2.3
Quality4.1
Difficulty18%
Would Retake97
Reviews18%
Would Retake
97
Reviews
Rating DistributionOfficial
5
14
4
16
3
9
2
14
1
44
What Students Say
“It is his perspective or the highway”
GOVT2306 - 2.0 rating“Will not take 2306 with him”
GOV2305 - 2.0 ratingClass Info
Online Classes
100%
Attendance Mandatory
41%
Textbook Required
23%
Grade Predictor
Your expected effort level
Predicted Grade
B-
Grade Distribution
Common Tags
Rating Trend
Declining
-1.60 avg changeRatings by Course
GOVT2301
5.0
(1)GOVT1301
5.0
(2)GOVT230533004
5.0
(1)GOVERNMENT2305
4.3
(4)GOVT2302
4.0
(2)Difficulty by Course
GOVT3001
5.0
GOVT3003
5.0
GOVT2302
4.5
GOVT2305
4.4
2306GOV
4.2
Reviews (97)
He is one of the worst teachers I have ever had. First, his test are ALL short answer, not multiple choice. I have never struggled in such a minor subject such as this. It's not that I'm lazy or anything it's just he wants more than enough on definitions nothing will ever be enough. The first test, the average was 40. BEWARE!!!
Great teacher. He presents the info in a clear and easy way of understanding. He is pretty funny. Not going to lie, tests are pretty hard. All open ended questions, but after the first test (of only 3) you get used to it. Overall, I think he's great and he is very knowledgable about the subject so that is great
He is a great professor i loved the way he teaches. Don't expect to get an easy A because you won't. You'll need to study but it's worth it.
He's a great lecturer. He has a great approach and he he teaches in a way that let's you retain the information. Also, he's very knowledgeble about the subject. Rigorous notes but they are very helpful. Tests are only easy if you show up to class everyday. He's also a great help prior to the tests. Best professor i've had yet.
Class is hard for no reason. He's a good and knowledgeable teacher and all but he grades too hard. Like all of his tests are short i.d questions and essays and he already has how he wants the answer in his head so pretty much if you don't put what he's thinking you're going to fail. I wouldn't recommend him if your not a govt major.
He is a very good professor if you attend his class regularly.He is clear in his explanations and teaches his material very well; you know he is knowledgable on the subject. His tests on the other hand are no joke. I had him for 1301 and 1302 and I struggled with his tests since the first one. If you're expecting an A in the class, good luck.
He's very sarcastic which made the class somewhat interesting. The tests that were taken are almost impossible to pass.
This is an awesome class. I did like Govt before taking his class. He is funny and makes lecture interesting. The information he covers on power points is whats on the tests. His tests are all short answer and essay but if you study what he covered the most they are pretty easy. Must attend class to take notes to understand the power points.
Guys, if your expecting an easy A in this class, think again. If you don't keep up with every data ill you will not get an A. If you don't bother to read you will FAIL MISERABLY. NO MULTIPLE CHOICE WHATSOEVER.
Professor Gilligan is wonderful! I loved every class. He explains things very clearly and multiple times when necessary. He cares about his students and wants the best for them and from them. On the essay tests he just wants a definition of a term with 2-3 details about it. Most of the other students in my class had a very hard time with the tests.
He tells you how he wants you to formulate the answers. He gives you all the information you need to formulate those answers including examples. His tests ask questions about what he covers in class. His tests are essay and short answer which can seem intimidating, but he gives the class what they need to do well. I enjoyed the class very much.
this class is super hard don't expect to get a very high grade unless you know what kind of answers his looking for in his test. All of his test are short response and are very hard to pass despite me managing a C average. Also this class should not be for people new to coming into college as the grading is very rigorous and strict. Beware!!!!
This class was definitely not easy, but if you try hard enough, you will get a good grade. He makes the lectures interesting by adding humor and his personality into them. He gives very good explanations and really gets you to understand. Tests are all open answer and require detailed answers but as long as you take good notes, you will be fine.
Assignment were somewhat easy , but the exams are what really break you
As much as I hate taking government, Gilligan made it really entertaining. I didn't fall asleep once in his class, which is amazing for me and government. His test are hard, but he makes it really easy to take notes. He is a very funny teacher. Like a mix between Seth Rogan and Drew Carey. I enjoyed his class. If I have to take govt, it will be him
Great professor. Exams are short and to the point, but be prepared to write and elaborate. He wants you to really know what goes on in Government.
