Professor DeSmet is really nice and very interested in what she teaches. There is a lot of readings but as long as you show up to class for the discussions you should have no problem understanding the content. Be aware of the attendance policy! We wrote a couple short papers and there was only two exams, but be very descriptive when you write.

Professor DeSmet is extremely passionate about her work. She creates a comfortable, engaging class environment. She gives clear expectations prior to exams & papers. Her lectures are always interesting & compelling. And she includes a variety of activities, field trips, film viewings, etc. throughout the term. I highly recommend her classes!

Raissa is sweet and fair. I don't know what yall are complaining about. She assigns long reading, but just read the intro and conclusion and you're good to go.

One of my favorite professors that I have had at University of Washington Bothell. She's really engaging with the students and has a great sense of humor that I think a lot of people are able to connect with. She's clear, and very interested in the topics that she professes. I would take another one of her classes in a heartbeat.

Raissa is awesome, very sweet. She understands this may be the last quarter and is very helpful. Her feedback was great. It's a standard capstone class, but I'm glad I took it with her. Not sure if attendance is mandatory, I was there for most classes. No textbook required. Be prepared to think about all the papers and projects you've ever done.

She is a great lecturer and uses a variety of resources, (articles, movies, photos, books) There is a ton of reading! She is helpful though. I would take her class again.

Amazing professor. She is sos sweet & always there for each and every student. Gives a ton of reading, but are very interesting reads. If you are a shy student and don't like to talk much, she won't force you to speak up in from of everyone. Just make sure you connect with her outside of class time (like office hours) to show her you enjoy her.

LOVE HER. Take her, very spiritual, helping teacher who wants you to succeed and will do whatever she can to help you with that. No hard work, readings you don't need to do in order to pass the class, and a fair grader. I love her enthusiasm for the class. If you want a good grade, TAKE HER.

She is NICE, kind, amazing professor. She is easy grader, and explains clearly the reading content. She is super helpful when you are asking question. She responds email quickly. There is no test, only 4 short writing assignments, which are a piece of cake. I recommend to take the class with her. You will enjoy. I am 100% sure!

Raissa is a great teacher and her lectures are interesting and she keeps the class engaged. There's a lot of reading but not a ton of homework. I would definitely recommend her.

If every teacher was like Raissa, there'd never be a complaint about college, ever. She is a genuine and understanding professor. Her feedback is incredible and timely. The readings can get difficult, but she ALWAYS breaks them down and reviews them in class to ensure understanding for the students. I plan on taking two more courses with her.

Pretty easy teacher. I skipped a bunch of class(which is strange cause in her syllabus she's serious about attendence) and never prepared and put minimal effort into this class and still managed to receive a 3.6. I don't understand the people whining, you have to be the biggest slacker in the world to do poorly in her class.

She has helped me understand how Culture and identity lies within performance of Diaspora. She's a great professor meeting student needs when addressed in class and she gives extra credit for sharing a piece of music based on Diaspora. I'd recommend her as a professor who is flexible and cares for students needs to make it fun and educational.

Definitely one of the nicest professors I've experienced, in terms of patience, understanding and friendliness. She wants students to "create their own knowledge" and share it with the class, which means that there are presentations involved. But they're not too stressful, since they're short, graded easily, and given really encouraging feedback.

She was an excellent professor, she really cared about people in the class and tried to get everyone participating in class dialog. She is extremely passionate and will help you with essays if need be. This course had a lot of readings but if you attempted to get an understanding from it then you'll do great! The focus of the class is learn a lot.

She is one of the better professors that I have had, she is extremely passionate and kind. If you are trying your best and doing all of the assignments you will get a great grade. I would take her again, she takes her time to explain the readings which can be complex. Learned a lot from her and she was very inspirational!

She is super kind, caring, and a wonderful person. The class I had with her was really disorganized, but that was because we were figuring things out as a class. There weren't many assignments and not a lot of work in general, mostly the final project. I might not take her "diaspora" class again, but I wouldn't hesitate to take her other classes!

Caring professor that takes great concern for your learning. She is willing to help with any difficult you may be facing whether that is related to class or not. Cares for her students and is well respected. Makes learning fun and challenges critical thinking!

Raissa is such a fun person to be around. She is knowledgeable about course content and cares about student learning. Makes assignments simple and straightforward. This was a CBLR course in the summer with students gaining practical experience with LETI, a nonprofit organization. Her lectures aim to apply class learning to the working world.

Raissa has become one of my favorite profs. She is great at engaging people in class to get into discussions, and she gave me valuable feedback on my work. She cares about students success and is also very funny. I found the assignments and workload reasonable, and she is receptive to feedback.

