PLCY306 | PlanetTerp

Information	Review
Shanna Pearson PLCY306 Expecting an A- Anonymous 11/04/2024	She is rude, inconsiderate, and one of the least collaborative professors I have ever had. While the workload is bearable, that isn't really the problem. The content is important and I can see how research will be applied towards our later degree. Her teaching it makes me want to ram my head into my handwritten notebook (no technology in class). She talks down to every student who comes to see her or participates in class. When students go to her with a complaint, she ignores their complaint entirely and instead just says something along the lines of it is what it is. There's been multiple instances in class when a student will raise their hand and point out how something she said or is doing makes them uncomfortable, and rather than apologizing, she doubles down on what she said, citing that it was just "misinterpreted". I really don't know how talking down about how everyone in the class feels unsafe is misinterpreted. I know a couple peers who talked to her directly and she outright ignored their comments. I highly, highly recommend taking a class where the professor wants you to succeed. She treats us as if we are stupid and regularly compares between her two classes. I don't know anyone that feels that support from her. If you are reading this, Professor Pearson, laughing something off doesn't make what you just said outright mean. I hate how little value she sees in us, it is disappointing to experience. Every policy professor I have had has acknowledged that their students are smart and capable and will go onto impressive, impactful. From her, I get: give up hope. If you do have to take her, go in knowing that her standards are set internally and she won't really share what they are in a communicative way. You will probably not meet them. No one does. Also, she makes her students print out our homework and buy 100 dollar textbooks that are used for three weeks. As a public policy professor in a school whose motto is "Do Good", I hope you see how discriminatory and inconsiderate that is.
Shanna Pearson PLCY306 Expecting a B Anonymous 11/30/2023	She is a nice lady, but a terrible professor. Do not recommend. The course is so boring, even though 306 is supposed to be interesting, and the whole course was basically repeating the same topics and themes. She makes you do readings that are insanely long and time-consuming, just to lecture on the same material in class. On top of that, there is no tech allowed in class, and you have to print everything out, which is so unreasonable for a reading and writing-heavy class. The class is so boring, and you never really know much of what you are learning, since it really doesn't stick. She also grades really harshly, and most of the heavy grading assignments are at the end of the semester. Lots of work. And she gives pop reading quizzes, so you literally have to handwrite or print notes for those super long readings. While shes a nice professor, and tries to make the class good, its just not. Take another 306 course that has an interesting topic that you are meant to learn. I normally always get above A's, but for this class, I am not surprised to get lower than a B+. Since all the heavy grading is at the end, you cant really bring your grade up. It just goes down.
Shanna Pearson PLCY306 Expecting an A- Anonymous 11/28/2023	She is what the French would call "les incompetents." Has no idea how to run a class and just rambles on about the exact same thing for class. She does pop quizzes that she says are to grade for overall comprehension but they are actually about tiny obscure details of the readings. She grades them how she would like to see the questions answered and not off of the objective truth. Puts trick questions in the quizzes. Gives unclear and pointless assignments. The readings have been slightly different versions of the same material all semester but you have to read it and take notes just for the quizzes. The class she taught was completely different from the one listed on Testudo. Everything has to be turned in on paper in class which is absurd as we live in the 21st century. Spent the first 5 minutes of class saying how she was sympathetic that we were so stressed and then laughed when she handed out a pop quiz. The class is fine with her just generally pretty pointless and could learn everything she "teaches" in about an hour of googling research methods. If you want to learn take someone else.
Curtis Valentine PLCY306 nochampagnejustproblem 11/11/2022	This man is the worst professor and person I have ever had the displeasure of meeting or interacting with. He assigned a major assignment on Rosh Hashanah when half of the class was absent due to the holiday. He is condescending, mansplains everything and I'm convinced he only went into teaching because he loves the sound of his own voice. I have not learned anything from this course other than the fact that I no longer want to be a public policy major. He focuses on education policy and has made me despise school. I dream of being hit by a UMD bus on my way to class so that I can miss it. There is no greater joy I can imagine in this world than the day that he finally retires or has a student put him in his place. If you want to be talked down to and have everything you say be completely ignored unless you are either 1. agreeing with him or 2. a boy, then take his class. If not then AVOID!!!!!

