2.1
Quality4.3
Difficulty6%
Would Retake96
Reviews6%
Would Retake
96
Reviews
Rating DistributionOfficial
5
12
4
10
3
7
2
23
1
44
What Students Say
“Barris is the reason why I got my grey hairs early”
ARTH420 - 1.0 rating“Not clear on rules, indecisive, pretentious”
ART216 - 1.0 ratingClass Info
Online Classes
100%
Attendance Mandatory
83%
Textbook Required
77%
Grade Predictor
Your expected effort level
Predicted Grade
B-
Grade Distribution
Common Tags
Rating Trend
Stable
-0.02 avg changeRatings by Course
216
5.0
(1)ARTHIST
5.0
(5)ARTH428
5.0
(1)ARTHANY
5.0
(1)ART600
5.0
(1)Difficulty by Course
215
5.0
ART444
5.0
ART0427
5.0
ARTHANY
5.0
ART101
5.0
Reviews (96)
Idefinente Swearing towards Dr. Barris and her blasted class, her "quizzes" cover about oh 70 images, and her "exams" are more like a theseus on the subject, She makes the class about 568 times harder than it needs to be, It makes me want to cry, by the way, she is ALWAYS right, even if you now what you are saying, you can't be more than half righ
She is so hard. Her mid-term you can study forever for and still only get a C if you are lucky. She expects you to know every little detail about everything in art history. It is my hardest and least favorite class out of five. Dont take her you will most likely fail.
Let's put it this way. You study for her test for hours upon hours, you think you are ready for the test, you get a grade that is much worse than what you feel you deserved, and then she has the nerve to say "Well I thought the test was easy". I'm sorry I don't have a PHD like you, but I'm still an undergrad.
I would rather rip my all of my fingernails out with a pair of pliers and recieve a "C" than take her class again.
AWFUL!!!! I had to withdraw from this class... only class i have ever failed in after doing all the work and studying for hours for quizzes. Best part is she was confused to why i was withdrawing. DO NOT TAKE... you'll want to scream if you do.
HORRIBLE. I had to withdraw from this class.... I studied for hours and never got anything better than a C on her quizes... she was also confused as to why I was withdrawing.
i'd taken art history for a year before this class but somehow it was much harder the second time around. dr.barris means well, but she's a bit off the wall. the only way to be fully prepared for the tests is to all the study sessions she offers. they're usually 2 before each one but she covers different material that she doesn't cover in class.
HORRIBLE!!!! do not take her!!! she is a jerk and is not open to any student ideas. It is either her opinion of the art movement or non. worst prof. that i have ever had in 4 years at RU.
No Comments
The worst professor I've had in college period.Usually I can handle bad professors because I am willing to work.This woman is crazy and has no idea how to teach.All she does is talk about how much she loves a painting.If I could go back I wouldnt of taken this class for a gen ed credit.
No Comments
this class sucks, she puts so much info on the quizzes, u can only miss 2 classes then she takes off 5 points your final grade for any after that. 7 page research paper is ridicilous, she grades really unfair, IF YOU CAN GET ANOTHER TEACHER...PLEASE DO!!!!!!
No Comments
With a willingness work, much learning and growth can occur while taking her class. She is a very passionate professor and loves to help (esp. during office hours) with any questions or concerns. Her experiences and content knowledge is something students should take advantage of. I recommend it!
No Comments
One of the worst teachers I have ever had. Tests are very hard. She seems sort of oblivious to today's technology.
Barris is not as bad as everyone says, her classes are challenging and the material can be hard to understand but she is extremely nice if you talk to her one-on-one. I feel like this is the first REAL college class I have ever taken. I learned a lot about several different artists and helped me to pass praxis II.
She was the worst teacher i have ever had! I do not like her! She is really crazy, and not easy to get along with. She also does not offer much help. If you take her class you are crazy!
This was about women in art only reason she was nice. She's not nice you can learn a lot, but your opion doesn't matter, she's always right. She changed the exam about 2 days before it. Lectures long, she keeps you the full time. Text were hard to understand and didn't make sense for the class. Tests are extremly difficult. DO NOT TAKE HER!!!!
This class was art history and, one of the biggest waste of times that I will never be able to get back. She is a pathetic, insecure and, awkward teacher. She has no consideration for her class as a whole and, very naieve to the real world. Only take if you are a art major
She is very straight forward about what she expects from you at the begining of the year. Her test are not that difficult and she gives TONES of extra credit for those who want or need it. I don't find her class hard to go to at all. I also like that she cracks down on those annoying fools who feel the need to talk throughout class.
