I love his "Know BS when you see it" approach. A cynical, yet highly intelligent man. Classes are always interesting and very informal, yet full of useful information.

Very interesting teacher, I always had a lot of fun in his class. Very helpful and very clear with his students.

Very laid back prof. Makes students feel comfortable in class and easy to discuss course material. Regularly shows up in gym shorts and a scruffy T-Shirt and Hat, which is nice to see with all these cocky profs that think they own the world. Sometimes throws a surprise question on a test.

Great Prof!! A little too much Bush Bashing but I know its fashionable here in Canada to do so, and he has his right to his opinion. But other than that, he is interesting, laid back and makes you feel that you are just hanging out chatting about things, even though your learning.

really great prof, i highly recommend him. his laidback style is cool and he is easy to learn from. you learn interesting stuff from him and he isn't boring at all (especailly compared to certain profs ive had for arts classes)

very good class, enjoyed it very much. Very interesting and like the use of humour. one of the best prof's i've ever had at U of M.

Great Professor! Great semester with some great classes with Phil. Even picked up his Buckwheat honey the other day which was so funny. Haha, thanks Phil for the good times.

Awesome Prof. His teaching style is laidback and gets the class involved in the lecture. Not to many notes which is really good. Assignments are i8nteresting and not to hard. Overall, AWESOME prof and I recommend him to anyone

A very good prof, approachable and interesting. He likes David Hume, and he reminds me of him. He is not the most organized or definite person, but I find this to be an asset. He's pleasently skeptical and atheist, and an empiricist. He promotes free-thinking, questioning and skepticism.

Very understanding that his course isn't the only one that his students are taking.... he also is not afraid to admit he made a mistake if he screwed up. I have an A on my transcript that I reallllly needed... thanks, Phil! Keep those bees going!

I dreaded the course before I took it but found that he was very helpful and accomodating to students if you make the effort. He has a genuine interest in his students. Great prof!

He explains every concept well and represents the various sides of the arguments fairly evenly in spite of his feelings for either one. The class was unbelieveably easy, regardless of what the others say lol

Although his note were not organized at all, he brings about lots of class discussion. I may not have learnt tons in class, but he is so easy to contact and always willing to speak with you one-on-one, which was always nice. The textbook he chose was a perfect summary to the course :) Thanks Phil

Though he can be extremely unorganized, he's intelligent enough to teach properly. Very open to class discussion as well.

Sometimes our class would go off topic and start discussing other things, but in the end I really enjoyed his class. The final was relevant to what we discussed in class, and I liked his style of teaching.

First day of class he does not sell it well. He dumps on how boaring it will be and yadayada being it a requirment. Don't drop it. Good class not what he makes it out to be.

I don't get him, and hard exams

An all around solid prof. He's very easy going, generally willing to proof read essays, considerably more helpful than a typical prof, and clear about both what he's teaching and what he's expecting; it's an easy and enjoyable class.

I found him to be very reasonable with his due dates and willing to go over things if you need. He goes off on tangents sometimes but they were usually the best parts of the class. I Recommend him

Phil is a good prof and does his best to explain course material to students. He is friendly and his online materials are helpful (didn't need the textbook). HOWEVER, he can be extremely disorganized and the turn-around time for assignments and tests was way too long. There were also multiple mistakes in his notes which he had to fix in-class. 7/10

Great explanation, but very fast.

Excellent Prof, Highly recommend. If you can take the class, do so.

Excellent Prof! Slightly unorganized, but very nice, clear in his explanations and interesting lectures.

Great prof, go to class and listen to him attentively and you will do great

Originally was not in this class but sat in and signed up the next day. Phil makes a boring class interesting. Take notes in lectures. Tests were reasonable if you study. Very helpful with assignments and does study sessions before the final if you want. Would definitely take another class with him!

Phil was awesome. Really funny but also very opinionated. Went into some very controversial subjects, ei. god vs. evolution, abortion, political views. If your views are very conservative Phil may not be the prof for you. That said he doesnt put his views ahead of good work. Markers sucked though. Absolutely no feedback on assignments

Not a hard class to begin with, but Phil really keeps it interesting. Go to class, read through his notes and you'll be fine. I would highly recommend him for Critical Thinking!

Phil is such a nice guy, and I thoroughly enjoyed his lectures. Logic was not very intuitive for me; I had trouble with syllogistic logic. Truth tables were a bit easier, and the essays were easy and enjoyable to write. If you don't have to take this class, take Cultural Anthropology instead. Logic is very similar to math.

