JOUR201 | PlanetTerp

Information	Review
Christine Harvey JOUR201 Expecting an A Anonymous 05/03/2024	I have no idea why the reviews on here are so bad for Harvey! She is an experienced journalist and is an excellent teacher. She gives constructive and specific feedback on every story assignment and although she is slightly a tough grader, she is very fair with her grading and only takes off if you actually did something wrong. She comes off as mellow, but is a very kind and friendly person and teacher.
Joseph Weber JOUR201 Expecting an A+ Anonymous 04/04/2024	He's great! Not much else to say. He's very knowledgable and understands that the majority of his students are still learning the ins and outs of journalism so he's patient with them. Funny guy who cares about students' well-being and is very approachable
Rob Wells JOUR201 Expecting an A- Anonymous 03/07/2024	The best JOUR professor I have had through 2 years at Merrill. Would definitely take him if you have the option.
Rob Wells JOUR201 Expecting an A- Anonymous 12/17/2023	He’s a really cool professor and he genuinely cares about students. He helped my writing a lot and I’m just so grateful! 201 classes are definitely tough so you need to put in effort regardless of the Professor. I had also taken 201 freshman year but I had to drop the class. I took him this year and got an A- I would also say joining newspaper clubs helped me too! So newspaper clubs plus professor Wells equal success. Take him :) He has the kindest heart :)
Rob Wells JOUR201 Expecting an A Anonymous 12/14/2023	Professor Wells is great as a JOUR 201 teacher and probably one of my favorite teachers I've had. Wells cares about his class, he's a harsh grader, but he is understanding in most situations. He also brings in professionals to help people see how the journalism industry is and potential internships people could get. Take him if you have an option for any class
Carole Lee JOUR201 Expecting an A Anonymous 05/16/2023	Amazing!! She is so sweet and understanding and very lenient with Merrill F's!
Constance Ford JOUR201 Expecting a C+ Anonymous 05/12/2023	If I could give Constance Ford no stars, I would. Never in my entire 15 years of education have I ever had an instructor who was so bad and useless at their job. Educators are supposed help students understand the content, offer feedback that improves students' work and provide a supportive environment. None of that was true with Constance Ford. She gave critical feedback that offered no routes of improvement, was unsupportive of students and had an arbitrary grading system. Most importantly, she was just plain mean and rude. I would have really enjoyed this class and I think I would have learned much more if I wasn't so miserable in class every day. I often turned in assignments knowing I tried my best but was aware I would receive a poor grade regardless. I grew apathetic towards my work and felt there was no way for me to do better. Furthermore, Ford came late to class, left early while she expected us to finish in-class assignments and poorly communicated assignment requirements. This made it even more difficult to succeed in her class. I know other students in my class have the same struggles and frustrations. I think we all really missed out on our JOUR201 experience due to Ford's behavior and attitude.
Christine Harvey JOUR201 Expecting a B+ Anonymous 05/09/2023	She can be nice on occasion, but she is a really tough grader. She will not hesitate to drop your assignment an entire letter grade for an incorrect or omitted fact. She is also very passive aggressive and very critical.
Constance Ford JOUR201 Expecting a C+ Anonymous 05/09/2023	If I could give Constance Ford no star I would. Never in my entire 15 years of education have I ever had an instructor who was so bad and useless at their job. Educators are supposed to help students understand the content, offer feedback that improves students' work and provide a supportive environment. None of that was true with Constance Ford. She gave critical feedback that offered no routes of improvement, was unsupportive of students and had an arbitrary grading system. Most importantly, she was just plain mean and rude. I would have really enjoyed this class and I think I would have learned much more if I wasn't so miserable in class every day. I often turned in assignments knowing I tried my best but was aware I would receive a poor grade regardless. I grew apathetic towards my work and felt there was no way for me to do better. Furthermore, Ford came late to class, left early while she expected us to finish in-class assignments and poorly communicated assignment requirements. This made it even more difficult to succeed in her class. I know other students in my class have the same struggles and frustrations. I think we all really missed out on our JOUR201 experience due to Ford's behavior and attitude. Please do whatever you can to never take this class, or any class for that matter, with Constance Ford.
Christine Harvey JOUR201 Expecting an A- Anonymous 04/20/2023	This professor is an extremely tough grader, and her lectures can be quite boring. The most frustrating part of this class was that this professor picks very clear favorites, and if you're not one of them you will feel it.
