Will was a great lecturer and an amiable personality. He was funny and easily approachable as well. He structures his class to be very discussion heavy, which I enjoyed as everyone in our class was pretty engaged. Group projects and presentations also occurred throughout the semester, but were fairly low-stakes. Would definitely recommend.

Dr. Goldsmith is such a great professor. He really cares about engaging with his students! The class can be a lot though if you are not that interested in Public Policy. You are graded on a lot of things so if you don't do as well as you would have liked it won't tank your grade.

This class was a lot more work than I expected. There were a lot of outside readings assigned and pop quizzes. The exams were a little rough and require you to know the material well (from readings and lecture), but there were a lot of other grades that went in to help balance it out. Very caring/organized professor with clear grading standards.

I absolutely loved Professor Goldsmith! It was more reading than I expected but if you go to class and recitation you will get all of the information you need. Also, the TA's and Professor Goldsmith are so accessible outside of class. Plus there is so many grades one mistake wont mess you up!

Prof Goldsmith is an awesome lecturer. I took this class to become a better citizen in this world. It was fascinating to dig deeper into the vast variety of interesting and relevant topics. I definitely finished the class feeling like a more well-rounded individual with a better understanding of the countrys institutions. You must do the readings!

Easily the best professor I've had at UNC. His lectures are so engaging that you won't want to skip them. You can approach him during office hours to ask for help with papers. If you do poorly on a test, that won't sink your grade because there's a lot of assignments and tests in this course. Only con: this is a reading heavy course.

PLCY 101 with Professor Goldsmith wasn't hard, but it was quite a heavy course load (I took this online). Over the semester, you work on one long policy brief, but there are "mini" essays that build up to it. Grading is spread out over A LOT of different categories, so one bad one won't hurt you. Definitely recommend him for 101!

Goldsmith was a wonderful teacher even online. He never gave unnecessary work and lectures were short but engaging. It is not hard to get an A with effort. He is pretty nerdy but in the best way, he is informative, funny, and very easy to talk to. I always attended all his zooms even though they weren't required because he was just that good.

Professor Goldsmith was awesome. He was really caring and provided accommodations for me when I had an accident and broke my clavicle a week before finals. This classes were great. I had the privilege of taking him online, so I sped his lectures up by 2X. His lecture questions are easy to answer. He really wants you to understand the material.

Dr. Goldsmith is such an amazing professor especially during COVID. He's said many times that he doesn't like teachers that make things ridiculously hard, so he tries not to do that. He has really good outlines and examples for papers, but he doesn't tell you what kind or how many questions will be on exams which was not the best for me.

I love Professor Goldsmith and his classes. He's an insanely smart guy and is a great teacher. He does grade more on the tougher side, but he's still a great guy and he just wants to see you succeed.

This is the 2nd class I took with Goldsmith and I still love him. He's friendly, nerdy, and approachable. His lectures are very engaging with students. He will work with you throughout the semester to help you succeed. He makes you think hard about class topics in the best way. He makes me glad I'm a PLCY major. 10/10 would recommend.

Goldsmith is truly one of the best professors I have had at UNC. His lectures are extremely captivating, and you can really tell that he is passionate about teaching Public Policy. Be ready to do a good amount of writing, reading, and research in PLCY101, but don't be scared to go to office hours, Professor Goldsmith is very helpful.

Goldsmith was a really engaging professor to have. He clearly cares a lot about public policy and especially local and state politics. This class was a lot of reading but the actual tests and assignments weren't too bad. He also had a bunch of speakers come talk to us which was cool.

I have now taken Dr. Goldsmith twice - once before COVID, & one since. When I say Dr. Goldsmith is a real gem, I mean it. He is incredibly kind, understanding, and interesting. He keeps the class engaged during lectures, knows what he's talking about, and gives you clear expectations for assignments and tests. Don't hesitate to take a class w/ him.

