2.1
Quality3.4
DifficultyN/A
Would Retake129
ReviewsN/A
Would Retake
129
Reviews
Rating DistributionOfficial
5
5
4
17
3
19
2
47
1
41
What Students Say
“Roger may have experience as an actor, but it's no substitute for teaching”
CTH151 - 1.0 rating“This made participation difficult”
COM201 - 2.0 ratingClass Info
Online Classes
100%
Attendance Mandatory
63%
Textbook Required
25%
Grade Predictor
Your expected effort level
Predicted Grade
B+
Grade Distribution
Common Tags
Rating Trend
Improving
+0.36 avg changeRatings by Course
CTH454
5.0
(1)COM100
4.0
(1)CTH101MORE
4.0
(1)CTH373
4.0
(1)CTH152
4.0
(1)Difficulty by Course
GENERALLY
5.0
ACTING
5.0
CTH151
5.0
COMSPCH
5.0
THEATRE
4.0
Reviews (129)
He has a fascination with Leonardo DiCaprio, and goes off on tangents.
Boring. Has a fascination with singing in class (albeit very off key)
He is kinda weird....but i guess ok.....just different......be warned.....yikes.
He is a boring teacher and tends talk a lot about sex.
TOO old to be teaching.... I think he lost his mind.... or from another planet
No Comments
He doesn't lecture very well and his movies are about orgies.
If you want a good grade you'll basically have to do 18 hours of extra credit
A teacher who wishes to make students see that their opinion isn't the only one
don't expect to read his notes, or understand them. do the reading.
Have an extreme interest in theatre before taking this class
Good class to take nap in. Hard to read or understand notes.
He's very interesting if you can get him off the subject
completly leaves syllabus and spends WAY to much time on oral reports
wierd teacher, needs to keep his mind on theater
This man has NO idea how to teach!
Gets off track....kinda weird...doesn't follow syllabus
If you understand unrelated tangents and tireless banter, take the class...
No Comments
Poor excuse for a professor. Impossible to determine what the man expects.
I absolutly hated this teacher, infuriated me with his ignorance
Horrible prof....could care less about students...lectures are BORING!
Do not take him if you have the option...didn't understand his stupid lectures
Obsessed with Titanic, odd sense of humor, spent way too long on oral reports.
No Comments
class can get boring, and has a tendency to go off on tangents a lot
very boring but easy to pass if you pay attention
goes off on tangents, then tests you on the smallest details from the book
very hard to understand what he wants
confused/useless lecture, funny man, need to get old tests and you'll get an A
impossible to take notes, can't tell what he wants, don't skip--just sleep there
His favorite words are Review, Review, Review...there is no new material!
my presentation made a mockery of his class, b/c it was a joke
Don't bother if you want to learn something
doesnt teach well at all. always talks about hannabel. read and teach yourself.
He is Hannibal's brother. He will eat you.
prepare to sleep in this class
No Comments
GET OUT NOW!!!! not worth taking for a gen ed!!!
No Comments
Do extra credit. His expectations are unclear. Kindof boring.
DO NOT take this class! (just a warning)
The Decaprio obsession is true, but despite his low rating, he truely isn't bad
Interesting language used by him! Too old to be saying things like "nookie!"
Treats students like crap, talks about nothing, goes off on hilarious tangents
very boring class....very difficult....goes off on tangents, do not take
Funny and talks about sex. Not an overall good teacher
It's Roger! You have to get used to him, but I enjoy his laid back attitude.
worst teacher ever
No Comments
Lectures have nothing to do with tests, read the book.
I think he just likes to hear himself talk. I know i dont!
Roger is an interesting guy, every day is an adventure. Not that bad! Easy!
No Comments
Talks too much,; read the book;go see the movies he shows;tests are on that
Gets off the subject a lot. Make sure you read the assigned material.
Tests on the movies, not book...Funny guy, but smug and full of himself
He wrote the book and likes to hear himself talk. Worst prof EVER.
If you miss class don't worry....you missed nothing! I wouldn't recommend him if you struggle with tests...they're tough.
