The person who wrote the other review really doesn't know what they're talking about. Rich is a clear professor and the class itself is easy. You don't need a study guide for this class if you aren't a moron.

Really liked the professor. Class was easy and very interesting. Honestly, all of the answers to the exams can be found on the slides. Probably one of my favorite classes here at UMass.

Professor Rich was a great guy. He's informative, intelligent, and can be funny too! I think he's just as smooth as Professor Cooley. The course is interesting, and the fact that they switched off mid-semester didn't bother me at all. The tests are super easy too. 10/10 would recommend.

Great option for a Gen Ed. His tests are very fair and almost entirely based off of lectures. Most notes are put online, but I found that attending and taking notes did help. Online quizzes/writing assignments were very easy, but lectures can be a little boring sometimes. He offers an honors seminar which was the easiest part of the course for me.

Fascinating topic! Great professor.

Dr. Rich really loves what he is talking about. That is obvious in his lectures. He is so passionate about what he teaches, and that makes class so intriguing and interesting. He has pretty dry and intelligent humor, which I find hilarious! He is so knowledgable about what he is teaching!! Go to lecture, take notes, study, you'll pass!

Stephen Rich is an amazing teacher. He doesn't "lecture" during his lectures, he tells stories of the content. This may sound odd but it makes the material really stick. The homework load is very light. He gives three midterms and a final each worth equal percents of your final grade, and the worst of the 4 grades you get, he drops.

Pretty easy gened, tests are straightforward and gives you opportunity to use index cards on tests sometimes. First test had an example test, use it. Then all the other assignments outside of the class are easy to complete, online quizzes as well.

I love Dr. Rich, and so will you. He's amazing, the father I've never had, the brother I've always wanted. I would fail this class just to take it again with him. <3

Professor Rich is a fantastic professor. His class, Plagues: The Ecology of Disease, is easily one of the best classes I've ever taken. He's a funny guy, and he wears ties that coincide with the disease you're learning about on that day. His lectures are very interesting and he records them on Echo360 so if you miss class it's not a huge deal.

I love him and his class. He is funny and interesting and never biased. He is dynamic and wears great ties that match with the disease you're learning about that day. Everything is done online and the final is optional, and while his slides are sparse on info, he records and posts all the lectures on Echo360. I enjoy this class so much

Such an easy class, the first exam is the exact same as the practice exam. Just attend class and study the quizzes you'll be fine. He's such a sweetheart and wants people to do well. I would definitely take for a gen ed.

Great guy, passionate about what he teaches. Perfect gen ed. You don't need to go to class, but I always went. Exams are very similar to weekly quizzes so as long as you review those the class is easy. Definitely recommend!

Professor Rich is such a nice guy, he is so passionate about what he teaches. I loved plague class it was super interesting and I learned a lot. It sucks that coronavirus made this stuff online but he has worked really hard to still teach us the material. Lectures aren't mandatory, exams and quizzes are super easy.

LOVED this class. Wicked interesting, this class actually inspired me to change to a science major. Stephen gives awesome lectures, if you like learning about infectious diseases this class is a must. Allows cheat sheets on all exams. Gotta go to class though (or get notes) bc he doesn't post them, but I liked going to this class. Exams are easy

*This course was taken during the Spring 2020 Covid-19 pandemic* Prof Rich gave incredible lectures in class that unfortunately diminished in quality over Zoom. Very inspirational, and taught biology so that anyone from any field could understand.

Prof Rich is so nice and understanding. Always asks about students mental health and was very easygoing with work during online learning. Just one quiz per week and one little writing assignment type thing. No exams

I've literally never met another professor who genuinely cares about his students like this guy. He definitely commands respect, so he can be a bit intimidating at first. But stick with the class and you'll see that he's an incredible professor whose classes function like a well-oiled machine. Very straightforward.

He is the nicest guy and genuinely cares about all of his students and wants everyone to get As. Weekly Moodle quizzes but are easy. No exams.

Literally the best professor I've ever had. He always keeps the class fun and engaging, so while the class is very easy, it's not boring by any means. He genuinely cares about his students wellbeing and checks in with us frequently. Highly recommend this gen-ed.

I made a RMP account just to rate Professor Rich because that is how caring and awesome he is. He goes out of his way every. single. class to ask how we are doing, if we need help, and asks for feedback. He knows the content very well and is great at teaching, of course, but he goes above and beyond any other professor I've had.

