Carney Curve

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

Top of the board1.ECON 9902962.LAWS 8856973.PRTO 3300984.BSLW 2299975.PHIL 4932986.LAWS 8308987.SCWK 9960998.EESC 99011009.MUSP 16609610.UGMG 10109811.UNCP 55119712.SCWK 883197

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.

Instructor record · Romance Languages and Literatures · Fall 2021 – Spring 2022

David Shames

Romance Languages and Literatures · 7 evaluation records across 4 classes

On each class's board
SPAN 33953rd of 6 instructorsSPAN 6604only instructor on record ProvisionalSPAN 6606only instructor on record ProvisionalSPAN 9906only instructor on record Provisional
What the overall is made of
94BC evaluations7 records · weight ×1.0 · Fall 2021 – Spring 2022
100RateMyProfessors1 rating · weight ×2.0 · 100% would take again
—Student reviewsno reviews — does not contribute

Sources are averaged by how much we trust each one and by how many records sit behind it, so a handful of reviews nudges the number rather than replacing it.

What the challenge rank is made of
78thMore challenging than 78% of BC instructorsranked against every one we hold
92BC — “Intellectually Challenging”7 records · raw score out of 100

Boston College's own “intellectually challenging” question — 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. RateMyProfessors separately rates this instructor 40 out of 100 for difficulty — that IS a difficulty measure, but it is about the person across everything they teach, not about any one class, so it is shown here rather than folded into the number above.

What the workload rank is made of
51stMore work than 51% of BC instructorsranked against every one we hold
52BC — “Workload”7 records · raw score out of 100

Boston College reports workload 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.

Ratings from outside BC

Not evaluation data

Collected from RateMyProfessors, not from Boston College: 1 rating, 100% would take again, difficulty 40 out of 100. Difficulty is not a quality signal in either direction — a harder course is not a worse one.

Anyone can post there — no @bc.edu check and no enrolment check — so it is weighted alongside the evaluation data, never above it.

The line

All 13 items · means across 7 records
The Professor4 items
Clearly Explains MaterialThe instructor was effective at creating an understanding of difficult subject matter.
9785th pctl
Available Outside of ClassThe instructor was available for help outside of class.
9575th pctl
Brings Out Your Best WorkThe instructor motivated me to do my best work.
9470th pctl
Sparked My InterestThe course stimulated my interest in the subject matter.
9570th pctl
The Course3 items
Well-Organized CourseThe course was well organized.
9896th pctl
Clear Learning GoalsThe learning objectives for the course were clear.
9582nd pctl
Useful Beyond the CourseWhat I learned is applicable beyond this course.
9582nd pctl
Assignments & Feedback3 items
Assignments Help You LearnAssignments and exams contributed to my learning.
9379th pctl
Gives Feedback PromptlyI received feedback on my work in a timely manner.
9152nd pctl
Meaningful FeedbackThe feedback I received on my work was meaningful.
8946th 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.
5251st pctl
Intellectually ChallengingThe course was intellectually challenging.
9278th pctl
Attendance MattersAttending class was necessary to do well in this course.
9585th 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.

Class by class

4 classes · 7 sections

How each position is worked outPositions 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.

SPAN 3395 Contextos: Introduction to Literary Analysis in SpanishOvr91Chal50thWork30th
On this class's board3rd of 6 instructors

4 sections on record · course itself rated 90 out of 100. See the full board for SPAN 3395.

TermSecInstrCourseWork
Spring 2022039296—
Spring 202204939140
Fall 202102848460
Fall 202104948940
All 13 items for SPAN 3395
The Professor4 items
Clearly Explains MaterialThe instructor was effective at creating an understanding of difficult subject matter.
9775th pctl
Available Outside of ClassThe instructor was available for help outside of class.
9671st pctl
Brings Out Your Best WorkThe instructor motivated me to do my best work.
9244th pctl
Sparked My InterestThe course stimulated my interest in the subject matter.
9338th pctl
The Course3 items
Well-Organized CourseThe course was well organized.
9889th pctl
Clear Learning GoalsThe learning objectives for the course were clear.
9681st pctl
Useful Beyond the CourseWhat I learned is applicable beyond this course.
9569th pctl
Assignments & Feedback3 items
Assignments Help You LearnAssignments and exams contributed to my learning.
9684th pctl
Gives Feedback PromptlyI received feedback on my work in a timely manner.
9044th pctl
Meaningful FeedbackThe feedback I received on my work was meaningful.
9149th 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.
4730th pctl
Intellectually ChallengingThe course was intellectually challenging.
9050th pctl
Attendance MattersAttending class was necessary to do well in this course.
9783rd 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.

