Ceil Goldberg | PlanetTerp

Information	Review
Ceil Goldberg ENGL394 Expecting an A clue 01/30/2014	I don't think anyone likes Engl394, and it's overall not the most worthwhile class I've taken at the university. Professor Goldberg isn't the worst teacher I've had, but I wouldn't take her for another class if I had a choice. She's very nitpicky, and small things like not signing your initials next to your name on a memo can make you fail an assignment. Her instructions also weren't totally clear all the time. My advice is to pay a lot of attention during the first few classes, and do really well on the first few assignments. After you've proved yourself, she seems to keep giving you the same grade throughout the semester. On the other hand, if she decides she doesn't like you from the start, then the rest of the semester will be rough.
Ceil Goldberg ENGL394 truth 02/11/2013	This is one of the worst professors I've had at UMD. Most of the reviews before me describe her well. She speaks on trivial points for a majority of the class. She's EXTREMELY stubborn. When you point out she's wrong, she lashes at you. It's terrible that this school still employs this woman. I could find you 10,000 students more knowledgeable, organized, and understanding than her. Which means if you've taken any stat course that about a third of her students should be teaching instead of her. I wouldn't take this class with her if I were you.
Ceil Goldberg ENGL394 Expecting an A psangeorge 08/30/2012	Just read the posts below. They are all correct. Grades based on Goldberg's predetermined judgement of you as a student at the beginning of class. Goldberg retaliated against me for challenging her grading "method" by knocking enough points off my grade to give me a B+ (when I had an A wrapped up). Her grading "method" is basically downgrading for whatever she doesn't "like." Do not expect a shred of objectivity in grading. She leaves rubrics vague so she can give you whatever grade she wants. This teacher has only given out an A+ to 7% of her students in 20 semesters? This number would make sense if Goldberg was actually invested in the class; however, during summer, she acted like she would rather be any place else, came unprepared to class, REFUSED to read a final draft of a final paper - seriously! (out of sheer laziness, as Goldberg sat around in class reading a newspaper until letting us out early, rather than read a final draft of the final paper.) She consistently let out class early which, again, reeks of laziness, since not all material was covered. "One of the most incompetent professors I've had" - totally agree. Never take her class, ever - you might actually learn something from the other teachers. The one 4 star review was obviously someone happy with the grade that was decided on for them. "Very nitpicky in grading, takes points off for frivolous things. This perhaps is related to "what grade you're supposed to get" in her head......or maybe I'm just paranoid." - Absolutely correct, you are not paranoid. What an awful teacher at what is supposed to be one of the top public universities, teaching a required course. The word "professor" has been omitted purposely from this post, as this would imply a standard that is not met by this teacher.
Ceil Goldberg ENGL394 Anonymous 12/25/2011	one of the most imcompetent professors I've had. As far as "professional business writing" goes, she 's pretty much lost her grasp on reality. She would focus on really trivial stuff rather than the important aspect of your work. (make sure to put down your signature for the assignments that require it, she takes off ridiculous amount of points otherwise). She's also stubborn as hell and probably won't concede to your argument(however reasonable it maybe).
Ceil Goldberg ENGL394 Anonymous 08/17/2011	Do not take this class with Ms. Goldberg. She's pretty strict when grading and extremely harsh in her feedback. She will also, at times, publicly rip apart your work in class on the projector without hiding your name. What earlier people said about how she forms an opinion of you very early on and is basically what your grade will be at the end regardless of your future efforts is completely true. You also will sit around in her class a lot and do nothing after you finish peer reviewing people's work because she'll walk around to literally every student and review their work personally. When she does this she'll shout out her thoughts to the person whose work it is regardless of how bad/good her thoughts are. I would recommend switching out.
Ceil Goldberg ENGL394 Expecting a B Anonymous 04/29/2010	She is really not a bad teacher. She is nitpicky when it comes to grading, but she is fair. She can be pretty blunt, almost harsh but don't take it to heart. Compared to other business writing professors, I'd say she's one of the easier ones. I swear, the majority of the class was spent doing memos and emails. As long as you go to class and do all of the little assignments on time, you will be fine. I did have an issue with her "textbook" though. Even though it was cheap ($40) compared to textbooks for other 394 classes, it was just 100 pages of examples. Although they are helpful, I don't think that they are worth paying for.
Ceil Goldberg ENGL394 Expecting a B Anonymous 12/19/2009	Here's my opinion. Goes without saying that it should be taken with a grain of salt: Professor Goldberg forms an opinion of what you're capable of very early on in the semester and metes out final grades accordingly. However you perform on the first couple of assignments is a very good indicator of what you're going to end up with in the course, no matter how much effort you put in afterwards. Very nitpicky in grading, takes points off for frivolous things. This perhaps is related to "what grade you're supposed to get" in her head......or maybe I'm just paranoid.
Ceil Goldberg ENGL394 Hour You Em Dee 11/22/2008	very blunt woman. Her common response to students' remarks is "no". Eh...an okay professor.
Ceil Goldberg ENGL394 Anonymous 08/25/2008	Very bad teacher. Says her jobs for the past 20 years were as editor and writer. The first thing she will look for in your paper is grammatical and mechanical errors. Her grading is bad. Switch out now!

