| Information | Review |
|---|---|
|
Felicity Dogbatse
COMM107 Expecting an A Anonymous 05/03/2026 |
If you are taking COMM107 solely to get the gen-ed credit done with, this instructor is fine, though I would probably go with another if you can work that into your schedule. If you genuinely want to get better at communicating you should consider another instructor. Pros: - Respectful and accommodating when you bring up concerns or problems you're having in the course. - Grade expectations were pretty lenient as long as you were meeting project requirements. It's not a hard course to pass and I didn't feel I was spending too much time on it for the most part. Cons: - When lecturing, she stuck to reading off of slides. I do not think she made these slides because she frequently misunderstood what was written on them. - Assignments and rubrics put on Canvas often didn't match up with what we were told in class. I resorted to taking notes to keep track of unstated project requirements. - Group project with assignments due during Spring Break. (Most groups turned this in late, so the date was moved. Good chance it will be set up differently if she teaches COMM107 again.) A lot of your grade on in-person speech assignments is performance, which in practice means reciting without relying too much on flash cards or a visual aid to know what to say. From what I can tell, the majority of the class (myself included) lost points for this on every assignment, because memorizing a speech takes a lot of rehearsal and most students aren't going to dedicate hours of extra time for a few points in a gen-ed. I don't really know how other COMM107 teachers compare in this department. This requirement also includes what I'd call a theatrical element for some assignments- for example, in the Call-To-Action part of our grade was for getting emotionally heated while speaking. Apparently it's a regular occurrence in the class for students to cry or have panic attacks in this speech because of the social pressure and heavy topics you're expected to cover. If you're neurodivergent in a way that impacts your ability to communicate or gesture, or if you have severe social anxiety, you should take another instructor because you aren't going to be exempted from these assignments and will have to choose between losing points and social torture. Getting students to deal with uncomfortable and emotional topics is a necessary evil for teaching communication skills, but in this class that requirement wasn't handled well. |
|
Felicity Dogbatse
COMM107 Anonymous 03/24/2026 |
COMM107 is a solid introduction to public speaking that helps build confidence and communication skills over time. The class is very participation-based, with multiple speeches that push you to improve with each one. While it can feel nerve-wracking at first, the structure makes it manageable as you gain experience. Felicity is a supportive and approachable instructor who creates a comfortable environment for students to practice speaking. She gives helpful feedback and clearly wants everyone to improve, which makes a big difference, especially if you’re not naturally confident with public speaking. Overall, it’s a practical and worthwhile class that helps you grow as a speaker. |
|
Felicity Dogbatse
Expecting an A+ Anonymous 03/24/2026 |
I took COMM382 with Professor Dogbatse in 2025 when it was taught in Tawes Hall, and overall, it was a more positive experience than I expected. The course is structured to keep students engaged, with ELMS modules and additional materials that reinforce key concepts. It may feel different at first, but the approach encourages consistent interaction with the content. Attendance and daily quizzes help keep everyone on track. They can be challenging, but they push you to pay attention and think critically. The exams follow a similar standard, encouraging steady improvement. One of the most valuable aspects of the class is how Professor Dogbatse uses examples from her own country and experiences, then invites students to share their perspectives. She’s also upfront about the course being challenging, but makes a clear effort to break concepts down in ways that are understandable. She is very attentive in class and expects students to stay engaged. At the same time, it’s worth noting that some students come in distracted and expect that to be overlooked—respect in the classroom goes both ways, and her expectations reflect that. I also appreciated her sense of humanity and ethics of care. Although some students look down on her, she wants them to grow and puts effort into supporting that, even when the material is demanding. While the workload can feel heavy for a gen ed, it’s ultimately a class where you learn a lot if you stay committed. |
|
Felicity Dogbatse
Expecting an A+ Anonymous 03/24/2026 |