Shanna Pearson
PLCY306

Expecting an A-
Anonymous
11/04/2024

She is rude, inconsiderate, and one of the least collaborative professors I have ever had. While the workload is bearable, that isn't really the problem. The content is important and I can see how research will be applied towards our later degree. Her teaching it makes me want to ram my head into my handwritten notebook (no technology in class). She talks down to every student who comes to see her or participates in class. When students go to her with a complaint, she ignores their complaint entirely and instead just says something along the lines of it is what it is. There's been multiple instances in class when a student will raise their hand and point out how something she said or is doing makes them uncomfortable, and rather than apologizing, she doubles down on what she said, citing that it was just "misinterpreted". I really don't know how talking down about how everyone in the class feels unsafe is misinterpreted. I know a couple peers who talked to her directly and she outright ignored their comments. I highly, highly recommend taking a class where the professor wants you to succeed. She treats us as if we are stupid and regularly compares between her two classes. I don't know anyone that feels that support from her. If you are reading this, Professor Pearson, laughing something off doesn't make what you just said outright mean. I hate how little value she sees in us, it is disappointing to experience. Every policy professor I have had has acknowledged that their students are smart and capable and will go onto impressive, impactful. From her, I get: give up hope. If you do have to take her, go in knowing that her standards are set internally and she won't really share what they are in a communicative way. You will probably not meet them. No one does. Also, she makes her students print out our homework and buy 100 dollar textbooks that are used for three weeks. As a public policy professor in a school whose motto is "Do Good", I hope you see how discriminatory and inconsiderate that is.

Shanna Pearson
PLCY306

Expecting a B
Anonymous
11/30/2023

She is a nice lady, but a terrible professor. Do not recommend. The course is so boring, even though 306 is supposed to be interesting, and the whole course was basically repeating the same topics and themes. She makes you do readings that are insanely long and time-consuming, just to lecture on the same material in class. On top of that, there is no tech allowed in class, and you have to print everything out, which is so unreasonable for a reading and writing-heavy class. The class is so boring, and you never really know much of what you are learning, since it really doesn't stick. She also grades really harshly, and most of the heavy grading assignments are at the end of the semester. Lots of work. And she gives pop reading quizzes, so you literally have to handwrite or print notes for those super long readings. While shes a nice professor, and tries to make the class good, its just not. Take another 306 course that has an interesting topic that you are meant to learn. I normally always get above A's, but for this class, I am not surprised to get lower than a B+. Since all the heavy grading is at the end, you cant really bring your grade up. It just goes down.

Shanna Pearson
PLCY306

Expecting an A-
Anonymous
11/28/2023

She is what the French would call "les incompetents." Has no idea how to run a class and just rambles on about the exact same thing for class. She does pop quizzes that she says are to grade for overall comprehension but they are actually about tiny obscure details of the readings. She grades them how she would like to see the questions answered and not off of the objective truth. Puts trick questions in the quizzes. Gives unclear and pointless assignments. The readings have been slightly different versions of the same material all semester but you have to read it and take notes just for the quizzes. The class she taught was completely different from the one listed on Testudo. Everything has to be turned in on paper in class which is absurd as we live in the 21st century. Spent the first 5 minutes of class saying how she was sympathetic that we were so stressed and then laughed when she handed out a pop quiz. The class is fine with her just generally pretty pointless and could learn everything she "teaches" in about an hour of googling research methods. If you want to learn take someone else.

Curtis Valentine
PLCY306

nochampagnejustproblem
11/11/2022

This man is the worst professor and person I have ever had the displeasure of meeting or interacting with. He assigned a major assignment on Rosh Hashanah when half of the class was absent due to the holiday. He is condescending, mansplains everything and I'm convinced he only went into teaching because he loves the sound of his own voice. I have not learned anything from this course other than the fact that I no longer want to be a public policy major. He focuses on education policy and has made me despise school. I dream of being hit by a UMD bus on my way to class so that I can miss it. There is no greater joy I can imagine in this world than the day that he finally retires or has a student put him in his place. If you want to be talked down to and have everything you say be completely ignored unless you are either 1. agreeing with him or 2. a boy, then take his class. If not then AVOID!!!!!

Reviews for PLCY306