Great guy and a great teacher, very reasonable as well and always willing to help students on his own time. Probably one of the most funny teachers I have ever had, I really enjoyed going to class and he was able to keep students interested by not being dry like lots of other profs.

Phil is a great prof, great guy as well. Recommend him to anyone. Always willing to help as long as he sees that you are trying. Couldn't as for a better prof honestly! As I always say, class isn't mandatory, but going to lecture helps a ton!

Super great professor. You get out of the class what you put into it, he's rally willing to help you after class if you need it

Nice, funny, and relatable guy! minimal assignments

Great guy and always going to go out of his way to help students. As long as you show up and put in some effort you will get an A. Pretty funny guy as well.

Great Prof. So glad I got to have him, made understanding philosophy 100 times easier. I wouldn't say the class is an easy A but Phil is willing to help and is very clear with his explanations. If you are going to take Critical Thinking, take it with Phil.

Phil is a funny and good guy, not like any other prof you'll have in your uni career. We had two write ups, two term tests, and a final for marks in the course. The write ups were very easy (100% & 90%), just hit the requirements given, don't over think them! Tests & final weren't too bad, just study a bit. Lectures aren't mandatory but I recommend

Phil is an amazing character. I massively recommend taking a class with him because he is hilarious daily. The midterms are difficult, as well as the daily material, but it is certainly manageable.

Definitely a prof that cares about his students. He tries his best to make the class interesting and goes over topics that confuses students. Always willing to help even outside of office hours. Willing to go over assignments and tests to help you prepare.

Great guy, actually wants you to do well in his class, gives re quizzes and also bonus assignments that can raise your grade by an entire letter!

Great Professor, lectures were really fun and if you attended classes and paid attention getting good grades is a piece of cake. Definitely would recommend.

Was dreading this class, but prof made it very interesting. Makes a huge effort to connect with students through humour. Easy extra credit, he actually gives you several options to get the extra. Not alot of homework.

Amazing prof. Textbook is not necessary, just go to class, listen, and ask questions and you will do great. If you don't do well on an assignment, there are plenty of opportunities for extra credit and he often offers exam re-writes. Cares about his students and truly wants them to succeed.

He's very sarcastic, and can be a bit of a pessimist, but he cares about students and will always help you if you see him. He gives you chances to redo tests if you're not happy with your mark. Classes are fun and does a great job at making otherwise boring material exciting.

Hands down the best prof ever! If you struggle witha concept you can talk to him outside of class and he makes it crystal clear. This course can be as hard to grasp as math but if you put in the effort its definitly worth it. You see things from a different perspective after.

Great Teacher, Lectures are clear and entertaining , time passes by fast while attending his lecture, Expects you to work for your grade, always there for you if you need him, one of my Fav profs in the university

Phil is one of the best profs i've ever had. He breaks down the difficult material into easier was to understand it. He cares a lot about his studetns, therefore he usually offers re-tests and is very passionate about his teaching. I most definetly enjoyed going to his class and would take another again in the future.

Most amazing prof ever! I was really scared to take this course but it was worth it. He incorporates humor into his lectures which makes it even more interesting. Grab a seat in the front or middle row and contribute to the class. He will always have your back. If you think you deserve a better grade,TALK TO HIM. Gives opportunity to retake a test

Prof Velduis is a great prof that wants you to do well. He will make time to see you during office hours and answer any questions you may have. He does not respond to email questions about the material however, so if you need help go see him. Tough class, his tests and exams are tough but he does give you opportunities to boost your grade.

Professor Phil was very energetic and funny when teaching the class, and tried to make it interesting. However, the material we learned was very dry and it was hard to stay awake in the class. If you need help, you can go to his office. The midterms are hard, and the final exam was brutal. The assignments are where you can do well on.

He is a funny guy, and very friendly. His assignments were hard but still ended up with a decent mark. His notes are very useful.

He's a great prof that truly cares about his students. He is very open minded, and careful not to offend anyone. He was the saving grace of my first semester at uni

He is genuinely the best. He is lenient with you wanting to do your assignments again or for you to re-write the quiz. He is always on student's side giving them every sort of help they need. Do take him. His assignments are a bit tough but all the quizzes are almost the same as the sample that he gives you. He is very fair in terms of marking.

Great prof and cares a lot about his students. If you didn't do too well on a quiz, he gives chances for retakes. Funny guy! keeps you engaged and constantly updates his lecture examples to match with the current events. This is good since the material is quite challenging. Used the textbook for further understanding concepts and practice questions

Great prof! Offer you a second chance if you didn't do well the first time. Very funny people. professional bee keeper.