Get your coffee ready because you must be in full attention during lectures. Tests are based from the lectures. He is very cool guy, allows class participation and has a great sense of humor.
Gilligan expects you to know everything by heart, he doesn't do multiple choice and you have to write and explain every single detail or else he'll take off points. Definitely don't take this class unless you've been doing this for a while and like a challenge, because thats what this class is. It's not easy and it's not fun.
Very hard teacher, but this is college. Teacher does not give multiple choice assignments, instead his exams are written about the material previously discussed in lecture. You WILL need the textbook and read it to pass. If you are looking for an easy A look elsewhere. Recommend this teacher if you are looking r someone challenging.
Government at cedar valley. Taking this course online sucks. This is the hardest class I've taken. Professor grades tough and is very ANAL! Take this as a face to face class, a lot of his comments come off as a smart ass! Good luck!
Coming in as a returning student after a couple years, this is not the class to take. When you have a question, he answers you in a sarcastic way. Will not take 2306 with him. Good luck.
Mr. Gilligan's class is fairly easy if you just study and listen to what he teaches in class. He gives about 4 miniature homework assignments throughout the whole class, one research paper that only required 800 words, and two test: a mid-term and a final. He hates multiple choice so listen to lectures because it will assist you on the free respone
Very harsh grader. He does not follow his syllabus, There are due dates that are not on it. Make sure to read the details for the COWA at the start of the class. alot of the answer keys for quizzes were wrong, so double check your results, he will give you credit if you notify him. Doesnt give feedback just says refer to rubric for scoring info
Gillian class is hard for no reason. He's a hard grade , sucks at teaching , and when you ask for help he doesn't answer your question.
Worse teacher ever!!! Would not recommend him. Does not give good fed back. Test are not multiple choice, does not go by the syllabus. Lecture is what your work will be based off of not the power point nor book!! Everything must be detailed. DON'T TAKE HIM!!
He is THE WORST I will never take him again! He does not understand problem nor gives good feedback. I passed every quiz , but with test he was a by far the . WORST. He didn't care about anything and has a disrespectful mouth , every word his dropping a bomb.
Professor Gilligan is not a hard professor if you just show up to his class. All of the questions from the test are directly from his lecture just write good notes because tests are open ended. Other assignments and quizzes, but he gives multiple attempts. If you have a question he will explain until you understand. Great professor!
He is a tough grader and quick talker, the three exams go up in percentage each time. If you've already enrolled in his class good luck, you'll need it.
He's a very good teacher, and you can tell that he's passionate about political science. However, this is something to watch out for because, since he's so knowledgeable, he is a tough grader and fluffy writing wont cut it . Attend lectures and record if possible because all of his tests are essays and require some examples.
He is a tough graded. I personally don't recommend taking his class. I am taking his online class and he grades his discussions as if you can't have your own opinion. Other than that the class was easy.
While other professors may be lenient and allow mistakes, Mr. Gilligan does not. He is what I would describe as a true university level teacher. You are expected to know the knowledge, as you, as the student, are supposed to devote time to lectures and studying outside of class, and these expectations are shown in his tests. Rather challenging.
I didn't mind this class. Teacher was ok. Normal stuff. Pretty easy stuff. Just plan on reading your textbook for the answers for the tests. The lessons were out of order from the chapters. So I got confused a little. I should of gotten a better grade than I did.
Gilligan is an amazing teacher. His lectures are informative and interesting if you pay atte tion and work ahead there will never be an issue. He has always responded promptly to emails as well.
If you mis-understand something, he will fail you instead of taking into consideration that you don't understand it. Grades extremely hard, and does not give any credit if your opinion is different from his. The chapters are easy, his discussion boards and writing assignments are killer. It is his perspective or the highway. WOULD NOT RECOMMEND.
Gilligan is one of the best professors at CVC. I can say he's good at what he does; he knows a lot and provides his students with tons of information during lecture. Attendance is crucial . All of his tests are open ended and you must know the information really well to do good. He provides with good feedback and responds to emails promptly.
Is he tough? Sure. But that doesn't make him a terrible human being. He's a great guy who expects a lot from his students because he wants them to succeed. If I was a Political Science major, he would be my favorite professor. He is still one of my favorite professors nevertheless. If you're passionate about Poli Sci, then definitely take him.