Constance Ford JOUR201 Expecting a B Anonymous 04/14/2023	Constance Ford is the one of worst and one of the rudest professors I will ever have. Entering this class I did not pay attention to professor scores because I figured that Merrill had all good professors. I was wrong. Ford always shows up to class late, yet when a student arrives late she will make a chiding remark in from of the whole class about it. She gives little to no comments when grading assignments, making it hard to understand what to correct. Many times I receive a 75 or below on an assignment, she will leave only one note about what was wrong with it, usually only about the lede, which apparently will knock off an automatic 20% from your grade. Another time I remember I got a 70 on an assignment, yet the only in-text comments she left were in the first paragraph of a 5+ paragraph article. When she does give comments, she does it in a rude and demeaning tone, such as using all caps which is one of her favorites. While one will most likely earn a B with effort put in, it is not worth the mental and emotional stress. Don't make the same mistake I did and don't register for her courses.
Carole Lee JOUR201 Expecting an A Anonymous 03/26/2023	really nice professor who tries hard to engage with students. Class is sometimes boring, but thats just the nature of 201. It's not her fault. Very nice person and understanding teacher.
Constance Ford JOUR201 Expecting a B Anonymous 03/09/2023	Professor Ford is one of the rudest, most callous individuals I have ever encountered in my years of higher education. She constantly arrives late to class without due notice or genuine apology, provides little constructive criticism when grading assignments, and lambasts her students whenever they slip under her harsh regimen of expectations. Although I do hold a level of respect for the height of profession she has accomplished during the course of her journalistic career, it will never make up for the fact that she is absolutely dreadful to learn under. I PROMISE you, it is better to take this class elsewhere or with another professor. My classmates and I are jointly suffering under her authoritative, tyrannical method of "teaching."
Joseph Weber JOUR201 Expecting an A- Anonymous 12/08/2021	Literally the best professor, 100% recommend. Not only does he teach you a lot and is approachable for help at all times, but he actually cares about how your well-being is overall. He takes the time to get to know you as a student and individual. Taking his class was a break from all of my other stressful classes because of the positive and friendly environment. Overall, he is a great person and a great professor and I would highly recommend him to everyone.
Fulvio Cativo JOUR201 Anonymous 05/10/2021	If you have the chance to take this professor, please do take it. He's the best professor I had at UMD. Such a nice and caring teacher. He cares about his students 100% and gives very detailed feedback for ALL your assignments so you really know what you need to improve on. I learnt so much in his class. He also tells you what you did really well. Please do take him if possible ~
Merrilee Cox JOUR201 Anonymous 05/03/2021	My favorite professor thus far in the J-School. She's very kind and understanding and supports you to the best of her abilities! She always responds to emails promptly (and she even apologized to me once when she didn't answer my email immediately, rather within a few hours - that tells you something) with good information.
Lisa Lednicer JOUR201 Expecting a B+ Anonymous 04/29/2021	Class itself is fine as far as J201 goes and Lisa knows what she is teaching for sure, but she can be a little bit wretched at times... Readings are pretty much optional, though. Not the end of the world if you take her class, but definitely do not recommend :(
Merrilee Cox JOUR201 Expecting an A- Anonymous 01/08/2020	Nicest professor ever! Is straight to the point, lays out expectations, and is always helpful.
Merrilee Cox JOUR201 Expecting a B cakepops 05/11/2018	I love her! She's great & wants us to do well in this weed out class.
Rob Wells JOUR201 Anonymous 11/18/2010	Wells is a pretty decent teacher. But be warned he is a strict grader. You'll only get a B or above if you a super good writer. It is not surprising that you would receive a C or below especially at the beginning. Yet, he is always willing to help. Wells is the DC Bureau Chief of the Dow Jones Newswire and you can imagine someone with such a position would lack the time to help his students but he is an exception. He will always make time to discuss anything if you need help, he responds swiftly to emails, and he is very approachable. And for the news quizzes...well you pretty much have to do it for every JOUR class.
Rafael Lorente JOUR201 missrubi 05/24/2008	Lorente is probably my favorite teacher I've had so far at UMD. He was funny, loud, and knew what he was talking about. He's one of those teachers you can respect and want to do good work for, but also can joke around with. He doesnt explain things THAT well, but he gets his point across.
Patrick Boyle JOUR201 missrubi 05/24/2008	Boyle is a nice guy and all, but in 201 I got a 68.8% and he failed me, making me take the course all over. With this class you need a C to pass, and when I told my next professor what my grade had been, he was shocked that Boyle hadnt passed me. He explains things well but is kinda boring. A decent teacher but i wouldnt want to have him again.