Worst teacher ever. Test are extremely difficult and she speaks her mind and doesnt care to help anyone. Your out of your mind to take this class.
As long as you attend class, you'll be fine. She offers extra credit and optional test review sessions as well.
She is awful- honestly the worst teacher i have ever had, she makes attendance mandatory but rarely anything she goes over in class is on the exam. you have to read the book or go to her website to study for exams WHICH ARE EXTREMELY HARD. avoid her at all cost!
generally hard to get along with. wont let you come in late or even use the restroom. her exams are very difficult, even if you come to class, study, and use the freebie index card. god forbid you disagree with anything she says. i've learned a great deal, but would recommend any other professor. . . too bad that isnt an option
Worst Professor ever.Your only correct when you're agree exactly with her opinion, not helpful, and rude.I dropped her class and I have never ever dropped a class. The last test I took I disagreed with my grade and comments. It was almost exactly what she spoke on the topic I even had it written in my notes, took it to her, and she disagreed.
SHE IS HORRIBLE. I don't know why people give her good reviews. She gets mad if you blow you nose or cough, she wants to mark everyone absent is someone has to get up and go to the bathroom. I think she is crazy, seriously insane. I don't know why she still has a teaching job here. Treats her students like crap and very disrespectful. Avoid her!!!!
I am taking her for American Architecture. Ok we had our midterm and everyone did so poorly that she had to multiply our grades by 2. Come on now you think that would tell her something but no. She thinks shes the greates and is always right now matter what. Stay away far far away from this horrible professor.
most of the topics in the course i found to be rather interesting but i would not recommend her as a professor. she gave rubics that showed how she graded, but never really to the rubric. she also forgot to hand out the attendance sheet like every class so we had to stay after and sign and be late to next class. dont take unless need for major
This was the worst professor at Radford. I had to spend 2 weeks in the hospital and when I came back this woman wanted me to make up my work by going to Washington DC for a art show, finish 14 pages of a sketch book (which is ridiculous) and write a 15 page paper... don't ever get deathly sick when you're enrolled in her class.
not helpful, hard to talk to, not understanding
A lot of people rag on Dr Barris. I love art history and she had a lot of great things to teach about it. If you have to take art history and arnt interested or good at memorizing, take it in the summer. I did and it was so easy to have the class constant, everyday. Dr. Barris is very misunderstood, shes really nice if you get to know her
WORST TEACHER EVER!!! she is so hard to follow... and makes no sense with most of her assignments.. which there are A LOT OF!
:O Made the semester Horrible and made my gpa drop majorly. Too many pictures, she's annoying. Very rude to students and very strange. She seems to try to rip her hair out every morning as if it's a new style. I dreaded her class and it made me miserable. I had to study for HOURS to even get a C on her tests. INSANE.
This class is way too hard! All you do is look at slides for the whole time, and you are expected to remember all of the information about them. The exams are killer, and you have a 15 page term paper. Her office hours are riduclous and her manerisms are generally annoying. I really don't suggest taking this class unless you ABSOLUTLY have to!!
i loved the class, but hated the teacher.
If you enjoy watching frivolous slides for an hour and 15 min and listen to her ramble on then this is your class. The teacher is very rude and could care less about the student. She doesn't make exceptions for anything and grades your papers extremely hard and doesn't give you good feedback on where to go with it. She never lets you out early to
Not the greatest first impression for first time students, but if you present your problems to her she will help, you just have to have the you know what's to ask.
Worst professor ever!! I studied for her tests for hours and still failed. She's really awkward too and likes to make you feel like an idiot if you ask her a question. do NOT take her class if you don't need it for your major!
doesn't care about students at all unless you're as passionate about art history as her
Dr. Barris is a great professor. As long as you go to class, keep up with your reading, and take notes you will get a good grade. She can be really funny. She is very knowledgeable about art history and very passionate about the subject, which makes it an easy lecture class. And it's art history-- of COURSE you're going to have a lot of slides!
Dr. Barris is a great professor! Many of the negative comments on here about her appear to be written by lazy students. While I myself have failed one of her courses, if you work hard, she will reward you. She is also always willing to help students who ask for it, and is very passionate about art history. You will learn tons from her classes!
very bad experience. Tests are very hard. Easy class to FAIL and yes it takes A LOT of work. College is easy but that is not a class to stress over about. Do not take this unless you are an art major. Just a warning!
