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 · Theology · Spring 2023 – Fall 2025

Matthew Vale

Theology · 13 evaluation records across 4 classes

On each class's board
THEO 143010th of 10 instructorsTHEO 5007only instructor on recordTHEO 1725only instructor on record ProvisionalTHEO 8063only instructor on record Provisional
What the overall is made of
85BC evaluations13 records · weight ×1.0 · Spring 2023 – Fall 2025
70RateMyProfessors6 ratings · weight ×2.0 · 67% 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
71stMore challenging than 71% of BC instructorsranked against every one we hold
91BC — “Intellectually Challenging”13 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 76 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
81stMore work than 81% of BC instructorsranked against every one we hold
62BC — “Workload”13 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: 6 ratings, 67% would take again, difficulty 76 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 13 records
The Professor4 items
Clearly Explains MaterialThe instructor was effective at creating an understanding of difficult subject matter.
9142nd pctl
Available Outside of ClassThe instructor was available for help outside of class.
8826th pctl
Brings Out Your Best WorkThe instructor motivated me to do my best work.
8937th pctl
Sparked My InterestThe course stimulated my interest in the subject matter.
9246th pctl
The Course3 items
Well-Organized CourseThe course was well organized.
8526th pctl
Clear Learning GoalsThe learning objectives for the course were clear.
8628th pctl
Useful Beyond the CourseWhat I learned is applicable beyond this course.
8942nd pctl
Assignments & Feedback3 items
Assignments Help You LearnAssignments and exams contributed to my learning.
9054th pctl
Gives Feedback PromptlyI received feedback on my work in a timely manner.
663rd pctl
Meaningful FeedbackThe feedback I received on my work was meaningful.
767th 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.
6281st pctl
Intellectually ChallengingThe course was intellectually challenging.
9171st pctl
Attendance MattersAttending class was necessary to do well in this course.
9270th 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 · 13 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.

THEO 1430 Buddhism and Christianity in DialogueOvr82Chal41stWork47th
On this class's board10th of 10 instructors

7 sections on record · course itself rated 81 out of 100. See the full board for THEO 1430.

TermSecInstrCourseWork
Fall 202501808040
Fall 202401797560
Spring 202401797960
Spring 202402747460
Fall 202301868760
Spring 202301898960
Spring 202302858060
All 13 items for THEO 1430
The Professor4 items
Clearly Explains MaterialThe instructor was effective at creating an understanding of difficult subject matter.
8822nd pctl
Available Outside of ClassThe instructor was available for help outside of class.
859th pctl
Brings Out Your Best WorkThe instructor motivated me to do my best work.
8617th pctl
Sparked My InterestThe course stimulated my interest in the subject matter.
9025th pctl
The Course3 items
Well-Organized CourseThe course was well organized.
8419th pctl
Clear Learning GoalsThe learning objectives for the course were clear.
8520th 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.
8938th pctl
Gives Feedback PromptlyI received feedback on my work in a timely manner.
611st pctl
Meaningful FeedbackThe feedback I received on my work was meaningful.
681st 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.
5747th pctl
Intellectually ChallengingThe course was intellectually challenging.
8941st pctl
Attendance MattersAttending class was necessary to do well in this course.
9147th 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 5007 Mahayana Buddhism: Thought and PracticeOvr89Chal64thWork78th
On this class's boardonly instructor on record

3 sections on record · course itself rated 85 out of 100. See the full board for THEO 5007.

TermSecInstrCourseWork
Fall 202401868460
Spring 202401858360
Spring 202301988960
All 13 items for THEO 5007
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.
9238th pctl
Brings Out Your Best WorkThe instructor motivated me to do my best work.
9456th pctl
Sparked My InterestThe course stimulated my interest in the subject matter.
9664th pctl
The Course3 items
Well-Organized CourseThe course was well organized.
8625th pctl
Clear Learning GoalsThe learning objectives for the course were clear.
8829th pctl
Useful Beyond the CourseWhat I learned is applicable beyond this course.
9136th 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.
540th 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.
6078th pctl
Intellectually ChallengingThe course was intellectually challenging.
9364th pctl
Attendance MattersAttending class was necessary to do well in this course.
9038th 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 1725 Contemplative Responses to Suffering: Buddhism and ChristianityOvr82Chal61stWork78th
On this class's boardonly instructor on record Provisional

2 sections on record · course itself rated 79 out of 100. See the full board for THEO 1725.

TermSecInstrCourseWork
Fall 202301827760
Fall 202302828260
All 13 items for THEO 1725
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.
8923rd pctl
Brings Out Your Best WorkThe instructor motivated me to do my best work.
8821st pctl
Sparked My InterestThe course stimulated my interest in the subject matter.
8816th pctl
The Course3 items
Well-Organized CourseThe course was well organized.
8625th pctl
Clear Learning GoalsThe learning objectives for the course were clear.
8414th pctl
Useful Beyond the CourseWhat I learned is applicable beyond this course.
8615th pctl
Assignments & Feedback3 items
Assignments Help You LearnAssignments and exams contributed to my learning.
8935th 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.
8727th 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.
9261st pctl
Attendance MattersAttending class was necessary to do well in this course.
9674th 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 8063 God and the UltimateOvr100Chal100thWork100th
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 THEO 8063.

TermSecInstrCourseWork
Fall 202501100100100
All 13 items for THEO 8063
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.
9363rd 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.
100100th 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.