Absolutely fantastic prof. Great guy, makes the class very interesting. Thoroughly enjoyed every minute spent in his classroom. Easy class.

Great prof. Tries to incorporate humour into his lectures to make the class less boring, and lots of his jokes are about bees/honey. Posts notes online and also posts copies of old tests online, and the new tests are the same format as the old ones just with different wording. Gives you the chance to raise your grade. I highly recommend!

Great prof! Very funny and teaches the course effectively. All lectures and old tests are online. Caring and would gladly give you a retest if you need it. You can get away of not using the textbook if you go to each class diligently and if you ask him questions. Writing assignments are easy, final and tests are manageable.

Fantastic prof! Beware:it's a thinking class. You are expected to analyze and synthesize information. Its not for everyone. I loved the course, but I am a very opinionated outspoken person and enjoy debate and scholarly arguments. Class has 2 essays and extra credit. Better learn to write papers.

One of the best profs I've had. Truly cares about the students and their success. E-mails back quickly when you have any questions or concerns; he's there to help so don't be afraid to ask if there's something you're not getting. He's a dedicated and respectable man.

For quiz 2 i needed a rain-check as something had happened. The prof highly recommended that i take quiz 2 as it would be hard for him to move it as the VW date was coming. so i had to take the quiz. However, he gave students a chance to retake any quiz they wanted before the exam. Most if not all quizzes have re-takes. AMAZING PROF!!! Highly recom

Awesome instructed!

Very good prof. Tries his best to get you the best understanding you can. Course is difficult, a real thinker. Good guy too, makes class very enjoyable. I looked forward to going to class with this prof.

This professor is absolutely amazing. He helped me out when my professor for the same class went on strike last year. He cleared up any and every question that I had, I really liked him. I can;t say much about grading but he's got great instruction ! Highly recommend

super articulate in class. lectures are not mandatory but very informative and entertaining so i go anyways

Course itself was incredibly easy. The content was super boring but somehow Phil made class slightly interesting. Either go to class or read the book you dont have to do both. Super nice dude.

Phil is a really nice guy and makes a pretty dry class reasonably tolerable. Really cares about his students and will go extra lengths to help them understand the material/offer extra opportunities to increase grades. He has reasonable expectations of his students because he understands them and is empathetic. Would definitely recommend this prof!

Only Prof so far that I've actually enjoyed having class with. His lectures are all accessible online so class is optional, although I didn't mind going to his class at all since his lectures went by quickly. Super helpful outside of class during his office hours as well.

Nicest Prof I've had, I'd 100% recommend going to his office hours.

Super super hard course! Class average is a 62% usually. Phil however, is a great, caring and funny professor! He makes lectures worth going to and adds humour to them. Explains content extremely well and is always willing to go the extra mile so you understand it. Lots of practice questions and review sessions before exams. Posts lectures online!

Definitely a material heavy course that is not necessarily easy. Phil is a great prof, he's very smart, cares for students, is funny. His tests are tough, but he gives a few opportunities for bonus which is nice. Lots of review sessions. Make an effort to meet with him one on one, he will remember you and help you do the best you can!

Phil Veldhuis is an absolute beauty. He does a great job keeping everyone engaged/entertained while teaching a pretty dry subject. Phil is always accessible through email, he offers an opportunity for a 5% bonus in his class, and allows retakes on most quiz's. Attendance is necessary to do well. Tough class, but would definitely recommend this Prof

An amazing professor who truly cares about his students' success. You will definitely have to work for the grade you receive, but the course material isn't too difficult. Closer to the final exam Phil will often hold review sessions outside of class to help students prepare. He also offers the option to receive a 5% bonus in the course.

the man knows how to teach well he'll make the course easy for you

Phil does a fantastic job at turning an extremely dry subject, into a reasonably interesting one. Critical thinking is not an easy course, however he provides re-write opportunities and a 5% bonus option to help out. Has a good sense of humour, hands out example tests, and provides good feedback on papers/exams. If you're taking 1290, go with Phil!

Phil is one of the best profs I've had at the university. He's caring and he truly wants his students to do well. There are two quizzes and one paper. This guy loves his fallacies. This material can be hard. But he is very fair when grading and allows students to have re-writes. Overall a great prof, highly recommended.

Proffessor Phil is the best Prof I have ever had! He is very understanding and one of few professors that actually wants you to pass. He has taught critical thinking so many times that he has it laid out perfectly/very clear and has the hardest content before the VW date.

