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 · Computer Science · Fall 2021 – Spring 2026

Howard Straubing

Professor · Computer Science · 14 evaluation records across 5 classes

On each class's board
CSCI 110110th of 11 instructorsCSCI 22443rd of 8 instructorsCSCI 33841st of 2 instructors ProvisionalCSCI 3392only instructor on record ProvisionalCSCI 3382only instructor on record Provisional
What the overall is made of
74BC evaluations14 records · weight ×1.0 · Fall 2021 – Spring 2026
58RateMyProfessors8 ratings · weight ×2.0 · 50% 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
67thMore challenging than 67% of BC instructorsranked against every one we hold
91BC — “Intellectually Challenging”14 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 78 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
86thMore work than 86% of BC instructorsranked against every one we hold
66BC — “Workload”14 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: 8 ratings, 50% would take again, difficulty 78 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 14 records
The Professor4 items
Clearly Explains MaterialThe instructor was effective at creating an understanding of difficult subject matter.
8110th pctl
Available Outside of ClassThe instructor was available for help outside of class.
8825th pctl
Brings Out Your Best WorkThe instructor motivated me to do my best work.
8111th pctl
Sparked My InterestThe course stimulated my interest in the subject matter.
8313th pctl
The Course3 items
Well-Organized CourseThe course was well organized.
8014th pctl
Clear Learning GoalsThe learning objectives for the course were clear.
8419th pctl
Useful Beyond the CourseWhat I learned is applicable beyond this course.
8110th pctl
Assignments & Feedback3 items
Assignments Help You LearnAssignments and exams contributed to my learning.
8422nd pctl
Gives Feedback PromptlyI received feedback on my work in a timely manner.
7811th pctl
Meaningful FeedbackThe feedback I received on my work was meaningful.
734th 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.
6686th pctl
Intellectually ChallengingThe course was intellectually challenging.
9167th pctl
Attendance MattersAttending class was necessary to do well in this course.
8219th 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

5 classes · 14 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.

CSCI 1101 Computer Science IOvr56Chal34thWork87th
On this class's board10th of 11 instructors

5 sections on record · course itself rated 59 out of 100. See the full board for CSCI 1101.

TermSecInstrCourseWork
Spring 202302525080
Spring 2023115365—
Spring 2023126060100
Spring 2023135862100
Spring 202314595920
All 13 items for CSCI 1101
The Professor4 items
Clearly Explains MaterialThe instructor was effective at creating an understanding of difficult subject matter.
681st pctl
Available Outside of ClassThe instructor was available for help outside of class.
815th pctl
Brings Out Your Best WorkThe instructor motivated me to do my best work.
680th pctl
Sparked My InterestThe course stimulated my interest in the subject matter.
721st pctl
The Course3 items
Well-Organized CourseThe course was well organized.
744th pctl
Clear Learning GoalsThe learning objectives for the course were clear.
809th pctl
Useful Beyond the CourseWhat I learned is applicable beyond this course.
741st pctl
Assignments & Feedback2 items
Assignments Help You LearnAssignments and exams contributed to my learning.
763rd pctl
Meaningful FeedbackThe feedback I received on my work was meaningful.
570th 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.
7587th pctl
Intellectually ChallengingThe course was intellectually challenging.
8834th pctl
Attendance MattersAttending class was necessary to do well in this course.
733rd 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.

CSCI 2244 Randomness and ComputationOvr77Chal55thWork78th
On this class's board3rd of 8 instructors

4 sections on record · course itself rated 70 out of 100. See the full board for CSCI 2244.

TermSecInstrCourseWork
Spring 202401796960
Spring 202402877960
Spring 202302686160
Fall 202101747260
All 13 items for CSCI 2244
The Professor4 items
Clearly Explains MaterialThe instructor was effective at creating an understanding of difficult subject matter.
8410th pctl
Available Outside of ClassThe instructor was available for help outside of class.
8716th pctl
Brings Out Your Best WorkThe instructor motivated me to do my best work.
839th pctl
Sparked My InterestThe course stimulated my interest in the subject matter.
859th pctl
The Course3 items
Well-Organized CourseThe course was well organized.
8215th pctl
Clear Learning GoalsThe learning objectives for the course were clear.
8414th 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.
8414th pctl
Gives Feedback PromptlyI received feedback on my work in a timely manner.
768th pctl
Meaningful FeedbackThe feedback I received on my work was meaningful.
786th 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.
9155th 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.

CSCI 3384 Computability and Computational ComplexityOvr89Chal79thWork85th
On this class's board1st of 2 instructors Provisional

2 sections on record · course itself rated 84 out of 100. See the full board for CSCI 3384.

TermSecInstrCourseWork
Fall 202301959180
Spring 202201837660
All 13 items for CSCI 3384
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.
9666th pctl
Brings Out Your Best WorkThe instructor motivated me to do my best work.
9345th pctl
Sparked My InterestThe course stimulated my interest in the subject matter.
9338th pctl
The Course3 items
Well-Organized CourseThe course was well organized.
9148th pctl
Clear Learning GoalsThe learning objectives for the course were clear.
9252nd pctl
Useful Beyond the CourseWhat I learned is applicable beyond this course.
8824th pctl
Assignments & Feedback3 items
Assignments Help You LearnAssignments and exams contributed to my learning.
9364th 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.
8520th 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.
7085th pctl
Intellectually ChallengingThe course was intellectually challenging.
9579th pctl
Attendance MattersAttending class was necessary to do well in this course.
8935th 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.

CSCI 3392 Logic for Mathematicians and for Computer ScientistsOvr83Chal48thWork78th
On this class's boardonly instructor on record Provisional

2 sections on record · course itself rated 76 out of 100. See the full board for CSCI 3392.

TermSecInstrCourseWork
Fall 202501837360
Fall 202401848060
All 13 items for CSCI 3392
The Professor4 items
Clearly Explains MaterialThe instructor was effective at creating an understanding of difficult subject matter.
8615th pctl
Available Outside of ClassThe instructor was available for help outside of class.
9345th pctl
Brings Out Your Best WorkThe instructor motivated me to do my best work.
8823rd pctl
Sparked My InterestThe course stimulated my interest in the subject matter.
8817th pctl
The Course3 items
Well-Organized CourseThe course was well organized.
809th pctl
Clear Learning GoalsThe learning objectives for the course were clear.
8313th pctl
Useful Beyond the CourseWhat I learned is applicable beyond this course.
793rd pctl
Assignments & Feedback3 items
Assignments Help You LearnAssignments and exams contributed to my learning.
8830th pctl
Gives Feedback PromptlyI received feedback on my work in a timely manner.
693rd pctl
Meaningful FeedbackThe feedback I received on my work was meaningful.
8111th 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.
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.

CSCI 3382 Formalizing MathematicsOvr100Chal69thWork78th
On this class's boardonly instructor on record Provisional

1 section on record · course itself rated 97 out of 100. See the full board for CSCI 3382.

TermSecInstrCourseWork
Spring 2026011009760
All 13 items for CSCI 3382
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.
8727th pctl
Clear Learning GoalsThe learning objectives for the course were clear.
9042nd pctl
Useful Beyond the CourseWhat I learned is applicable beyond this course.
9779th pctl
Assignments & Feedback3 items
Assignments Help You LearnAssignments and exams contributed to my learning.
9786th pctl
Gives Feedback PromptlyI received feedback on my work in a timely manner.
9781st pctl
Meaningful FeedbackThe feedback I received on my work was meaningful.
9780th 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.
9369th pctl
Attendance MattersAttending class was necessary to do well in this course.
9361st 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.