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Very good teacher. Kept me interested the whole time spoke clearly and was very easy to understand. Not difficcult but not easy. Too much reading in his US class but still a valuable experienec.

Very intelligent. Great knowledge of sujects taught. Vey helpfull. Nice guy. Highly recommended, you will work, but you will learn.

This man knows his business and knows how to talk about it as well.

Good teacher, a lot of reading, but I learned a lot.

Easygoing guy. Take his classes.

very good instructor. i enjoyed his class very much.

Great professor. He is very intelegent, and has a great passion for the subjects that he teaches. I took him twice, he was excelent.

Soooo boring. Somewhat difficult grader. No matter what, I could never manage to get an A on a test. Check out your other options before taking this guy.

Easily the best teacher I had at Clark. Much better than the history teachers I have had at WSU since transfering. Very knowledgeable, gives very interesting lectures, and prepares you well for the tests. Great diversity of material (text, pictures, video, primary source material, etc.)

One of the most scholarly history teachers at the school. He really knows his stuff and gives very interesting lectures. Tests are difficult and it requires a lot of work if you want a good grade. Take him if you are serious about wanting to learn about wanting to learn about history in depth.

Excellent teacher, hard class. He is understanding and has a very organized class. Knows what he's talking about. I advise anyone who has a genuine interest in history to take him, if you want 5 EASY history credits, taKE Anita Fisher's class (the easiest 5 credits I ever acquired).

A very knowledgeable man. You get the grade you deserve. If you are interested in history and actually want to learn something then take his class. It may be work, but it is worth it. If you are committed you will do well

A lot of work, but if you keep up weekly, you'll do fine. Don't put the paper off til the last minute. DO THE READING, even for open book quizzes! Lectures are not as important, but do give clarity to the reading. Funny, sarcastic sense of humor, some interpret as "****" i thought he was funny.

This class was fairly hard, simply because I didn't keep up with the reading. His grades are fair, and he doesn't take attendance more than 4-5 times a quarter. He is extremely passionate about the subject, so he makes it intersting. I'd recommend this class to anyone at all interested in history, because you will learn alot.

Great teacher, very ingelligent man, know his stuff. Loads and loads of reading (keep on top of it!) lots of chapter analysis' and 4 tests. No cummulative final. Skipped the 8 page paper because Summer Quarter didn't give enough time for my class (wahoo!) Shows alot of documentaries, which are way better than lecture! Great guy, all in all.

Great teacher. I found him very interesting. Lots of movies and his lectures are not boring. He makes you work -it is a history class- but it's not anything you wouldn't expect from any other history class.

i would take a class from him again... fairly easy if you keep up with the reading and pass the quizzes you can get a C easily... and if you do the extra work its easy to get a B or A

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AWESOME TEACHER REALLY BRINGS HISTORY ALIVE

good teacher, his book is kind of hard to understand but keep on it, its kind of interesting. you will learn something.

He is knowledgeable and passionate about the subject. His grading is fair. The multiple choice open book quizes are harder (if you don't read the book) than you might think. Really, if you show up, pay attention, and do most of the reading, you will do well.

The class was difficult, but I learned a lot from him. He is very passionate about US History and it shows through his book and his lectures. The exams take a lot of preparation and are tough. Attendance is necessary to get a passing grade as well as reading the book. He is also very helpful.

What a great teacher! Take Forsyth if you get the chance. A true history fanatic, and that made it so much fun!

One of the most passionate and enjoyable teachers I've ever had. Definately a history buff, he can recite any piece of information and compliment it with a joke! :) Funny guy, pretty relaxed, just attend, read, do the normal college routine and he'll grade you fairly! Hes a great person and it shows even through his (sometimes) corny jokes! haha

Your grade is what you make it. If you want a B, you have to write some reading journals at your own leisure, if you want an A, you have to write a paper on whatever you want. Otherwise, it's just some tests (some are open book), and the lowest score doesn't count. The final is just another 40-minute test. Funny dude, good teacher.

Study for tests and try to show up everyday. he passes out a study sheet that has everything you need to know for the test.

Fair teacher. Grades on how involved you want to become in the class. You, in the end, have final say on your grade.

this teacher is great. He is clear and passionate about history and his lecture are easy to follow. The study guide he passes out before each test makes it easy to get an A if you do good studying. Expect to write a paper and do journal enteries but this work isn't all that bad. Funny and very nice as well.

