Along with ASM’s semester professor evaluations, UW students now have another option to evaluate their professors and see what their peers have to say about others.
A new website aims to help students avoid bad professors and take the guesswork out of class registration.
Students can read reviews of classes and rate their professors on MyProfessorSucks.com, a new website created by Kasey Kerber, a University of Nebraska-Lincoln graduate student. The site went online Aug. 1. Since then, MyProfessorSucks.com has received more than 17,000 visitors.
Kerber said he created the site out of frustration with a particularly bad class.
“I got back from class one day and remembered thinking ‘I wish there was a way I could have known what this professor was like before signing up for his class,'” Kerber said.
Professors are evaluated the same way students are graded, with a scale from “A+” to “F.” Professors who score an average grade of “B+” and higher are placed in the “A+” club, which is a list of the highest-scoring professors from across the country.
The rating system consists of two parts: In the first section a student gives grades for categories like “Coolness,” “Ease,” and “Worth.” The second section is dedicated to comments, with a list of prewritten positive and negative choices, and a text window for the student’s thoughts. Students are encouraged to give balanced reviews but MyProfessorSucks.com does not censor student comments. On the other hand, the site will investigate any fraudulent claims or accusations.
Students do not have to register with the site to post ratings and can remain anonymous.
Andrea Nelson, a UW junior, said she would probably not use the site to choose classes, but to share insights with younger students.
“I think it would be more of me posting information than seeing what professors to take,” said Andrea Nelson. “The classes I’ve taken, I’ve had some bad professors in the past that I’d want people to know about. But I’ve also had some good ones. I think it would be useful to [students].”
Even with the attention-grabbing title, Kerber said he hasn’t gotten any negative feedback from professors.
“We’ve only had two professors contact us,” he said. “Both were very positive about the site being a medium for students.”
Professor ratings aren’t the only feature on MyProfessorSucks.com. The site offers a weekly poll asking questions ranging from favorite beer to blind dates, and every week the site hosts “Just Ask Ross,” a column with less-than-serious replies to advice-seeking students.
The site also sponsors contests for registered members. Prizes include gift certificates and calling cards. Students may not be required to register with MyProfessorSucks.com to post ratings, but they are in order to participate in the contests.
As of Wednesday, there were no postings for UW professors, something Kerber expects to change once UW students hear more about the site.
“That usually changes,” he said. “Once students get the word [the number of postings] takes off.”
