3.3
Quality3.0
Difficulty50%
Would Retake90
Reviews50%
Would Retake
90
Reviews
Rating DistributionOfficial
5
20
4
23
3
25
2
12
1
10
What Students Say
“The study guide he gives doesn't help”
CLA3023 - 2.0 rating“I love myth but I hated this class”
CLA2023 - 1.0 ratingClass Info
Attendance Mandatory
0%
Textbook Required
100%
Grade Predictor
Your expected effort level
Predicted Grade
A-
Grade Distribution
Common Tags
Rating Trend
Improving
+0.59 avg changeRatings by Course
ENGLISH
5.0
(1)WRITING
5.0
(1)WRC1113
5.0
(1)INTRO0
5.0
(1)ENG2233
5.0
(1)Difficulty by Course
ENGL2013
5.0
BRITLITII
4.0
LITSECT
4.0
LIT2013
4.0
INTROLIT
4.0
Reviews (90)
He talks a lot and when he writes on the board it is really hard to read but he is a lenient teacher and gives a day extra on essays that r due and is also a easy grader but dont take him in the morning cuz he will make u sleepy and that is if u actually even go.
Easy teacher, very unorganized. Talks alot and gets offtopic. Grades on knowledge, not grammer! Easy to get an A or B on paper. No literary crap, just article readings that are short and mostly over economics.
great teacher, always willing to talk to you if you don't understand anything
He is really interesting and laid back. I'm not much of a writer but he really is helping develop the little skill I do have.
I don't recomend anyone to take his class. He does not know how to teach eng. at all. He gives you assingments and does not explain what you have to do. He expects you to know everything about writing. If you take this professor it will be the boringest class you will ever take.
he is the coolest teacher ever, he just talks the whole class time and we just get to sit there. he grades easy and is avaliable to talk to about assiments.
He is lazy but great teacher. He is very linient on when to turn in work. If he comes to class 10 minutes late, leave!!, he doesnt care much. He takes about a 1-2 weeks to grade essays. He likes to go off topic. He once said that BS skills are essential for an attractive essay. Easy B for sure.
Good teacher
He is so great! He is nice and funny and super easy. All my papers have been pretty bad in my opinion and i have gotten a b on each one! def take him!
great teacher. he is very helpful and very supportive. i recommend him because not only are his teaching techniques effective, i gained a lot more out of it. i suggest anyone who is having a hard time with english to take him. i feel as though my writing has improved because of him.
Very laid back. Probably my most favorite of all the professors, mostly because I felt I could connect more to him. His class feels more like a friend is teaching it, with all of his off-topic statements its like I'm learning in my friends' dorm or something. I definantly would take him again!
I Thought this teacher would be cool due to other ratings seen. It was a very easy course. I got a B out of it, but he was boring, got off topic. The topic was never explained why it was important to the topic of the class. I wouldnt recommend. I was expecting to learn about Greek Myth and the book was more interesting then the teacher.
Very disappointed. We have 3 days left & havent gotten any grades back. 25-(ambiguous)-Q. mult choice test over 7 ch.s (which he did NOT go over in class) + class notes. He seems nice, but puts forth no effort to prepare us. I usually make A's, but am finding it very hard to know how to prepare. Whole class frustrated & confused- DO NOT recommend!
Basically you will pay for his laziness. He doesn't give grades back on time and doesn't teach most of the material that shows up on the test. You can tell he wants to be cool with the students but it's not cool to not teach and then expect the students to read his mind about what to study.
I thought that this would be a cool class after reading other ratings but I have to say I agree that he doesn't seem to really care about the students' concerns or evaluating them fairly. His test questions are really random, and you can't really tell from lecture what will be covered. He also promised extra credit but hasn't offered any.
He's okay. I dont' recommend this class to anyone who is a freshman or just getting used to UTSA. He is extremely abstract and he loves ramble on and on. He's a bit scatterbrained, but a nice guy who knows his****. You really have to work for your grade in here. He's highly ambigous.