The first test was hard, the second test, assignment, and final were all easy. Must show up to class, pay attention, and take notes of what he says during lectures as his slides aren't very clear on their own. Really nice guy. Other than for when learning informal fallacies, the textbook isn't very helpful.

Gives bonus marks. Very easy to follow, impossible to fall asleep during lectures. Uses real-life examples, makes you think logically! Very approachable!

Professor Phil is by far the best professor Ive had. He knows the course content inside and out. He makes his lectures very engaging and has some fun with them. Its mostly note-taking with a bit of group discussion. Hes hilarious & super nice, and genuinely cares about making sure his students succeed. Highly recommend!

Phil is not only the best prof I've had, but the best teacher I've had. He is thorough, funny, engaging and caring for students. He brings excitement to the classroom and has a true passion for teaching. I hope to have prof Veldhuis in the future. Not only does he want everybody to do good, he goes to great lengths to make this a possibility. 10/10

He is honestly such an amazing professor! ALWAYS available during and outside of office hours (just email him), knows and cares so much about course material, does not underestimate students at all - he treats you as a colleague, so understanding and hilarious!!

Definitely the best prof you can take for philosophy as he makes the content feel lighter, easier to understand, and more interesting overall. He cares a lot about his students and has amazing lectures. The quizzes can be difficult if you don't study and the final is even harder. Pretty easy A, possible A+ if you do good on the final.

Such a considerate prof! Really made a dull course more bearable! I had him when classes were online so appearance from his cat Tiger was always a plus! He gives good feedback and tries to keep his material relevant which helps the class stay interesting! His facebook videos really help!

Professor Phil was the best teacher I had so far. He was funny, made the lectures interesting, and it was very easy to grasp the concepts. He is always there if you need help during office hours. The guy was real easy going, and was hands down my favourite prof so far.

Great Professor. Phil is the only professor in my semester to fully engage me in remote learning. Textbook was definitely useful for me, but you would be able to get by without if you are prepared to lean on the free logic material online. He loves questions, so if you have a good one definitely ask it- he will thoroughly answer it.

A thoughtful and caring professor who combines class material and real world examples to create and engaging and fun learning atmosphere.

Prof. Veldhuis was one of my favourite professors this semester. He's very kind and caring towards his students and really wants everyone to do well. Critical thinking is tough, but he certainly does his best to simplify where possible. This is probably the most important class I'll take in my university career.

Philosophy can be very difficult but Prof Veldhuis does an excellent job at clearly explaining concepts! His tests are reasonably challenging but he's very understanding if you wish to challenge a grade given solid grounds or if you have a valid excuse for missing a test! (P.s. he tries his best to use gender neutral terms which is very admirable!)

I can't thank him enough for this amazing semester. Absolute gentleman! Would involve you in the course from day 1. Not an easy course, but prof Phil made it a lot smoother than it is. Helped practice a lot of problems and examples. 1 assignment 2 term test and a final. You've to work hard for A or A+. If you need PHIL1290, take it with prof Phil.

Prof Phil has been wonderful throughout the online term. A rocky start tech-wise, but afterward everything went very smoothly. The material is somewhat tricky, especially within Inductive logic, but he explains the concepts in a very thorough way. Attend lectures, as some test questions are best answered by in-class knowledge over textbook info.

Phil is an excellent prof. He is very knowledgeable in the subject matter and can teach it very well. He is very sympathetic, you are able to retake one quiz if you mess up badly and he is very understanding of technical difficulties in online classes. You shouldn't need the textbook in this class however it might be useful.

What can I say. I'm not a philosophy major, but took this course out of pure interest. I now highly recommend it to every first year. The material is interesting and highly applicable to today, and Phil is an amazing teacher. His online lectures are concise and there aren't too many of them, and he always provides amazing support to his students.

One of the best instructors I've ever had. He really cares about his students succeeding. He has lectures posted online and additional videos to really help grasp the material. He is excellent at explaining concepts and makes the material easy to understand. Fair marker and he gave the option for bonus marks on the quizzes and exam.

Best professor ever! Very understanding. He always tries his best to help his students succeed. He does not only care about passing but about students grasping the material. He is so supportive, if you need to redo an assignment to improve your grade he gives you more chances. Thank you Prof. Veldhuis! Wishing you great success in your retirement!

He is a GREAT professor. He really cares for his students and he gives test retakes

The course itself is interesting and the way he teaches is so fun and entertaining. He really cares about his students and generous about giving test retakes. I enjoyed this class so much, definitely my fave class this semesterrr!!