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 · Accounting · Fall 2021 – Spring 2026

Thomas Whalen

Accounting · 22 evaluation records across 3 classes

On each class's board
ACCT 102121st of 25 instructorsACCT 33214th of 5 instructorsACCT 66012nd of 2 instructors
What the overall is made of
79BC evaluations22 records · weight ×1.0 · Fall 2021 – Spring 2026
60RateMyProfessors14 ratings · weight ×2.0 · 47% 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”22 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 70 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
80thMore work than 80% of BC instructorsranked against every one we hold
60BC — “Workload”22 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: 14 ratings, 47% would take again, difficulty 70 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 22 records
The Professor4 items
Clearly Explains MaterialThe instructor was effective at creating an understanding of difficult subject matter.
8313th 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.
8830th pctl
Sparked My InterestThe course stimulated my interest in the subject matter.
8723rd pctl
The Course3 items
Well-Organized CourseThe course was well organized.
8423rd pctl
Clear Learning GoalsThe learning objectives for the course were clear.
8627th pctl
Useful Beyond the CourseWhat I learned is applicable beyond this course.
8939th pctl
Assignments & Feedback3 items
Assignments Help You LearnAssignments and exams contributed to my learning.
8951st pctl
Gives Feedback PromptlyI received feedback on my work in a timely manner.
9153rd pctl
Meaningful FeedbackThe feedback I received on my work was meaningful.
8838th 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.
6080th pctl
Intellectually ChallengingThe course was intellectually challenging.
9171st pctl
Attendance MattersAttending class was necessary to do well in this course.
8428th 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 · 22 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.

ACCT 1021 Financial AccountingOvr82Chal49thWork78th
On this class's board21st of 25 instructors

10 sections on record · course itself rated 77 out of 100. See the full board for ACCT 1021.

TermSecInstrCourseWork
Spring 202615667160
Spring 202616727060
Fall 202520807460
Fall 202521686360
Spring 202308888160
Spring 202309898160
Fall 2022169087—
Spring 202208918460
Fall 202113868160
Fall 202114878260
All 13 items for ACCT 1021
The Professor4 items
Clearly Explains MaterialThe instructor was effective at creating an understanding of difficult subject matter.
8410th pctl
Available Outside of ClassThe instructor was available for help outside of class.
8715th pctl
Brings Out Your Best WorkThe instructor motivated me to do my best work.
9032nd pctl
Sparked My InterestThe course stimulated my interest in the subject matter.
8919th pctl
The Course3 items
Well-Organized CourseThe course was well organized.
8624th pctl
Clear Learning GoalsThe learning objectives for the course were clear.
8935th pctl
Useful Beyond the CourseWhat I learned is applicable beyond this course.
8928th pctl
Assignments & Feedback3 items
Assignments Help You LearnAssignments and exams contributed to my learning.
9254th pctl
Gives Feedback PromptlyI received feedback on my work in a timely manner.
9253rd pctl
Meaningful FeedbackThe feedback I received on my work was meaningful.
8830th 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.
9049th pctl
Attendance MattersAttending class was necessary to do well in this course.
8622nd 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.

ACCT 3321 Intermediate Accounting for Finance and ConsultingOvr73Chal61stWork78th
On this class's board4th of 5 instructors

7 sections on record · course itself rated 68 out of 100. See the full board for ACCT 3321.

TermSecInstrCourseWork
Fall 202401726660
Fall 202402767460
Spring 202401797160
Spring 202402686060
Fall 2023017166—
Fall 2023027366—
Fall 202202757060
All 13 items for ACCT 3321
The Professor4 items
Clearly Explains MaterialThe instructor was effective at creating an understanding of difficult subject matter.
804th pctl
Available Outside of ClassThe instructor was available for help outside of class.
8716th pctl
Brings Out Your Best WorkThe instructor motivated me to do my best work.
8512th pctl
Sparked My InterestThe course stimulated my interest in the subject matter.
848th pctl
The Course3 items
Well-Organized CourseThe course was well organized.
8112th pctl
Clear Learning GoalsThe learning objectives for the course were clear.
809th pctl
Useful Beyond the CourseWhat I learned is applicable beyond this course.
8822nd pctl
Assignments & Feedback3 items
Assignments Help You LearnAssignments and exams contributed to my learning.
8519th pctl
Gives Feedback PromptlyI received feedback on my work in a timely manner.
9040th pctl
Meaningful FeedbackThe feedback I received on my work was meaningful.
8622nd 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.
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.

ACCT 6601 Financial Accounting Standards and Theory IIIOvr79Chal60thWork78th
On this class's board2nd of 2 instructors

5 sections on record · course itself rated 76 out of 100. See the full board for ACCT 6601.

TermSecInstrCourseWork
Spring 202602777660
Spring 202501737360
Spring 202502767860
Summer 202201908060
Spring 202201827260
All 13 items for ACCT 6601
The Professor4 items
Clearly Explains MaterialThe instructor was effective at creating an understanding of difficult subject matter.
838th 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.
8718th pctl
Sparked My InterestThe course stimulated my interest in the subject matter.
8510th pctl
The Course3 items
Well-Organized CourseThe course was well organized.
8419th pctl
Clear Learning GoalsThe learning objectives for the course were clear.
8620th pctl
Useful Beyond the CourseWhat I learned is applicable beyond this course.
8929th 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.
9045th pctl
Meaningful FeedbackThe feedback I received on my work was meaningful.
9039th 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.
9260th pctl
Attendance MattersAttending class was necessary to do well in this course.
8417th 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.