I liked Forsyth. He is an enjoyable teacher but can sometimes become boring if he gets onto a tangent. His tests are hard not because of the difficulty of the curriculum but because his questions are really confusing. I hate his grading technique tho. In order to get an A you have to jump through a couple of hoops. You will learn in his class!

Here's a tip: I got a B- on every test and quiz, but because I did the option paper and journal entires, I still got an A. Do the extra work to get an A. There is a lot of reading in that class. He's lectures are worth going to, and we watch a lot of movies. He was late quite a bit, but it wasn't too bad. I'd take him again.

Good teacher. There was just a lot of work. I got a D+, I'm not gonna lie. I had a death in the family so I missed most of the qrt. But he is good at what he teaches. I plan on taking his course again.

I thought that Mr. Forsyth was a great teacher! He was very helpful, and explained everything really well. It was a lot of work though. There was about 50-60 pages of reading a week, and it was hard to get through. But Mr. Forsyth went oer all the topics in class in well. If you pay attention in class, then you will understand everything.

He's a pretty good teacher, but he has you do these article reviews which take forever. You have to do like 20 of them in a term. You also have to do an 8-page paper. Other than those two-things, he's cake. He has u do a mid-term and final. And each week he has you do an open-book quiz (only your six best scores get counted).

At first, his grading system might seem hard; however, if you do the journals and paper, which aren't too hard if you work at them early in the quarter, and bring your textbook on quiz days, then the class won't be all that hard. He's not always super clear, but if you pay attention and do the readings, you will most likely do just fine.

Had him in Fall of '07. He was an excellent teacher but that's how I realized college is a bit harder than high school. I know if I worked harder, I would have earned a B or an A. He taught the material and lectured over important topics. If you paid attention and had motivation, you could pass the class. I can't complain about Forsyth.

Forsyth really makes learning history interesting, always relating what we're learning to modern-day politics. He's pretty good at being objective. I think his grading system is really fair and if you put in the work you'll easily get a nice grade.

Did not enjoy this course at all. Took Morris Fell Quarter for History 131 and there was half the work in that class but you still learned just as much. Forsyth makes you buy his book then read all the articles in it and the reading journals suck! Avoid if you want a light load and go with Morris for History.

I also took 132 last quarter online. His online class was much easier - but his in-class lectures and class are AWESOME. On average you have to read 2 articles, and one long textbook chapter. The Reading is hard, but you get used to it and fit it in. Best history teacher I've ever had. Most objective, and he let's history speak for itself. HE ROCKS

Hard class. We had (8) quizzes, which were easy open book quizzes, a midterm (tough!!!), and a final. We had 17 anthologies to examine and write journals for, a final 8 page oral history paper, and case studies. Although attendance wasn't required so that was nice.

Hes a great teacher. He makes the class intresting and fun. Be prepared for a lot of reading though.

Is a great professor, and is very knowledgable. The quizzes are pretty hard, and you have to study well for them, but as long as you do all the work and dont procrastinate you will get an A.

Knows his stuff.

Cool funny, makes lectures interesting. In class =lecture or documentary and sometimes group work. Listen in class (with notes they help study for midterm and final big time) and read book quickly to do well. Quiz every week (open book). Use Hist book website (it helps). Optional paper and journal writing if you want A or B. Do both, start early.

Best Class ever. I took all three courses and enjoyed every day of class.

hes good lecturer, read every chapter in both books and take good notes on lectures and youll be fine.. at the end thiers an essay.. i didnt do it and got a B- my test scores were like 80% average. so yeah. :) hes cool tho :)

He is a great teacher. He makes the lectures as interesting as History can be made. I greatly dislike history but still liked this class. There is a open book quiz every week on one chapter out of the text and at least one article from an anthology. Mid-term and Final are closed book and pretty hard. One bad thing is that all of his jokes are bad.

I LOVED THIS CLASS! Forsyth was a wonderful teacher and i learned so much from him! His class was not hard but it also was not easy. He taught wonderfuly. It was easier to listen to him than other professors because he makes funny jokes. [[not lame]] He will not bore you to sleep. Very cool guy as well.