I took COMM382 with Professor Dogbatse in 2025 when it was taught in Tawes Hall, and overall, it was a more positive experience than I expected. The course is structured to keep students engaged, with ELMS modules and additional materials that reinforce key concepts. It may feel different at first, but the approach encourages consistent interaction with the content. Attendance and daily quizzes help keep everyone on track. They can be challenging, but they push you to pay attention and think critically. The exams follow a similar standard, encouraging steady improvement. One of the most valuable aspects of the class is how Professor Dogbatse uses examples from her own country and experiences, then invites students to share their perspectives. She’s also upfront about the course being challenging, but makes a clear effort to break concepts down in ways that are understandable. She is very attentive in class and expects students to stay engaged. At the same time, it’s worth noting that some students come in distracted and expect that to be overlooked—respect in the classroom goes both ways, and her expectations reflect that. I also appreciated her sense of humanity and ethics of care. She wants students to grow and puts effort into supporting that, even when the material is demanding. While the workload can feel heavy for a gen ed, it’s ultimately a class where you learn a lot if you stay committed |
|
Felicity Dogbatse
COMM107 Expecting an A+ Anonymous 12/10/2025 |
For 107 the course was genuinely very easy, and se made the classroom feel very inviting, warm, and friendly. If your class is interactive and talkative, she will love it, and it'll make the class easier. Our averages are pretty high, the first three speeches everyone had really good grades. The 4th speech, our biggest grade had a high mean, but she had to make some adjustments because of her boss' grading criteria. She really does try to ensure everyone has a good grade, and as long as you don't just read off of a notecard, you'll do good in the course. |
|
Felicity Dogbatse
COMM382 Expecting a B Anonymous 05/23/2025 |
This class was very hard for no reason. I was expecting a easy Gen Ed and instead had to work so hard for my grade. All exams were open note and still the average on our first exam was a 52% and a 73% of the other one. Its all based off definitions but we were only taught examples in class so if you want to do well you have to research on your own and add it to your note sheet because coming to class will not help you. But still come to class because participation and attendance is 20% of your grade. 20% is also made up of post class quizzes based on lectures that you will likely do poorly on even if you paid attention in class and did the pre-class readings. The professor is really nice as a person but made this class so difficult where it just became really frustrating just to get Gen Eds |
|
Felicity Dogbatse
COMM382 Expecting a W Anonymous 02/28/2025 |
If I had even a fraction of an idea how awful Professor Dogbatse was, I would have never made the mistake of registering for COMM382 in the first place. First, the class is incredibly unorganized: modules can only be accessed through a single link on ELMS: it's like she poorly copied the ELMS interface into a separate webpage and created her own version of it, full of videos too large to load and unaccessible links. Attendance is MANDATORY and assessed with daily quizzes, all of which contain vague wording and are near impossible to complete. All quizzes require you to know a letter or number of the day, which she softly says once and then never again repeats. Her first exam had a median of 60%, and she seemed utterly unapologetic and simply told us to 'do better next time.' During class, she stands behind students and stares at their computer screens, whispering things in their ears when they dare to switch tabs for a second. She picks favorites, and then actively calls out and bullies students who do not meet that criteria. Once, I left class to go to the restroom and professor Dogbatse referred to it in front of the entire class as "indescribably rude and disrespectful," actively mentioning the tabs I had open on my laptop while I was gone. Additionally, as a student who wears hearing aids and has ADS accommodations, it is unfair to see a professor whisper both in your ear and in front of the class and then be criticized for not understanding. Her accent is also incredibly hard to understand: for a communication class, it feels reasonable to expect to be able to understand the professor's communication. For a gen ed class, the workload is also insane. It is incredibly demeaning to spend hours studying and preparing for a gen ed only to fail every assignment due to vague wording. Assignments are graded leniently, but are only a small portion of your grade. Everything else in the class is impossible to score highly on. TLDR, do not take ANY class taken by this professor. She is new to teaching at UMD, and clearly has not learned how to structure or teach a class. |