I enjoyed his in-class discussions. His class is very discussion-based, so it made a lot of us nervous for the midterm as we were not sure what to expect. Overall a good choice, but the class is a bit of work. He's a great professor.

Professor Goldsmith is an absolute legend. He is a great lecturer and is lenient with extensions, and he is a very down to earth person. If you do the assigned reading and pay attention during class, you should do well. I would highly recommend him for Public Policy 101.

lots of smaller grades including projects and papers, which I liked way better than just big exams. lot of assigned reading, but very structured and it's easy to keep up. great lectures and very understanding on extensions

Professor Goldsmith is a great person, he's fun to talk to and is one of the most intelligent people I've ever met. His class didn't really go in-depth on anything (he did call it a sampler platter numerous times), and sometimes the lectures didn't really go anywhere. Overall though, I learned a lot from the class and enjoyed him as a person.

Professor Goldsmith puts so much time and effort into this course. He really cares about the students and provides more feedback on assignments than he probably needs to. He completely changed the way I write and allowed me to explore a different side of public policy than I had previously thought about. Participation is a must!!!

Professor Goldsmith really cares about his students. He always made time for office hours, and would check up on me whenever I attended them. If you are deciding between 101 and 101H, I would recommend 101H. The work is identical, but in 101H he offered essay corrections and more one-on-one meetings. We had a textbook but only read 2-4 chapters :/

The class was pretty easy. Readings typically aren't super long. There's a big paper due at the end of the semester but the smaller papers you turn in leading up to it help write that for you. Participation grades are easy and he gives good lectures. He was also very flexible with students given COVID and other extenuating circumstances.

Professor Goldsmith was a really good professor, he made lectures pretty enjoyable and included a song of the day with each one that related to the topic. The class is extremely reading-heavy, and the midterm was pretty difficult since we had no prior experience on what tests were like in his class. Despite the amount of work, I enjoyed this class!

I definitely learned a lot but it was SO MUCH writing for a 101 class, definitely improved my writing skills though.

Great lectures, and thats coming from a non-policy major. The class is hard but definitely fair since the grading is so split up. Glance into the readings, spend time on the papers, and take notes on the lesson takeaways in class and you will be fine.

Goldsmith had an online and in person option. I did the online option. Participation is important. Make sure to check everything off the checklist or you wont get credit. A midterm/final exam study guide is crucial for passing. Use lesson takeaways. Several papers off one topic so pick interesting topic. Several opportunities for extra credit.

I took professor Goldsmith's class last semester and I do not regret it at all. If you are any chance thinking of becoming a policy major or even poli sci it is a great class to take. There was one 8-10 page policy brief and another short paper. Yet, it was not too difficult with his feedback. Easy grader and great professor overall.

I loved Professor Goldsmith! His class is super easy to do well in. His class is super organized (there is an 8-10 page paper on a topic of your choosing). I would recommend taking a few notes on the readings for the midterm. The midterm and final was open note. There is a mandatory presentation you have to do at the end of the semester!

Goldsmith is amazing! 360 is very discussion and reading heavy but most if not all the readings were very interesting. I will say the final policy brief I'm procrastinating writing right now didnt have very clear guidelines which made it a little hard to navigate so maybe avoid if that, not something you want to deal with.

Dr. Goldsmith is a nice guy. He provides many opportunities for extra credit, is generous with extensions, and always makes time to meet with students: I disliked the format of this course the entire semester, but reflecting at the end, I think that as long as you're ready for the reading and pacing (20-40 pages per class), you'll succeed.

This class is super discussion-based, and you have to do the readings. He doesn't do tests (at least not for this class), but you are expected to participate and know your stuff. The assignments aren't too bad, but his expectations are kind of nebulous and you don't get most of your grades back until the end of the semester. He's a nice guy though.