What a great teacher. I plan on taking all 3 of his classes, just because it will be interesting and easy classes. The flexible attendance really helped. Had to be out two weeks, yet I'm going to still pull a B. Don't want to do oral history, so won't strive for A this term. Highly Recommended.

If you agree with him politically, you'll enjoy the class. Forsyth doesn't respect differing views, so if you don't vote Democrat, bite your tongue to avoid being shouted down. I tried to enjoy this class, but Forsyth's constant, closed-minded proselytizing was tiring.

Amazing teacher, took two quarters with him cuz he was so good. I do not like history but I loved this class. Take lots of notes in class, this will really help with the mid-term and final. Open-book quizzes and your two lowest quiz scores are dropped. Very reasonable. Pay attention and you should do really well. He's really funny too.

Took all 3 history classes from him because I loved his class so much. He makes class fun and interesting and brings history to life. Quizzes and tests are easy if you read, pay attention in class, and study. Very clear and reasonable expectations. Nice person and great teacher.

Do not take this class if you dont like to read 60-70 pages a week. You must read out of two books each week because you are quized those chapters every friday. The quizes are open book but still hard because you must search for exact quotes and stuff you wouldnt remember. If you do take the class, start writing the final paper asap. it will hel

Enjoyed learning all that i did, but hated having to read so much every week. If you plan on doing the reading Journals, be sure to not get behiend! I started them a week before and was doing nothing else besides that and the 8 stinkin page paper. I would not reccomend taking this class if you dont have to or LOVE history.

Nice guy. Forsyth makes history come alive! Your grade is based on how hard you want to work. I would recommend writing the paper and doing the journals. They are not very difficult and if you split them up not very time consuming. Just dont put them off to the end.

Van Forsyth is awesome. He is the definition of a great teacher. He knows his subject unbelievably well, he projects and explains the information in a clear interesting manner, and is entertaining and humorous at the same time. I have him this quarter, which is my second quarter with him, and I plan on returning. I highly recommend him!

Forsyth is a great history teacher. He knows his stuff. However, you MUST be able to read a lot and stay focused, even if content is boring, and study hard for tests. You will do badly or fail if you do not put time and effort into the work. Do the journals throughout the quarter; DO NOT GET BEHIND. Bottom line: Good teacher, lots of work.

Great teacher, but he will make you work for a grade; don't assume you can just put everything off until the end, even if you know the material already. Do the reading journals and the final interview. Don't take "You don't HAVE to do them" as "Don't bother doing them".

Good teacher and knows his stuff. Must do reading journal and final interview. Don't listen when he says optional and work on both throughout the class. Don't wait until the end to try and do it. Lots of reading and working with others. Took me a lot of effort to stay up with the reading and took a lot of concentration.

Very boring teacher, I fell asleep during class a couple of time. Or maybe this wasnt my subject. Makes you work for your grade. Make sure you the do paper and articles. DONT PUT IT OFF UNTILL THE LAST WEEK. This is a hard class.

Took both 147 and 148 with him, he's good at what he does and obviously very knowledgeable on the material. If you miss something, he's always glad to explain it differently if needed. He will make you earn your grade, though, and you will need the textbook. A LOT of in-class material that's not in the book, so attendance is essential.

WOW. The reading he assigns is ridiculous. He knows his stuff but he is a hard teacher! The Mid Term and Final are really tough (a lot of memorizing). He lectures all class pretty much and he know what he is talking about. Along with the very hard final we have about 20 journal entries and a 10 paged paper due.

I loved this class I liked him so much I took him again and am now even thinking about being a History major! He tells you what to do if you want to get an AB or C his lectures are funny and on the quizzes you can use your books(its still kinda hard though) I think the Exams are easier than the Quizzes since his Exams are so easy.I liked the class

Van's a great teacher. He makes class very interesting. He clearly explains what work needs to be done to get an A, B, or C. His quizzes are open book and he goes over the material. With some studying, his class is a breeze.

He spends quite a bit of time telling stories that don't relate but he is a lot of fun and notices students who attend everyday and participate a lot. I didn't finish all the work to receive a B+ but he still gave it to me.

I loved this class. I took two sections (146 and 147) because I loved his teaching so much. I learned so much in this class. He is very knowledgeable about his subject but remains entertaining throughout the class. There is a lot of homework if you choose to do it (Which I would recommend)

I might be a little biased because history is my favorite subject, however, Van is a super cool teacher who knows his stuff. He keeps his lectures entertaining and easy to follow. I took 147 and 148, and he is one of my favorite teachers. Overall, just read the material, show up to class, and you'll be fine.