Cool teacher, he goes off on tantrums about who knows what during his lectures. He is a very easy grader and sometimes funny. He drives from Austin every other day and then to Baylor so he does not have time to grade your papers very hard. You in class essays are your rough drafts for your regular essays.
Horrible teacher. He never stayed on topic. Going to class was a waste of time. All you have to do is read and you passed.
Not too bad. The hardest part was not knowing how you're doing cause he doesn't give back grades. I made an A but I worked really hard. You just have to ask a lot of questions and keep asking until you're clear on assignments. He brought doughnuts to the final. That's pretty cool.
I liked Ken Burchenal's class. He was very down to earth and understanding. He gives prompt feedback on papers and is helpful when students have questions.
Pretty good prof. Managed a B with barely going to class and never reading. He likes to give grief about attendance, but he really just doesnt care. His humor is kinda dry, and the way that he teaches his Classic Myths and Lit class is nothing like you would expect. If you are wanting to actually go in depth in myths...find another prof.
If you go to class 80 percent of the time you'll be okay. Its alot of reading but he is approachable.
this profesor would more useful for classes involving theory. he does give you clear idea about the texts you read. my biggest problem is that he doesn't alway feedback from students in class. he just rambles on and on and on....
Dr. Burchenal makes the subject so abstract. If you do the reading and ask questions you'll be fine. Dr. Burchenal is very approachable and always willing to help. He paces around the room and can make you a bit dizzy so its better not to focus on him while he lectures. Hes okay.
Very unclear about what he wants on essay questions. The rest isn't too hard. On the review for the final we all got into groups and stared at the sample questions. NONE of the groups knew exactly how he wanted us to answer the sample questions, and he didn't clear it up any. Nice guy. Wouldn't recommend him though.
A great guy. Take him if you have problems writing. He tends to go off subject a bit, but with humor. Your inclass essays are returned for you to brush up for the overall grade. Excellent Idea. Most professors should do this.
DO NOT TAKE THIS PROFESSOR!! i'm warning you right now. what he says in class has nothing to do with what's on the tests! you HAVE TO HAVE TO memorize the text - which is completely boring - if you want to get a good grade. he's horrible. he likes to hear his voice so he just talks, and it's bad, very bad. DO NOT TAKE THIS PROFESSOR.
His lectures are completely hard to understand. I'd say I understand about 15% of what he is saying. He talks in very ambiguous language, and he has clearly not mastered the art of public speaking, his ramblings and stuttering is killer. Only good thing is he will answer questions if you ask.
Well for starters if you want to have a clue about your grade don't take him. Feedback on projects and journals doesn't happen. His lectures are very hard to follow and he roames the whole class while speaking pacing back and forth. If you do ask questions he makes you feel stupid also does not respond to emails even though he requested that as main form of communication.
my gosh I've been in class for a week now and already cannot stand this guy. He uses way too much jargon for an introductory class. I think he needs to sit down and have students teach him how to speak properly.
Intelligent professor. Knows his American Literature. Paces the room a lot, and that can get annoying. Quizzes are easy, exams are moderate, reading assignments are mostly pretty interesting. Not a bad class. I made an A.
Dr. Burchenal is a cool professor. I had taken GT english all throughout HS and I never enjoyed english until I took his class. There is a LOT of reading, if you dont read, i doubt you can even make a B. His class is interesting but be prepared to put in the effort.
Ok maybe not hot, but wonderful! I love this teacher so much. Mr. Burchenal is a funny guy who really knows his information. Expect to do a lot of outside class work. He acts tough when he has a big class but is really nice about a lot of things. I love this teacher!
Not enough feedback on your work. His lectures are kind of strange. Somewhat hard to take notes on his lectures. Randomly asks students questions. Pop quizzes over almost every reading section. Only a few tests. Hard class.
Fantastic class. There is usually a quiz every class over the readings but the quizzes are super easy. Totally laid back vibe. Two tests. midterm based on definitions, final is a paper. He really tries to relate all the works to everyday life. Very personable and willing to work around any problems. definitely recommend this class for an easier gra
Expect to use the book and webct a great deal and expect lots of work outside of class. He is a nice guy but his lectures are hard to get the info you need out of them. I wouldn't recommend the class.