This professor definitely counts every single word, you will get a ZERO on your papers and your db if the word count is not exact. Do not take this professor, if it is too late, make sure you over word your papers. If you are like me and put the references in the paper as you write you need to make sure that you deduct those words out of the total
If you're actually interested in this topic, then i suggest taking it, but if not don't even bother. His test aren't multiple choice so.. it was really boring for me, but that's probably because it wasn't something i was actually interested in. I noticed people that i thought were smart barely passed so, his class wouldn't be my first choice.
Very tough grader, count your words, he counts every word you submit on any topic that he requests you to answer. If he says 250, then it better be 250, and it does not count any type of quotes that you submit. I spent over 5 days trying to come up with a COWA paper and I got confused with the subject, I didn't even get some kind of points..0
His test and quizzes are super easy... but he makes up for it in the grading of his papers. I rvd a zero for one paper for having 797 words, and the word count was suppose to be 800 (i forgot my heading is what took me over). another paper i rvd another zero for not citing inside the paper which was never mentioned only to have a work cited.
Took his class online last fall. You will definitely be reading quite a bit and there are alot of quizzes as well. If you make a mistake in your papers he isnt afraid to call you out on it, very condescending. Which is why I gave him a low rating.
This class can be an easy A, Quizzes & test all multiple choice and timed. 2 writing assignments are graded tough, make sure you use the FULL WORD COUNT OR YOU WILL GET A ZERO. He is not the jerk that I was warned about. The full course is open to complete it early. Almost daily email responses. Beware of DUE DATES. Ask questions if you don't know!
Professor Gilligan does not communicate his expectations well and your grade suffers for it. His rubric is unclear, and he grades at the last minute so there is no extra credit given.
He is so picky and critical. Not a nice professor at all! He's test are easy, but don't worry he'll give you a low grade for the essays and discussion post. He's rubric is the most confusing thing, but he expects the most when he doesn't even fix a rubric right.
His class was awful. Assignment instructions are short and unclear. The rubrics did not help much either
Mr. Gilligan was a very inspiring individual and cracked a few jokes from time to time, but was always a helpful teacher.
If I could give him a zero I would. When I say this class is terrible, I mean bad. It almost feels like he argues against me in my papers sometimes... His instructions are so unclear that it is almost like he's speaking some ancient language. The only reason I am taking this is because I have to.
I WORKED SO HARD ON MY ASSIGNMENTS AND ON ONE OF MY ESSAYS HE GAVE ME A ZEROOOO FOR NOT HAVING THE RIGHT AMOUNT OF "WORDS". SO IF YOU DECIDE TO TAKE THIS CLASS AND YOU HAVE HIM ... JUST DON'T! FIND SOMEONE ELSE TO BE YOUR PROFESSOR! HIS INSTRUCTIONS ARE UNCLEAR AND WHEN YOU EMAIL HIM TO UNDERSTAND HIS "INSTRUCTIONS" HE SEEMS LIKE HE HAS A PROBLEM!!
This professor is unforgiving. If you make a simple mistake, he will give you no credit. For example, I uploaded an assignment in pdf format and got no credit because it was supposed to be in doc or docx. He would not even let me resubmit anything. I had a 4.0 college GPA before taking this class, but I got a B so that will be changing soon.
Shaun Gilligan is the worst teacher I've ever had. I could've passed but he fails me because some of my assignments weren't saved in doc.x even though I saved it as that. He's so unreasonable when he grades because if its not matching his opinion he docks half the points off your assignments. Its really unfair and this man needs to find a new job.
Mr. Gilligan is the worst professor I have ever had in my entire academic career. I received an entire 0 for an essay due to missing the word count AFTER in-text citations were taken out. Thats ridiculous. He grades as if its an English course and as many stated, its almost like you cannot have an opinion in this course. 0/10 I recommend.
Professor Gilligan was terrible and included many of his personal feelings when grading. He is the epitome of what a professor should NOT be. I hope he is terminated soon because students will never truly learn in courses like this.
He has very unclear instructions for disucssion boards and has a weird grading system when it comes to papers. If you are going to take this class, make sure to follow the instructions EXACTLY or you will fail.
Honestly, this class was not as hard as I expected but it was hard. You may only have four papers but the word count......... Also, discussion boards should not be taken that seriously. He'll even grades you on your reply(like it actually matters, no one cares). I hate emailing him. His replies are so condescending.
I took Professor Gilligan Spring of 2020 and I had no problems. He was funny and allowed many questions to be asked. I was able to email him and receive a timely response. Be sure to do what he says in your essays and all given assignments. He will take off points. I had a great time!