Christine Harvey
JOUR201

Expecting an A
Anonymous
05/03/2024

I have no idea why the reviews on here are so bad for Harvey! She is an experienced journalist and is an excellent teacher. She gives constructive and specific feedback on every story assignment and although she is slightly a tough grader, she is very fair with her grading and only takes off if you actually did something wrong. She comes off as mellow, but is a very kind and friendly person and teacher.

Joseph Weber
JOUR201

Expecting an A+
Anonymous
04/04/2024

He's great! Not much else to say. He's very knowledgable and understands that the majority of his students are still learning the ins and outs of journalism so he's patient with them. Funny guy who cares about students' well-being and is very approachable

Rob Wells
JOUR201

Expecting an A-
Anonymous
03/07/2024

The best JOUR professor I have had through 2 years at Merrill. Would definitely take him if you have the option.

Rob Wells
JOUR201

Expecting an A-
Anonymous
12/17/2023

He’s a really cool professor and he genuinely cares about students. He helped my writing a lot and I’m just so grateful! 201 classes are definitely tough so you need to put in effort regardless of the Professor. I had also taken 201 freshman year but I had to drop the class. I took him this year and got an A- I would also say joining newspaper clubs helped me too! So newspaper clubs plus professor Wells equal success. Take him :) He has the kindest heart :)

Rob Wells
JOUR201

Expecting an A
Anonymous
12/14/2023

Professor Wells is great as a JOUR 201 teacher and probably one of my favorite teachers I've had. Wells cares about his class, he's a harsh grader, but he is understanding in most situations. He also brings in professionals to help people see how the journalism industry is and potential internships people could get. Take him if you have an option for any class

Carole Lee
JOUR201

Expecting an A
Anonymous
05/16/2023

Amazing!! She is so sweet and understanding and very lenient with Merrill F's!

Constance Ford
JOUR201

Expecting a C+
Anonymous
05/12/2023

If I could give Constance Ford no stars, I would. Never in my entire 15 years of education have I ever had an instructor who was so bad and useless at their job. Educators are supposed help students understand the content, offer feedback that improves students' work and provide a supportive environment. None of that was true with Constance Ford. She gave critical feedback that offered no routes of improvement, was unsupportive of students and had an arbitrary grading system. Most importantly, she was just plain mean and rude. I would have really enjoyed this class and I think I would have learned much more if I wasn't so miserable in class every day. I often turned in assignments knowing I tried my best but was aware I would receive a poor grade regardless. I grew apathetic towards my work and felt there was no way for me to do better. Furthermore, Ford came late to class, left early while she expected us to finish in-class assignments and poorly communicated assignment requirements. This made it even more difficult to succeed in her class. I know other students in my class have the same struggles and frustrations. I think we all really missed out on our JOUR201 experience due to Ford's behavior and attitude.

Christine Harvey
JOUR201

Expecting a B+
Anonymous
05/09/2023

She can be nice on occasion, but she is a really tough grader. She will not hesitate to drop your assignment an entire letter grade for an incorrect or omitted fact. She is also very passive aggressive and very critical.

Constance Ford
JOUR201

Expecting a C+
Anonymous
05/09/2023

If I could give Constance Ford no star I would. Never in my entire 15 years of education have I ever had an instructor who was so bad and useless at their job. Educators are supposed to help students understand the content, offer feedback that improves students' work and provide a supportive environment. None of that was true with Constance Ford. She gave critical feedback that offered no routes of improvement, was unsupportive of students and had an arbitrary grading system. Most importantly, she was just plain mean and rude. I would have really enjoyed this class and I think I would have learned much more if I wasn't so miserable in class every day. I often turned in assignments knowing I tried my best but was aware I would receive a poor grade regardless. I grew apathetic towards my work and felt there was no way for me to do better. Furthermore, Ford came late to class, left early while she expected us to finish in-class assignments and poorly communicated assignment requirements. This made it even more difficult to succeed in her class. I know other students in my class have the same struggles and frustrations. I think we all really missed out on our JOUR201 experience due to Ford's behavior and attitude. Please do whatever you can to never take this class, or any class for that matter, with Constance Ford.

Christine Harvey
JOUR201

Expecting an A-
Anonymous
04/20/2023

This professor is an extremely tough grader, and her lectures can be quite boring. The most frustrating part of this class was that this professor picks very clear favorites, and if you're not one of them you will feel it.

