Tells great stories that adds to the lectures. Q&A is great!!!!

Makes me realize that there is more then a Black and White world.

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Very liberal. Very ego. I thought he was a sham.

take his class. most valuable classes in the school.

Very articulate and humorous guy!

fun class!!!

He's a great paternal figure, very supportive, not an Asiaphile but a cool white guy ! I cried in one of his classes and he creates such a safe atmosphere EXCEPT when psycho Kip Fulbeck came in to speak one day!

I loved this class! He is the most awesome professor I have ever had. I got an A in there, but if I didn't, i still would have loved the class. I tell anyone that I've met that he's best professor ever. Awesome! Awesome!

He was an awesome teacher. He sang for our class once. He cares enough to get to know students and talk to them outside of lectures.

good speaker. wants as am students to be future advocates, so he's very passionate. friendly and motivational inside and outside the classroom. geniuenly a nice guy.

such a great professor!!! cares for his students, and really funny. im going to take all his classes and you should too

best class at UCSB. he is so awesome and truly cares about each student!

Awsome teacher. Highly recommend.

This guy is awesome. This guy is full of inspiration. He is a nice guy as well. Very helpful person. Goes out of his way to help his students succeed if you ask for his help. This guy is an five star professor.

Awsome teatcher!

Not hott, whoever said that is sick and twisted! Awesome teacher, I guess that might turn some people on. Very entertaining, he kicked someone out of class today just to proove a point. Come from a long line of preachers and reflects his lineage in his lectures. Give history a unique twist.

Spickard is great. I think it would be impossible to fall asleep in his class. He shouts and screams sometimes and even serenaded our class. His teaching method was very effective at linking the concepts togther. Advice: don't read all the material, just use spark notes.

His lectures are entertaining, and despite what some say, they are easy to follow if you are paying attention. often plays the devils advocate, so some say he has strong opinions, I say he gets people to think about their own thoughts and ideas. ALOT of reading, but he warns you on the first day, plus it says there are 9 books on the sylabis!

I loved his lecturing style and found him to have a great sense of humor. Pratitcal, useful information. But I agree- holds strong opinions that he isn't hesistant to share. If you can write and get a general idea of the material, you'll probably do well on his paper and tests. Lot's of reading!

Liked the class. Yes, very opinionated! READINGS: interesting, the hardest part, do 90% of it. Be able to connect concepts/ideas, thats what he tests on. A lot has to do with the TA, so have a good one. It can be hard to follow his lectures, but he was interesting to listen to. Study for the tests, IDs are random (some from lecture, some not).

Great Teacher, is lots of fun in lecture.Spends half the lecture discussing current politics,but also covers materials. Actually read all the material, because the subsequent discussions were great.Very helpful after class and works with you on papers. Favorite professor, have had him twice, make my schedule around his classes.

By far one of the best teachers on campus. Learned a lot and kept the lectures fun. Am taking a class outside of major just to have him again.

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Probably my best teacher in four years as a UCSB History major. Outstanding lectures. A lot of reading is required for the class; however, Professor Spickard is VERY easy to talk to, and was exceptionally helpful with my proseminar research project. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.

Tests are just what you expect, so there's plenty to write about. Complaint though is that I didn't feel like I learned much and he is too leftwing. Basically the point of the class is that the White man committed genocide (when taking the US) and only White people are Americans. Easy to get a B in this class.

Very interesting class, and Spickard is one of the best professors on campus. He is extremely helpful and the exams are extremely fair. There is a lot of reading but if you are at all interested in the subject I would highly recommend the class

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****kard's lectures and TAs are great. The workload is excessive. ****kard should keep in mind that it's not a 12 unit class. You can get away with sparknote-ing the books assigned, but read the main texts. Go to lecture!

Extremely liberal, but extremely fair. Loves it when students discuss the material with him in class. He assigns a ton of reading. you need to keep up with the reading to do well on his midterm and final. I would take another of his classes and I have little to no interest in ethnic history.

Spickard is one of the best professors at UCSB. Readings are very important, so do them. Once we didn't do the reading and he cancelled class because of it. Midterm, final, and paper. Class is like one giant discussion about the readings. Participate because he grades his test and papers hard, so it'll help your grade. Take his class if you can.

Thank god he is not one of those dreadful powerpoint multiple choice professors. He is full of personality - hilarious and bold in his statements. He's warm & cares deeply about his students. He allows students to create their own essay topics (something you care about) and isn't a tighta** about dates &stupid details. Understand, not memorize.