No Comments
The test are the most diffacult test that I have ever taken. Boring lectures/very little student interaction/and it is true he likes to talk?(all the time). Don't get this professor if at all possible. Find someone else anyone you'll be better off.
uninteresting
very hard tests. he likes to talk a lot. I think he likes to hear himself.
he is so borning but he is easy. This class is an Easy A. If you have a problem getting in front of people to recite, don't take this class.
No Comments
Ugh.. NO
Boring and very large class. No student interaction unless you are a Theater major. Tests were difficult. I wouldn't recommend this professor unless you HAVE to take him.
he's an excellent teacher who is very accesible and helpful whenever you need it.
LOVES to hear himself talk. lectures over NOTHING and makes tests extremely difficult. i would recommend switching. this class is DEFINATELY not worth the effort, and it's not worth trying to please him
If you are looking for an EASY A this is not the class....if you dont like attending plays this is NOT the class...Tests are hard and lectures are boring...but he's a nice guy just not an interesting class
Lectures are long and boring. you have to attend this class to do well. test are ok if you know alot about theatre
He is a time waster. I hardly go to class even though he takes attendance. He talks about nothing and seriously just talks to hear himself. Hard tests, ambiguous questions. DON'T TAKE HIM!
The class is a breeze if you can his read mind! Tests are ok if you actually read the book..and understand it! He will talk forever, but and he thinks he is always right! Now a hard class though.
A total waste of my time. He loves to hear himself talk. He seems like a good guy, just not a very good teacher. Tests are mainly open book but that doesn't mean they're easy. Go to plays, turn in responses, bring you headphones and you'll be fine.
His ridiculous teaching methods include public humiliation and pretentious questioning. Worst prof yet.
No Comments
Ok, so I read everyone's comments on prof. ellis before taking his class and was scared because of his bad ratings... you are all so wrong... This guy is Hilarious, and very easy-going, this was the only class i got an A in... take him
This guy honestly scares me. Pretty easy class but he's kinda weird. Lectures repeat the same thing over and over and over again.
Yeah, I also read the comments and do NOT agree...prof. Ellis was funny and made class an adventure. You need to study for the exams, but the class is interesting. He includes everyone even though it is a lecture. Fun class!
THIS GUY SUCKS! He just talks about nothing the whole class. Tests are very hard most of the kids in my class got C's. FIND SOMEONE ELES!
This class is horrible. I feel that i am wasting my money having to sit there and listen to him. If someone asks him a question he just says "look at your lecture notes." He rambles on about nothing pertaining to the lecture for the day. Drop
I got an A in the class but it was horrible I would advise anyone to drop the class. I could have take the class without ever going because he test right from the book and the plays you see. Get another prof. if you can and never take him 8am
Simply awful. His tests are completely different from what I expected every time. I thought this would be my easiest class and it was my hardest. The tests killed me. DROP IT NOW!
No Comments
I would rather stare at naked pictures of Donald Trump than spend one minute in Ellis' presence.
He is a sad excuse for a human being let alone a professor. He made us use books that he edited... someone is full of himself. The only people who like him are (a.k.a his favorites)who have worked with him or drama queens and don't know how to act.
Myabe the reason why everyone is afraid of Roger is because he is truly a theatre guy. Very eccentric, yes, but a good man and an honest professor. Grading can be difficult but hey, WE ARE IN COLLEGE. Drop out if you can't handle it. He is a great artist and is trying to entice others to love it too
here's the deal, he's a little fruity, 8am and it seems like he's had bout 5 pots of coffee...I got a C+ and if i would have boughten the book i probably would have done better, he gives a lot of EC opp's (usher for plays, see plays), and that can really boost you, he's a wierdo though, for sure
These ratings are a little out of line. Roger is not the best 101 teacher because he is a misunderstood genius. Take him with a grain of salt. His classes are pretty easy if you care enough to get involved. HE DOES NOT play favorites in classes. You get what you deserve!
This Prof is awesome! I didn't F-in care about this theater class but Hey Roger was teaching it and I could do Chemistry HW in the large lecture hall and skim the text theater book later. I got a C; F-in Awesome!