Constance Ford
JOUR201

Expecting a B
Anonymous
04/14/2023

Constance Ford is the one of worst and one of the rudest professors I will ever have. Entering this class I did not pay attention to professor scores because I figured that Merrill had all good professors. I was wrong. Ford always shows up to class late, yet when a student arrives late she will make a chiding remark in from of the whole class about it. She gives little to no comments when grading assignments, making it hard to understand what to correct. Many times I receive a 75 or below on an assignment, she will leave only one note about what was wrong with it, usually only about the lede, which apparently will knock off an automatic 20% from your grade. Another time I remember I got a 70 on an assignment, yet the only in-text comments she left were in the first paragraph of a 5+ paragraph article. When she does give comments, she does it in a rude and demeaning tone, such as using all caps which is one of her favorites. While one will most likely earn a B with effort put in, it is not worth the mental and emotional stress. Don't make the same mistake I did and don't register for her courses.

Carole Lee
JOUR201

Expecting an A
Anonymous
03/26/2023

really nice professor who tries hard to engage with students. Class is sometimes boring, but thats just the nature of 201. It's not her fault. Very nice person and understanding teacher.

Constance Ford
JOUR201

Expecting a B
Anonymous
03/09/2023

Professor Ford is one of the rudest, most callous individuals I have ever encountered in my years of higher education. She constantly arrives late to class without due notice or genuine apology, provides little constructive criticism when grading assignments, and lambasts her students whenever they slip under her harsh regimen of expectations. Although I do hold a level of respect for the height of profession she has accomplished during the course of her journalistic career, it will never make up for the fact that she is absolutely dreadful to learn under. I PROMISE you, it is better to take this class elsewhere or with another professor. My classmates and I are jointly suffering under her authoritative, tyrannical method of "teaching."

Joseph Weber
JOUR201

Expecting an A-
Anonymous
12/08/2021

Literally the best professor, 100% recommend. Not only does he teach you a lot and is approachable for help at all times, but he actually cares about how your well-being is overall. He takes the time to get to know you as a student and individual. Taking his class was a break from all of my other stressful classes because of the positive and friendly environment. Overall, he is a great person and a great professor and I would highly recommend him to everyone.

Fulvio Cativo
JOUR201

Anonymous
05/10/2021

If you have the chance to take this professor, please do take it. He's the best professor I had at UMD. Such a nice and caring teacher. He cares about his students 100% and gives very detailed feedback for ALL your assignments so you really know what you need to improve on. I learnt so much in his class. He also tells you what you did really well. Please do take him if possible ~

Merrilee Cox
JOUR201

Anonymous
05/03/2021

My favorite professor thus far in the J-School. She's very kind and understanding and supports you to the best of her abilities! She always responds to emails promptly (and she even apologized to me once when she didn't answer my email immediately, rather within a few hours - that tells you something) with good information.

Lisa Lednicer
JOUR201

Expecting a B+
Anonymous
04/29/2021

Class itself is fine as far as J201 goes and Lisa knows what she is teaching for sure, but she can be a little bit wretched at times... Readings are pretty much optional, though. Not the end of the world if you take her class, but definitely do not recommend :(

Merrilee Cox
JOUR201

Expecting an A-
Anonymous
01/08/2020

Nicest professor ever! Is straight to the point, lays out expectations, and is always helpful.

Merrilee Cox
JOUR201

Expecting a B
cakepops
05/11/2018

I love her! She's great & wants us to do well in this weed out class.

Rob Wells
JOUR201

Anonymous
11/18/2010

Wells is a pretty decent teacher. But be warned he is a strict grader. You'll only get a B or above if you a super good writer. It is not surprising that you would receive a C or below especially at the beginning. Yet, he is always willing to help. Wells is the DC Bureau Chief of the Dow Jones Newswire and you can imagine someone with such a position would lack the time to help his students but he is an exception. He will always make time to discuss anything if you need help, he responds swiftly to emails, and he is very approachable. And for the news quizzes...well you pretty much have to do it for every JOUR class.

Rafael Lorente
JOUR201

missrubi
05/24/2008

Lorente is probably my favorite teacher I've had so far at UMD. He was funny, loud, and knew what he was talking about. He's one of those teachers you can respect and want to do good work for, but also can joke around with. He doesnt explain things THAT well, but he gets his point across.

Patrick Boyle
JOUR201

missrubi
05/24/2008

Boyle is a nice guy and all, but in 201 I got a 68.8% and he failed me, making me take the course all over. With this class you need a C to pass, and when I told my next professor what my grade had been, he was shocked that Boyle hadnt passed me. He explains things well but is kinda boring. A decent teacher but i wouldnt want to have him again.

Reviews for JOUR201