Check it out. This class is nuts... seriously it changed my whole perspective on****. Spickard says you HAVE to read. I didn't read one book the entire class. Just showed up to section and lecture sometimes. I got a B+ so all I'm saying is that there is hope!

I absolutely loved his class. He's a fantastically engrossing man with very interesting things to say. Lectures dont exactly sum up everything in the class (he believes thats what reading is for) but they do offer loads of insight as to what needs to be known for tests. Overall I loved his class, read, & got an A. His TA Ryan Abrecht was great too.

Spickard is an amazing teacher. You may choose to not do the reading and come out okay but it enhances the overall impact of the course material 10 fold (aka: do it!!). Spickard shakes your foundations in a good way and makes you imagine the historical perspective through factuality while proving that one's subjectivity provides one's humanity.

One of the most naturally intelligent professors at UCSB. Teaches a narrow yet gratifying overview of world history, while incorporating life lessons in reading, writing, and speech. Spickard was passionate and left an impression every lecture. Bravo sir, bravo.

The reading is extensive especially during the Summer. I wouldn't recommend this class for anyone who is afraid of other people's views. The best part of the class is being able to choose your own topic for the term paper. Spickard keeps everyone entertained, or at least disgusted from pictures of slavery/genocide/etc.

Took his freshman seminar "what white people need to know" purely because I needed the credit to be full time. Spickard is an incredible man, completely passionate about the subject, as well as caring about all his students. He was the professor I turned to during the IV tragedy, and I cannot thank him enough for his help. Much love for you prof!

My favorite professor at UCSB. Such a phenomenal human who gives insight on so many different topics in order to see things from a different perspectives. Lots of books, but be sure to have a good idea about the books stressed in class. Definitely need to do extra work to earn an A, but it's a straight forward class. Would recommend to everyone.

This class was refreshing. I didn't take many notes in this class. Mainly just show up to lecture and listen to an extremely different perspective on history. One long paper that can basically be about anything so it isn't hard and an easy midterm and final. Spickard will definitely keep you entertained.

Paul Spickard is by far the best professor I have had at UCSB. Shows the real side of history (which is why some people do not like him) but is all backed up with facts. Left lecture every time enriched with new information that I never knew I would need. Definitely a tough class but you will fall in love with it and won't mind doing it at all! :)

Loved this upper division class. Really got to help me with my own identity. Really showed his passion to teach and his love for his students. 100% recommend to anyone looking for a good professor.

Spickard is a great professor!! He makes history interesting and will keep you entertained. His classes are not boring. There is a lot of reading for this class but they are really interesting. Midterm and final are simple IDs and essay(s). One paper that you get to choose the topic for. Better hope you get a good TA.

Spickard's classes are not your average history classes. He tells it how it is and this probably offends many people. His classes WILL change your perspective on history, race, ethnicity, and social issues. He is a professor who genuinely cares about his students, and is passionate about his subject

Dr. Spickard is a great guy. He really knows the stuff he teaches and genuinely cares about his students, in class and out of class. He is outspoken and has strong opinions but is constantly making jokes and creating a positive class environment. Great guy, great professor, would totally recommend.

He's a hilarious and outspoken professor. He knows his stuff, "lecture" was mostly the students getting in groups and teaching the class about the readings. The discussions we had was great and he brings up thought-provoking questions. Overall he is a really chill teacher and if you do most of the readings and write a good paper you'll pass.

Paul is one of the best professors I've had at UCSB. He is hilarious and really brings a positive environment to class. I leave class every day with my mind changed and having really refined my understanding of very important themes about identity, race, and American culture. He has really inspired me to question myself, and has taught me a lot.

Spickard knows how to logically change your perspective about everything you thought about race, religion, and ethnicity. He is downright hilarious, funny, and CARES about his students and subjects. Go to his office hours

There was lots of reading , but if you made sure to read some, and summaries on the others , plus attend lecture, you are assured a good grade ! He is very clear with his grading and the TA is also a very important aspect in this class as section counts for a lot . Paul is such a caring and nice guy, you can really tell he cares about his students!

Prof. Spickard is an amazing professor who is well-informed, and embracing to different ideas in this class. He literally introduced us to various topics of world history, which were easy to understand. The readings maybe a bit too much but as long as you get the basics for that you will be fine. His lectures were also thought provoking !!

Lots of readings in this class for a non-major student. Took this class for GE but it eventually got an A due to the extra credits and the grading system. Spickard really cared about the students ' well-beings and was pretty approachable via email and OH. His lectures could be a bit ambiguous and seemed to be off tangent. But overall a ez class

A lot of reading and depends on your TA how they handle the reading load in section. Very easy to write papers on and he is very passionate and understanding during this time.

