Scott Kastner

This professor has taught: GVPT200, GVPT204, GVPT289J, GVPT409E, GVPT409H, GVPT409M, GVPT409Q, GVPT414, GVPT708A, GVPT889B, GVPT889E

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Scott Kastner GVPT204 Anonymous 01/20/2024	Prof Kastner is incredibly engaging, knowledgeable, and passionate about what he teaches. Lectures were straightforward and unbiased, leaving the student with facts and an open mind to arrive at conclusions. Exam content was very fair. Overall a very interesting class and an amazing Gen-Ed experience; I would highly recommend you take him!
Scott Kastner GVPT204 Expecting a B Anonymous 01/09/2024	Really kind professor and the TA's were also wonderful! super accessible outside of class if you need help. Graded by very few thing you have 2 papers and 3 exams (non are cumulative tho!) learn from my mistake and actually do the readings, you may get by if you just pay attention in discussions though. Particpation is graded as well. I wouldnt skip lectures because 99% of the information you need is from attending lectures, he posts the lecture slides but are basicially just pictures and you wont get much information for exams and papers just by reading over them. overall a east gen ed if u need one just attend lectures which arent that bad. very interesting course and learned a lot.
Scott Kastner GVPT204 Expecting an A hsootho 01/06/2024	Professor Kastner was a fantastic professor and knew what he was talking about. Exams were very fair and reasonable if you attended the lectures and discussions. The only downside to the class was that there were only a few grades. Other than that, I would definitely recommend this course!
Scott Kastner GVPT204 Expecting an A Anonymous 12/02/2023	Professor Kastner is a fantastic lecturer and this class was very fair. If you are genuinely interested in the topic, you will have a great experience with this class. There were three non-cumulative exams, including the final, and two reaction papers. All will come easy if you actually do the required reading each week and attend lecture. Overall, a low-stress, incredibly interesting class!
Scott Kastner GVPT204 Expecting an A+ Anonymous 05/03/2023	You can tell that this professor was really knowledgeable about this topic and interested in it which made the class more engaging. There are a lot of readings, but I found it fairly easy to get away with not reading them (as long as you attend your discussions). The tests were multiple choice with two short answers and were pretty easy as long as you go to class and pay attention. There's also one 5 page essay but it wasn't too bad.
Scott Kastner GVPT204 Expecting an A+ Anonymous 04/27/2023	I really am glad I took this class, it's super interesting and I actually learned A LOT that I didn't know about US-China relations. Professor Kastner is very knowledgeable and I think he's very easy to understand. You just have to really want to pay attention, because if you don't it's easy for your mind to drift off during lecture. The tests are quite easy and straightforward because it's 15 multiple choice and 4 short answer, if you pay attention in lecture and also do the readings (they are usually not very long, so even if you don't read all of it you should still know a summary at least, or the main points) you should do fine on them. I learned a lot and am very interested in US-China relations now because of this class! I would recommend it!
Scott Kastner GVPT204 Expecting an A+ Vashin 01/23/2023	Professor Kastner was a great professor. It's clear that he really cares about the learning of his students, willing to answer student questions, even if they really don't deserve to be answered. I think 204 was easily the most interesting of the GVPT courses I have taken so far, (170, 200, 201, and now 204). The course wasn't difficult gradewise, the four assignments were very straightforward. Like someone else mentioned, because there's only four real big grades--two midterms, an essay, and the final-- you'll need to do well on them, but they're not difficult if you have kept up with the readings. I definitely recommend this class and Professor Kastner more broadly.
Scott Kastner GVPT204 Expecting an A Anonymous 01/16/2023	A really good professor, and a straightforward class. Two midterms and a final, a 5-page paper, and some discussion points. Interesting class, but reading heavy. Overall, recommend it.