SPAN 6604 Tradition and Counterculture in MexicoOvr100Chal48thWork78th
On this class's boardonly instructor on record Provisional

1 section on record · course itself rated 100 out of 100. See the full board for SPAN 6604.

TermSecInstrCourseWork
Spring 20220110010060
All 13 items for SPAN 6604
The Professor4 items
Clearly Explains MaterialThe instructor was effective at creating an understanding of difficult subject matter.
100100th pctl
Available Outside of ClassThe instructor was available for help outside of class.
100100th pctl
Brings Out Your Best WorkThe instructor motivated me to do my best work.
100100th pctl
Sparked My InterestThe course stimulated my interest in the subject matter.
100100th pctl
The Course3 items
Well-Organized CourseThe course was well organized.
100100th pctl
Clear Learning GoalsThe learning objectives for the course were clear.
100100th pctl
Useful Beyond the CourseWhat I learned is applicable beyond this course.
9033rd pctl
Assignments & Feedback3 items
Assignments Help You LearnAssignments and exams contributed to my learning.
9045th pctl
Gives Feedback PromptlyI received feedback on my work in a timely manner.
9572nd pctl
Meaningful FeedbackThe feedback I received on my work was meaningful.
9571st 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.
6078th pctl
Intellectually ChallengingThe course was intellectually challenging.
9048th pctl
Attendance MattersAttending class was necessary to do well in this course.
9042nd 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.

SPAN 6606 Interpretations of State Terror in the Southern ConeOvr91Chal76thWork78th
On this class's boardonly instructor on record Provisional

1 section on record · course itself rated 84 out of 100. See the full board for SPAN 6606.

TermSecInstrCourseWork
Fall 202101918460
All 13 items for SPAN 6606
The Professor4 items
Clearly Explains MaterialThe instructor was effective at creating an understanding of difficult subject matter.
8924th pctl
Available Outside of ClassThe instructor was available for help outside of class.
9133rd pctl
Brings Out Your Best WorkThe instructor motivated me to do my best work.
9032nd pctl
Sparked My InterestThe course stimulated my interest in the subject matter.
9338th pctl
The Course3 items
Well-Organized CourseThe course was well organized.
9358th pctl
Clear Learning GoalsThe learning objectives for the course were clear.
8727th pctl
Useful Beyond the CourseWhat I learned is applicable beyond this course.
9565th pctl
Assignments & Feedback3 items
Assignments Help You LearnAssignments and exams contributed to my learning.
8519th pctl
Gives Feedback PromptlyI received feedback on my work in a timely manner.
8937th pctl
Meaningful FeedbackThe feedback I received on my work was meaningful.
754th 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.
6078th pctl
Intellectually ChallengingThe course was intellectually challenging.
9576th pctl
Attendance MattersAttending class was necessary to do well in this course.
9568th 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.

SPAN 9906 Tradition and Counterculture in MexicoOvr100Chal100thWork—
On this class's boardonly instructor on record Provisional

1 section on record · course itself rated 80 out of 100. See the full board for SPAN 9906.

TermSecInstrCourseWork
Spring 20220110080—
All 13 items for SPAN 9906
The Professor4 items
Clearly Explains MaterialThe instructor was effective at creating an understanding of difficult subject matter.
100100th pctl
Available Outside of ClassThe instructor was available for help outside of class.
9028th pctl
Brings Out Your Best WorkThe instructor motivated me to do my best work.
100100th pctl
Sparked My InterestThe course stimulated my interest in the subject matter.
100100th pctl
The Course3 items
Well-Organized CourseThe course was well organized.
100100th pctl
Clear Learning GoalsThe learning objectives for the course were clear.
9042nd pctl
Useful Beyond the CourseWhat I learned is applicable beyond this course.
100100th pctl
Assignments & Feedback3 items
Assignments Help You LearnAssignments and exams contributed to my learning.
9045th pctl
Gives Feedback PromptlyI received feedback on my work in a timely manner.
9044th pctl
Meaningful FeedbackThe feedback I received on my work was meaningful.
9043rd pctl
Workload, difficulty & attendanceNot ratings
Intellectually ChallengingThe course was intellectually challenging.
100100th pctl
Attendance MattersAttending class was necessary to do well in this course.
9042nd 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. 1 of 13 questions were not reported and are left out rather than shown as zero.

How to read this pageScores are out of 100 — Boston College's 1–5 agreement scale, ×20, the way these numbers were printed for years. Almost every class scores high on that scale (the median is about 90), so challenge and workload are shown as a rank against every instructor we hold rather than as a score; the raw figure is in the breakdown above. Neither describes quality, and neither is ever marked better or worse anywhere on this site. A dash means the question was not reported, and is never a zero. The position printed against each class is this instructor's place on that class's own board, computed from the same records the board itself is built from.