Forsyth was a good teacher to me. As a person interested in history, he explains everything great telling the why's, not the what's. his tests are open book and quite easy.

Had him for 147 and 148, I liked him a lot. Lectures most of the time, but welcomes class participation. Totally willing to explain things in other ways if you don't get it at first. One note, he'll grade really favorably if you're enthusiastic in class. I wound up with a B+ despite actually earning probably a C+ just because I participated a lot.

love his style of teaching, he's extremely simple to understand, and makes history (my least favorite subject) interesting. the ONLY thing that absolutley bothers me is that class ends at 9:50, expect him to start late, and expect to get out at 9:57. it's really irritating especially when you have a ten o clock class across campus.

Amazing lectures about the course materials make it so you don't even have to read. He has ultra-obscure documentaries with rare footage. He has a liberal opinion, but doesn't force it. He is really flexible with schedule, so if you miss a lecture you can make it up at a later hour. I did all my readings out of the library w/o having to buy books.

Mr Forsyth is a teacher who enjoys his job and WANTS to be there. He is very clear on subjects and opens discussions and makes them enjoyable. There is a lot of reading in his class with weekly reading journals not do til then of the quarter. Also an 8 page paper but his quizes are open notes and he gives you the test material ahead of time to know

Van is great. He knows what he is talking about and he wants to help his students learn.

Van is an all-around wonderful teacher.He absolutely loves the topic he's teaching, and will go out of his way to help you if you don't understand. His quizzes are open-book and totally doable if you the reading. Lectures are interesting and entertaining. This class made me love History, a topic I normally cannot stand. Definitely recommend!

I took all three sections from Van. His class has 4 open book quizzes, a midterm, a final and an optional 8 page paper if you want an A. This isn't an easy A, but if you put the time in, you should have no problem passing. There's an online website where you can take practice quizzes. The midterm and final are simply memorization of ID terms.

A-Freaking-Mazing

The only history teacher I will ever take! His class includes lectures and group case studies. Quizzes are open book. He always has a study guide for midterms and finals. He's got a great sense of humor! Enjoyed this class so much.

I learned so much in Van Forsyth's History class. He is knowledgable, helpful and loves the subject and happily answers any questions you have. I highly recommend his classes!

Great professor as a person and lecturer. However, this class is HARD! I am a straight-A student, and had a B+ the entire quarter due to a B- on the midterm, which is graded toughly. The quizzes are easy if you read the chapter. I was able to get my grade to an A from hard work on the research paper and many hours studying for the final.

Forsyth is one of the best professors at Clark and it's apparent he's very passionate about history. He makes class interesting, fun and overall a positive experience. The quizzes are a breeze and for mid-termfinal he gives you a study guide with the questions that will be asked which makes it pretty easy. Can't say enough good things about him!

Eh. Nice enough guy, but I didn't like all the videos we watched in class. Plus there's an optional massive assignment due at the end of his class (at least when I took it). The ONLY way to get an A in the class is if you do that paper (and get an A on it obviously)?! Other then those negatives he's a good teacher.

Awesome history professor. Lectures are informative and easy to follow.

The class is completely lecture based. He's very passionate about history and knows so much about it. To get an A, you just have to figure out his system. Write the final paper (which he grades easily), STUDY for the midtermfinal, show up for the quizzes. The quizzes are super easy if you skim the chapter prior and use the index. Great professor!

He is there if you ask questions. He uses canvas to post articles to read (which are helpful but not essential). He responds well to canvas messages. There is one final, 8-page paper to do which he grades easy. Refer to the syllabus before asking him. There are open book quizzes that are hard, so read the book. He gives good study guides for tests.

Profesor Forsyth knows the ins and outs of history and conveys that well in his lectures. However, retaining that detailed info was difficult for me because of how long his lectures were. He expects some participation and preparation for class.

I was nervous about this course before taking but it is quite simple. Once a week you must answer discussion questions and take a quiz. All the quiz answers can be found online (usually on quizlet) and you can take them twice. Very understanding and willing to help answer any questions about the course material you may have. There are two essays.