The BEST professor I've taken at Umass by far. Classes are so enjoyable and I genuinely look forward to showing for his lectures. Super easy, interesting, and definitely would recommend taking for Gen-Eds if you are a non-science major. Weekly open note quizzes, no exams, and super understanding of student circumstance. Gave me faith in Profs again

An engaging professor who is good at keeping it fun and interesting.

Such a fun class. Stephen Rich is one of the best professors, he's super understanding and interesting. Great to fill the biological science GEN-Ed. One of my favorite classes at UMASS even though it's not related to my major at all. Quizzes weren't hard, lectures were interesting, homework was fun and quick, and he offers extra credit.

Professor Rich is the best professor Ive had at UMass. This class is easy if you show up and are excited to learn. He truly cares about his students. There are no exams, just weekly multiple choice quizzes and Packbacks. The lectures are twice a week but you only have to attend one for credit. Overall, great class!! Definitely take it!!

Greatest teacher to have at UMass. He actually cares about his students, he even let us have a week off from work because he did not want us to be burned out from our other classes. The class is interesting with weekly quizzes that you can take up to three times, packbacks due every week as well as lecture blocks. Interesting material too!

absolutely amazing teacher. He is so caring and genuinely likes to teach. Would take any class he teaches this is a true example of what a teacher should be.

Professor Rich is one of the best professors I've ever had at UMass. I'm not even a microbio major, but he made the topic so clear and understandable. He clearly cares about his students and wants all of them to succeed, but knows when a student doesn't care. He is honest and respected and I would love to work with him again.

Professor Rich's class was the easiest I've ever taken. His lectures were out of class and we only had weekly quizzes and PackBack to do, and his classes were very easy with non-graded quizzes or discussions. A funny guy, who doesn't want to be overbearing for a gen-ed.

Professor Rich is definitely the best professor I've had at UMass. I was very anxious to take microbio as it was a required course for me and something I am not good at but professor Rich makes learning fun and easy to understand hard concepts. He cares a lot about his class and add humor to his lectures. p.s. i dont like lots of work. perfect! :)

Best professor I have had so far. Says class is twice a week but you only have to go once, no exams, he's super funny and nice and makes the material interesting, only assignments are weekly quizzes and packback which take 20 mins, best gen ed class for biological science!! take it

This class was incredibly easy. Quizzes were all online, no midterm, no final. He only makes you go to 1 class a week and you do is answer questions on menti. His assignments are very easy and the weekly work for his class can be done in 30 minutes. Great professor, made his lectures interesting although the lectures had to be watched online.

Stephen Rich is great. If youre looking for an easy bio gen Ed, take one of his classes. Absolutely effortless and amazing. Gonna miss this man.

Stephen Rich is my favorite professor so far. He teaches so well and we only have to attend one synch class a week. We are only graded on weekly tests on moodle and weekly packbacks! Absolutely love him and would 100% take his classes again. We also usually leave class early too!

- Easy Gen-Ed - No Midterm or Final - Fair teacher - Two assignments per week - Have to attend one out of two lectures a week for credit

Easiest class I have ever taken.

He is the man of the year every year. TAKE THIS CLASS. It is so easy and was not even an addition to my course load. He is the best and this class is cake.

This is a great class for gen ed. he is super nice and caring. work is so manageable and quizzes every week arent hard. you only have to go to 11 classes. highly recommend.

He is so caring and kind to his students. His lectures are entertaining and he sparks excitement, even if you have no interest in the topic. He asks us how we're doing throughout the semester and seems to really care. We are only required to attend one lecture per week, but I love the class so much that I wish I had it more often.

Best gen ed you will ever take. If you can take this class

One of the best professors I have had this far at UMass. Stephen is so caring and nice, and genuinely wants his students to succeed. TAKE THIS CLASS for a BS gen ed, it is so worth it.

Professor Rich was one of the best professors I've had. I took this as a gen ed and found it very manageable. I really liked the structure of the class, only had to go to class once a week, weekly moodle quizzes and discussion posts. Super nice guy, gives plenty of opportunity to earn an A. Would definitely recommend taking this course if you can!

We had to watch the lectures on our own and then go to class one day a week to do an interactive menti quiz but it was great! Great guy and he would give out gift cards if you won the menti. Weekly quizzes are easy if you watched the lectures

Professor Rich was very nice and he made the class very interesting without making it overly difficult for a gen ed.