My overall Barris Experience: Freshman year I wasnt into art history and I was taking her Prehistoric course. I was lazy, stupid and slept through majority of her classes. Got a D. It was horrible. But I was so immature back then. Ive taken her 4 more times after that. Straight As. Work hard. Laugh. Crack jokes. DONT MISS CLASS! Love that woman. =)
I took African Diasporan Art and 20th Century. BEST CHOICES EVER! She made us brownies and brought food multiple times. She cracks jokes and makes fun of her students all the time. I love debating and argueing with her. Shes hilarious. People who hate her dont understand her. And she is hard on freshman intentionally. Best class ever. =)
Prehistoric is the worst class ever. Its just not an easy class. Theres a ton of information. Go to class. Read. Take notes. Ask questions. Get help. Barris is a wonderful teacher. Years of experience. She is very strict, serious and professional. Its college, dont expect everything to be easy. Work hard, youll do fine.
Her higher level classes are fun. Not necessarily easy, but not as hard as Prehistoric or whatever that other class was. I did horrible in that class and got straight As in her classes after that. Its fun. Fun as in, we laugh, a lot. I like to think of her classes as the ones that separate the true art lovers from the lazy wannabes. Great teacher.
If you are lazy. If you dont love art. If you dont like going to classes. If you like wasting peoples time. DONT TAKE BARRIS! She will destroy you. Fun classes. Interesting, fun lectures. I laughed so hard once I cried. Love her classes.
Despite the fact that I got an A in the class there is a lot of work to it. If you do the papers the way she asks and study for exams you'll be ok. However, she's not the easiest person to get along with. Wouldn't take her again but I survived.
If you're an Art Major you should be fine, but Barris shows no mercy to non-art students who take her class as a gen-ed. Although the tests are relatively easy, She's vague in voicing her expectations on the term paper, and the $150 book that was required for the class turned out to be useless. Don't take her class if you don't have to.
horrible. she does not help you what so ever and she is not clear at all. on tests she changes her mind about the answers, so you think you did well but you end up failing because she wanted to change the answers around. do not take her.
Yes, her class IS hard. But, she's actually very helpful if you actually care and take the time to go talk to her in her office. She's not really as mean as people make her out to be, just a bit quirky, and she absolutely loves what she teaches, so that's a really great quality. Overall, don't take this if you don't really give a crap about art.
Read the book and go to class or you won't pass. check her website she puts a lot of extra help on it. Don't get up more than once during class, she notices & will call you out. Don't ask big questions b4 class it makes her flustered and she can get rude really fast. Class is hard but it's possible to make an A.
Tests are hard unless you are good at this material. Reading the book helps but you really have to go to class and take good notes. She has a very high rate of people her fail her class! Don't take it unless you have to!
The basic rule about Dr. Barris is that intro classes like 215 and 216 are hard b/c its a HUGE CLASS. Her upper level classes arent just manageable but are also extremely educational and fun. Tons of artistic growth. 20th cent. was the greatest art history class ever. Wish I could do it again.
Go to class. Read the book. Pay attention. Take notes. Ask questions. Stay involved. Find interest. This is NOT an easy class. Dr. Barris is the most qualified art historian/ feminist/ activist/ professor etc. Either be a responsible student or drop the class, because you will fail if you waste her time. Don't blame her for your immaturity.
I read the book. I payed attention. I took notes. I went to every single class. I worked by butt off...and I still had to withdraw. By the time I withdrew half the original class had already dropped. She will treat you like you know everything about art history before entering the class. If you take her, GOOD LUCK
She is a great professor if your willing to work hard and you have thick skin.
She's extremely unclear about all of her assignments, she doesn't make sense, she makes jokes that aren't funny, and she gets flustered very easily. I'm an art major, so I understand art, but I don't understand a word that comes out of her mouth or the directions behind the assignments.
Great teacher, she is so passionate about her subject! I have learned a lot in her class, and it really isn't hard as long as you take notes and actually work hard on the assignments. She gives lots of extra credit and gives study guides for the test. If you do all the work and try hard then you will have no problem getting an A or B
Literally the hardest class I have taken at Radford...she moves through the notes way too quickly, and doesn't make it clear what you should write down to study from. Her study guides for the tests have almost no relation at all to the actual test. She expects everyone in the class to understand art like an art major would. Way too hard.
