| Information | Review |
|---|---|
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Maria Velez
CCJS454 Expecting a B Anonymous 04/15/2025 |
Class was cool, but she made it harder than necessary, and I wouldn't recommend her. I don't think I'd take another class with her again. |
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Maria Velez
CCJS454 Anonymous 12/24/2024 |
The class was actually super interesting, IMO. The course name made me think it would be kind of boring, but it was one of my favorite classes this semester. The professor is super kind and cares about her students. If you're struggling, she has compassion. The course grades are four exams and a final paper. She introduces the final paper assignment at the beginning of the semester and will give additional notes throughout the semester as the lecture material pertains to it. She offered to look through rough drafts of this assignment a few weeks before the due date, and she helps you outline the project well before it's due. The exams were non-cumulative until the Final. They are all true/false with two short answer response questions. She goes over what the short answer response questions are in (at the latest) the class before the exam, and offers to read your answers and provide feedback before the exam. She basically does everything in her power to help you succeed, but since there are only five grades for the whole class you need to put in the work. Go to class! Take notes on the lectures, read the assigned readings, go to office hours, ask her questions, and keep up with the term paper. The biggest drawback in the class is there are A LOT of readings, so it can be easy to get overwhelmed and behind. The exams draw heavily from the readings though, so you can't really skip out on them. Definitely recommend :) |
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Maria Velez
CCJS454 Anonymous 12/15/2024 |
Anyone who tells you to take Dr. Velez is either a teacher's pet or doesn't know their right from their left. Yes, she is a nice person, but I'm here to get an education not meet nice people. How anyone can make the time to read everything she assigns and stay on top of their other classes is beyond me. What really stinks is how useless her lectures are. All she does is read off a PowerPoint, which is posted online anyway. This class relies heavily on YOU doing the work, and her serving as a manager to go consult if you have any issues. What is the purpose of having an instructor who doesn't instruct? It is utterly disgusting that this education is costing money and yet a book (which costs money again) is teaching me these subjects. If you want to learn what's being taught in this class, just go buy the textbook and read it - nothing additional will be gained from instruction. Now the class structure. Jeez. 3 exams, 1 big boy writing assignment and that's it. The exams go into detail on the readings that only someone with a photographic memory could recall. They are hard and consist of true/false and short answer questions. Maybe the only good thing about the exams is you usually get a look ahead of what the short answer questions are so you can "prepare your answer." The writing assignment is fine, and honestly not horrible. What I can say for sure is DO NOT TAKE THIS CLASS. Just don't. Her average gpa in this class is 2.61 for a reason. This course was awful, Dr. Velez was unfortunately a very poor professor, and my grade and future suffer because of that. Big no no. |
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Maria Velez
CCJS370 Expecting an A Anonymous 12/19/2023 |
Dr. Velez is a great professor and once you get a hold of the exam format (using the guide she gives you) its smooth sailing honestly. I struggled at first in 370 but it got so much easier so I took 418Q and 454 as well considering its the same format for the class. Paper is alright, she is really helpful if you ask. She does care about you and your success in the course, so not utilizing her would be your loss tbh. |
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Maria Velez
CCJS370 Expecting a B Anonymous 05/19/2023 |
Dr Velez is a good teacher because she genuinely cares about her student's learning and grades. The class is hard, and there's a lot of reading and the exams have very specific questions, but the material is interesting and really important if you want to go into the criminal justice field. I honestly think everyone should be required to take this class. There's also a paper that's worth 30% of your grade and I found it really confusing at first, but she'll review it for you as much as you want before it's due so you can get lots of feedback and if you work with her you can get a 100% on it. I did poorly on the exams (my fault tbh) but the A on the paper saved my grade because I continued to get feedback from her throughout. |
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Maria Velez
CCJS370 Expecting a W Anonymous 05/17/2023 |
She’s a kind professor and wants to help out her students BUT there is a lot of readings that you have to memorize for the exams which the first two are non cumulative but the final is. Taking notes in this class is also very difficult. Don’t recommend this class to any of my friends. |
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Maria Velez
CCJS418Q Anonymous 05/24/2022 |
Dr Velez is an extremely kind and caring professor, and she really knows her stuff. Be sure to read the assigned stuff closely since she pulls a good chunk of the exam material from that. Exams are a mix of true or false and short writing answers. The paper isn't that bad and as long as you follow the rubric, you should be fine. |