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 · Political Science · Fall 2021 – Spring 2026

Robert Ross

Political Science · 10 evaluation records across 4 classes

On each class's board
POLI 4590only instructor on recordPOLI 10812nd of 2 instructorsPOLI 3517only instructor on record ProvisionalPOLI 7815only instructor on record Provisional
What the overall is made of
78BC evaluations10 records · weight ×1.0 · Fall 2021 – Spring 2026
60RateMyProfessors5 ratings · weight ×2.0 · 20% 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
78thMore challenging than 78% of BC instructorsranked against every one we hold
92BC — “Intellectually Challenging”10 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 84 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
63rdMore work than 63% of BC instructorsranked against every one we hold
58BC — “Workload”10 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: 5 ratings, 20% would take again, difficulty 84 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 10 records
The Professor4 items
Clearly Explains MaterialThe instructor was effective at creating an understanding of difficult subject matter.
8315th pctl
Available Outside of ClassThe instructor was available for help outside of class.
8515th pctl
Brings Out Your Best WorkThe instructor motivated me to do my best work.
8418th pctl
Sparked My InterestThe course stimulated my interest in the subject matter.
8829th pctl
The Course3 items
Well-Organized CourseThe course was well organized.
7911th pctl
Clear Learning GoalsThe learning objectives for the course were clear.
8213th pctl
Useful Beyond the CourseWhat I learned is applicable beyond this course.
9048th pctl
Assignments & Feedback3 items
Assignments Help You LearnAssignments and exams contributed to my learning.
8632nd pctl
Gives Feedback PromptlyI received feedback on my work in a timely manner.
8527th pctl
Meaningful FeedbackThe feedback I received on my work was meaningful.
756th 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.
5863rd pctl
Intellectually ChallengingThe course was intellectually challenging.
9278th pctl
Attendance MattersAttending class was necessary to do well in this course.
8016th 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 · 10 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.

POLI 4590 East Asian SecurityOvr86Chal64thWork45th
On this class's boardonly instructor on record

5 sections on record · course itself rated 85 out of 100. See the full board for POLI 4590.

TermSecInstrCourseWork
Spring 202601777960
Spring 202501979760
Spring 202401918740
Fall 202201757260
Fall 2021019190—
All 13 items for POLI 4590
The Professor4 items
Clearly Explains MaterialThe instructor was effective at creating an understanding of difficult subject matter.
9027th pctl
Available Outside of ClassThe instructor was available for help outside of class.
8817th pctl
Brings Out Your Best WorkThe instructor motivated me to do my best work.
8927th pctl
Sparked My InterestThe course stimulated my interest in the subject matter.
9233rd pctl
The Course3 items
Well-Organized CourseThe course was well organized.
8833rd pctl
Clear Learning GoalsThe learning objectives for the course were clear.
8935th pctl
Useful Beyond the CourseWhat I learned is applicable beyond this course.
9245th pctl
Assignments & Feedback3 items
Assignments Help You LearnAssignments and exams contributed to my learning.
9046th pctl
Gives Feedback PromptlyI received feedback on my work in a timely manner.
9148th 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.
5545th pctl
Intellectually ChallengingThe course was intellectually challenging.
9364th pctl
Attendance MattersAttending class was necessary to do well in this course.
8625th 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.

POLI 1081 Introduction to International PoliticsOvr64Chal55thWork78th
On this class's board2nd of 2 instructors

3 sections on record · course itself rated 62 out of 100. See the full board for POLI 1081.

TermSecInstrCourseWork
Spring 202601595960
Spring 202501686560
Spring 202401646160
All 13 items for POLI 1081
The Professor4 items
Clearly Explains MaterialThe instructor was effective at creating an understanding of difficult subject matter.
711st pctl
Available Outside of ClassThe instructor was available for help outside of class.
803rd pctl
Brings Out Your Best WorkThe instructor motivated me to do my best work.
741st pctl
Sparked My InterestThe course stimulated my interest in the subject matter.
815th pctl
The Course3 items
Well-Organized CourseThe course was well organized.
702nd pctl
Clear Learning GoalsThe learning objectives for the course were clear.
722nd pctl
Useful Beyond the CourseWhat I learned is applicable beyond this course.
8614th pctl
Assignments & Feedback3 items
Assignments Help You LearnAssignments and exams contributed to my learning.
808th pctl
Gives Feedback PromptlyI received feedback on my work in a timely manner.
8215th pctl
Meaningful FeedbackThe feedback I received on my work was meaningful.
641st 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.
621st 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.

POLI 3517 Rising Powers and Power Transitions in Theory and HistoryOvr73Chal40thWork78th
On this class's boardonly instructor on record Provisional

1 section on record · course itself rated 67 out of 100. See the full board for POLI 3517.

TermSecInstrCourseWork
Fall 202201736760
All 13 items for POLI 3517
The Professor4 items
Clearly Explains MaterialThe instructor was effective at creating an understanding of difficult subject matter.
783rd pctl
Available Outside of ClassThe instructor was available for help outside of class.
711st pctl
Brings Out Your Best WorkThe instructor motivated me to do my best work.
762nd pctl
Sparked My InterestThe course stimulated my interest in the subject matter.
848th pctl
The Course3 items
Well-Organized CourseThe course was well organized.
641st pctl
Clear Learning GoalsThe learning objectives for the course were clear.
712nd pctl
Useful Beyond the CourseWhat I learned is applicable beyond this course.
8717th pctl
Assignments & Feedback3 items
Assignments Help You LearnAssignments and exams contributed to my learning.
691st pctl
Gives Feedback PromptlyI received feedback on my work in a timely manner.
571st pctl
Meaningful FeedbackThe feedback I received on my work was meaningful.
600th 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.
8940th 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.

POLI 7815 Use of ForceOvr88Chal84thWork—
On this class's boardonly instructor on record Provisional

1 section on record · course itself rated 76 out of 100. See the full board for POLI 7815.

TermSecInstrCourseWork
Fall 2021018876—
All 13 items for POLI 7815
The Professor4 items
Clearly Explains MaterialThe instructor was effective at creating an understanding of difficult subject matter.
9669th 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.
9670th pctl
Sparked My InterestThe course stimulated my interest in the subject matter.
9663rd pctl
The Course3 items
Well-Organized CourseThe course was well organized.
766th pctl
Clear Learning GoalsThe learning objectives for the course were clear.
8519th 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.
9572nd pctl
Meaningful FeedbackThe feedback I received on my work was meaningful.
9043rd pctl
Workload, difficulty & attendanceNot ratings
Intellectually ChallengingThe course was intellectually challenging.
9684th 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. 1 of 13 questions were not reported and are left out rather than shown as zero.

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.