While I appreciate her enthusiasm and depth of knowledge, I found her instructions and expectations confusing. One thing would be written on the syllabus and another would be written online. She made a point of talking about individuals' grades in the middle of class, calling attention to them. I thought that was unprofessional.
Hardest teacher ever, I have tried taking this class TWICE. Each time I had to withdraw, and trust me by the second time I was really on top of things to make sure I passed the class..but I still ended up having to withdraw. Is not clear on what she wants you to study and exams are impossible. DO NOT TAKE HER.
Super smart lady.
She's nice enough as a person and has a passion for art history but… as a professor I'd caution to avoid her if at all possible. She's very confusing on what she wants, and therefore it makes it impossible to get good grades. She also grades harshly, which is weird since she never seems to know what she wants out of an assignment.
Vague, disorganized, petty. She didn't have any idea what she was going to teach in class even 10 minutes before class started. She taught us constructivism even though nothing about constructivism dealt with the topic we were studying at the time; she just needed something to talk about to waste the class period (rather than cancel class).
She is Hard but if you show that you want to learn she is easy. Show up to class and do the reading and you'll be good.
Barris does not know what she wants, especially when it comes to essays. She always say that there's not enough information and comparison of the posters. Highly don't recommend this class. Take the class with a different teacher. Just saying......
Barris is the reason why I got my grey hairs early. It's so frustrating!!!
Dr. Barris' lectures are amazing. She knows A LOT about what she teaches. Her passion for art is inspiring and translates to her enthusiasm when she lectures. Definitely take her over the summer if you can. She's super sweet and much more relaxed. Try to get her to let you do pechakucha assignments instead of essays, it's much easier.
Barris is an awful professor. She is not clear about what she wants in assignments. She grades using the information in her head and depending on how she feels that day, not from the info you found from the book. Her opinion on art is more important than the factual information in the book. I hope I never have to take a class with her again.
Not clear on rules, indecisive, pretentious. Attend regularly since it counts and do as much extra credit as possible to help your pitiful grade. Don't rely on your intelligence, it's all subjective luck. She has a very stuck up attitude about this age of students and the ex. cred is as much flexibility you'll ever get in that class. Godspeed.
Dr. Barris is the head of the art department at RU with tenure, which means she could care less about her students' GPAs. She expects everyone to understand what she is talking about even if you know nothing about art. TAKE GOOD NOTES. Gives extra credit, but she is a HARD grader. 3 weeks at the end I had a D and pulled a B-, I think she felt bad.
Ok, so heres the deal. Dr. Barris is one of the most qualified and quality professors you could ask for. The only thing is people sometimes don't understand her dark humor and think she's being rude. If you take the time to ask for help IN PERSON, she is MORE than willing to help her students succeed. She is a very lovely person and passionate.
Withdrawal immediately, not good at explaining. Rude when asking reasonable questions. Speaks so softly that you can barely hear what she is saying.
I loved taking ART 215, I came into this class expecting to enjoy it and do well. The very first day I could tell it wouldn't be that way. Her lectures are not very organized and makes it hard to follow. She assigns quizzes online every week. Only allows two absences no matter what, wont let you make up quizzes even with doctors note.
grades hard, speaks monotone,
I think Dr. Barris doesn't realize how she comes across. She comes off as very condescending and rude. I think she wants to help her students, but she's not sure how to. Every time I went to her office hours and asked her questions, she acted like I was an idiot. Again, I don't think she realized she was doing it, but it was certainly not helpful.
I knew class would be hard, but not that hard. Nit picks and bases grades on opinion, not fact, when you ask a question she'll beat around the answer, and she'll assign long research papers due within two days.
Awful. Easily the worst professor I have ever had. She's mean. I don't care if she realizes how she comes across, there's no excuse for being that rude. I worked incredibly hard in this class and she never wanted to give me an A. I took her feedback and applied it but it never mattered. She expects you to know as much as she does which is absurd.
Barris has no idea what she wants. Her instructions on assignments are not clear at all and if you ask her about them she acts like you're stupid. It gets to the point where you dread emailing her or going to her office. If you can take the class with someone else, do it. She's not helpful at all. Ever. Don't take her if you can avoid it.