I cant say enough good things about Raissa, she is such an amazing person and professor. More than anything she CARES, if youre transparent with her she will always help you. Her lectures were always thought provoking and Ive learned so much about myself and others through this course, couldnt be happier and more fulfilled.

She is compassionate and understanding. She will ask you to work hard but isn't unrealistic. Fair grader, but not a super easy one. She gives you great feedback. Attendance is highly encouraged and participation is extremely important in her class. She's a very funny lecturer.

By far one of the best professors I've ever had at UWB, and would definitely take again. She is so humorous, supportive, caring and helpful. She only wishes the best for all of her students. Prepare to laugh a lot (especially the way she talks about Latin names) but also to learn a lot.

Love her. I've taken 2 of her classes (BIS 339 and BISCLA 372) at UWB. She really knows her stuff, for sure, and is very excited to teach it. She has lots of energy and is kind of all-over-the-place, which may not be the best teaching style for some people but she's aware of that and works to create a great environment in class.

AMAZING professor! Very kind, supportive, and helpful, and encourages students to try their best. Genuinely treats students like her friends and makes them accepted and comfortable. I've taken two of her classes (339 and 372) and love everything about her.

One of my favorite classes that I've taken. Lectures and discussions are extremely engaging thanks to her energy and you can tell she's really dedicated to making students do the best they can. I wish she taught more classes for my major (GWSS).

Get ready to laugh during lectures, participate A LOT, and have way too many high fives. That is all.

I loved this class and everything about it. I'm so sad that it's almost over because not only did I learn a lot but I met a professor who genuinely cares for students and has a lot of enthusiasm. Raissa is amazing and I 100% DO NOT regret this class.

AMAZING professor! Very kind, supportive, and helpful, and encourages students to try their best. Genuinely treats students like her friends and makes them accepted and comfortable

Honestly, she's awesome. Be aware that your grade will be greatly, greatly affected by attendance and participation. It seems she really values your effort, and you will be getting back what you put in. If you're used to more "traditional" grading criteria and technique that you can easily follow on canvas, probably steer clear.

CAN. WE. TALK. ABOUT. THIS. QUEEN and how AMAZING she is!? She has a lot of energy and makes you want to go to class. She also supports her lectures a lot of videos and culturally relevant things to keep material engaging. She's really kindhearted too.

She is SUPER passionate about teaching and students gaining insight into whats going on in the world around them, and she's also really caring, energetic, and humorous. Take advantage of her office hours too!

Raissa may come on WAY too strong at first, but it's out of passion. She cares so much about her subject and her students, and she always finds ways to make the class relevant and entertaining. There's a fairly easy workload but you still learn so much. If you turn in all the work on time, you'll get an A easily. Definitely recommend.

She called me a nerd when I told her I use Linux on my laptop, 10/10 would take again. Took 3 classes with her, she's amazing, please take.

Look, if she confuses/annoys you, look up the Myers-Briggs Typology Indicator (MBTI). Raissa is DEFINITELY an ESFP - very engaging, entertaining, and extroverted, which makes some students love her and others not love her so much. I personally enjoyed her class because she keeps lectures interesting and her class materials are always fascinating.

Great class and great professor! She is how all professors should be: enthusiastic, entertaining, and with a real zest for life! She lectures with passion, and genuinely treats students like her friends. Very reasonable with grading although I still question some of her morals. Besides that, she's hands down one of my favorite teachers ever.

It's awesome when you find a professor who not only knows what she is talking about but is passionate about that. Like Raissa. She is such an enthusiastic, friendly, and hardworking person, there's never a dull moment with her. She truly cares about students, even if she's rather eccentric/quirky and scatterbrained. Also a very easy grader.

Raissa puts in a lot of effort and really cares about her students. I really admire the fact that she engages the class through entertaining lectures that still manage to teach a lot. She's always happy to see students and she's really kind and encouraging. I'm a class of '20 student moving on to grad school, and she really made UWB a good time.

Awesome class. Raissa is very laid-back, very funny and extroverted, and tries to do various activities in class to make it more interesting. She says she sees potential in all students and really cares about them, so if you do too then the results are rewarding. I'm taking her again this fall because of the good time I'm having this summer.

Raissa DeSmet is a goddess among mere mortals. She can heal your GPA with her blessing of 4.0s. She can vanquish evil with her spreading of positivity in class. She has really chaotic energy but it's also like super positive energy and it helps tbh - she's really outgoing and makes lectures fun and engaging, she's a big entertainer.

I took classes with her a year ago, but I have to say that Raissa is a very interesting and knowledgeable professor. And yes, she is definitely an entertainer. But it's not just her sense of humor you can appreciate - it is also her attitude and how it works in the class. She's a very kind, positive, and encouraging person, and def loves her job.

