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 · Philosophy · Fall 2021 – Spring 2026

Kerry Cronin

Philosophy · 21 evaluation records across 5 classes

On each class's board
PHIL 10912nd of 39 instructorsPHIL 10902nd of 30 instructorsPHIL 49321st of 3 instructorsTHEO 109011th of 33 instructorsTHEO 10913rd of 41 instructors
What the overall is made of
98BC evaluations21 records · weight ×1.0 · Fall 2021 – Spring 2026
100RateMyProfessors11 ratings · 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
98thMore challenging than 98% of BC instructorsranked against every one we hold
99BC — “Intellectually Challenging”21 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 82 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
93rdMore work than 93% of BC instructorsranked against every one we hold
76BC — “Workload”21 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: 11 ratings, 100% would take again, difficulty 82 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 21 records
The Professor4 items
Clearly Explains MaterialThe instructor was effective at creating an understanding of difficult subject matter.
9995th pctl
Available Outside of ClassThe instructor was available for help outside of class.
9684th pctl
Brings Out Your Best WorkThe instructor motivated me to do my best work.
9791st pctl
Sparked My InterestThe course stimulated my interest in the subject matter.
9892nd pctl
The Course3 items
Well-Organized CourseThe course was well organized.
9792nd pctl
Clear Learning GoalsThe learning objectives for the course were clear.
9691st pctl
Useful Beyond the CourseWhat I learned is applicable beyond this course.
9794th pctl
Assignments & Feedback3 items
Assignments Help You LearnAssignments and exams contributed to my learning.
9797th pctl
Gives Feedback PromptlyI received feedback on my work in a timely manner.
7911th pctl
Meaningful FeedbackThe feedback I received on my work was meaningful.
9368th 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.
7693rd pctl
Intellectually ChallengingThe course was intellectually challenging.
9998th pctl
Attendance MattersAttending class was necessary to do well in this course.
9998th 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 · 21 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.

PHIL 1091 Perspectives on Western Culture II/Perspectives IIOvr98Chal93rdWork94th
On this class's board2nd of 39 instructors

8 sections on record · course itself rated 94 out of 100. See the full board for PHIL 1091.

TermSecInstrCourseWork
Spring 202601969480
Spring 2025019286—
Spring 202317999780
Spring 202318999380
Spring 2022181009880
Spring 20223110097100
Spring 20225010098—
Spring 20226310091—
All 13 items for PHIL 1091
The Professor4 items
Clearly Explains MaterialThe instructor was effective at creating an understanding of difficult subject matter.
10089th 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.
9882nd pctl
Sparked My InterestThe course stimulated my interest in the subject matter.
9983rd pctl
The Course3 items
Well-Organized CourseThe course was well organized.
9784th pctl
Clear Learning GoalsThe learning objectives for the course were clear.
9786th 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.
9788th pctl
Gives Feedback PromptlyI received feedback on my work in a timely manner.
756th pctl
Meaningful FeedbackThe feedback I received on my work was meaningful.
9254th 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.
8494th pctl
Intellectually ChallengingThe course was intellectually challenging.
9993rd pctl
Attendance MattersAttending class was necessary to do well in this course.
10091st 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.

PHIL 1090 Perspectives on Western Culture I/Perspectives IOvr97Chal93rdWork94th
On this class's board2nd of 30 instructors

4 sections on record · course itself rated 93 out of 100. See the full board for PHIL 1090.

TermSecInstrCourseWork
Fall 202501989680
Fall 202217989680
Fall 202118989280
Fall 2021319489100
All 13 items for PHIL 1090
The Professor4 items
Clearly Explains MaterialThe instructor was effective at creating an understanding of difficult subject matter.
9778th 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.
9774th pctl
Sparked My InterestThe course stimulated my interest in the subject matter.
9878th pctl
The Course3 items
Well-Organized CourseThe course was well organized.
9784th pctl
Clear Learning GoalsThe learning objectives for the course were clear.
9468th pctl
Useful Beyond the CourseWhat I learned is applicable beyond this course.
9462nd pctl
Assignments & Feedback3 items
Assignments Help You LearnAssignments and exams contributed to my learning.
9890th 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.
9358th 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.
8594th pctl
Intellectually ChallengingThe course was intellectually challenging.
9993rd pctl
Attendance MattersAttending class was necessary to do well in this course.
10091st 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.

PHIL 4932 Perspectives SeminarOvr100Chal90thWork39th
On this class's board1st of 3 instructors

3 sections on record · course itself rated 98 out of 100. See the full board for PHIL 4932.

TermSecInstrCourseWork
Fall 20250110010060
Fall 2024011009540
Fall 202301100100—
All 13 items for PHIL 4932
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.
9887th pctl
Clear Learning GoalsThe learning objectives for the course were clear.
9784th pctl
Useful Beyond the CourseWhat I learned is applicable beyond this course.
9885th 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.
8523rd pctl
Meaningful FeedbackThe feedback I received on my work was meaningful.
9781st 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.
9890th 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.

THEO 1090 Perspectives on Western Culture I/Perspectives IOvr93Chal88thWork85th
On this class's board11th of 33 instructors

3 sections on record · course itself rated 90 out of 100. See the full board for THEO 1090.

TermSecInstrCourseWork
Fall 202401908580
Fall 202402908760
Fall 20233510099—
All 13 items for THEO 1090
The Professor4 items
Clearly Explains MaterialThe instructor was effective at creating an understanding of difficult subject matter.
9456th pctl
Available Outside of ClassThe instructor was available for help outside of class.
9238th pctl
Brings Out Your Best WorkThe instructor motivated me to do my best work.
9351st 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.
9146th pctl
Useful Beyond the CourseWhat I learned is applicable beyond this course.
9356th pctl
Assignments & Feedback3 items
Assignments Help You LearnAssignments and exams contributed to my learning.
9471st pctl
Gives Feedback PromptlyI received feedback on my work in a timely manner.
8522nd pctl
Meaningful FeedbackThe feedback I received on my work was meaningful.
9253rd 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.
9788th pctl
Attendance MattersAttending class was necessary to do well in this course.
9677th 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.

THEO 1091 Perspectives on Western Culture II/Perspectives IIOvr99Chal100thWork87th
On this class's board3rd of 41 instructors

3 sections on record · course itself rated 96 out of 100. See the full board for THEO 1091.

TermSecInstrCourseWork
Spring 2024351009960
Spring 202317999580
Spring 202318999680
All 13 items for THEO 1091
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.
9987th pctl
Brings Out Your Best WorkThe instructor motivated me to do my best work.
9884th pctl
Sparked My InterestThe course stimulated my interest in the subject matter.
100100th pctl
The Course3 items
Well-Organized CourseThe course was well organized.
9991st pctl
Clear Learning GoalsThe learning objectives for the course were clear.
9993rd 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.
9992nd pctl
Gives Feedback PromptlyI received feedback on my work in a timely manner.
8420th pctl
Meaningful FeedbackThe feedback I received on my work was meaningful.
9359th 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.
7387th 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.