Richard is a great guy and a great teacher. If you have any problems in his class, ASK, and he will explain until you understand. LISTEN to his criteria re: essays, and you will do fine.

awesome prof, really helpful in all aspects. everyone should take a class with him

Richard is a wonderful teacher. He is funny, engaging and fair. He provides a range of intersting material and presents it in a clear and effective manner. I signed up for this class because I had to...I show up for his class because I want to.

He was great! Always very helpful and actually cared that we improved!

Basically a class I was forced into to complete my English requirement and it wasnt too bad. He is one of the easier English teachers and was a very nice guy. He provided a range of material that everyone could relate to. I enjoyed his teaching even though I had a huge lack of interest in English all together.

even though the class was at 8:30 in the morning, just listenig to him read the romanic poety-worth it! Not alot of worth, well of u consider reading 5 lines of poerty work, and just doing 3 1000 word essays. really good teacher!

Lectures were fun. It was a bit of an odd class though. Felt more like a writing class than an English class--if that makes sense seeing as how the two are closely related. Friendly and helpful. But hard marker, and confusing or little feedback! See him or email him for help if things get unclear. Fun assignments, no final. Overall was lots of fun!

Although he gives semi-enjoyable lectures, and is a very nice person, I don't recommend this prof to anyone who is taking English soley for pre-requisite purposes. He is a very hard and critical marker, and if you don't write what he wants to read, you are in for a tough semester.

Really great prof, and not one of those single-minded "it has to be what I want and nothing else" markers. Classes largely weren't boring and we did study some interesting pieces of literature.

Great prof, marking can be all over the place though. Some of my papers that I thought were good got bad, and others that I thought were bad got good. 5 assignments, no final. Pretty interesting, recommended.

This was my favourite teacher all year, he totally turned me on to persuing an English Major. He is extremely approachable and available by email. Funny as well, and good-looking! Especially love his argyle sweater vests and innovative assignments.

He's one of those profs that actually cares enough to learn everyone's name. The assignments are varied and can be challenging, but are useful not only academically but practically as well.

English is not an big interest of mine, I like structure, writing non-fiction, and avoid literary analizing like the plague...Pickard makes it all more than bearable though, is very helpful, always accepting of others' indeas and interpretation, never condescending. Great teacher for a course that would otherwise be unbearable for me.

Very personal and helpful. I didn't get the higher grade I had hoped for but if I had used the writing center I'm sure I would have.

Basically an english lit. 12 course, but with higher standards. Did not really like the essay topics or the final exam. However, Pickard is extremely helpful if you go out and seek it. A really nice guy too.

Great teacher, gives the class a whole new appreciation for poetry and short fiction. He is genuinely interested in helping each student progress and his sweater vests are fenom.

A very reasonable and caring professor. Take one of his classes. He respects students and their needs while offering an appropriate level course difficulty. An invaluable course.

Super nice guy, really easy to listen too. If you ask him or help he'll do everything he can to help you understand. That being said, he's a stickler for grammar and is a pretty tough marker.

Probably the best teacher I have ever had. I loved that class and though it was challenging I didn't mind because he was such a good teacher. He is really caring to students and is always willing to help. I love his sweater vests too! They make my life..

Awesome prof. His criteria for assignments were often vague, which meant you could reasonably get away with writing whatever you want so long as it's on topic and within the word limit. And yes, he is a picky marker but he genuinely wants to help you improve your writing. Oh yeah, he likes to take his shoes off and turn off the lights. It's hot.

he is a very pleasant guy with an amorous love affair with english literature & classics. He is actually knowledgable with what he teaches and allows for some creativity with papers & books. If you aren't too keen on english, he makes it so that you actually love the books/authors you're reading about, or at least makes the class bearable to go to.

Nice prof! Very helpful and provides a lot of office time. Got along well with him, and provided good constructive comments on assignments. Assignments were vague but gave a lot of room for interpretation, so I got high marks. Really wants to see you do well, and is there for you if you need it. Easy going. Lots of group work in the course.

I really like him. He is fair and really just wants to see you improve. He can be a hard marker but his marks are generally fair. He feeds u the info for the final exam!

Pickard is an amazing prof! he turned one of the driest materials (reading and writing) into a decent course. attendence is crucial because it's such a tiny class that he'll know if you're skipping. He also has very high standards but he is always happy to help and i highly recommend using his office hours to your advantage.