Goldsmith is a caring and eloquent professor who cares about the mental health of students and seeks to instill an appreciation of learning in students. That said, the class is reading-heavy. The readings are interesting though. PLCY 101 had exponentially more reading than PLCY 210. The exams are open note but will pull on reading content.

Great! This is best course you can get at UNC!!!!!!!!

Prof. Goldsmith is a very good lecturer who explains the material thoroughly. He cares about his students and is accessible outside of class. The course is somewhat paper-heavy but he and the TAs give advice to improve your final paper. Exams are not too challenging but require at least a rudimentary understanding of the readings. Highly recommend!

This is definitely an easy A, but if you want to understand the material you need to do the readings, as Prof. Goldsmith doesn't really explain concepts from the readings in his lectures. His lectures can be engaging, but they don't really help in terms of understanding the actual material. Beware of the semester long policy brief project

Professor Goldsmith is a great person and is incredibly smart. I would say this class is WAY better if you actually care about public policy/are a public policy major. It's a lot of boring work if you don't care about the subject. TON of reading. For the most part, they're interesting but dense. The main assignment is a 10-page policy brief.

Goldsmith was one of my favorite professors this semester. He was funny and wanted to hear what students had to say in class. The assignments weren't easy but they helped me learn a lot. The final grade is a 10 page paper which is difficult, but the assignments leading up to it help you prepare to write it. Overall I loved this class and the prof.

Goldsmith is a great professor and really cares for his students and the material, which can be hard to find. There is a lot of reading in this class but you don't need to read all of it to get the general idea. I would recommend it whether you are a policy major or not.

Professor Goldsmith's policy 101 course is a great introduction to public policy, for both policy majors and those curious about policy. His lectures are great, and the longer paper for the class lets you explore a topic that interests you. Even as somebody very involved in politics, I learned a great deal from this class. Highly recommended!

I never paid attention in lectures and just did the readings at the end of the semester before the final and got a solid A in the class. The major assignments are graded really easy across the board and a majority of students get As or A- in the class. Pretty interesting material, but make sure you do the readings as that's what you're tested on.

Quite a bit of reading for an intro level class, but Goldsmith is such a kind and flexible professor! He obviously really cares about his students and the content he is teaching. Very attainable A if you put in a reasonable amount of effort.

I liked Goldsmith as a person, most of the time as a professor. His lectures were kinda philosophical? I couldn't really tell what we needed to know or the point of his lecture. A lot of reading, but I barely did it and still did well. A couple big assignments and weekly forum posts (super easy). Nice, caring, sometimes weird guy. Overall not bad.

I absolutely loved Dr. Goldsmith, you will not regret taking a class with him.

Great guy and passionate about the material but DO NOT take this class as a throwaway class. If you want an A/A- you'll need to work for it. TA's were entirely responsible for your grade but mine was really chill and graded very easily. Midterm and Final were HARD. Recommend to PLCY majors or if you're planning on making it pass/fail.

I liked Goldsmith. Mostly interesting lectures and clear outline of class and expectations. I would take his class again. TA's do the grading and there are a lot of easy grades that count for a large % of overall grade

Prof. Goldsmith is a great professor. This is my second class with him and he did not disappoint! Goldsmith is super passionate about public policy and it shows throughout the class. If you're interested in state and local politics definitely take this class. Policy brief at the end and lots of readings but nothing unmanageable!

Although the topic was sometimes dull, Professor Goldsmith made lectures engaging. He was always available outside of class, and he seemed to want to get to know his students. The assignments were not exceptionally difficult and had many extra credit opportunities. I enjoyed this class and would really recommend taking it.

Amazing professor, was always inspirational in and out of class, kept up with students with a gateway entrance to public policy!

Lectures not straight forward and a little too philosophical for an intro course. Multiple extra credit opportunities offered. Midterm and final open note. Grade can depend on your TA. Pick a good, specific policy problem at beginning of semester to use for your memo and 10 page policy brief. Goldsmith's nice but too much work for a 101.