He is a great teacher that I would recommend to anyone. He knows his History and is very helpful if you are struggling with something.

Van is a super nice guy. Quizzes are on quizlet, discussion posts are easy. He grades tough on essays but does leave a lot of constructive comments so you do better on the next.

Gives study guides weeks before the midterm and final, quizzes are open book, notes aren't necessary although he does provide note taking packets students rarely do them.

As a running start student, I enjoyed this class a lot more than many classes at my high school. As an online class the modules are very clear, and it's relatively easy to get a good grade if you do the work. Essays are graded a bit hard, but he gives you good feedback to do better the next time. Quizzes directly out of the textbook each week.

This was one of my favorite professors I've had at clark, he likes to get right into the subject and doesn't leave out anything. I did struggle with the quizzes but nothing was too hard to handle. Other than studying their was not much homework given out. Also very understanding and willing to give his insight.

He does well to email back in a timely manner-I had questions regarding every assignment and he did well explaining it over email. He is a good online teacher. Quizzes every week but they're open book and you can choose to continue to test until you get 100%. Discussion posts are a pain. Overall he isn't too hard of a grader, but he isn't lenient.

Great teacher! He doesn't expect much work each week. One post on the discussion board, one online quiz (easy, great website), and occasionally an essay. Easy A. There is a lot of reading in the textbook, but I got away with just skimming. He emails back fairly quickly and answers your questions clearly. I highly recommend him!

This is by far one of the best classes I have ever taken! So much fun!

He is a great professor, I took two classes with him Fall 2016. He provides genuinely interesting content, and this is coming from a person who has always hated history. He provides an option for extra credit at the end, has lots of documentaries, and even allows textbook use during quizzes.

Every week is a new lecture, chapter in the textbook, a few articles, a discussion, and a quiz on Quizlet which is nice because you can take it as many times as you'd like until you get an A. There are also three essays worth a majority of your grade, but it is not a hard class, just make sure to keep up with the work.

His class isn't hard if you're good at writing essays. 75% of the final grade is based on 3 essays. We have weekly discussions and inquisitive but the essays are the most important part of the grade. He responds to emails pretty quickly and is helpful when you have questions about assignments.

this class is VERY lecture heavy. it was very boring and lectures didnt really determine your grade. do the weekly quizzes (which can be retaken until you get 100%) and make yourself a cheat sheet before the midterm and final. i would definitely recommend taking this class online.

Professor Forsyth is a tough grader. This was the hardest A I have gotten. His criteria for the three essays in this class is not very clear. Near the end of the quarter, I met with him in person to get better feedback on my essay outline. He was very kind and gave me great advice. I would recommend setting apart time to meet him outside of class.

This class was an easy A. Van uses Inquizitive which allows you to continue taking quizzes until you get a 100%, while this is very time consuming it makes it easy to get an A. There are 3 papers in this class and Van is an easy grader, I never received lower than an A- on my essays. He also responds to emails very quickly. 11/10 recommend.

If you're not good at (or dislike) writing essays, don't take this class. Otherwise, it's an easy A. 75% of the grade is based on 3 essays and the prompts for said essays are quite vague. What worked for me was to try to cram as much information into the essays as possible. Other than the essays, the class was incredibly easy.

Van was very organized for an online class. He posts lecture videos, readings, and discussion boards in each weekly module. 3 papers total and homework on Inquizitive. Easy to reach on email and has office hours. I definitely recommend for an online class!

Great professor, take a midterm and final with essays. Weekly Inquizitive quizzes, nice guy, understands when things come up.

I liked this class, it was well organized and you are given plenty of time for the work, which isn't too bad. There are about 3 essays that you need to write but they are graded pretty easy and the prompts are really easy to follow and understand. For everyday work you get credit if you do it on time.

Hes a really good teacher tbh! My grade in the class is okay, considering I havent completed a single discussion post. Also, he outlines his essays so well! He tells u exactly what u have to write about, so all u rlly have to do is search for the answers. As someone who procrastinates until LAST MINUTE on everything, this class is not hard.

I loved Professor Forsyth's class because he always seemed to tie in what we were learning to what was going on at the time. He encouraged discussion and allowed us to share different point of views. He was also extremely helpful over e-mail correspondence (unlike other professors) and encouraged questions.