Spickard really cares about his students. The course material is really interesting and his lectures were really engaging. If you do most of the reading and pay attention in lecture you're guaranteed an A.

Professor Spickard is a great guy! Has great lectures that are really thought-provoking and inspirational and funny. He genuinely cares about his students and goes out of his way to help them! I haven't finished the class yet but I had to put this down that his class is definitely worth taking in the future.

An easy P, lectures are interesting. I would recommend my TA Lei Dou, who is pursuing his second PhD in UCSB, very nice guy.

Prof. Spickard is a great teacher & actually cares about helping his students. The only grades for the class come from 2 term papers, which makes it sort of hard to get a high grade if you're not a strong writer, but the lectures & extra reading he offers are really interesting.

I've taken 2 classes with Paul- History 2C & 164IB and I had such a pleasant experience both times. He really cares about the material he teaches (especially 164). If you do the reading and go to class, its super manageable. I cannot recommend office hours enough. Getting to know Paul is one of the highlights of my UCSB experience!

This is the BEST professor I have ever taken. His course changed my perspective on life. Please take this course, but prepared to work. If you put in the work, it will pay off. Visit him in office hours. Pick his brain. So knowledgeable and intelligent. Spickard is forever my favorite professor.

Professor Spickard is a living legend, he is both respected and hilarious at the same time with just charisma pouring whenever he is lecturing. He is the reason why I have decided to pursue a minor in history, ignore the negative comments because as long as you are ready to put in the time and effort, you will excel.

beware of no technology in lectures, all handwritten notes. paul was funny and an amazing lecturer, class graded on term paper, final, midterm and movie worksheets. put the work in for the class and it'll pay off, first day pretty daunting, but once you get in the groove the class can be really enjoyable!

This course and professor were my most favorite during my first year at UCSB. Although lecture and section is mandatory + a no technology rule, this class changed my life. I came out of this class empowered and open to change many aspects of the world. The material in this course is all beneficial to what we see in today's global issues.

Very reading-heavy, but I got by just fine without reading barely anything; relied mostly on prior knowledge of history. If you did well in AP Euro, APUSH, AP World, etc. then you'll do well here. I Pass/Failed the class early because I was worried; nearly aced the entire class by the time I got my grades back. Good writer? You'll be fine.

Spickard was that guy! Opinionated. Honest. Controversial. While funny and inspiring, if Spickard actually expected me to do all the readings he assigned I'd be reading for 2 entire quarters. Be practical and skim the important readings before the midterm and final then there's your A. I'm tryna get a drink with this professor one day -- true icon

Dr. Spickard is AMAZING!! One of the best professors on campus, if not the best. He is very understanding of personal situations and strives to help his students in any way he can. He truly cares about each and every one of his students. If you do bad in his class it's because you didn't show up to section. He is very straightforward.

Don't let the no-technology rule scare you away, it's not that bad. Read the books and you'll be fine. Sections help a lot. Majority of what you'll need to know is from the books. Helps if you enjoy history. He has a very inspirational teaching style and wants the best for his students. I loved lectures, and wish I could take more of his classes.

Very interesting guy. Scary presence but very nice. Expresses that he wants you to leave having learned something rather than just being lectured. Grades on knowledge, not correctness. Most I have ever learned in a history course. Tells you that you must read everything he assigns but i never read a thing and got an A+ from spark notes. Loved him.

Best instructor I've ever had. He's extremely intelligent, provokes curiosity, and relates to his audience. He wants everyone to take something away from the class, and not just memorize random facts. There is a lot of reading, but they're mostly novels of really good books. UCSB is lucky to have him. He's a true scholar and Spicktacular educator.

Prof Spickard is one ofc

Prof Spickard is one of, if not the best, prof i've had at ucsb. You do have to do all the readings for this class and in depth, but he is such a caring guy. I've had my own personal experiences where he's reached out to make sure i'm okay and other classmates have experienced this. he does say some questionable things, but he loves to teach

Spickard is an engaging but demanding prof. Lectures can be a bit unorthodox, but he truly wants you to learn. Staying on top of the readings is key - unstuckstudy was a lifesaver for me. Overall, a rewarding yet challenging class.

Professor Spickard is by far one of the best professors on this campus. He assigns in-class written exams which are difficult to adapt to, yet his collaborative style and genuinely life-changing tips on speed-reading gave me by far the best learning and class experience I had in college. Cannot recommend him enough.