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 · Music · Spring 2022 – Spring 2026

Eric Kniffin

Music · 17 evaluation records across 4 classes

On each class's board
MUSP 1760only instructor on recordMUSP 1766only instructor on recordMUSP 2710only instructor on recordMUSP 1750only instructor on record Provisional
What the overall is made of
96BC evaluations17 records · weight ×1.0 · Spring 2022 – Spring 2026
—Student reviewsno reviews — does not contribute
—RateMyProfessorsno ratings — 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
66thMore challenging than 66% of BC instructorsranked against every one we hold
90BC — “Intellectually Challenging”17 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.

What the workload rank is made of
3rdMore work than 3% of BC instructorsranked against every one we hold
34BC — “Workload”17 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.

The line

All 13 items · means across 17 records
The Professor4 items
Clearly Explains MaterialThe instructor was effective at creating an understanding of difficult subject matter.
9893rd pctl
Available Outside of ClassThe instructor was available for help outside of class.
9462nd pctl
Brings Out Your Best WorkThe instructor motivated me to do my best work.
9894th pctl
Sparked My InterestThe course stimulated my interest in the subject matter.
9893rd pctl
The Course3 items
Well-Organized CourseThe course was well organized.
9687th pctl
Clear Learning GoalsThe learning objectives for the course were clear.
9265th pctl
Useful Beyond the CourseWhat I learned is applicable beyond this course.
9689th pctl
Assignments & Feedback3 items
Assignments Help You LearnAssignments and exams contributed to my learning.
9275th pctl
Gives Feedback PromptlyI received feedback on my work in a timely manner.
10097th pctl
Meaningful FeedbackThe feedback I received on my work was meaningful.
9582nd 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.
343rd pctl
Intellectually ChallengingThe course was intellectually challenging.
9066th pctl
Attendance MattersAttending class was necessary to do well in this course.
9375th 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 · 17 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.

MUSP 1760 Introduction to ImprovisationOvr93Chal23rdWork2nd
On this class's boardonly instructor on record

8 sections on record · course itself rated 90 out of 100. See the full board for MUSP 1760.

TermSecInstrCourseWork
Spring 2026019610020
Fall 202501100100—
Spring 2025011009840
Fall 2024019395—
Fall 202301———
Spring 202301606040
Fall 2022011008040
Spring 20220110010020
All 13 items for MUSP 1760
The Professor4 items
Clearly Explains MaterialThe instructor was effective at creating an understanding of difficult subject matter.
9670th pctl
Available Outside of ClassThe instructor was available for help outside of class.
9024th pctl
Brings Out Your Best WorkThe instructor motivated me to do my best work.
9672nd pctl
Sparked My InterestThe course stimulated my interest in the subject matter.
9773rd pctl
The Course3 items
Well-Organized CourseThe course was well organized.
9358th pctl
Clear Learning GoalsThe learning objectives for the course were clear.
8725th pctl
Useful Beyond the CourseWhat I learned is applicable beyond this course.
9353rd pctl
Assignments & Feedback3 items
Assignments Help You LearnAssignments and exams contributed to my learning.
8728th pctl
Gives Feedback PromptlyI received feedback on my work in a timely manner.
9991st pctl
Meaningful FeedbackThe feedback I received on my work was meaningful.
9148th 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.
322nd pctl
Intellectually ChallengingThe course was intellectually challenging.
8523rd pctl
Attendance MattersAttending class was necessary to do well in this course.
8830th 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.

MUSP 1766 Intermediate ImprovisationOvr100Chal61stWork3rd
On this class's boardonly instructor on record

4 sections on record · course itself rated 99 out of 100. See the full board for MUSP 1766.

TermSecInstrCourseWork
Spring 202601———
Fall 2025011009720
Spring 20250110010040
Spring 20240110010040
All 13 items for MUSP 1766
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.
9774th 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.
9888th pctl
Clear Learning GoalsThe learning objectives for the course were clear.
9889th pctl
Useful Beyond the CourseWhat I learned is applicable beyond this course.
9990th pctl
Assignments & Feedback3 items
Assignments Help You LearnAssignments and exams contributed to my learning.
9891st pctl
Gives Feedback PromptlyI received feedback on my work in a timely manner.
100100th pctl
Meaningful FeedbackThe feedback I received on my work was meaningful.
100100th 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.
333rd pctl
Intellectually ChallengingThe course was intellectually challenging.
9261st pctl
Attendance MattersAttending class was necessary to do well in this course.
9989th 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.

MUSP 2710 Advanced ImprovisationOvr100Chal100thWork25th
On this class's boardonly instructor on record

3 sections on record · course itself rated 100 out of 100. See the full board for MUSP 2710.

TermSecInstrCourseWork
Spring 202601———
Fall 20250110010040
Spring 202501100100—
All 13 items for MUSP 2710
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.
100100th pctl
Assignments & Feedback3 items
Assignments Help You LearnAssignments and exams contributed to my learning.
9889th pctl
Gives Feedback PromptlyI received feedback on my work in a timely manner.
100100th pctl
Meaningful FeedbackThe feedback I received on my work was meaningful.
100100th 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.
100100th 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.

MUSP 1750 Popular Styles EnsembleOvr100Chal100thWork25th
On this class's boardonly instructor on record Provisional

2 sections on record · course itself rated 100 out of 100. See the full board for MUSP 1750.

TermSecInstrCourseWork
Spring 202601———
Spring 20250110010040
All 13 items for MUSP 1750
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.
100100th pctl
Assignments & Feedback3 items
Assignments Help You LearnAssignments and exams contributed to my learning.
100100th pctl
Gives Feedback PromptlyI received feedback on my work in a timely manner.
100100th pctl
Meaningful FeedbackThe feedback I received on my work was meaningful.
100100th 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.
100100th 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.

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.