No Comments
This man is a freakin' whackjob. Makes us do degrading and embarrassing things. He talks to down to students in a demeaning manner. Extra lab hours, reading, and tests from the text book. Too mentally and physically draining. I'm SO glad to get out of that class! I would never take a class with him ever again.
DO NOT TAKE THIS CLASS..its horrible the lecture are long and boring..he loves to hear himself talk...the tests are extremely hard..
Very enthusiastic, dosn't get to know many of his students. Likes to swear and often is very funny. Dosn't care about how his students do on tests, they are very hard and strait from movies and text. Movies and lectures are BORING!
This teacher was terrible! He just likes to hear himself talk, and his syllabus does not match the actual requirements. It's a 101 class and he acts like it's the most important one ever. Make sure you go to class though, he'll mark you down for absences!
This professor is completely full of himself. He made us take a test on the anthology he wrote for his book; arrogant much? Suffering through his class was absolutely miserable and I would not recommend anyone to take his class. Not only is it painful to hear him talk, the tests are ridiculously hard. I dreaded walking into that class.
I see a lot of people talking bad about Roger, but he really was a great teacher. It is a theatre class and he is a "theatre type guy" and you have to be prepared for the strangeness. If you make the effort and speak up in class he will get to know you and you will do well in the class. I thought it was quite fun!
The class itself was worthless. I felt like I was wasting my time. We never put what we covered to use in practice. Dr. Ellis is a good guy and is very energetic, but he just doesn't know how to teach the material too well. I am sure he would be great in a higher level theatre class, just not 101.
Hate hate hate hate hated this class. He was impossible to understand, tests were on things we'd never even talked about, and basically everything we talked about was completely useless.
He is a great teacher, he is very enthusiastic and very energetic. He knows what he is talking about. Class is not difficult, if you show up and pay attention you will do fine. I had no prior interest to this class but I found it to be kind of fun! Makes you attend 2 plays of the University and gives extra credit for going to see additional plays.
Dont take this class because it is not a blow off at all. This was my most difficult class, it sucked. If you arent into theatre, DO NOT TAKE IT, it was very hard.
Roger is a little strange, but if you are a Theatre major or minor than you should be used to people like that. I had him for voice training for actors and I loved him! If you dont do very well on a paper he lets you re-do it. I learned a lot in this class and if you want to be a better actor/actress then you should take him.
This class was such a chore. Average test grades were in the 70's (3 multiple choice, one short answer), had to attend two plays, and had to perform a 1 minute scene. He grades fairly hard, especially on the scene!
Super Easy class, passed with an A and i didnt even take the final and slept trhough all the movies. Ellis is a great teacher. Hes crazy and makes class fun and if you are at least a decent writer and bull **** the analysis of different stuff then you can get an esay A.
This class was NOT easy. I did 14 extra credit lab hours and went to extra plays and did papers for extra credit. He graded papers very harshly. He likes to mark you off for not going to the writing center. this class was a chore and annoying because it was just a 101
Prof. Ellis was a good professor. He was very boring but most of the time I wrote papers for other classes during lecture. As long as you take your essays to the writ. cntr. and e-mail them to him before you turn in the final you'll get As on them! I got Cs and Bs on tests, As on the paper and final...got an A in class. He's not a horrible prof.
Roger Ellis is one of the most amazing professors you will ever come across. He is crazy...but in a good way. He is very much a morning person so if you are not, I would recommend taking his class after noon if you can. If you make an effort in class you will do fine. And if you want to be really impressed, find out how many languages he speaks
He says he grades easily on the first few speeches and he does not. Be careful!! The speeches only get harder and his grading becomes harder as well. You don't need to read the book if you look at his powerpoints though.
The class was called "Voice For the Actor" yet we barely focused on vocal techniques at all until the last third of the semester. Otherwise, it's your standard Roger acting class where you get the most out of it if you put a lot into it and how fun it is is pretty much up to you.
Lectures are so boring and he takes attendance at end so you cant leave early. Quizzes are now online and VERY difficult. I would not recommend unless you LOVE theater. SO much work for a 101 class!