Excellent teacher; good communicator; treats students like human beings and interested in what students think

Richard was an excellent prof. I went in with the mindset that I had just one more english class to take and I'd never have to touch it again. His class turned into the one I looked forward to. He was always available when I had concerns. His lectures were interesting and motivating. He made it an individual experience. I will sorely miss his class

Amazing professor. First English class in a long time that I actually enjoyed. Don't skip out on the assigned readings, though, because he actually spends the class discussing them.

Mr. Pickard, is probably the sole reason I did not give up with English. I was really struggling and he went out of his way to help me and give friendly advise, he was extremely understanding and really engaged the class. My fav. class at UVic, I would recommend it to anyone!

Richard was an excellent prof. I have never been so interested in an English class like I was with his - three 50 min lectures a week and not once did I look at my watch hoping class was almost over. It flew by and he changed up the style of teaching a lot so it didn't get boring. He was understanding with due dates.

He helped me with my seemingly odd topic and style for my english class and was lenient toward an extremely high word count because it came hand in hand with what I was writing about. He genuinely seemed interested in the class and what I had to say in my writing. I would take any English class he taught even if I had no interest in the subject.

Really great prof- though he thinks he rambles on, everything he says is interesting and he involves the class as much as he can. Changes his teaching style to keep you thinking and engaged and it works! He renewed my love for English and for learning; I will definitely be looking to take another class of his.

Nice guy, not a bad teacher. He takes ages to return assignments. Be sure to talk to him before you start an essay, it will save you a lot of rewriting. The class is mostly just talking about literature, but the books and poems ARE on the final, so even if you don't attend the class, be sure to read them.

Pickard, though a difficult marker, is also extremely fair in his grades. He is flexible with due dates and always available to meet students who wants extra help. His classes are enjoyable and actually very helpful for assignments. I suggest you go to all classes and participate as much as possible

Richard is a fantastic English professor, I highly recommend him. Getting a good grade requires work but he's a very fair marker and what he requires from you is always clearly stated. Attend class, not just because you need to but because they are engaging and enjoyable.

He turned my least favourite subject into my most enjoyable class of the semester. Extremely helpful and very open about different topic choices for papers. Fair marking scheme. Highly recommended.

Amazing professor! Heavily engages with material, open to unique assignments. Great facilitator for class discussions. Highly recommend!

Complaints about the dullness of the course are timely given Pope's Dunciad. It's not Pickard's fault as much as the reading. See his glowing reviews elsewhere, where his research interests lie. True, he should've been more equipped to spruce up this stuff, but students help to fire interest as well. Not an unfair marker if time & thought's put in.

I'm so surprised at all the bad reviews! 18th c. poetry is hard to understand, but Pickard made it relatable. He talks about the authors like he knows them personally. If you're not an ENGL major, maybe the course isn't for you, but Pickard is a prof who actually takes the time to teach. Love him. So respect him. Y'all need to getcho act together.

Here's my advice: avoid ENGL 374 if you can; take a class with Picard if you can. It seems like some people (?) mistake his passion for the material (which he expresses using earnest sincerity) for detachment - this is a brilliant man. While 18th c poetry isn't my jam (I prefer less frilly jelly), I'm one req. down and I have Picard to thank. :)

Pickard knows his stuff, and is professional in his mannerisms and appearance. However, he is often late for class because he belongs to many special groups that he believes take priority over his teaching requirements. I have a gpa of around 7, but got a B+, a C, and a D in the three classes I took with him. He is certainly not for everyone.

Great prof. Genuinely cares about each of his students and wants everyone to succeed. Always willing to stay after class and answer questions. He wants to make this basic english class applicable to each person in whatever field they want to go into, making the assignments flexible so that you really learn something that will apply to your future.

Richard is a very down to earth professor. He is always willing to give up his time and give extra help when needed. His marking criteria is very clear and easy to follow and he is a very fair marker. Richard is caring and very passionate about his job and you can see that when he teaches.

Richard is a very engaging and effective instructor. His focus on class discussions fostered a sense of community in the classroom, and most of the in class activities were useful and enjoyable. His marking scheme is clear and he's very accessible. He can seem a little scattered at times, but is overall a great choice for ENGL 135.