Low attendance requirements. Easy and interesting content. Extra credit available. Gives prizes to in-class quiz winners.

Professor Rich was one of the best professors I've had yet. He really cared about his students, which made class enjoyable to go too. He understood most of us where taking it for a gen ed so the material was not too hard to understand. Would defiantly recommend if you need a relaxing class that fills the bio gen ed.

Understands that most of us are taking it for a biology gen ed, super easy with minimal effort

Amazing professor. Teaches Tue. & Thurs. and u only have to attend one or the other for attendance (u can go to both). Quizzes every Friday & u can use your notes. Engages w/ students. Packbacks due Sun. Extra credit opportunities @ end of semester.

Literally the best

Classes are split into online videos and one in-person class per week. Homework consists of a quick post to packback and 2 responses also weekly quizzes which can be taken anytime before the due date. Overall one of the easiest classes I have ever taken but also very interesting and informative. If you need your Bio Gen-ed then definitely take this

This class is the best and I highly recommend taking it There are weekly quizzes that you are allowed three attempts to complete. Homework is light. The class itself is very interesting and Prof Rich clearly knows a lot on the topic. while the class is easy the material reflects deep understanding of course content to further knowledge. no final!

Dr. Rich quickly became one of my favorite teachers and will become one of your favorites too. Extremely informative and interesting class that is not very difficult. Classes are interactive with menti quizzes. Science has never been a subject I have enjoyed but I learned a lot and would take any other classes taught by Dr. Rich in a heartbeat.

I highly recommend taking Microbio 140 with Professor Rich. The format of the class is watching weekly lecture videos, going in person once a week, Moodle quizzes, and Packback posts. Prof. Rich inspired interest in the material, and I always looked forward to class. You can get an A without much effort, but if you try, you'll get a lot out of it.

Best professor, super nice and funny. You have to attend class once a week and participate on a quiz game where he counts it towards your attendance each week is worth 20 points. Also every week you have to ask one question and answer two in packback, and take a really easy quiz. You can watch the lectures on your own time. TAKE THIS CLASS

Yes, this class is easy but it's also kind of fun. I'm not a mircobio major but this was a very intriguing class and you learn a lot of basics. It gives you a taste of the major without any harsh commitments. Lectures are online and meetings one time a week which is great but the online lectures can get long and tedious. Either way good class

I absolutely loved this class so much. professor rich is super kind and makes his classes super interesting. attendance is mandatory because class is through an online site that you log on and go through the slides with him There is a weekly pack back discussion post and a weekly quiz do. There is no final exam and weekly quizzes are all online.

Genuinely a fantastic professor. Knows why people take the class and doesn't make it any harder than it needs to be. One of my friends who I took the class with left for Sweden for two weeks and still managed to get an A. TAKE THIS CLASS

a legend.

The class was super easy. Attendance at one lecture a week is required, but all other work is online and there are no tests.

He's a really great professor who clearly cares about the course material and wants to teach about it. The homework is really manageable if you stay on top of it, and there are no exams! I am not a science person but I really like this class.

This was my favorite class. I took it for my BS Gen-Ed and I think everyone should. Stephen Rich is very caring and passionate. Lectures are engaging, there is one quiz every Friday (online), a weekly packback, and no exams or papers. Best Gen-Ed.

Great professor. Tells you exactly what you need to do to get a good grade in the class. It is very clear what you need to do. 10/10 recommend

Quizzes online, attendance at only one of the classes per week. Only grades are attendance (attend 10 out of 12 weeks), quizzes (do 10 of 12), and Packbacks (do 10 of 12). NO EXAMS, NO PAPERS. If you need a biological science gen-ed, 100% take this class. The material is interesting too. Attendance is on Menti (similar to TopHat).

I took Plagues and Poxes for the BS requirement and it has become my favorite class yet. The structure of the class is half online half in person with two assignments a week. There is only one quick discussion homework and one quiz a week. Professor Rich clearly cares about his students and their workload. Professor Rich is an incredible professor.

Take this class for your bio gen ed. Class is half online and half in person and he is so understanding. You can miss like four assignments and still get an A. Lectures are actually interesting and you have weekly quizzes. The quizzes are not hard and you only have two assignments every week. The packback is very annoying but this class is awesome.

This class was awesome and I would recommend it to anybody at UMass, regardless of major. The information you learn is very interesting, and the only work required for an A is attendance once a week, a few PackBack entries per week, and a weekly quiz that allows multiple attempts.