Ya'll this dude is the hardest grader I've ever had. It's like taking off points is his hobby or something. If you don't follow his instructions exactly as he says, which aren't clear in the first place, you'll fail or barely pass a writing assignment. There are a lot of tests/quizzes and extra credit options to boost your grade though.
This professor I would not advise to ANYONE! He has given me a 40% for being 7 words shy on a discussion board.... ALLLLL papers that I turned into him have all been below passing. I know this is just how he is because my other professor have given me As and Bs
The dumbest grading policies I have ever seen from any professor. If you mess up ever so slightly he straight up gives you a zero and gives you no way to make it up. Super strict on word counts for essays and has zero buffer whatsoever. Don't take this professor unless you wanna read the syllabus repeatedly so you don't get zeros.
He doesnt like my format so he gives me zeros even tho I spent my time doing the assignments which takes time outta my day with someone who doesnt even care to grade what I put my effort into
I spent hours trying my best to complete assignments and submitting on time instead of getting some credit he gave me zeros I passed all my classes with Bs this semester but this one. I emailed him one time the whole semester with a question on a big assignment , he did respond quickly using CAPS as if it borthered him I never emailed him again.
Soooo his class was a typical government class.. although the class was TOUGH for me I passed!! It was just the tough grading for me... if you dont follow the directions on the assignment its an automatic ZERO. Make sure you ready the syllabus through thanks follow it to the T.
As I had Professor Gilligan as an online class I was not able to meet him in person. While Gilligan gave good feedback, I thought the amount of points he took off for things was excessive. I did learn a lot of different things by completing the projects and assignments. He is a hard grader but, very understanding and explains things well.
This class seemed really hard but towards the end, you'll understand that the professor just wants you to learn. He gives a lot of extra credit so if you get a B- and below, you either suck at writing or you truly didn't care.
This Professor is not who you want to take for government at all. Hes not only picky but he grades entirely too hard on the most simplistic thing.
He was very nit-picky, I did an extra credit assignment and since I didn't number the paragraphs I got no credit.
I WOULD NOT RECOMMEND HIM TO ANYONE. For some one who doesn't give class notes he sure is a tough grader. He is the WORST teacher I have ever taken. Just ignore this professor at all costs. He is a big no no.
Graded off of just quizzes, tests and papers. Plenty of quizlets out there with the exact questions to help you study. You have to pay close attention to all powerpoints. Takes points off like crazy for small punctuation and capitalization errors... which I don't agree with. Very nit picky. But willing to work with you if you have tech issues.
if he finds one or two words that come up as plagiarism which is not that you just choose not to grade the whole thing as if the assignment was never even done. I tried really hard in his class and I still managed to do so terribly at it. So I know that if I feel this way many other people feel that way.
He spends all the class period reading from slides with his mask on. Boring! He never interacted with his class and the final paper he has you complete is STUPID! You have to research local Texas govt officials and write out some paper on it and its more like questions rather than a writing assignment. WORST PROFESSOR I HAVE EVER HADDDDD
Very tough on grading research papers! Has to be exact or you will not receive any credit.
DO NOT take this class if you are not good at writing papers. The way he grades is as if he enjoys giving out zeros.
He would give us open-ended questions for essay assignments but would knock off several points. He would knick-pick at everything and ultimately discredit the fact the answer. PowerPoints and 100-question tests and essays. He didn't give a writing style. Just don't take the class, it's not worth the money.
He is an extremely tough grader, I would consider him an unfair grader, there is rarely room to grow with his teaching and feedback methods. As an honors student, I would never take a class of his again and if you decide to, be prepared to be humbled because what you may feel is your best attempt at a subject will be a graded C in his eyes.
This professor is a very tough grader! Discussion posts are scrutinized with a fine-tooth comb and so are your papers. Never have i gotten such low grades for papers not even in English 1 or 2. I'm not sure what his deal is with grading, but he will give you a zero if you're missing the littlest things on a paper and the credit he gives is minimal.
Despite making A's on every test and quiz, I barely passed this class with a high C. the only C I've ever gotten. It does seem excessive the amount of points he takes off for little things. A very tough grader. Make sure you follow all writing guidelines, including the discussions. Actually just don't take his class!
My experience with him was not very good he is a tough grader and sometimes hard to get in touch with. He does provide feedback but is not very good at being a caring teacher.
Take anyone else's class it was the worst experience with a teacher. Getting good grades on all the tests still doesn't help and barely makes you pass. though grader and not good at responding back.