Love Raissa. Yes she's super chaotic, and yes she seems "dumb" at first because of that, but she really knows a lot and expresses it in her own weird way. She has a lot of energy and joy. She loves teaching on Zoom now, especially because she never tried to learn stuff beforehand so she's experimenting in the moment and having the time of her life.

Raissa is quite the character, to be honest. She gets REALLY enthusiastic about what she's teaching and is extremely interested and enthusiastic when making sure the students understand that. She makes lots of jokes during class and acts like a friend if you ever need it. Takes a LONG time to grade papers, but she's a fair grader.

Few classes can be touted as life-changing, but this was definitely one of them. This woman has more knowledge and understanding in her left pinky than most other professors do in their entire bodies. Hope I can take another class with her but over Zoom this time!

Her enthusiasm during lectures is great. Were it not for her ardent, and sometimes ribald, love for literature, art, history, and anything else talked about, I don't think I could've made it through this 8:30 AM class. Also hilarious and a very easy grader. I can tell she cares a lot about students too.

I think she is a great teacher. She is very funny, which makes her classes enjoyable. Also, she mixes class time well with discussions, interactive activities, group work, etc. Not very clear about grading but this can be to your advantage because it allows you to complete assignments without having to stress out much because it's easy to get an A.

Super passionate about this class. Reaches out to all her students and encourages many ideas even from the quieter people. She sets the classroom up to be a fun, understanding, and respectful space and makes everyone feel comfortable.

Dr. Desmet is so great!! She is extremely caring and compassionate. Very easy to talk to so if you get behind just make an appointment to meet with her and talk about it. She also sets excellent examples for accountability when receiving constructive criticism from students. There are a lot of readings but most of them are very interesting.

Nice teacher. Very laid-back yet enthusiastic about the material. Has lots of internet issues which made remote learning kind of a pain but she was still accommodating, and after quarters of just exams, the projects are much better ways to measure students' knowledge. Perfect for STEM majors trying to get a VLPA credit like me.

Patty is by far one of the best professors I've had thus far. This was a completely new subject to me and a class outside of my major, but she made things easy to follow and helped me to understand what was going on. Lectures were lots of fun and she cares so much.

Prof. Desmet is a great instructor. She knows her stuff and is a very sincere and caring instructor. Her constant smiling and willingness to be goofy with us makes participation easier. Her course has a reasonable amount of reading for a upper division humanities class and she handles difficult topics in a very engaging and interesting way.

Raissa is such a passionate professor and has a different teaching style than traditional instructors I've had in the past. Raissa encourages us to explore our creativity and do a lot of self reflection. SEAPF was a great way for me to connect with my culture in a way that I've never been able to do before and I recommend everyone take this course!

Raissa is such a caring professor and puts her students first, so grades aren't the most important thing in this class. As long as you show up, participate, and do the work, you'll get an A. Although Raissa is a little unorganized, we all have things going on that she forgives and understands, so I don't mind her messing up here and there. Love her

Interesting class. Raissa really did a great job at generating active class discussions and provided very useful examples to clarify some of the concepts. I'd take another class with her (and I'm signed up for one next winter).

I greatly enjoyed the Postcolonial Literature class. 2 essays that aren't graded harshly, and she leaves comments on the document regarding strengths and potential improvement aside from Canvas feedback. She really knows the material and teaches the class well, but is really funny and also accommodating. Also very helpful during office hours.

Raissa is awesome. I had her for two classes now. She gives great lectures and really understands her students. The material presented in his lectures really changed my perspective about race and diversity. She's very caring and honestly hilarious. Really doesn't go hardball on students, compared to other professors. I'd take a third with her.

Raissa is a good teacher. She's kind, really laid back, writes a lot on her lecture slides and whiteboard, and gives good feedback on assignments, especially essays. One thing I would say is that she isn't always the fastest at grading or responding to emails, but she was awesome nonetheless.

Even if you're not interested in literature or writing in the slightest, the class is awesome. Raissa is engaging, funny, and truly passionate about what she's teaching. There are really only 3 assignments: 2 essays that analyze readings, and a final group project. Most of the class is reading books/articles, watching films, and discussing.

She is a little quirky but she really wants you to learn and have fun with it. She never gets mad, is excited about teaching, and loves student discussions. She is generally a pretty laid-back and kind teacher and a fair grader because of how she values effort. The class is really straightforward.

She's a pretty nice teacher, very enthusiastic about the class, and her expectations are pretty clear. Most lectures have PowerPoints and they are usually posted after class. Essays aren't that hard. Some readings are LONG AF but if you skim for main arguments and themes, you'll be fine. She's really helpful in office hours if you need anything.