Doctor Rich was a very "down to earth" and engaging lecturer. He structures the class with very reasonable expectations (one class per week in person, weekly homework/quiz), and is more than fair with grading. My favorite and most engaging science class I have taken by far.

Prof Rich is a gem. One of the most dedicated and inspirational faculty. Simply wants students to get excited and learn from the content. Many took this class for 1/week lecture, no exams. Take this class for his storytelling and wanting to interact with content! Respect him, put your phones and devices down and engage in his games and discussions

Dr. Rich is a really great guy and his class is very interesting. You are required to attend one in-person lecture per week and watch 2 recorded lectures. Attendance, Weekly Packback discussions, and quizzes make up your entire grade. No midterm or final. I definitely recommend it for your BS requirement.

Recommended BS, very nice and sweet guy, really cares about the topic even though he knows most people signed up don't care about the class and just want an easy grade.

G.O.A.T.

Great class, very easy but I learned a lot and enjoyed the async/sync formatting.

Literally greatest teacher ever, such an easy A for a gen ed.

great professor. super easy class

Super kind and helpful. Easiest Gen ed but still very interesting and I actually liked doing the weekly homework assignment. No exams

easiest A grade course ever. If you want to take a BS gened class, take it. highly recommended

Only need to attend once a week, rest asynchronous. No exams, weekly assignment and quizzes (really easy.) Amazing and understanding professor would recommend.

Loved him, class was once a week and you got to pick which day to go to. Lots of time class would end early. Homework is an online 10 question quiz once a week and one writing assignment a week. Couldn't recommend this class more for a BS gen ed.

This was one of my favorite classes. The subject matter very interesting and the class was structured very well. You can expect one online quiz a week as well as a couple discussion posts and responses. I'd highly recommend this course.

Very easy class take it brah

He was cute, easy-going. Super chill guy, love him :)

The easiest GenEd class ever! Only have to go to class once a week, no textbooks, easy quizzes, weekly assignments on the student forum with easy grading. Highly recommended!

The easiest GenEd. This class is the easiest at UMass. It's fantastic. Rich is a great guy who cares about the content. He also offers interested students opportunities to work in his lab. Take this for BS gened.

goated only once a week

great professor easiest classs

Very kind and passionate about the class. Loved learning about the topics

Class is graded off of 10 quizzes (1 per week), 10 online packbacks (1 per week), and 10 in person synchs (1 per week). Very easy gen-ed. Professor is very nice and I recommend taking.

The gen-ed is super easy, barely any work. Just go to class and do the hw and you'll get an A. Stephen is also awesome and understanding.

The best class I've taken at UMass. I recommend it to everyone who can take it. It is what all Gen-Eds should be like. When I first heard the name I thought it would be extremely challenging but it was a very fun and engaging class.

nice guy really kind and easy

You only attend 1 lecture a week (Tuesday or Thursday), no exams, weekly online multiple choice quizzes, and weekly packback assignments. Super easy gen ed, and you can tell the professor is really passionate about what he teaches. Highly recommend.

I took Microbio 140P as a gen ed requirement. I am not interested in biology, but I thought this course was super interesting. You are guaranteed an A if you do the busy work and show up to 1/2 lectures a week. Professor Rich was awesome, and the TA was responsive.

This is the easiest course in the school!! No exam, no reading, just do 2 homework assignments a week - 1 quiz with 10 multiple-choice questions, post a question and 2 answers on a website. He was hilarious, and attendance is mandatory, but you just need to come to class, log the code, and do the quiz, but the score is not important.

One of the best professors I've ever had. Made the class enjoyable and engaging.

Great professor. Easy and informative class.

He is amazing truly, class is set up in a way where you just have to go once a week. Lectures are informative and fun. His TA sucks rude, condescending and seems like he hates his job, but you don't have to interact with him much.

Great professor, easy course, extra credit is offered. Really easy to get the gen ed out of the way. Only show up to 1 lecture a week and do a weekly quiz and packback. Class time consists of doing a menti quiz that doesn't affect your grade but counts your attendance. Loved this class and Dr. Rich does a great job at teaching it.

This class was one of the best I've taken, and he is so lenient with the way the course is structured. This makes it easy to keep up and doesn't feel like too much of a burden. The metimeters in class are also really fun and make learning engaging. I wish more classes were structured this way!