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 · Political Science · Fall 2021 – Spring 2024

Dennis Hale

Professor · Political Science · 12 evaluation records across 4 classes

On each class's board
POLI 10419th of 9 instructorsPOLI 10424th of 5 instructorsPOLI 2341only instructor on record ProvisionalPOLI 7706only instructor on record Provisional
What the overall is made of
77BC evaluations12 records · weight ×1.0 · Fall 2021 – Spring 2024
86RateMyProfessors9 ratings · weight ×2.0 · 88% 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
29thMore challenging than 29% of BC instructorsranked against every one we hold
85BC — “Intellectually Challenging”12 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 56 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
35thMore work than 35% of BC instructorsranked against every one we hold
47BC — “Workload”12 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: 9 ratings, 88% would take again, difficulty 56 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 12 records
The Professor4 items
Clearly Explains MaterialThe instructor was effective at creating an understanding of difficult subject matter.
8623rd pctl
Available Outside of ClassThe instructor was available for help outside of class.
8515th pctl
Brings Out Your Best WorkThe instructor motivated me to do my best work.
799th pctl
Sparked My InterestThe course stimulated my interest in the subject matter.
8110th pctl
The Course3 items
Well-Organized CourseThe course was well organized.
8526th pctl
Clear Learning GoalsThe learning objectives for the course were clear.
8421st pctl
Useful Beyond the CourseWhat I learned is applicable beyond this course.
8419th pctl
Assignments & Feedback3 items
Assignments Help You LearnAssignments and exams contributed to my learning.
8634th pctl
Gives Feedback PromptlyI received feedback on my work in a timely manner.
8217th pctl
Meaningful FeedbackThe feedback I received on my work was meaningful.
8318th 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.
4735th pctl
Intellectually ChallengingThe course was intellectually challenging.
8529th pctl
Attendance MattersAttending class was necessary to do well in this course.
8220th 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 · 12 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.

POLI 1041 Fundamental Concepts of PoliticsOvr72Chal20thWork39th
On this class's board9th of 9 instructors

6 sections on record · course itself rated 70 out of 100. See the full board for POLI 1041.

TermSecInstrCourseWork
Fall 2023036467—
Fall 2023048073—
Fall 202203676460
Fall 202204696960
Fall 202103585840
Fall 202104928840
All 13 items for POLI 1041
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.
837th pctl
Brings Out Your Best WorkThe instructor motivated me to do my best work.
773rd pctl
Sparked My InterestThe course stimulated my interest in the subject matter.
741st pctl
The Course3 items
Well-Organized CourseThe course was well organized.
8113th pctl
Clear Learning GoalsThe learning objectives for the course were clear.
819th pctl
Useful Beyond the CourseWhat I learned is applicable beyond this course.
816th pctl
Assignments & Feedback3 items
Assignments Help You LearnAssignments and exams contributed to my learning.
8416th pctl
Gives Feedback PromptlyI received feedback on my work in a timely manner.
789th pctl
Meaningful FeedbackThe feedback I received on my work was meaningful.
797th 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.
5039th pctl
Intellectually ChallengingThe course was intellectually challenging.
8520th pctl
Attendance MattersAttending class was necessary to do well in this course.
798th 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.

POLI 1042 Introduction to Modern PoliticsOvr80Chal15thWork30th
On this class's board4th of 5 instructors

3 sections on record · course itself rated 76 out of 100. See the full board for POLI 1042.

TermSecInstrCourseWork
Spring 202403837940
Spring 202303807640
Spring 202203787260
All 13 items for POLI 1042
The Professor4 items
Clearly Explains MaterialThe instructor was effective at creating an understanding of difficult subject matter.
8717th pctl
Available Outside of ClassThe instructor was available for help outside of class.
848th pctl
Brings Out Your Best WorkThe instructor motivated me to do my best work.
8410th pctl
Sparked My InterestThe course stimulated my interest in the subject matter.
848th pctl
The Course3 items
Well-Organized CourseThe course was well organized.
8624th pctl
Clear Learning GoalsThe learning objectives for the course were clear.
8520th pctl
Useful Beyond the CourseWhat I learned is applicable beyond this course.
8717th pctl
Assignments & Feedback3 items
Assignments Help You LearnAssignments and exams contributed to my learning.
8937th pctl
Gives Feedback PromptlyI received feedback on my work in a timely manner.
8832nd pctl
Meaningful FeedbackThe feedback I received on my work was meaningful.
8519th 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.
8315th pctl
Attendance MattersAttending class was necessary to do well in this course.
798th 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.

POLI 2341 American Political Thought IOvr87Chal25thWork25th
On this class's boardonly instructor on record Provisional

2 sections on record · course itself rated 82 out of 100. See the full board for POLI 2341.

TermSecInstrCourseWork
Spring 202401838140
Spring 202201918340
All 13 items for POLI 2341
The Professor4 items
Clearly Explains MaterialThe instructor was effective at creating an understanding of difficult subject matter.
9242nd pctl
Available Outside of ClassThe instructor was available for help outside of class.
9136th pctl
Brings Out Your Best WorkThe instructor motivated me to do my best work.
8513th pctl
Sparked My InterestThe course stimulated my interest in the subject matter.
9129th pctl
The Course3 items
Well-Organized CourseThe course was well organized.
9251st pctl
Clear Learning GoalsThe learning objectives for the course were clear.
9144th pctl
Useful Beyond the CourseWhat I learned is applicable beyond this course.
8718th pctl
Assignments & Feedback3 items
Assignments Help You LearnAssignments and exams contributed to my learning.
8727th 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.
8830th 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.
4025th pctl
Intellectually ChallengingThe course was intellectually challenging.
8625th pctl
Attendance MattersAttending class was necessary to do well in this course.
8315th 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.

POLI 7706 The American FoundingOvr76Chal36thWork—
On this class's boardonly instructor on record Provisional

1 section on record · course itself rated 76 out of 100. See the full board for POLI 7706.

TermSecInstrCourseWork
Spring 2023017676—
All 13 items for POLI 7706
The Professor4 items
Clearly Explains MaterialThe instructor was effective at creating an understanding of difficult subject matter.
8820th pctl
Available Outside of ClassThe instructor was available for help outside of class.
848th pctl
Brings Out Your Best WorkThe instructor motivated me to do my best work.
681st pctl
Sparked My InterestThe course stimulated my interest in the subject matter.
804th pctl
The Course3 items
Well-Organized CourseThe course was well organized.
8832nd pctl
Clear Learning GoalsThe learning objectives for the course were clear.
8415th pctl
Useful Beyond the CourseWhat I learned is applicable beyond this course.
8410th pctl
Assignments & Feedback2 items
Assignments Help You LearnAssignments and exams contributed to my learning.
8415th pctl
Meaningful FeedbackThe feedback I received on my work was meaningful.
8010th pctl
Workload, difficulty & attendanceNot ratings
Intellectually ChallengingThe course was intellectually challenging.
8836th pctl
Attendance MattersAttending class was necessary to do well in this course.
100100th 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. 2 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.