Class is super interesting. Raissa is really funny and great at making the classroom a comfortable space for everyone. She can go on tangents but they somehow always relate back to our learning. If you pay attention and submit the work on time, it's pretty easy to do really well (> 3.5 as a grade) in this specific class.

You will learn a lot from her! She makes time in class for student questions and community-building. She is very approachable and kind.

Best available for the worst class in IAS. BIS499 is required but she is one of the best choices you can have in an instructor for it. FOR FUTURE STUDENTS: she teaches it only in winter and spring.

Easy class, great teacher. She's funny, a people person and makes all students feel welcome in class. She is open to discussion and alternative methods on assignments. She cares about students and wants to know what they think, and is super knowledgeable about many things. A+ professor.

If u read and show up to class, ur guaranteed a 4.0. Lectures were interesting, but a tad long. You have no exams but u do have weekly discussions and 2 papers. Gives good feedback on ur writing. She makes it very clear she wants everyone to get a 4.0 but also learn. If u put some effort in u'll get a really good grade.

Raissa is a REALLY good teacher. She really loves what she's doing and is here to support you if you need it. Her lectures are very lively, and she's quite funny even if you learn a lot too. Writing assignments will stretch your thinking. Office hours are helpful. Highly recommend!

She is a nice teacher and has a good sense of humor. She wants students to do well. I'd take her again.

Really sweet and caring. This class was interesting and challenges students to really delve into what readings are about. Graded on one group project, in class participation, and two big essays which she explains clearly and gives plenty of time to do and also offers extensions. I recommend!

Y'all need to chill. She had family issues! I'm doing the SEAPF independent study with her and was in two of her classes last year and had NO problems. You just need to put in effort and show her that you care about what you're doing. She's very kind and approachable.

Passionate and can get stuck in lecture mode, but out of all the teachers I've had at UWB, she has been the most engaged, caring, and easygoing. She has a very generous late work policy. Everyone else is just bitter because they didn't put effort into the class.

I'm going to be the odd one out here. I was also in her class this quarter and I liked her. Y'all didn't read instructions or get help. Raissa is a fantastic instructor, incredibly knowledgeable and kind, but you need to actually do the work to succeed in her classes. This was my second class with her and I can tell she appreciates engagement.

She's nice & clearly sets her expectations. Her lectures are great. If you follow directions on assignments, you're in a good shape to get an A in this class.

She is a very kind person and I appreciate how she's willing to support students with anything. This class is not hard but there is a lot of reading. Assignments are interesting especially the student authored exam at the end. I would take her again.

I've done 3 classes with her (372, 490, and now 499). She's a very sweet teacher and person, who really has the best interests of students in mind. Her lectures are great and make the material much more accessible! She assigns lots of group work. The low reviews from recent quarters don't make sense in my eyes AT. ALL.

Prof. DeSmet was very kind and understanding, and heavily encouraged self-care. She was a fair grader, and left thoughtful feedback on our written work. Would absolutely take another class with her!

She is a VERY nice person but could have been a better teacher. The concepts are interesting but she could have been better at communicating them. I like that she doesn't lecture for the full 2 hours and has us take breaks.

Raissa is the definition of a professor who cares about her subject and her students. Her energy, humor, and her enthusiasm for teaching this class were infectious. She is thorough but fair in his grading, and if you ever need help on your papers, she's more than willing to do so. By far the best prof I've had at UWB.

She is very understanding and compassionate. The class itself was kind of boring but it was an easy class for Arts and Humanities credit. 4.0 not guaranteed because of how little assignments are graded. If you miss just a few points a 4.0 is impossible. Extra credit so little it barely affects your grade. Mostly watching movies, reading articles.

She's mother. Cares so much about students' growth and engagement, and creates avenues for success in the ways that they may learn best. I had such a great time across 3 classes with her. Deserved that Distinguished Teaching Award for being a queen.

Professor DeSmet is engaging and cares about her students. While the writing assignments can be challenging, following instructions and utilizing resources like Unstuck ai for study prep can help you succeed in her fair but thorough class.

Absolutely loved having Raissa as my prof for this quarter. She is extremely passionate about what she teaches, and it shows. Attendance was mandatory which made me groan at first, but I ended up looking forward to coming to class every week. She makes sure everyone chats with each other so that we can create a sense of community. LOVE HER.

Dr Raissa is super caring and the most engaging lecturer I have had at UW Bothell. If you need or want to take a Global studies/Ethnic studies you wont regret taking her class. She approaches her topics with a perfect blend of seriousness, considering the issues she presents, paired with her comical and uplifting personality when appropriate.