WEID139N | PlanetTerp

Information	Review
Taylor Green WEID139N Expecting a B- Anonymous 03/26/2025	I would 100% avoid this class if you are looking for a 1 credit class to get your gen ed requirement, ESPECIALLY if it is being taught by Taylor Green and Shawna Kessler. The class was one of the most rigorously graded classes I've ever taken and do not expect to get full credit on any assignments. While you will get a boat load of feedback on assignments, everything (including participation in discussion) is graded harshly and unfairly in my opinion. Class discussions were interesting and I made good friend ships and connections with the students in the class, but the grading, time spent working on assignments (weekly 3-4 page papers and a lengthy final project), and stress is simply not worth it for a 1 credit. Unless you are very passionate about DEI and/or do not care about what grade you receive in a class anymore, I would avoid taking this class with these two instructors. On a side note, while Shawna was always respectful during class discussions, Taylor would often make judgmental faces and have rude reactions to any controversial topics brought up. She also wasn't the best at keeping the discussion on topic and would often go off on her own tangents which would have nothing to do with the course or discussion at hand. TLDR: Don't take this class if you don't want to do 3-4 credits worth of work for a 1 credit class and that you will not receive an A with these instructors.
Shawna Kessler WEID139N Anonymous 03/12/2025	Shawna is an instructor who is extremely passionate about Diversity Equity Inclusion causes. WEID139 is a 1-credit course which runs for approximately half of the semester. With her instructing, she demands a 5-credit commitment throughout your ~8 weeks in-class, with 3 reading assignments and 4-8 pages of writing (12pt / Times) per-week. Attendance is also STRICTLY mandatory, as missing one class stipulates failure of the course. Shawna also grades your in-class participation based on frequency (how much you speak) AND content (how "substantive" your contributions are). For students not familiar with DEI, this represents a challenge as you are graded against students who have more intriguing theories and experiences to share about DEI. For some students, this resulted in a participation grade of as low as 60%, despite all students holding perfect attendance throughout this semester. It must be noted that grading based on content is strictly against the terms of her own syllabus. However, empirical evidence from class suggests that this does happen. All this is to say, you probably don't want to take this course. An "A+" in Shawna's course requires 15-20 hours per week, much in contrast to it's 1-credit listing. You are also at the mercy of each discussion, for you are not fully graded based on the effort you put in, but based on how much your comments satisfy or entertain the instructor. If you are extremely invested in DEI or social justice topics and are willing to challenge yourself, go for it. The common student must avoid her class at all costs. The lack of grace that Shawna offers leaves most students with a bad impression of the social justice study and DEI in-general.
Shantala Thompson WEID139N Expecting an A+ Anonymous 04/30/2024	Very easy class, only 1 credit. There is a paper due every week. Don't be afraid to be honest and just speak your mind. They want to hear your honest opinion, and you will get full credit as long as you put in your honest faith effort. Very little workload, and the class is done half way through the semester.

Taylor Green
WEID139N

Expecting a B-
Anonymous
03/26/2025

I would 100% avoid this class if you are looking for a 1 credit class to get your gen ed requirement, ESPECIALLY if it is being taught by Taylor Green and Shawna Kessler. The class was one of the most rigorously graded classes I've ever taken and do not expect to get full credit on any assignments. While you will get a boat load of feedback on assignments, everything (including participation in discussion) is graded harshly and unfairly in my opinion. Class discussions were interesting and I made good friend ships and connections with the students in the class, but the grading, time spent working on assignments (weekly 3-4 page papers and a lengthy final project), and stress is simply not worth it for a 1 credit. Unless you are very passionate about DEI and/or do not care about what grade you receive in a class anymore, I would avoid taking this class with these two instructors. On a side note, while Shawna was always respectful during class discussions, Taylor would often make judgmental faces and have rude reactions to any controversial topics brought up. She also wasn't the best at keeping the discussion on topic and would often go off on her own tangents which would have nothing to do with the course or discussion at hand. TLDR: Don't take this class if you don't want to do 3-4 credits worth of work for a 1 credit class and that you will not receive an A with these instructors.

Shawna Kessler
WEID139N

Anonymous
03/12/2025

Shawna is an instructor who is extremely passionate about Diversity Equity Inclusion causes. WEID139 is a 1-credit course which runs for approximately half of the semester. With her instructing, she demands a 5-credit commitment throughout your ~8 weeks in-class, with 3 reading assignments and 4-8 pages of writing (12pt / Times) per-week. Attendance is also STRICTLY mandatory, as missing one class stipulates failure of the course. Shawna also grades your in-class participation based on frequency (how much you speak) AND content (how "substantive" your contributions are). For students not familiar with DEI, this represents a challenge as you are graded against students who have more intriguing theories and experiences to share about DEI. For some students, this resulted in a participation grade of as low as *60%*, despite all students holding perfect attendance throughout this semester. It must be noted that grading based on content is strictly against the terms of her own syllabus. However, empirical evidence from class suggests that this does happen. All this is to say, you probably don't want to take this course. An "A+" in Shawna's course requires 15-20 hours per week, much in contrast to it's 1-credit listing. You are also at the mercy of each discussion, for you are not fully graded based on the effort you put in, but based on how much your comments satisfy or entertain the instructor. If you are *extremely invested* in DEI or social justice topics and are willing to challenge yourself, go for it. The common student must avoid her class at all costs. The lack of grace that Shawna offers leaves most students with a bad impression of the social justice study and DEI in-general.

Shantala Thompson
WEID139N

Expecting an A+
Anonymous
04/30/2024

Very easy class, only 1 credit. There is a paper due every week. Don't be afraid to be honest and just speak your mind. They want to hear your honest opinion, and you will get full credit as long as you put in your honest faith effort. Very little workload, and the class is done half way through the semester.

Reviews for WEID139N