Ceil Goldberg
ENGL394

Expecting an A
clue
01/30/2014

I don't think anyone likes Engl394, and it's overall not the most worthwhile class I've taken at the university. Professor Goldberg isn't the worst teacher I've had, but I wouldn't take her for another class if I had a choice. She's very nitpicky, and small things like not signing your initials next to your name on a memo can make you fail an assignment. Her instructions also weren't totally clear all the time. My advice is to pay a lot of attention during the first few classes, and do really well on the first few assignments. After you've proved yourself, she seems to keep giving you the same grade throughout the semester. On the other hand, if she decides she doesn't like you from the start, then the rest of the semester will be rough.

Ceil Goldberg
ENGL394

truth
02/11/2013

This is one of the worst professors I've had at UMD. Most of the reviews before me describe her well. She speaks on trivial points for a majority of the class. She's EXTREMELY stubborn. When you point out she's wrong, she lashes at you. It's terrible that this school still employs this woman. I could find you 10,000 students more knowledgeable, organized, and understanding than her. Which means if you've taken any stat course that about a third of her students should be teaching instead of her. I wouldn't take this class with her if I were you.

Ceil Goldberg
ENGL394

Expecting an A
psangeorge
08/30/2012

Just read the posts below. They are all correct. Grades based on Goldberg's predetermined judgement of you as a student at the beginning of class. Goldberg retaliated against me for challenging her grading "method" by knocking enough points off my grade to give me a B+ (when I had an A wrapped up). Her grading "method" is basically downgrading for whatever she doesn't "like." Do not expect a shred of objectivity in grading. She leaves rubrics vague so she can give you whatever grade she wants. This teacher has only given out an A+ to 7% of her students in 20 semesters? This number would make sense if Goldberg was actually invested in the class; however, during summer, she acted like she would rather be any place else, came unprepared to class, REFUSED to read a final draft of a final paper - seriously! (out of sheer laziness, as Goldberg sat around in class reading a newspaper until letting us out early, rather than read a final draft of the final paper.) She consistently let out class early which, again, reeks of laziness, since not all material was covered. "One of the most incompetent professors I've had" - totally agree. Never take her class, ever - you might actually learn something from the other teachers. The one 4 star review was obviously someone happy with the grade that was decided on for them. "Very nitpicky in grading, takes points off for frivolous things. This perhaps is related to "what grade you're supposed to get" in her head......or maybe I'm just paranoid." - Absolutely correct, you are not paranoid. What an awful teacher at what is supposed to be one of the top public universities, teaching a required course. The word "professor" has been omitted purposely from this post, as this would imply a standard that is not met by this teacher.

Ceil Goldberg
ENGL394

Anonymous
12/25/2011

one of the most imcompetent professors I've had. As far as "professional business writing" goes, she 's pretty much lost her grasp on reality. She would focus on really trivial stuff rather than the important aspect of your work. (make sure to put down your signature for the assignments that require it, she takes off ridiculous amount of points otherwise). She's also stubborn as hell and probably won't concede to your argument(however reasonable it maybe).

Ceil Goldberg
ENGL394

Anonymous
08/17/2011

Do not take this class with Ms. Goldberg. She's pretty strict when grading and extremely harsh in her feedback. She will also, at times, publicly rip apart your work in class on the projector without hiding your name. What earlier people said about how she forms an opinion of you very early on and is basically what your grade will be at the end regardless of your future efforts is completely true. You also will sit around in her class a lot and do nothing after you finish peer reviewing people's work because she'll walk around to literally every student and review their work personally. When she does this she'll shout out her thoughts to the person whose work it is regardless of how bad/good her thoughts are. I would recommend switching out.

Ceil Goldberg
ENGL394

Expecting a B
Anonymous
04/29/2010

She is really not a bad teacher. She is nitpicky when it comes to grading, but she is fair. She can be pretty blunt, almost harsh but don't take it to heart. Compared to other business writing professors, I'd say she's one of the easier ones. I swear, the majority of the class was spent doing memos and emails. As long as you go to class and do all of the little assignments on time, you will be fine. I did have an issue with her "textbook" though. Even though it was cheap ($40) compared to textbooks for other 394 classes, it was just 100 pages of examples. Although they are helpful, I don't think that they are worth paying for.

Ceil Goldberg
ENGL394

Expecting a B
Anonymous
12/19/2009

Here's my opinion. Goes without saying that it should be taken with a grain of salt: Professor Goldberg forms an opinion of what you're capable of very early on in the semester and metes out final grades accordingly. However you perform on the first couple of assignments is a very good indicator of what you're going to end up with in the course, no matter how much effort you put in afterwards. Very nitpicky in grading, takes points off for frivolous things. This perhaps is related to "what grade you're supposed to get" in her head......or maybe I'm just paranoid.

Ceil Goldberg
ENGL394

Hour You Em Dee
11/22/2008

very blunt woman. Her common response to students' remarks is "no". Eh...an okay professor.

Ceil Goldberg
ENGL394

Anonymous
08/25/2008

Very bad teacher. Says her jobs for the past 20 years were as editor and writer. The first thing she will look for in your paper is grammatical and mechanical errors. Her grading is bad. Switch out now!