Goldsmith is an amazing professor. Those saying he's not simply didn't take the time to put in the work to learn and understand. You can tell he truly cares about what he is teaching and his students. The work and readings are a bit challenging, but going to his or your TA's office hours will help with that. This was the best class I took at UNC.

Everybody who complains about Goldsmith being too philosophical is misunderstanding his teaching style. He uses theoreticals to get you to think about material so you're not just copying the notes from slides. I took this class as a throwaway, but because of Goldsmith I'm now pursuing a minor in policy.

Professor Goldsmith's teaching style class made class material interesting, and he cares about his students as well. Also, there is a good mix of lecture and small group discussion in the class. However, it was a work-heavy class for the 100 level. This being said, I learned so much and I'm glad I took the course.

Professor Goldsmith, a brilliant individual, stays culturally attuned and brings a crucial philosophical perspective to his public policy lectures. While the class workload isn't overwhelming, the assignments are meticulously graded, so don't underestimate the attention to detail needed to succeed.

Professor Goldsmith shows a true desire to get to know his students and does his best to inspire them to make changes through policy. While I found some lectures to be too philosophical or lacking focus, I did learn a great deal from this class. This was the most assignments I've ever had in a class, but if you put the work in, you'll get an A.

getting an A in this class is definitely attainable if you do the readings and take notes during class. that being said, it was a lot of work. there was about an hour of reading to do to be prepared for each class. we also had to write a policy memo, outline, and brief, which was about 10 pages when finished. overall amazing prof though!!!

I highly recommend Professor Goldsmith and his honors section. He is accessible outside class and demonstrates a consistent interest in helping his students succeed. Note that the course is fairly reading-heavy, but given what he calls his "sample-platter" approach to public policy you will come to appreciate a background prior to class discussion.

Goldsmith is a nice guy who really cares about his students. PLCY 101 is a TON of reading and homework, but if you put in the effort, your grade will reflect it. His lectures do not directly tell you what you need to know and are typically philosophical and discussion-based. The papers and final policy brief are A LOT of work.

Professor Goldsmith was the best policy professor I could ask for. He is understanding, clearly passionate about the material, and easily accessible. Although his lectures were sometimes confusingly theoretical, the discussion-based classroom setup and recitation provided clarity. Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed this class and Professor Goldsmith.

Professor Goldsmith was one of the best teachers I've ever had. He is so caring and makes sure his students can communicate with him in and outside of class. He uses science/research to achieve the most efficient teaching and learning. He is just a very nice and personable person and I would absolutely take another class with him given the chance.

Took him because I loved him in 101. This class is harder in that you're expected to have a more in depth understanding, but also assignments are less heavy. You will be discussing with classmates every day. Very easy to reach for office hours and also very approachable. Can sometimes be a tough grader, but not unfair. Lots of reading.

Honestly one of the best teachers here at Carolina. You can tell how much he cares and tries to get you to care. I would 110% take this class again. The work you put in is the grade you get out of it!

Take this class if you have any interest in policy!!! A true sampling platter class that will either confirm or deny your interest in policy. Great lectures, interesting readings, and a great opportunity to write a policy brief on a topic of your choice. Exams were overall easy with a few nitpicky questions. Recommend to all freshmen and sophomores

Goldsmith is an excellent professor; his lectures are interesting (and well-written), everything he does is designed carefully and intentionally, and he is intent on meeting his students and helping them succeed. He can be a bit paternalistic (he used to be a high school teacher), but I think it's helpful in the end, especially for an intro course.

Professor Goldsmith cares about getting to know his students and exposing them to all types of policy. This class really is a sampler platter. However, For a 101 class, this is a lot of work (heavy reading). Your grade relies on a a end-of-term 10-page policy brief (in addition to a final), but it's managable.

Lectures are good, but this is a very tough Triple-I. Homework was often quite long, with some unclear questions that were graded harshly by TAs. The concepts were interesting, and you will like the course if you like poli sci/public policy. Definitely hard for a first-year course though. Goldsmith is a great lecturer, would take again.

