Carney Curve

Boston College course evaluations · every published number, ranked class by class

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 · Business Law and Society · Fall 2021 – Spring 2026

Thomas Wesner

Professor of the Practice · Business Law and Society · 33 evaluation records across 4 classes

On each class's board
BSLW 10211st of 12 instructorsBSLW 1185only instructor on recordMCMC 10911st of 8 instructors ProvisionalMCBL 10211st of 2 instructors Provisional
What the overall is made of
97BC evaluations33 records · weight ×1.0 · Fall 2021 – Spring 2026
96RateMyProfessors21 ratings · weight ×2.0 · 95% 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
87thMore challenging than 87% of BC instructorsranked against every one we hold
94BC — “Intellectually Challenging”33 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 60 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
56thMore work than 56% of BC instructorsranked against every one we hold
54BC — “Workload”33 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: 21 ratings, 95% would take again, difficulty 60 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 33 records
The Professor4 items
Clearly Explains MaterialThe instructor was effective at creating an understanding of difficult subject matter.
9891st pctl
Available Outside of ClassThe instructor was available for help outside of class.
9360th pctl
Brings Out Your Best WorkThe instructor motivated me to do my best work.
9894th pctl
Sparked My InterestThe course stimulated my interest in the subject matter.
9994th pctl
The Course3 items
Well-Organized CourseThe course was well organized.
9260th pctl
Clear Learning GoalsThe learning objectives for the course were clear.
9371st pctl
Useful Beyond the CourseWhat I learned is applicable beyond this course.
9895th pctl
Assignments & Feedback3 items
Assignments Help You LearnAssignments and exams contributed to my learning.
9591st pctl
Gives Feedback PromptlyI received feedback on my work in a timely manner.
9474th pctl
Meaningful FeedbackThe feedback I received on my work was meaningful.
9689th 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.
5456th pctl
Intellectually ChallengingThe course was intellectually challenging.
9487th pctl
Attendance MattersAttending class was necessary to do well in this course.
9689th 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 · 33 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.

BSLW 1021 Law I--Introduction to Law and Legal ProcessOvr97Chal76thWork78th
On this class's board1st of 12 instructors

20 sections on record · course itself rated 95 out of 100. See the full board for BSLW 1021.

TermSecInstrCourseWork
Spring 202603979360
Spring 202607989660
Fall 202508959260
Fall 202509989660
Spring 202503979560
Spring 202507989760
Fall 202408989760
Fall 202409989760
Spring 202403959560
Spring 202407949360
Fall 2023089796
Fall 2023099899

Showing the first 12.

All 13 items for BSLW 1021
The Professor4 items
Clearly Explains MaterialThe instructor was effective at creating an understanding of difficult subject matter.
9880th pctl
Available Outside of ClassThe instructor was available for help outside of class.
9242nd 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.
9984th pctl
The Course3 items
Well-Organized CourseThe course was well organized.
9150th pctl
Clear Learning GoalsThe learning objectives for the course were clear.
9360th 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.
9579th pctl
Gives Feedback PromptlyI received feedback on my work in a timely manner.
9362nd 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.
6078th pctl
Intellectually ChallengingThe course was intellectually challenging.
9576th pctl
Attendance MattersAttending class was necessary to do well in this course.
9781st 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.

BSLW 1185 Topics: Law and EconomicsOvr97Chal79thWork28th
On this class's boardonly instructor on record

10 sections on record · course itself rated 95 out of 100. See the full board for BSLW 1185.

TermSecInstrCourseWork
Spring 202601969240
Fall 202501999740
Spring 202501979140
Fall 202401979640
Spring 2024011009940
Fall 2023019489
Spring 2023011009940
Fall 202201959460
Spring 202201959740
Fall 202101989760
All 13 items for BSLW 1185
The Professor4 items
Clearly Explains MaterialThe instructor was effective at creating an understanding of difficult subject matter.
9884th 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.
9884th pctl
Sparked My InterestThe course stimulated my interest in the subject matter.
9984th pctl
The Course3 items
Well-Organized CourseThe course was well organized.
9253rd pctl
Clear Learning GoalsThe learning objectives for the course were clear.
9360th pctl
Useful Beyond the CourseWhat I learned is applicable beyond this course.
9888th pctl
Assignments & Feedback3 items
Assignments Help You LearnAssignments and exams contributed to my learning.
9684th 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.
9782nd 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.
4428th pctl
Intellectually ChallengingThe course was intellectually challenging.
9579th 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.

MCMC 1091 First Year Discovery SeminarOvr100Chal33rdWork25th
On this class's board1st of 8 instructors Provisional

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

TermSecInstrCourseWork
Summer 20251410010040
Summer 2024101009340
All 13 items for MCMC 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.
9884th 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.
9785th pctl
Clear Learning GoalsThe learning objectives for the course were clear.
9680th 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.
9259th pctl
Gives Feedback PromptlyI received feedback on my work in a timely manner.
9887th 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.
4025th pctl
Intellectually ChallengingThe course was intellectually challenging.
8833rd 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.

MCBL 1021 Law I--Introduction to Law and Legal ProcessOvr89Chal6thWork78th
On this class's board1st of 2 instructors Provisional

1 section on record · course itself rated 85 out of 100. See the full board for MCBL 1021.

TermSecInstrCourseWork
Spring 202601898560
All 13 items for MCBL 1021
The Professor4 items
Clearly Explains MaterialThe instructor was effective at creating an understanding of difficult subject matter.
9134th pctl
Available Outside of ClassThe instructor was available for help outside of class.
9136th pctl
Brings Out Your Best WorkThe instructor motivated me to do my best work.
9346th pctl
Sparked My InterestThe course stimulated my interest in the subject matter.
9340th pctl
The Course3 items
Well-Organized CourseThe course was well organized.
8317th pctl
Clear Learning GoalsThe learning objectives for the course were clear.
9037th pctl
Useful Beyond the CourseWhat I learned is applicable beyond this course.
9029th pctl
Assignments & Feedback3 items
Assignments Help You LearnAssignments and exams contributed to my learning.
8623rd pctl
Gives Feedback PromptlyI received feedback on my work in a timely manner.
8626th pctl
Meaningful FeedbackThe feedback I received on my work was meaningful.
9044th 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.
796th pctl
Attendance MattersAttending class was necessary to do well in this course.
798th 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.