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 · BIOL · MCAS

BIOL 2000

Molecules and Cells · 5 instructors on record · 20 sections

What the course score is made of
71BC evaluations20 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
51stMore challenging than 51% of BC classesranked against every one we hold
91BC — “Intellectually Challenging”20 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
48thMore work than 48% of BC classesranked against every one we hold
59BC — “Workload”20 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.

Foundational course required for Biology majors that introduces students to living systems at the molecular and cellular level of organization. Topics introduced in this course include basic cellular biochemistry, gene regulation, cellular organization and metabolism, and cell signaling and genetics.CHEM1109 (or equivalent) is a recommended pre- / co-requisite and may be taken concurrently or with permission of the department.

The board

5 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. 1 of the 5 rows carry a mark saying so.

RankInstructorOverallWorkloadChallengeRMP overall
1Danielle TaghianProfessor of the Practice · Biology876 records78th82nd8628 ratings · all classes
2Douglas WarnerDirector of Laboratories · Biology Provisional fewer records932 records78th41st9224 ratings · all classes
3Rebecca DunnAssociate Professor of the Practice · Biology805 records78th64th7228 ratings · all classes
4Maitreyi DasBiology693 records43rd25th201 rating · all classes
5Laura HakeBiology484 records78th19th3432 ratings · all classes

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. 1 of 5 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 RateMyProfessors column is an instructor's overall figure across everything they teach; that site has no course dimension, so it is shown for information and kept out of the ranking.

The line

All 13 items · means across 20 records
The Professor4 items
Clearly Explains MaterialThe instructor was effective at creating an understanding of difficult subject matter.
828th pctl
Available Outside of ClassThe instructor was available for help outside of class.
8613th pctl
Brings Out Your Best WorkThe instructor motivated me to do my best work.
8310th pctl
Sparked My InterestThe course stimulated my interest in the subject matter.
8715th pctl
The Course3 items
Well-Organized CourseThe course was well organized.
809th pctl
Clear Learning GoalsThe learning objectives for the course were clear.
8520th pctl
Useful Beyond the CourseWhat I learned is applicable beyond this course.
8411th pctl
Assignments & Feedback3 items
Assignments Help You LearnAssignments and exams contributed to my learning.
819th pctl
Gives Feedback PromptlyI received feedback on my work in a timely manner.
8114th pctl
Meaningful FeedbackThe feedback I received on my work was meaningful.
764th 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.
5948th pctl
Intellectually ChallengingThe course was intellectually challenging.
9151st pctl
Attendance MattersAttending class was necessary to do well in this course.
776th 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

20 sections · newest first
InstructorTermSecInstrCourseWork
Rebecca DunnSpring 202601766760
Maitreyi DasSpring 202602757860
Rebecca DunnFall 202501796860
Danielle TaghianFall 202502877760
Rebecca DunnSpring 202501847760
Maitreyi DasSpring 202502677160
Laura HakeFall 202401555760
Danielle TaghianFall 202402887960
Danielle TaghianSpring 202401918160
Maitreyi DasSpring 202402656640
Laura HakeFall 2023014649
Danielle TaghianFall 2023028878
Rebecca DunnSpring 202301877760
Laura HakeSpring 202302484860
Douglas WarnerFall 202201928760
Danielle TaghianFall 202202857460
Rebecca DunnSpring 202201736860
Laura HakeSpring 202202434560
Douglas WarnerFall 202101948960
Danielle TaghianFall 202102827360

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.