This guy is great! He's very accommodating and understanding to his students, and is very laid back and casual. He wants his students to do well, and wants to make sure they understand the course material! Bonus: sometimes he brings his dog to class! :D

Richard is the best human on this campus. He brings his dog to class and food on Fridays which is sick as heck. His assignments are easily understood you just have to ask questions and read the course outline. He is always ready to chat after class and he is just overall a genuine guy who wants to see you succeed. Overall, great experience.

Lovely person, funny, brings his dog to class, wants students to succeed, he understands when students don't do the readings, and he's good at telling you what you need to improve on. Classroom is a friendly environment

Richard is by far my favorite prof here. His lectures are engaging and he is a kind and understanding person. His classroom makes you feel welcome and accepted and he even brings his dog to class sometimes :) His marking is very fair, he lets you discuss grades and papers after class, and he is always willing to listen to you. 10/10 experience.

Highly recommend taking his ENGL 135, he has reasonable expectations and is a super understanding and caring person. Gives helpful feedback and is accessible outside of class. His class involves a lot of in-class discussion and partner/group work (not for credit). Considering this is a mandatory course, having him as a prof made it bearable.

Richard is probably one of the better profs to take for first year English! Hes extremely caring and will grant extensions when needed if you ask. Very accessible and there for the students. Sometimes brings his dog to class!! The class has many assignments and readings so make sure to do all of them in order to succeed in the course.

This was a good class! Dr. Pickard is more cognizant of the stress associated with taking a full course load than any prof I've ever had and will often work with you to reschedule due dates if you're struggling. His teaching style wasn't my personal favourite but he more than made up for it in terms of supporting his students :)

It was very hard to grasp how he graded and It was never clear how the grade reflects the comments given. Overall a really nice guy and always around to chat.

I had Richard for english 135, and I've never liked english before but he actually made this class so much fun. he brought his dogs once, and let us go on a walk through the gardens another time. He made the class interesting and fun every day and I 100% recommend taking the class with him. We also had basically no homework the whole year.

Really approachable guy! I had an injury during the last quarter of the semester and couldn't attend his class, and he was super understanding and gave me a thorough run down of what I needed to do and how I could just do it at home.

Richard is an absolute beauty, his marking is fair. He seems to really care about his students and will try to help you out with assignments during class. Top G

The sweetest man! Caring, supportive, understanding (tells us he's proud of us) Helpful in class! Does his best with the standard course material. Few assignments (not coordinated by him) with flexible deadlines if you talk to him. Grading is slow but fair. Go to office hours for feedback! Brought his dogs on the last day and they were so fluffy

Great prof who always brought in extra materials to help us relate course work to real-life. Slow grader, tougher on the first assignments. Entertaining lectures, but our analysis of the books read in class often came off as more of a glorified book club rather than a university class, which was fine though I wish I'd learned more.

Dr. Pickard is a very nice guy and wants you to succeed in class. He offers help and wants to make writing fun for you. I definitely didn't want to take this class at the beginning of the year because I thought it would be another pointless English class, but it ended up helping my writing immensely.

Dr. Pickard is super caring and really wants students to succeed. Grading was fair, it did take quite a while to get our work back, but the feedback was usually quite helpful. My section had to get a book for formative readings and discussion posts, but this was a trial run that didn't happen in other sections (we ditched it pretty quickly).

Dr. Pickard was super kind and caring. Very easy to get along with and his classes are very laid-back. He is a pretty tough grader and his feedback can be a little confusing, but he is always willing to provide feedback before and after an assignment is due. Overall, I would recommend taking a course with him.

Very accessible outside of class despite this being an online course and encourages you to reach out to him. Is on the tougher side for grading and doesn't provide a rubric, which can be difficult, but this was a very technical course so as long as you stay on top of the readings and watch the very short lectures, its easy to hit all the marks.

Richard is a gem--so caring and wants you to succeed. My only complaint: he would talk a LOT in classes and much of the time it was repetitive. Grading was completely fair. Just like every other class, you have to put in effort. I think a lot of people are used to high grades in high school and expect the same. Writing takes skill and effort.

I think Richard may have been the best professor I had in first year! Grading was definitely on the slower side which was tough, but that's my only complaint about him! Classes were quick and engaging, you can tell he loves what he is teaching. I would 100% take his class again

The best professor I had in first year, extremely kind and funny. His lectures were genuinely enjoyable, and I looked forward to every class. The workload was light, with no novel readings and no assignments over 1,000 words.