Which professors pass the test?

You might want to check your course schedule again

By Errol Tremolada
From the September 2005 Print Edition

So you wanted to be a Golden Bear, huh? Well now that you are, we here at the Patriot think you should know little bit about what you got yourself into. If you aren’t a hard-line leftist you are a misfit here at Cal, and that isn’t just because of the student body; our professors ooze liberal indoctrination. But just like every other sinkhole of iniquity, there are a few diamonds in the rough. So, students new and old, here it is: the Patriot’s picks for UC Berkeley’s best and worst professors.

Let’s start with the worst, in no particular order:

Brian Powers of the sociology department. Generally speaking, he’s a flaming liberal who loves to bash America first; standard stuff, but he’s the standard-bearer.

Brad DeLong of the economics department maintains a popular blog filled with liberal commentary on his Web site, which he directs students to read for course information. Yes, he actually posts course notices and homework assignments on the same Web site as his rants against Bush and other Republicans. Students are given no choice but to endure a soapbox-like rant of this professor’s ideology just to get their coursework and homework done.

How could any list of Berkeley’s worst professors be complete without the one and the only Leon Litwack? Most rational students have trouble enduring his vitriol cloaked as history lessons; his lectures are essays written as far back as who-knows-when, and he repeats them year after year. He does not take questions during class because that would simply interrupt his sermon. This professor can accuse America of causing every conflict or downfall in any decade in its history. If you care at all for America and the men and women who died for the freedoms we hold today, steer clear of Litwack’s ‘quacks.’

That’s about as much as I can take of our worst. Now that you are sufficiently concerned about who may be teaching your classes, let me ease your anxiety and direct you to the more professional and thought-provoking professors on campus:

Jack Citrin can lay out the American political system the way it should be explained. He engages the class with humor and knowledge — an unlikely combination for professors at Cal. For political science majors, he is a must.

Ole H. Hald of the math department is also one of Cal’s best. Hald charges his students with a deep understanding of the material covered, offers great office hours, and encourages his students to do their utmost in learning. It is often difficult to find professors of math or science who are engaging and charismatic, so when one comes along, you have to leap at the opportunity. His classes aren’t all at the most advanced levels, so even non-majors should have the chance to take him.

Dan Schnur teaches campaign politics in the political science department in an engaging, intelligent, and eloquent fashion. Schnur has worked on Republican campaigns as a director and spokesperson for Reagan/Bush ’84, Bush/Quayle ’88, Senator John McCain, and Governor Pete Wilson. Schnur is so popular that he doesn’t constrain his class registration by Tele-BEARS. Students show up on the first day of class and graduating students get priority.

Topping our list is one of the best and most entertaining professors in the country, without exaggeration. Professor A. James Gregor, also of the political science department, is loved and hated by damn near everyone, but especially liberals. They hate his lectures yet love to stick around to see what he’ll say next. For most of the educated students in his course, he is a pleasure to listen to, providing evidence to back his claims. Gregor can teach you a great deal as long as you abide by his rules: no cell phones, no sleeping, no talking, and no late arrivals. Those of you who are new, leave your cell phones at home or take the batteries out just in case — if the phone goes off in class, he’ll tell you to “whistle up a tree.” If you wish to learn about Fascism and Communism from a true expert, you cannot miss his classes.

Though the course catalog may describe a class as interesting, exciting, and intriguing, don’t forget to check the name slated next to the course title; it can make or break your semester. Professors are supposed to teach — not preach. They are supposed to provide arguments with evidence and allow students to formulate their own ideas. They aren’t supposed to lecture students on what is right or wrong and make them regurgitate it. The professors who want students to believe what they say without question — and there are plenty of them at Berkeley — are the professors you should avoid. We’ll do our best to help.

Check and contribute to www.ucbprofessors.net and www.calfacts.org to increase student awareness of the best and worst professors.

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