Dr. Goldsmith was my favorite amongst the professors that taught this triple I, but man, this triple I is ridiculous, it might as well be a 300-level course due to the kind of material you are expected to digest. Dr. Goldsmith is a very caring man, and he's very straightforward. Wouldn't recommend this triple I, but I would recommend Goldsmith.

Loved Dr. Goldmith! He's passionate about what he teaches, and he's very accessible outside of class. He's very understanding and doesn't want anyone to stress about grades, but he still gives good feedback on the policy brief. He's a little funky, but also funny and kind. Classes were interesting, despite the decent amount of readings.

Dr. Goldsmith lectures the most in this class. Public policy is dry, but he does a very good job of giving detail. Take this class only if you're actually interested! The homework and tests are a bit intense, but the subject matter is fascinating and detailed. Dr. Goldsmith can feel challenging, but he genuinely wants his students to thrive.

Though this Triple-I is not a fun time, Dr. Goldsmith is an awesome lecturer and does make me more interested in public policy. You have to actually pay attention though when he lectures because his slides don't contain much information. Though I would never wish this triple-I on my worst enemy, I would definitely take Goldsmith again

This class was very difficult for a first year foundation course, I would not recommend it to anyone. 3 tests and a final presentation with a paper. Professor Goldsmith is an amazing person on his own, but I would not take a class from him again. Does not matter how much time you spend, the TAs grade homework extremely harsh with vague questions.

He was a good professor, just don't EVER take this class if you wish to maintain your mental health. You are given so much homework that is worth a big portion of your grade but after they grade it…they don't tell you the correct answers so in the class you'll never really know what the exact answer should have been. Spare yourself and don't do it.

Great intro course for public policy. A little dry at times but rlly interesting to take during an election year. You learn applicable content I've alr used as a pub pol major. Final and midterm (you get cheat sheets) that are writing intense with a long policy brief assignment and presentation at the end, but useful for the future.

I loved this class! Very smart guy and you can tell he really cares. The main assignment is a 10 page final policy brief with assignments before that help you write it. If you do the work and go to office hours (he's very accessible for help) you can get the grade you want. Would recommend to anyone who is interested in learning about public policy

Goldsmith is AMAZING! However, he did not have the grade calculator on for the entire semester. The class focuses on your final brief, so pick a topic you are interested in, most of your grade will depend on it (even part of your final). You get a cheat sheet for exams! I learned a lot and always wanted to attend classes. Take this class!

Dr. Goldsmith is one of the most passionate and caring professors I have met on this campus. Although he is strict in his syllabus, he is open to listening about problems you see with it, allowing for compromise. However, even with that being said, I feel that he gives too much pre-class work, assigning more than he should for a first year class.

Goldsmith is a really caring person, but this class itself should not have been so hard for a first year requirement. The grading criteria is extremely vague and frustrating. Homework takes hours nearly every week and you are expected to do a lot of pre-class reading. Great professor, but disorganized and unnecessarily difficult class.

Very knowledgeable about policy, and it definitely shows in this class. He clearly puts a lot of effort into each lecture, but there is also a lot of reading before each class. Very kind, nice to speak with in and outside of class, and gives so many opportunities to improve your grade. You will need to put effort in, but you will get a lot out.

Dr. Goldsmith is the goat. He assigned a lot of readings, but I didn't do any and did fine in the class. He really cared about his students and public policy. As long as you put a little bit of effort into the class and study for the midterm/final you'll be fine. He's an awesome professor.

Such an understanding and knowledgeable professor. Probably the smartest and most well-informed professor I've had at UNC thus far. Semester long paper, wasn't too bad. Before and after class assignments as attendance. Reading heavy but it wasn't too strenuous. Take him, if you have a slight interest in public policy or PPE you won't regret it.