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 · University and Capstone · Fall 2021 – Spring 2026

Maura Johnston

University and Capstone · 23 evaluation records across 3 classes

On each class's board
JOUR 2226only instructor on recordJOUR 2225only instructor on recordJOUR 2268only instructor on record Provisional
What the overall is made of
90BC evaluations23 records · weight ×1.0 · Fall 2021 – 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
32ndMore challenging than 32% of BC instructorsranked against every one we hold
85BC — “Intellectually Challenging”23 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
33rdMore work than 33% of BC instructorsranked against every one we hold
45BC — “Workload”23 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 23 records
The Professor4 items
Clearly Explains MaterialThe instructor was effective at creating an understanding of difficult subject matter.
9361st pctl
Available Outside of ClassThe instructor was available for help outside of class.
9464th pctl
Brings Out Your Best WorkThe instructor motivated me to do my best work.
9471st pctl
Sparked My InterestThe course stimulated my interest in the subject matter.
9676th pctl
The Course3 items
Well-Organized CourseThe course was well organized.
8944th pctl
Clear Learning GoalsThe learning objectives for the course were clear.
8944th pctl
Useful Beyond the CourseWhat I learned is applicable beyond this course.
9258th pctl
Assignments & Feedback3 items
Assignments Help You LearnAssignments and exams contributed to my learning.
9165th pctl
Gives Feedback PromptlyI received feedback on my work in a timely manner.
7912th pctl
Meaningful FeedbackThe feedback I received on my work was meaningful.
8216th 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.
4533rd pctl
Intellectually ChallengingThe course was intellectually challenging.
8532nd pctl
Attendance MattersAttending class was necessary to do well in this course.
8427th 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

3 classes · 23 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.

JOUR 2226 Writing About Popular MusicOvr91Chal20thWork30th
On this class's boardonly instructor on record

12 sections on record · course itself rated 89 out of 100. See the full board for JOUR 2226.

TermSecInstrCourseWork
Spring 202601939360
Fall 202501948940
Summer 202501809080
Spring 202501938840
Fall 202401899140
Summer 202401100100—
Spring 202401919140
Fall 2023019086—
Spring 202301858240
Fall 202201888240
Spring 202201908840
Fall 202101959340
All 13 items for JOUR 2226
The Professor4 items
Clearly Explains MaterialThe instructor was effective at creating an understanding of difficult subject matter.
9343rd 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.
9455th pctl
Sparked My InterestThe course stimulated my interest in the subject matter.
9659th pctl
The Course3 items
Well-Organized CourseThe course was well organized.
8938th pctl
Clear Learning GoalsThe learning objectives for the course were clear.
8936th pctl
Useful Beyond the CourseWhat I learned is applicable beyond this course.
9141st pctl
Assignments & Feedback3 items
Assignments Help You LearnAssignments and exams contributed to my learning.
9259th pctl
Gives Feedback PromptlyI received feedback on my work in a timely manner.
757th pctl
Meaningful FeedbackThe feedback I received on my work was meaningful.
787th 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.
4630th pctl
Intellectually ChallengingThe course was intellectually challenging.
8520th pctl
Attendance MattersAttending class was necessary to do well in this course.
8520th 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.

JOUR 2225 Journalism and New MediaOvr89Chal29thWork29th
On this class's boardonly instructor on record

10 sections on record · course itself rated 86 out of 100. See the full board for JOUR 2225.

TermSecInstrCourseWork
Spring 2026018783—
Spring 202501828040
Fall 202401949740
Summer 2024011008060
Spring 202401959140
Fall 2023019389—
Spring 202301959440
Fall 202201918960
Spring 202201758040
Fall 202101807340
All 13 items for JOUR 2225
The Professor4 items
Clearly Explains MaterialThe instructor was effective at creating an understanding of difficult subject matter.
9454th pctl
Available Outside of ClassThe instructor was available for help outside of class.
9558th pctl
Brings Out Your Best WorkThe instructor motivated me to do my best work.
9564th pctl
Sparked My InterestThe course stimulated my interest in the subject matter.
9664th pctl
The Course3 items
Well-Organized CourseThe course was well organized.
8936th pctl
Clear Learning GoalsThe learning objectives for the course were clear.
9037th pctl
Useful Beyond the CourseWhat I learned is applicable beyond this course.
9350th pctl
Assignments & Feedback3 items
Assignments Help You LearnAssignments and exams contributed to my learning.
8936th 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.
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.
4529th pctl
Intellectually ChallengingThe course was intellectually challenging.
8729th pctl
Attendance MattersAttending class was necessary to do well in this course.
8214th 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.

JOUR 2268 The Cultural Critic OnlineOvr85Chal5thWork25th
On this class's boardonly instructor on record Provisional

1 section on record · course itself rated 82 out of 100. See the full board for JOUR 2268.

TermSecInstrCourseWork
Fall 202501858240
All 13 items for JOUR 2268
The Professor4 items
Clearly Explains MaterialThe instructor was effective at creating an understanding of difficult subject matter.
9345th pctl
Available Outside of ClassThe instructor was available for help outside of class.
9672nd pctl
Brings Out Your Best WorkThe instructor motivated me to do my best work.
9136th pctl
Sparked My InterestThe course stimulated my interest in the subject matter.
9666th pctl
The Course3 items
Well-Organized CourseThe course was well organized.
8523rd pctl
Clear Learning GoalsThe learning objectives for the course were clear.
8727th pctl
Useful Beyond the CourseWhat I learned is applicable beyond this course.
9138th pctl
Assignments & Feedback3 items
Assignments Help You LearnAssignments and exams contributed to my learning.
9150th pctl
Gives Feedback PromptlyI received feedback on my work in a timely manner.
8013th pctl
Meaningful FeedbackThe feedback I received on my work was meaningful.
765th 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.
785th pctl
Attendance MattersAttending class was necessary to do well in this course.
9357th 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.