Forsyth is a good professor, I had him for both 147 & 148 and enjoyed the class both times, you progress through the textbook at a pretty reasonable rate, each week is a new chapter, the weakly quizzes are really easy and there are only three papers. The papers however don't have a strict rubric given and you really have to know what he wants.

The class was really good and as long as you write a substantial discussion post each week and do the quiz, your scores for those will be 100. The essay prompts are pretty good but he doesn't give the rubric until after he grades your essay. He is really understanding and responds to emails quickly.

Very good professor so far. He's passionate about history and I am learning a lot in his class. He assigns weekly discussions and a few essays, however as long as you study you will get a good grade in this class. I will take him again given the chance :)

Prof. Forsyth is one of the best teachers I've ever had! It is clear he cares about the content and his students. There's one textbook chapter a week, a super easy quiz, discussion, and three total papers. As long as you put effort into your work, you'll get a good grade.

Prof Forsyth is a great lecturer and really passionate. Be prepared for a lot of videos/documentaries. If you stay on top of it in this class, you'll do fine! Also, there are a few larger essays but nothing too insane. Definitely would recommend him!

I think this guy actually wrote the textbook for the course. Most of your grade is made up of 3 essays, but they are pretty easy and the professor is a generous grader. The rest of your grade is made up by inquisitive activities and discussion posts. Not difficult, highly recommended

He is a great teacher. Each week there was a simple discussion post and inquisitive quiz (super easy) a short video lecture and textbook chapter, that's it. But there are also 3 essays which are the main focus and I promise they are easy, he grades generously. So kind and cool too, he even let us skip out on the last essay with no grade damage. :D

Van was a superb prof. One discussion and one quiz per week. Super easy work, low maintenance class, maybe like 3 hours per week of work (besides the few papers) and I believe the final was optional if you were happy with your grade.

Loved this class! Very informative and light weekly workload; reading, discussion post, and inquisitive every week. Your grade is mostly made up from 3 main essays that you have lots of time to do. He is very understanding and easy to contact if you have questions or need help. If you put in the effort, you will do good in this class!

Professor Forsyth is one of the best professors I've had. The only gripes I have with the class is the due dates are Mondays at 9 am or 11:55 instead of 11:59. Very minor things that are just slight inconveniences. Every week he records and emails a video message (which you don't need to watch, you only need to watch his prerecorded lectures).

Prof. Forsyth is an excellent professor, his grading is very easy (Quizzes are guarantee 100% with enough questions using Inquizitive) and only 3 papers are needed to be written throughout the course. Default grade on papers seems to be a 90%, excellence will get you those extra points. Feedback was a bit lackluster but overall great professor.

Overall, Prof. Forsyth is a great teacher. The assignments and instructions for the week's work are very clear and the materials we use are interesting and informative. His lectures are also very informative. The only problem I encountered with him was the sometimes unclear instructions for the three major essays throughout the course.

It is obvious that Prof. Forsyth has a lot of knowledge and is a very capable history professor. His feedback was always very encouraging when an assignment was missed. One complaint I might make is his feedback on the major assignments was hard to understand and is a bit disorganized, but I would recommend taking his class if you can

Prof. Forsyth's class is a mix of engaging lectures, documentaries, and writing assignments. While grading can be tough, the workload is manageable. unstuck study proved helpful for study prep, complementing the textbook. Overall, a rewarding history course.

Professor Forsyth is truly an excellent professor! Weekly assignments include a discussion, textbook reading, and a quiz. You get 1-2 weeks to write your 3 essays, and as long as you are willing to put in effort and study, you'll do well. Professor Forsyth loves information so I suggest writing a long information-packed discussion post every week!

I took him for 147&148 and he was amazing. The class pace was incredibly reasonable for the time period(s) covered and the fact we're a quarterly school, not semester based. Essays were 5 pages, not 10 (the longest I wrote was 7, incredibly reasonable). The only con is his feedback is VERY long and full of jargon, lowest essay grade I got was an 87

3 Essays spread throughout the year, as long as you read the material you can pass easily.

It really depends on what kind of student you are, if you like going at your own pace chose this professor. He only has a discussion and quiz once a week. You have to read a lot in this class. I could finish the work for the week within one or two day, its manageable. He does not accept any missing work. 3 essays in total, worth a lot of points.