Scott Kastner GVPT204 Expecting an A Anonymous 01/09/2023	He's alright. I think he is the only one teaching it, but he is clearly knowledgeable about what he is talking about. GVPT204 is a DSSP and an I-Series which attracts people who may not be that invested or interested. Something to note about this class is that there are barely any assignments in this class: 3 exams and a paper and also discussion participation. If you mess up on one, it will drag your grade down. The exams are pretty straightforward where it is basically 15 MC trivia questions that can be found on the slides and 2 short FRQ which you basically have to regurgitate the points on the assigned readings. The last thing to say is that this covers a lot of topics which is related to US-China and sometimes it jumps from topic to another, but the class isn't that bad as long as you can cram slide info before an exam.
Scott Kastner GVPT414 Expecting an A Anonymous 12/24/2021	I took 289J with Kastner (which is now known as 204) back in fall 2020 and then 414 with him this past semester (fall 2021). He is extremely knowledgeable about what he teaches and his passion shows through. He is helpful with meeting for office hours if you missed lecture and have questions about the slides (which are only an outline of what he talks about). I highly recommend taking a class or two with him, if you're interested in learning more about East Asia and are looking for a class with no busywork (just papers).
Scott Kastner GVPT204 Anonymous 12/24/2021	Extremely kind and patient professor. Really knows his stuff when it comes to US-China relations. Learned a lot in this class, highly recommend
Scott Kastner GVPT204 Anonymous 05/13/2021	GVPT204 is the new classification for what was once called 289J. As for the class, Kastner did a great job teaching it. His lectures are great and you should go to them since the slides on elms are vague. He really goes in depth about them. Gradewise, there were 3 papers, each worth 25% of your grade and I found the prompts straightforward. The remaining 25% was participation in discussion. As long as you are involved and talking, you should be fine. We had to be discussion leaders at one point in the semester and pose questions based on readings and lectures to the class. Overall, great class and great professor. You should take this class if you ever get the chance.
Scott Kastner GVPT289J Expecting an A Anonymous 01/19/2021	Professor Kastner is a really knowledgeable lecturer on East Asian politics. If you take GVPT289J you probably have some sort of interest in the inner workings of China overall, and Kastner does his best to quench your thirst through curated PowerPoints on major topics such as economy and cultural explanations of China's role in past and current events. The course grades are primarily divided into three major essay assignments, about 4 pages each, that ask you to explain the US-China relations in different fields. Attending the lectures should be enough to give you all the information that you need. Overall I think it was a very entertaining class with just the right amount of difficulty for an elective.
Scott Kastner GVPT289J Expecting an A+ Anonymous 01/12/2021	Prof Kastner is really knowledgeable about the East Asia region and it showed through his lectures. I appreciated the way in which he took the time to answer students' questions to the best of his ability, and he did a good job explaining more complex topics. There were about 3 major essays which were fairly open-ended and easy to respond if you listened in lecture.
Scott Kastner GVPT409E Expecting an A+ Anonymous 05/20/2020	I took GVPT409E East Asian Politics with Kastner and he was an excellent professor. He is very knowledge and passionate about the Asian region and it shows through his lectures. Kastner is also really understanding. Fairly easy course if you come to class prepared by doing readings/participating. I worked hard on the major assignments and got an A.
Scott Kastner GVPT409E Expecting a B Anonymous 05/31/2018	I took East Asian Relations with Dr. Kastner for the Spring 2018 semester. The class focused mainly on China (which is his field of specialty, I am assuming), which was fine but it would have been nice if we focused more on the other countries in the region (although we briefly spoke about Japan and their relations with China, and North Korea). Most topics we discussed were either on China, issues related to China, or China's relations with a neighboring country. Dr. Kastner is a fair grader and pretty helpful if you have questions. I had questions about the final presentation and he pointed me to several resources for my topic specifically. I also had to email him about an issue with a groupmate for a group project and thankfully he was very understanding. Personally I hate group projects, however he gave us a lot of time to complete the project and even gave us class time to work on the project, as well. I appreciate that he put up the powerpoint slides online before each class and also gave us a short 10-15 minute break during class since the class was 2 hours and 45 minutes long.