He is not a professor you would like unless you were a shady character. He needs to learn how to teach. Do not take this course if you are a Christian. He is a scatterbrained moron.
I loved this professor and always looked forward to his class. If you don't like this prof. then you're probably just upset that you didn't do well in the class or because you're close minded. He really gets into it while lecturing and he's funny! The test average is always low but if you read all the chapters and study then you can get an A.
If you just keep up with the chapters and take a note or too from his lectures, you'll find out he is not the problem and know you are the one with limits. If you read the chaoters on time you'll be ready for his pop quizzes that he'll give at least once a week. Also when it come from testing, it is the same style as his quizzes. Just read!
Burchenal was quite something. His lectures are so vague on almost everything he says. Journals need to be posted on WebCT about three or four times a week over each required reading. You will have pop quizzes throughout the semester... I wouldn't necessarily recommend Dr. Burchenal.
Intro to lit. He seemed nice enough, but wasn't specific enough for me to say his tests were very fair. I wish he would have asked more objective questions. Also, not the most organized. Seemed to lay everything on the TA and her laptop crashed so I think some of students works were lost.
This guy is really smart and all but he just cannot teach. The only reason I took this class is because I like Mythology and needed a Literature credit. If you just read the book, the class is really easy. All material from the quizzes and tests are straight from the book.
Literature was really easy. The tests were actually based on knowledge not ability to analyze poems and such. Many short quizzes to check if you read and boost your grade.
He is not a good teacher. He does not know how to teach to non majors. I only needed a lit credit. Read the book and go to class. Lecture is almost pointless but sometimes he throws in questions from them. He likes to pace and is very...different.
This class was pretty hard. The lectures do not help at all and he gets very off topic. I took this class because I thought it would be easy but I struggled very hard to get a B. You HAVE to read the chapters which are very long and study hard. There is a quiz at least once a week and you must read the chapters to pass the quizzes.
Intro to Lit- Interesting guy and nice enough, though often gets off topic and rambles during lecture. The class isn't hard, but be prepared to read and write journals every day. Occasional quizzes. If pacing bothers you, stay away. Otherwise, you're in for a decent class.
Great Prof. His classes are fun. He goes off on tangents for long periods of time between lectures. Likes for you to engage in class discussion. Takes attendance most of the time. He quizzes very often so if you miss too many classes the quizzes could kill you. Book use is heavy, you will use your book everyday. Reading is extensive. Work hard = A
Great Prof. His classes are fun. He goes off on tangents for long periods of time between lectures. Likes for you to engage in class discussion. Takes attendance most of the time. He quizzes very often so if you miss too many classes the quizzes could kill you. Book use is heavy, you will use your book everyday. Reading is extensive. Work hard = A
He is a good professor. He knows his information and can really break down the literature. He is BIG into pacing around the room which can get distracting. Also it seems that he enjoys the darker literature pieces and darker works so be prepared for stories with dark meanings and feelings. Other than that great teacher.
I tried so hard to enjoy this teacher, i like english but not with him at all! He is not helpful at all, will call you out and expect you to come up with an answer. No kind of clue what your grade is throughout because he does not give feedback. Test were hard no matter how much everyone studied!
Intro to Lit is not a blow off easy class. The class is very fun and full of information, but I might have ruined my 4.0 this semester because of this class. Pretty darn difficult for an Intro class, Midterm was absolutely horrible, and be prepared to read every class day and do a journal, if I had to do it all over again, I would but study harder.
I think he was a great prof! Very long-winded, so be ready to listen. His test are easy if you can do flash cards for vocab. He does require you to read for each class...but its a Lit. class, so it makes sense. I recommend him for sure.
not a very fun/usefull class. prof burchenal is nice. i liked him but its hard to pay attention. its just hard to follow him. wouldnt reccomend this class
I liked his class a lot. If you are familiar with english like i was (taken AP all of high school)..you'll be fine. Kinda hard tests, but not THAT hard. super easy quizzes/journals that boost your grade! Take him!