I took this class because I thought it would be interesting. However, Barris is extremely monotoned and is fairly rude. She is petty and unprofessional at times. Also, the final project was difficult and tedious. I worked so hard on it and she gave me a D. She is stuck in her ways (your opinion doesn't matter). I would not recommend taking her.
This professor does choose who passes and who doesn't. Don't be fooled and think if your work is great, you will pass. She only passes you IF she likes you. I've seen many people take her class, and half of them FAILED. Barris is VERY self centered, and only cares what SHE thinks. also, whatever you do, DON'T CORRECT HER IF SHE'S WRONG.
Barris's class was VERY difficult, and I love art. Her tests are based off of her opinions of the art. She is a very difficult grader. I went to her review sessions and studied very hard, but this does not pay off. No review sessions, or studying I did for this class was helpful on the essays or tests.
By far the worst professor I have ever had. It doesnt matter how right you are, if she thinks otherwise its wrong. She is one of the rudest people Ive ever met. The quizzes and tests are based on her opinion not facts. Lectures are the most boring thing youll ever experience, people are constantly falling asleep. Seriously dont take her class
Honestly, its just hard to understand her, many of us students try to work with her but shes just.. I wouldnt recommend her especially for first year in art, the class probably isnt bad, her personality just kills its all.
She doesn't care about the individual students because she know most people are taking this course to get it out of the way. She will ONLY lecture, she doesn't care about your participation, just show up. She's really socially awkward so don't bombard her with questions. She hates phones so just pay attention to her lectures and take notes.
This is my 2nd time with Dr. Barris as a professor. I took an art history class with her 2 years ago and I STRUGGLED in that first class. This time around, she has been a totally different professor. She has been so helpful, caring, and has really worked with the concerns of students. Due date extensions, extra credit, great communication and help!
The only art class I have during the COVID pandemic that meets in person for lectures. She is extremely quiet and monotoned. The work she assigns is due on the weekends during midday. She is very opinionated and grades very hard. She doesnt care about your GPA. If you can avoid her, do it. Most boring lecture class in my 5 years of college.
Her lectures are very boring and shes not very engaging. She asks questions about certain topics that she thinks you know but were never taught. Shes very monotone and sometimes she talks about a topic for too long or brings up a topic unrelated to that one.
Barris is the worst professor I have ever had and I am a senior art major. Assignments are not clear at all, even if you meet the requirements she will always find something wrong. If you ask for help she will think you are debating her on the assignment. She is rude, boring, condescending, and unprofessional. AVOID THIS PROFESSOR AT ALL COSTS!
Do not take Dr. Barris EVER. She is rude, mean, dismissive, and so much more. She does not care if you pass even if it is for your major. I loved art history before taking her class. She does not care about her students and treats them as if they are stupid. She grades off of her own opinions and teaches oppositely from what she expects from us.
Finishing up Fall2020 Semester w/ her & its awful,She provides lots of resources but that seems to be the problem cuz theres SO much,3-4 videos to watch that can be 10mins or 30mins & several readings & work needs to be specific or you will fail,don't take this with her unless ur a history major,she only likes academic journals when writing papers
I never knew someone could ruin art. She is extremely rude and only cares about what she thinks. Her grading makes little sense and for an art class, there is no room for creative freedom in your work. If you have any other opinion opposite to hers she will fail you. Harsh grader, doesn't care about her students, and only interested in herself.
Holy God, what an awful professor. I wholy agree with the majority of people here, Do Not Take Dr. Barris. She gives outdated, confusing, contradictory instructions and grades based on seemingly random criteria. I should have dropped this ridiculous class when I had the chance. DO NOT make the same mistake as me.
Worst Art History class. Lectures are all over the place. Directions for assignments are also awful as they are confusing. Emailing her won't help, she makes you feel stupid and barely does anything to help you understand. She told me research wasn't necessary but when it came down to turning in an assignment she suggests I do research??
Class Info
Online Classes
100%
Attendance Mandatory
83%
Textbook Required
77%
Grade Predictor
Your expected effort level
Predicted Grade
B-
Grade Distribution
Common Tags
Rating Trend
Stable
-0.02 avg changeRatings by Course
216
5.0
(1)ARTHIST
5.0
(5)ARTH428
5.0
(1)ARTHANY
5.0
(1)ART600
5.0
(1)Difficulty by Course
215
5.0
ART444
5.0
ART0427
5.0
ARTHANY
5.0
ART101
5.0