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

Ronald Tacelli

Philosophy · 17 evaluation records across 5 classes

On each class's board
PHIL 10914th of 39 instructorsPHIL 4403only instructor on recordPHIL 10903rd of 30 instructorsTHEO 10908th of 33 instructors ProvisionalTHEO 10919th of 41 instructors Provisional
What the overall is made of
98BC evaluations17 records · weight ×1.0 · Fall 2021 – Spring 2026
96RateMyProfessors10 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
83rdMore challenging than 83% of BC instructorsranked against every one we hold
93BC — “Intellectually Challenging”17 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 38 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
42ndMore work than 42% of BC instructorsranked against every one we hold
49BC — “Workload”17 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: 10 ratings, 100% would take again, difficulty 38 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 17 records
The Professor4 items
Clearly Explains MaterialThe instructor was effective at creating an understanding of difficult subject matter.
9893rd pctl
Available Outside of ClassThe instructor was available for help outside of class.
9678th pctl
Brings Out Your Best WorkThe instructor motivated me to do my best work.
9893rd pctl
Sparked My InterestThe course stimulated my interest in the subject matter.
9891st pctl
The Course3 items
Well-Organized CourseThe course was well organized.
9367th pctl
Clear Learning GoalsThe learning objectives for the course were clear.
9371st pctl
Useful Beyond the CourseWhat I learned is applicable beyond this course.
9688th pctl
Assignments & Feedback3 items
Assignments Help You LearnAssignments and exams contributed to my learning.
9380th pctl
Gives Feedback PromptlyI received feedback on my work in a timely manner.
9582nd pctl
Meaningful FeedbackThe feedback I received on my work was meaningful.
9477th 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.
4942nd pctl
Intellectually ChallengingThe course was intellectually challenging.
9383rd pctl
Attendance MattersAttending class was necessary to do well in this course.
9586th 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 · 17 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 IIOvr98Chal69thWork39th
On this class's board4th of 39 instructors

6 sections on record · course itself rated 95 out of 100. See the full board for PHIL 1091.

TermSecInstrCourseWork
Spring 2026531009660
Spring 202553989640
Spring 2023471009840
Spring 202348999840
Spring 202224969160
Spring 202256969360
All 13 items for PHIL 1091
The Professor4 items
Clearly Explains MaterialThe instructor was effective at creating an understanding of difficult subject matter.
9987th pctl
Available Outside of ClassThe instructor was available for help outside of class.
9564th pctl
Brings Out Your Best WorkThe instructor motivated me to do my best work.
9885th pctl
Sparked My InterestThe course stimulated my interest in the subject matter.
9985th pctl
The Course3 items
Well-Organized CourseThe course was well organized.
9464th pctl
Clear Learning GoalsThe learning objectives for the course were clear.
9358th pctl
Useful Beyond the CourseWhat I learned is applicable beyond this course.
9672nd pctl
Assignments & Feedback3 items
Assignments Help You LearnAssignments and exams contributed to my learning.
9362nd pctl
Gives Feedback PromptlyI received feedback on my work in a timely manner.
9678th pctl
Meaningful FeedbackThe feedback I received on my work was meaningful.
9674th 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.
9369th 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.

PHIL 4403 Does God Exist?Ovr97Chal62ndWork25th
On this class's boardonly instructor on record

4 sections on record · course itself rated 96 out of 100. See the full board for PHIL 4403.

TermSecInstrCourseWork
Spring 202601989740
Spring 202501989840
Spring 202301969240
Spring 202201989740
All 13 items for PHIL 4403
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.
9883rd pctl
Brings Out Your Best WorkThe instructor motivated me to do my best work.
9777th pctl
Sparked My InterestThe course stimulated my interest in the subject matter.
9879th pctl
The Course3 items
Well-Organized CourseThe course was well organized.
9149th pctl
Clear Learning GoalsThe learning objectives for the course were clear.
9363rd pctl
Useful Beyond the CourseWhat I learned is applicable beyond this course.
9675th pctl
Assignments & Feedback3 items
Assignments Help You LearnAssignments and exams contributed to my learning.
9362nd pctl
Gives Feedback PromptlyI received feedback on my work in a timely manner.
9569th pctl
Meaningful FeedbackThe feedback I received on my work was meaningful.
9463rd 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.
9262nd pctl
Attendance MattersAttending class was necessary to do well in this course.
9250th 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 IOvr98Chal56thWork78th
On this class's board3rd of 30 instructors

3 sections on record · course itself rated 95 out of 100. See the full board for PHIL 1090.

TermSecInstrCourseWork
Fall 202553999760
Fall 202247989860
Fall 202124979060
All 13 items for PHIL 1090
The Professor4 items
Clearly Explains MaterialThe instructor was effective at creating an understanding of difficult subject matter.
9882nd pctl
Available Outside of ClassThe instructor was available for help outside of class.
9343rd pctl
Brings Out Your Best WorkThe instructor motivated me to do my best work.
9881st pctl
Sparked My InterestThe course stimulated my interest in the subject matter.
9768th pctl
The Course3 items
Well-Organized CourseThe course was well organized.
9044th pctl
Clear Learning GoalsThe learning objectives for the course were clear.
9145th pctl
Useful Beyond the CourseWhat I learned is applicable beyond this course.
9566th pctl
Assignments & Feedback3 items
Assignments Help You LearnAssignments and exams contributed to my learning.
9363rd pctl
Gives Feedback PromptlyI received feedback on my work in a timely manner.
9467th pctl
Meaningful FeedbackThe feedback I received on my work was meaningful.
9147th 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.
9156th pctl
Attendance MattersAttending class was necessary to do well in this course.
9676th 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 IOvr97Chal74thWork78th
On this class's board8th of 33 instructors Provisional

2 sections on record · course itself rated 94 out of 100. See the full board for THEO 1090.

TermSecInstrCourseWork
Fall 202453969460
Fall 202454979360
All 13 items for THEO 1090
The Professor4 items
Clearly Explains MaterialThe instructor was effective at creating an understanding of difficult subject matter.
9666th 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.
9668th pctl
Sparked My InterestThe course stimulated my interest in the subject matter.
9664th pctl
The Course3 items
Well-Organized CourseThe course was well organized.
9468th pctl
Clear Learning GoalsThe learning objectives for the course were clear.
9575th 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.
9470th pctl
Gives Feedback PromptlyI received feedback on my work in a timely manner.
9784th pctl
Meaningful FeedbackThe feedback I received on my work was meaningful.
9463rd 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.
9474th pctl
Attendance MattersAttending class was necessary to do well in this course.
9463rd 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 IIOvr99Chal76thWork25th
On this class's board9th of 41 instructors Provisional

2 sections on record · course itself rated 97 out of 100. See the full board for THEO 1091.

TermSecInstrCourseWork
Spring 202347989740
Spring 202348999740
All 13 items for THEO 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.
9780th pctl
Brings Out Your Best WorkThe instructor motivated me to do my best work.
10089th pctl
Sparked My InterestThe course stimulated my interest in the subject matter.
9983rd pctl
The Course3 items
Well-Organized CourseThe course was well organized.
9574th pctl
Clear Learning GoalsThe learning objectives for the course were clear.
9575th pctl
Useful Beyond the CourseWhat I learned is applicable beyond this course.
9989th pctl
Assignments & Feedback2 items
Assignments Help You LearnAssignments and exams contributed to my learning.
9681st pctl
Meaningful FeedbackThe feedback I received on my work was meaningful.
9677th 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.
9576th pctl
Attendance MattersAttending class was necessary to do well in this course.
9887th 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.