Professor Gilligan was great! The class was online and almost every assignment was due on the last day of class. The course is very independent-heavy. There is no way to fail the class as long as you manage your time and read the syllabus. Most assignments are quizzes and Professor Gilligan responds quickly to emails and gives great feedback.
His teaching style is very difficult to follow and he does not explain the subject well. He is very strict with the work and his classes were dreading to attend.
I got a couple bad grades in his class because I made big mistakes on assignments. His feedback was condescending and made me feel stupid. He gave 100pts extra credit at the end of the course that saved my grade. He gave me full points for the extra credit, probably because he could see that despite my poor skills in his class, I was trying my best
Warning Guys never take this class with this professor, he's very hard on assignment, quiz, and no extra credir. You will regret and cry if you take this professor.
The quizzes and tests were easy to score high if you made good use of your time studying. The essays definitely require you to have past experience in some sort of higher-level writing classes as you'll need to fully explain your thoughts and reasonings in depth. I spent less than 2 hours a day on this class and was able to score 85%. Good Luck!
I hate him. First paper got a 70, his reason was because I didn't indent my paragraphs or number them. what in the world. I should have listened to the reviews on here when they said to drop this class. save yourself while you can
He will take off as many points as possible for every little mistake on an essay, he is unclear about assignments, and responds slowly to emails. I only got a good grade because I did the extra credit, but this course as a whole was not worth taking- with him as professor
This was embarrassingly my third time having to take GOVT 2305 due to my laziness as a younger student in the past. Professor Gilligan was very thorough and had fun activities that really helped me grasp the concepts being taught. He was also extremely understanding when I had a personal issue happen at the end of the semester, and worked with me!
One of the worst professors ever. He will give you 0 for all assignment if he find any little mistakes which too harsh. So I will suggest not to take a class with him.
He was terrible professor. Gave me a 0 on a 25 point assignment because i was 20 words away from the word count. dont take him.
Learned a decent amount from this class but he was a very tough grader, do not get below the word count on any paper or it will result in a zero! no excuses or second chances
I learned a lot, his lectures are good. there are only 2 exams and the rest are quizzes which were fairly easy if you read or pay attention in class. However the writing part of this class, whew. He grades hard ! Discussion boards and essays, never made anything above a 85.
Shaun does not care wether a student passes or not. He won't grade work on time and won't even give you a second chance. The work assigned is not even worth being graded so harshly. He did not even teach a single chapter, only assigned presentations and quizzes for exams. This class is an absolute joke and so is the professor.
This joker does not even teach and grades assignments harshly. All he has done is assign lengthy powerpoint presentations without any proper breakdown and expected to learn everything from it to pass the 80 questions exam for each unit. He is never clear on why exactly he cuts of points and will just quote his what so called instructions. Raand.
Avoid this man class at all cost unless you want your gpa to slip or to fail this class
Believe me, he is very picky. He takes points off for even the smallest issues, like your introduction. Honestly, I wouldn't recommend him at all. He's very rude and mean, and overall, not a good teacher. I have 100% on all my quizzes and exams, but he didn't give me any credit for the discussion board and gave me a zero, not recommended.
I had this class for winter. He will give you a 0 for all assignments if he finds any little mistakes that are too harsh. So I suggest not taking a class with him.
not recommended at all; he is not clear with his assignment, and once you submit it, he doesn't give you another chance.
This professor relies heavily on some software or AI to grade assignments without reviewing them himself. His assignments lack educational value, and his poor work ethic extends to unprofessional email communication. There is no hope in learning anything from his class. He can't even answer correctly to an email.
This professor was very difficult when trying to communicate with him. He was a very tough grader and would not let you redo anything even for some credit back. He also did not give good feedback. All he did was take off unnecessary points/failed you. I do not recommend.
Class Info
Online Classes
100%
Attendance Mandatory
41%
Textbook Required
23%
Grade Predictor
Your expected effort level
Predicted Grade
B-
Grade Distribution
Common Tags
Rating Trend
Declining
-1.60 avg changeRatings by Course
GOVT2301
5.0
(1)GOVT1301
5.0
(2)GOVT230533004
5.0
(1)GOVERNMENT2305
4.3
(4)GOVT2302
4.0
(2)Difficulty by Course
GOVT3001
5.0
GOVT3003
5.0
GOVT2302
4.5
GOVT2305
4.4
2306GOV
4.2