Interesting content and assignments (a reading journal is much more fun than having to write essays), but he's disorganized and has trouble keeping his lectures within the allotted classtime.
Interesting, laid back teacher who makes things easy to understand. Journals are a pain but will keep you caught up on readings. He is happy to give outside help and is pretty attractive too
A great professor. He's nice, approachable and not pretentious like other professors I've had. He's also quite cute!
I thought the class would be very interesting but I was wrong. The book is confusing and the professor talks on and on and on. A lot of the people feel asleep in class. Have a quiz almost everyday that have only 4 easy questions, 2 tests and a 500 word essay for the final...DON'T TAKE FROM THIS PROFFESSOR!!
interesting class and good professor. The class is hard so if you are not open to tons and tons of reading and doing a little extra research than do not take this class. But if you don't mind reading and are interested he is a good professor though he can be a little boring sometimes, but the material in itself is fascinating.
Burchenal is simultanously boring as heck and completely fascinating. The material is usually pretty interesting, and he obviously knows what he's talking about, but he'll often get off into topics that have little to do with the current piece of literature. The class picks up once you get to poetry. Make sure to read the notes he posts online.
Boring! Nice guy and he's funny sometimes but mostly just boring. He quizzes a lot at the beginning of class so that kinda forces you to go. He'll give you a study guide. He's a nice guy though, but on a Tues/Thur, for 1 hour and 15 min, he kills me!
Brit Lit I. He is very difficult to listen to & follow, but he's a nice guy & knows his stuff. ATTENDANCE will kill you because he gives pop quizzes randomly. Stay on top of the reading & do journals online. Tests are mult. choice and essay. Makeup quizzes available. Take notes on a laptop to keep up, if you can decipher what he's saying. Goodluck!
Take good notes. Don't miss class. Ask questions when you don't understand, even if you have to meet with him during office hours. Lots of pop quizzes over the reading material, so don't get behind. He sometimes gets off on tangents in his lectures, but I found his class interesting and insightful.
Just read the book and take notes and you will be fine.
Ken Burchenal is a wonderful professor. I feel like he not only strives to get an enormous amount of information across to his students, but does it in a way that is intriguing and animated. He is hard to follow at times, but if you are willing to take in the material and take notes diligently, you will find yourself utterly bursting with knowledge
Abundant information. Guy knows his stuff. He will take the time to help you understand, SHOULD YOU ASK. Many say he talks a lot, but he wouldn't have to if students took the initiative to add to the discussion. At the start of the class, he explains that the room is an open forum. , hints participation grade. Overall, easy, if you are not lazy.
He is very smart and obviously LOVES what he teaches. Quizzes are giving basically every class; at least once a week. Very easy if you read. Just basic questions. Ex: Who was the god of [insert something here]. Easy to get an A if you read.
He really knows his stuff! But you HAVE to read everything that is assigned!!! you will fail if you don't! There is usually a quiz every class. don't be afraid to ask questions he will be more than helpful if you need clarification.
He's smart and he knows his subject. The class was hard in the sense that you don't have any feedback on journal entries or participation grades. Other then that it is just midterm and final which aren't easy. I did enjoy the class and he is a very excellent professor.
Incredible teacher. Just as much a historian and philosopher as he is an English professor. Sometimes it was difficult to take notes because he tends to get off subject, but if you read the section intros and the homework, attend class, and pay attention, there is no reason to do poorly.
I LOVE Dr. Burchenal! He's an exceptionally fun, excitable guy and a complete joy to be around. Prone to getting off-topic in class, but usually his tangents serve to make the material more interesting. I highly recommend taking him, whether you are an English major or not.
He's a good Prof. A bit hard to follow at times, but loves what he is doing and this shows in his lectures. Exams can be difficult, but if you attend class you should be okay.
Very interactive class. Internet hybrid course. He was excited and quirky but his tests were really difficult. Very slow to update your grades. Had an SI do the journal grading, she was really harsh in grading. two presentations and 500 wrd essay on Final. not recommended.