You will find yourself wondering why you didn't decide to take a different Gen Ed within two classes. In order to get full participation, you must raise your hand and comment every class period, or you will get a C. Treats his class like a level 300 course. Avoid at all costs. Do not take this professor.
HORRIBLE!. Do not take him. Unless you want to commit your life to get an A in a 100 level class.
Honestly, he's not that hard. Just do your work and show up to class. Throw a comment in here and there and you'll get your participation points. He's funny sometimes but it can be boring if you're not interested.
You can get a decent grade if you speak up a lot in class and do the extra credit. Other than that he is a HORRIBLE grader. And the pre-tests and final are ridiculous. I would go with another theatre teacher.
This class was a waste of my time and money. For being a 101 course, there was too much work involved. This guy never stays on topic during lectures, quizzes over random material, and he grades his papers/assignments too harshly. There are two mandatory plays of the semester, neither of which are free for CTH students ($6 per ticket).
Roger is a great prof who cares about his students. The book makes a lot of reference to videos and you get to watch them. It's an easy class if you pay attention. He has fun with the class and brings in speakers. For a gen ed class I highly recommend!
This class was so much harder than it needed to be. He grades very harshly for a 100 level course. He goes on rants in lectures. His online quizzes are on random, unimportant things in the book. He is very into theatre and if you are just taking this as a gen ed I would choose a different professor!
Don't take if you want an easy art credit. It's a gen ed course that he treats like it's a 300 level course. Don't take if you don't like Theatre or have no interest being involved with it. Take another professor who isn't boring and grades unfairly in all respects.
Awful. Worst prof I've ever had at GV. Very unwilling to work with people
Exams were almost all open book, but speeches were graded under intense scrutiny. All my classmates said I deserved an A but Ellis thought I deserved a C. His material is outdated, and so are his methods. Would recommend to not take.
This professor did not foster a safe learning environment for students new to public speaking. He gave very harsh, negative critiques of student's speeches in front of other students. This professor cut off students mid-thought and did not seem interested in critical thinking that varies from his own. This made participation difficult.
Ugh! Prof Ellis is just not very good. Very tough grader and has yet to get with the times; no PowerPoint or any other technology can be used in your speech. He'll say a speech is expected to be 3-5 minutes, but if your go 4 minutes, he'll say it should have been longer. Sometimes not careful with his word choice either. Take someone else.
Pretty rough teacher to be honest but he does teach a good lesson about speech. The lectures are long and he is a tough grader but I am a much better student thanks to him
Very unclear of what he wants. Says one thing but really means something else. Gives you examples and then you follow the examples, and you did it wrong.
Roger may have experience as an actor, but it's no substitute for teaching. He has been incredibly hypercritical since the start and very few criticisms have been constructive. I feel as if nothing I do is right in the class and it doesn't help that he acts condescending. He also forgets to post assignments and expects you to make up lost time.
If you take a class with Ellis you need to prepare for the worst. He has a tendency to act condescending & very rude most the time. The way he conducts a classroom is an insult to anyone who teaches. Be prepared for a heavy workload of assignments. He treats this & other 100 lvl classes as if they are 3/400 lvl. Changes HW constantly-Not courteous.
I personally would not recommend taking this professor for theater of you can help it. The class itself isn't hard, but he grades pretty tough and he is lecture heavy. I personally didn't like the personality of this professor at all, but that's just me.
"This is so sexy - I love it!" direct quote
Professor makes tests very difficult, he picks small details for tests about things that you wont remember even if you do the reading. Lectures are also horrible, very long and wordy. Things that could be explained in under a minute minutes take ten minutes to say, also gives unclear directions and assignments. Made an easy class very difficult.
Class Info
Online Classes
100%
Attendance Mandatory
63%
Textbook Required
25%
Grade Predictor
Your expected effort level
Predicted Grade
B+
Grade Distribution
Common Tags
Rating Trend
Improving
+0.36 avg changeRatings by Course
CTH454
5.0
(1)COM100
4.0
(1)CTH101MORE
4.0
(1)CTH373
4.0
(1)CTH152
4.0
(1)Difficulty by Course
GENERALLY
5.0
ACTING
5.0
CTH151
5.0
COMSPCH
5.0
THEATRE
4.0