Enlightenment Utopias

Professor Carrie Hintz

Fall 2014

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Number of Respondents: 8

Effectiveness of Course

How would you rate the organization of the course?

0  Below Average

0  Average

0  Good

8 Excellent

0  Other

To whom would you recommend this course?

6  Everyone

3  Any student curious about this topic

1  Students specializing in this area

0  Students preparing for comps

0  No one

How well did the course match your expectations from the description and follow the syllabus? explain if needed.

Respondent   1: “very well”

Respondent   2: “very well”

Respondent   3: “Excellent use of class time”

Respondent   4: “It perfectly matched them”

Respondent   5: “The course matched its description beautifully. Followed the syllabus exactly, too.”

Respondent   6: “The course followed the syllabus exactly and the content exceeded my expectations.”

Respondent   7: “Perfectly – especially dedicated workshop time”

Respondent   8: “It matched both very well”

 

Use of Class Time

On average, the instructor spent most time on:

0  Lecture

6 Class discussion

0  Student presentations

On average, the instructor spent most time on:

6 Lecture

0  Class discussion

0  Student presentations

1  Circle here if course time was evenly distributed among the previous choices.

How would you rate the professor’s ability to use class time in an interesting and generative manner?

0  Below Average

0  Average

0  Good

8 Excellent

0  Other

(Add-in) Respondent 3: “extremely strong”

Comment on the use of class time in this course.

Respondent   1: “Class was utilized effectively. Prof. Hintz is especially adept at asking probing questions and ensuring that class discussion does not veer off course.”

Respondent   2: “The professor expertly used class time to generate class discussion which engendered partnership in scholarship & extended my interest in the [unreadable word] to a greater degree. This was a great class.”

Respondent   3: [unreadable response]

Respondent   4: “Every class brought to light new insights to the readings, the discussion was well-guided, and Prof. Hintz did a great job of highlighting thoughtful comments made by students and consistently encouraging further developing ideas.”

Respondent   5: “It was perfect. Very generative and useful.”

Respondent   6: no response

Respondent   7: “effective & efficient”

Respondent   8: “Our class discussions were really great! Carrie was great at leading and also at listening. She encouraged everyone to talk, & was good at making that happen. Discussions were rich and covered the whole breadth of the text we read, as well as incorporating relevant social & historical contexts & secondary material.”

 

Scholarship

Describe the professor’s methodological, theoretical, or critical approaches emphasized in the course:

Respondent   1: “One aspect of Prof. Hintz’s approach to teaching that I especially appreciate is her ability to create a comforting, nurturing, and non-elitist environment in which students don’t feel intimidated or afraid to speak up”

Respondent   2: “Prof. Hintz emphasized cultural reading but was open to discussing several methodologies, including [unreadable word] & theory, which made the explanation of the topic much more interesting & informative.”

Respondent   3: [unreadable response]

Respondent   4: “Literary theory with emphasis on utopian studies, feminism, and critical theory”

Respondent   5: “Methodology=mostly English/literary studies; Theoretical=lots (feminist, race, etc.); Critical=text-oriented”

Respondent   6: no response

Respondent   7: no response

Respondent   8: “We studied the utopias in the context of utopian studies, literature, & historical & theoretical lenses”

Rate the professor’s ability to alert students to developments in recent scholarship and refer them to unexplored areas of research:

0  Below Average

0  Average

0  Good

8  Excellent

0  Other

(Add-in) Respondent 7: “Thanks for utopian studies conference info”

Availability and Evaluation

How responsive was the instructor to course work and conferences:

0  Not very

0  Acceptably

8 Very

Comment on the professor’s ability to include the perspectives or achievements of people traditionally excluded from the cannon (e.g. racial minorities, ethnic minorities, women, disabled people, those who challenge heteronormativity and gender conformity):

Respondent   1: “Prof. Hintz was very open to a diverse range of perspectives”

Respondent   2: “Prof. Hintz engaged with all perspectives which were organically linked to our class discussion regardless of the source or point of view. These were positive & [unreadable word] as well as inclusive scholarly engagement”

Respondent   3: “strong engagement with topics of gender, race, and ethnicity (?)”

Respondent   4: “It included an pushed beyond traditional approaches to the Enlightenment, including extensive discussion of race and gender.”

Respondent   5: “The course ended with women’s utopias, which are under studied. We also brought in perspectives such as feminism and critical race theory into discussion”

Respondent   6: “I studied women & gender studies in undergrad so I always pay close attention to this. Prof. Hintz did an absolutely wonderful job of incorporating issues of race, gender, disability, class, sexuality, etc. into class discussion.”

Respondent   7: “excellent”

Respondent   8: “Carrie incorporated these perspectives well. We read selections that discussed raced, gender, & queer theories. She was also good at drawing out people in the class who have different perspectives & listening to them attentively. (Also talked about disability)”

Please use the space below to give further written evaluation of the course or to expand on any of the comments above:

Respondent   1: no response

Respondent   2: “I gained extraordinary interdisciplinary knowledge which will serve me well in my academic pursuits going forward.”

Respondent   3: “excellent class taught by a [unreadable word] professor”

Respondent   4: “To put it simply, this was one of the best graduate courses I’ve taken.”

Respondent   5: “I loved this course. Best course I’ve had at the GC. On of the most friendly but productive groups of peers I’ve ever had, all facilitated by Prof. Hintz. Recommend this course to anyone and everyone, no hesitation!”

Respondent   6: “Literature is not my area of specialization and I felt anxious coming into this class. Professor Hintz was very encouraging and helpful.”

Respondent   7: “I struggled with Adorno reading & could have used supportive intro the week before. Maybe just 10 minutes on what this is/what to expect.”

Respondent   8: “Great course! I really appreciate Carrie’s broad interpretation of the term utopia, and the fact that she allowed us so much latitude within that topic pursue our own interests. Her use of the paper workshops was really helpful, & defused the fears I had about writing my first papers in the program.”