Worst class i have ever taken! The professor is pretty cool and tries to engage us but it didn't work! it was a hybrid course which was really stupid. DO NOT TAKE THIS CLASS...maybe better if it wasn't hybrid
I've taken Burch for several of my UD Eng classes. He goes on tons of tangents and sometimes class can drag on but if you're interested in the topic he is pretty engaging. He really knows his stuff and he's a fairly easy grader. You just have to do the reading assignments and keep up with blkboard entries and you'll pull an A.
Wonderful Professor. Earned an A. Hard class. Participation required; Lots of reading. If you keep up w/ assignments and participate you will pass even if you fail both tests. I took during summer & recommend since material is fresh on your mind. Very helpful professor; willing to take the time to explain anything. Be prepared -class participation!
I loved the class. Loved the lectures. Very intelligent and sophisticated professor. If you want to be an intellectual, academic person, then take one of his courses.
AMAZING KNOWLEDGE!You'll learn to think and process material like a grad student. Terrific source of lots of academic information.
He loves to talk about the history behind works which is an interesting approach. I took Brit lit I over the summer and it wasn't bad, he is not a tough grader and actually tests on the history he teaches. Read (random quizzes), go to class, and pay attention and his class is quite fun. Really nice always offering to help and go over test if you do not do well.
He's a good professor if you want to learn, if you just want to pass a test then he is NOT for you.
Horrible professor. You basically have to read and retain all the information or you will do poorly on the test. The study guide he gives doesn't help. Directions are ALWAYS unclear. Find another professor for this class.
if you want to learn and have a challenge, this is the guy. I am just a dude trying to get his core credit, but its gonna be a rough journey. a lot of reading, and pretty intense tests.
I learned very little. He loves to hear himself talk and to hear others agree with him, but he doesn't engage much with the actual material. His tests are multiple choice for the most part, which is silly given his style of teaching. I love myth but I hated this class.
I really enjoyed this class and it is very easy if you are willing to put the time to go to class and read the textbooks. I got 100's on all of his tests and I didn't study much beyond just reading the textbook. It is a lot of reading so be prepared. Don't take this class and expect to do well if you aren't prepared to work.
The topic of the class is interesting in itself. The way he speaks does goes off on a tangent, but it still makes sense. In order to earn a passing grade in his class, show up. Discussion is expected, but not required if you can turn in a paper with notes on it. He's also willing to accept material from students that could be discussed in class.
Lots of homework but a pretty easy class
Ken is an awesome prof! Kind of a cool hippie dude. I enjoyed his lectures though some of the material I had difficulty staying awake through, the subject just isn't for me. Ken's great though. However, he assigns weekly "journals" which are approximately 1 page long, very relaxed essays as well as a quiz each week
Need the textbook. Need to watch a lot of movies. Need to write 400 word journals weekly. Lectures are all over the place, hard to take notes, so read! Only has two exams. Gives extra credit.
I really enjoyed this class. A good option if you're looking for a way to earn a core credit for the humanities. I enjoyed this class and learned a lot. The lectures were interesting to listen to but you read a lot (like the whole textbook) and homework is pretty hefty. Weekly essay and four-question quizzes. Despite that, this was a great prof.
Lots of journals, and obviously movies to watch. A module that has to be completed every week or so with a journal, forum and quiz. He is not super hard about how he grades the journals, however he never puts grades in so I have no idea what I'm going to make in the class. I wouldn't take again, too homework heavy and doesn't respond fast to emails
Class Info
Attendance Mandatory
0%
Textbook Required
100%
Grade Predictor
Your expected effort level
Predicted Grade
A-
Grade Distribution
Common Tags
Rating Trend
Improving
+0.59 avg changeRatings by Course
ENGLISH
5.0
(1)WRITING
5.0
(1)WRC1113
5.0
(1)INTRO0
5.0
(1)ENG2233
5.0
(1)Difficulty by Course
ENGL2013
5.0
BRITLITII
4.0
LITSECT
4.0
LIT2013
4.0
INTROLIT
4.0