Carney Curve

Boston College course evaluations · every published number, ranked class by class

Positions account for how many records stand behind each number, so one perfect review does not outrank a semester of them. Every score shown is the real average — only the ordering is adjusted.

Class record · ARTS · MCAS

ARTS 1141

Ceramics I · 4 instructors on record · 23 sections

What the course score is made of
87BC evaluations23 records · weight ×1.0 · Fall 2021 – Spring 2026
Student reviewsno reviews — does not contribute
RateMyProfessorsno ratings — does not contribute

That is the class itself, averaged across everyone who taught it. Who taught it, and how each of them scored, is the board below — that is what a student picking a section is actually choosing between.

What the challenge rank is made of
12thMore challenging than 12% of BC classesranked against every one we hold
82BC — “Intellectually Challenging”23 records · raw score out of 100

Boston College's own “intellectually challenging” question for this class only — students answer it positively about courses that stretched them, so it measures intellectual challenge and NOT grading, workload or quality. Almost every BC class scores high on it, which is why it is shown as a rank rather than a score.

What the workload rank is made of
43rdMore work than 43% of BC classesranked against every one we hold
54BC — “Workload”23 records · raw score out of 100

Boston College reports workload for this class only as one of five bands, not as a number of hours, and it does not publish what the bands mean — so this site will not translate it into hours. Higher means more work, which is not the same as worse.

This course will deal with all phases of ceramics from slab construction to bowl making and a good deal of effort will go into considering a variety of sculptural possibilities at a foundation level. This course covers the broadest range of ceramic techniques and information. The emphasis in the second semester will be on combining the various techniques and concepts acquired previously into a working order, as well as an exposure to additional technical and conceptual information. Those students starting ceramics in second semester will be given individual assistance in beginning techniques.

The board

4 instructors · ranked on this class onlyCompare the top 3

Scores are real averages. The order also accounts for how many records back each one — the count is under every score — so one perfect review does not outrank a semester of them.

RankInstructorOverallWorkloadChallenge
1Catherine Della LuciaStudio Art Provisional931 record78th21st
2Kiana BeckmenStudio Art Provisional921 record9th
3Geoffrey BoorasStudio Art Provisional842 records39th17th
4Mark CooperProfessor of the Practice, Studio Art · Art, Art History, and Film8419 records43rd11th

How this board is orderedPositions account for how many records stand behind each number, so one perfect review does not outrank a semester of them. Every score shown is the real average — only the ordering is adjusted. The comparison here is the class itself: a thin record is read against how this class was rated overall, not against the university.

Every instructor with an evaluation record for this class is on this board — it is not a top ten, and nothing is hidden behind a “show more”. Overall is the instructor's blended score for THIS class only, and its one contributing source is Boston College's evaluations for the sections in the row's record count — nothing on this board is an average across the other things they teach. Workload and Challenge are RANKS against every class we hold, not scores: BC's questions all sit near the top of the 1-5 scale, so a raw number would put almost every row in the high eighties and tell you nothing. Challenge is BC's “intellectually challenging” item, which students answer positively about courses that stretched them — it is not a measure of difficulty or grading. Neither column is ever marked better or worse. 3 of 4 rows are marked provisional: fewer than 3 records stand behind the number. That is thin evidence, not a bad instructor — the record count is in every row.

The line

All 13 items · means across 23 records
The Professor4 items
Clearly Explains MaterialThe instructor was effective at creating an understanding of difficult subject matter.
8923rd pctl
Available Outside of ClassThe instructor was available for help outside of class.
859th pctl
Brings Out Your Best WorkThe instructor motivated me to do my best work.
8926th pctl
Sparked My InterestThe course stimulated my interest in the subject matter.
9234th pctl
The Course3 items
Well-Organized CourseThe course was well organized.
8012th pctl
Clear Learning GoalsThe learning objectives for the course were clear.
8110th pctl
Useful Beyond the CourseWhat I learned is applicable beyond this course.
8821st pctl
Assignments & Feedback3 items
Assignments Help You LearnAssignments and exams contributed to my learning.
8211th pctl
Gives Feedback PromptlyI received feedback on my work in a timely manner.
8318th pctl
Meaningful FeedbackThe feedback I received on my work was meaningful.
8417th pctl
Workload, difficulty & attendanceNot ratings
WorkloadHow much work the course took outside class, on Boston College's five-band scale — the band boundaries are not published, so this is not a number of hours.
5443rd pctl
Intellectually ChallengingThe course was intellectually challenging.
8212th pctl
Attendance MattersAttending class was necessary to do well in this course.
8934th pctl

Bar length is the rank against every comparable record we hold, not the raw score: BC's questions all have a median around 4.5, so a raw-scale bar would be nearly full on every row and would tell you nothing. Every bar is one ink colour — nothing here is graded green or red. The hatched bars are not ratings at all: a higher number on either describes a different course, not a better one.

Game log

23 sections · newest first
InstructorTermSecInstrCourseWork
Mark CooperSpring 202601839040
Mark CooperSpring 202602808760
Catherine Della LuciaSpring 202603939160
Mark CooperFall 202501647640
Mark CooperFall 202502707860
Mark CooperFall 202503808860
Mark CooperSpring 202501828760
Mark CooperSpring 202502899160
Geoffrey BoorasSpring 202503878140
Geoffrey BoorasFall 202401807260
Kiana BeckmenFall 2024029283
Mark CooperSpring 202401758240
Mark CooperSpring 202402858660
Mark CooperFall 2023019193
Mark CooperFall 202302878960
Mark CooperSpring 202301878860
Mark CooperSpring 202302869060
Mark CooperFall 202201919560
Mark CooperFall 202202919160
Mark CooperSpring 2022019293
Mark CooperSpring 202202868640
Mark CooperFall 202103777860
Mark CooperFall 202104989840

How to read this boardInstructors are ranked on their record in this class only, never on their average across everything they teach. Scores are out of 100 — Boston College's 1–5 agreement scale, ×20, the way these numbers were printed for years. Workload is BC's own five-band figure, not a number of hours, and is shown as a rank. A dash means the question was not reported, and is never a zero.