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 · SCWK · SSW

SCWK 7727

Substance Use Disorders · 5 instructors on record · 12 sections

What the course score is made of
75BC evaluations12 records · weight ×1.0 · Fall 2021 – Fall 2025
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
3rdMore challenging than 3% of BC classesranked against every one we hold
76BC — “Intellectually Challenging”12 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
3rdMore work than 3% of BC classesranked against every one we hold
38BC — “Workload”12 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.

Elective This course is designed to provide students with the fundamentals for understanding the use and misuse of alcohol and other drugs, and a basic understanding of evidenced-based treatment methods. One evidence-based treatment, Motivational Interviewing, will receive in-depth attention. Primary content includes an examination of the epidemiology and basic pharmacology of various substances, established theoretical frameworks for understanding etiology, and clinical practices across an array of populations.

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.

RankInstructorOverallWorkloadChallenge
1Molly MagillSocial Work884 records25th12th
2John RodolicoSocial Work Provisional822 records25th10th
3Julia SchechterSocial Work Provisional822 records25th2nd
4Kevin MccarthySocial Work793 records25th5th
5Thomas HealeySocial Work Provisional601 record0th0th

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 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 line

All 13 items · means across 12 records
The Professor4 items
Clearly Explains MaterialThe instructor was effective at creating an understanding of difficult subject matter.
8718th pctl
Available Outside of ClassThe instructor was available for help outside of class.
8921st pctl
Brings Out Your Best WorkThe instructor motivated me to do my best work.
8717th pctl
Sparked My InterestThe course stimulated my interest in the subject matter.
8919th pctl
The Course3 items
Well-Organized CourseThe course was well organized.
8215th pctl
Clear Learning GoalsThe learning objectives for the course were clear.
8110th pctl
Useful Beyond the CourseWhat I learned is applicable beyond this course.
8928th pctl
Assignments & Feedback3 items
Assignments Help You LearnAssignments and exams contributed to my learning.
8415th pctl
Gives Feedback PromptlyI received feedback on my work in a timely manner.
8625th pctl
Meaningful FeedbackThe feedback I received on my work was meaningful.
8725th 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.
383rd pctl
Intellectually ChallengingThe course was intellectually challenging.
763rd pctl
Attendance MattersAttending class was necessary to do well in this course.
809th 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

12 sections · newest first
InstructorTermSecInstrCourseWork
Molly MagillFall 202501857740
Julia SchechterSummer 202501716940
Kevin MccarthySummer 202502827840
Molly MagillFall 202401887940
Julia SchechterSummer 202401949040
Kevin MccarthySummer 202402827840
John RodolicoFall 2023017769
Kevin MccarthySummer 2023017366
Molly MagillSummer 2023029387
John RodolicoFall 202201887640
Molly MagillSummer 202202848040
Thomas HealeyFall 202101604820

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.