relaxed! He gives great feedback and tells you exactly what you need to get the kind of grade you want! Very funny and likes to talk a lot!

I adore Uncle Neil (yes that's what he calls himself). Often laughs at his own jokes, some of which are not always appropriate for certain audiences, but he's a real gem. His class is enjoyable, engaging, and not difficult. I 10/10 recommend taking any class he offers.

Overall I think he's a great teacher, gives really good feedback and really listens to what you have to say. He is super passionate and knowledgeable about a wide variety of topics and can sometimes get off track, but always something interesting to talk about. There's a huge group project paper project throughout the semester - start early on that

Dr. Patten is a great professor. We had three speeches and they were all pretty easy. He can be a bit unclear on what is expected at first, so be sure to look at the speech outlines. He talks a lot, but is pretty funny most of the time and really knows a lot. Show up most of the time and put effort into your outlines and you will do great!

I took his class freshmen year online and it was a lot of fun. He rambles about random things a lot but as long as you sit through it you're fine. If you put good effort into your outlines for speeches, you'll pretty much get an A. If you never say "um, but, etc" in your speeches you'll probably get an A. Extremely easy class, chill prof.

Despite his side tangents, it's clear that Dr. Patten deeply cares about this subject and for his students. He was always accessible outside of class for questions, and was an easy grader if you put in effort! Turn work in early for brownie points and be okay with being bored sometimes and you'll have an easy semester with some funny stories.

Easy class. 5 speeches including one group speech, but he's such an easy grader. Via Zoom you can read your speech off your PowerPoint when you screen share. If you put forth some effort and act slightly interested in the topic you're presenting on , he gives you an A. Speeches are all less than 8 minutes. Lectures are easy, no other homework.

Easy class just do all the assignment.

I had Dr. Patten for comm121, he was a blast to take and super approachable. He really tried to get to know his students which I loved. Graded on a handful of speeches, which can be read off of note cards. If you have a good outline you should do good in the speech. He can be a little disorganized, but it just makes him more lax as a prof.

Overall the class was okay, however Dr. Patten was not very clear on what he wanted and would change the dates of assignments without mentioning it to the class. He was very spontaneous with things and was overall hard to follow with the assignment due dates.

Easy class if you're good at outlining and putting a little effort in your speech. Dr. Patten is nice and cares for his students. He does talk a lot but makes the content easier (for me) to remember. Dr. Patten made public speaking less nerve-racking for me. I got better after the first couple of speeches. 5 speeches, all less than 7 mins. :)

Good guy, Super easy class. Says some off color things sometimes, but over all, great.

I took his Fund Public Speaking-Honors class (COMM 121) fall of 2018, for someone who doesn't like public speaking. this was a fun class, there was like three speeches but you get to pick what there on and there was vocab. His super nice and helpful, I have learning disabilities and he was so helpful with any questions I had.

A very good professor i would take this again