Scott Kastner GVPT200 Expecting an A Anonymous 10/02/2014	Not the most engaging class, since it's all about basic international political relations, but Dr. Kastner does an excellent job of making sure everyone understands the concepts. Even in a 150+ person lecture, he tries to engage his students by asking questions and calling on students to answer. I must admit, I didn't go to all the lectures because once we learned a theory or concept, that was about all he went over for the next couple lectures, just to ensure everyone understood it, but his PowerPoints are very informative and he posts them regularly.
Scott Kastner GVPT200 Expecting an A somewhatslightlydazed 12/01/2012	I really liked Kastner's class; it wasn't the most interesting thing in the world because it's a survey class and didn't get into much depth in anything, but it was fairly enjoyable. He's also really helpful in office hours if there's something you need help understanding or just want to discuss further. And if you have any choice in your TA's, David Prina's awesome!
Scott Kastner GVPT200 Expecting a B+ Anonymous 01/27/2012	I actually love this class. I feel bad when I miss it. It is really interesting (well, some topics). I would say this class is kind of like intensifying your common sense. Most of the topics are pretty simple and the readings are really not that bad. Some of them are pretty long, but I usually go over them briefly and then search for topics that were talked about in class. Discussion is worth 20% of your grade, so you should definitely go and you actually have to participate to get full credit. Definitely do the readings before-hand. Otherwise, the structure of the class is 15%- First Exam, 15%- Second Exam, 20% 4-5 Page Paper with a choice of a few topics, and a 30% final exam. Don't wait until the last minute to study for the exam though, because it's a lot of information sometimes. In addition, he posts the lecture slides on ELMS, but he really expands on his points and gives many examples in class that help on the exams so I would encourage everyone to go. Also, this semester, every TA got to lead a lecture, which is sometimes nice but a few are pretty poorly done. Overall, Kastner is a really nice guy, he really cares about his students and always willingly answers questions. I would definitely rank him as one of the top professors I've had.
Scott Kastner GVPT409Q Expecting an A Anonymous 05/21/2011	I really enjoyed this class. Professor Kastner is very knowledgeable and passionate about the subject. There is a sufficient amount of reading, and class participation is important (I believe its 25% of the grade), but he is a fairly easy grader and an overall nice guy. If you are interested in international relations and don't mind really getting into the specifics of this topic, then I would highly recommend the class. If you put in the effort, do the work, and participate in class, it shouldn't be difficult to get an A. There are usually 4-5 readings a week, each reading anywhere form 10 to 40ish pages. Sometimes the readings can be a little tedious but most are pretty interesting and you almost always discuss them in class. There is a midterm, final, and term paper. He basically gives away the main topics for each exam - like i said, if you do the work, this class isn't difficult. The paper is really open-ended, you can write about whatever you want pertaining to the main topic. He is more than willing to help you with your topic or the paper in general. Overall, I would recommend this class and this professor.
Scott Kastner GVPT200 Expecting an A Anonymous 05/12/2011	The class is very easy, but Kastner is not a good lecturer. He essentially reads the powerpoint and lectures as if he is reciting a speech. However, the class itself is very easy. If you get to choose your TA though, Nathan Grossman was phenomenal. I never went to lecture but I never missed a discussion!
Scott Kastner GVPT200 Expecting an A Anonymous 05/05/2011	Professor Kastner was great. Sure, he's not the greatest lecturer, but they aren't so dull that you'll dread going. And he posts them all on elms, so if you decide to miss one or two, you're still fine. He is very understanding; I had surgery this semester and had to miss 3 weeks of school around midterms. He gave me as much time as I needed to make up the test and the paper we'd had due earlier. There are two papers in here and two tests, the midterm and the final.
Scott Kastner GVPT200 Expecting a B Anonymous 12/14/2009	nice enough guy but not the greatest lecturer. Class is easy, 2 tests and a paper. However avoid the TA Tara like the plague. She is no help whatsoever in discussion. Does not seem to care about how her students do. Plus she is a very, very hard grader. If you have the opportunity to switch to a different section do it, you will not regret it.