Webber, Robert  

This teacher is great. He opened my eyes to new technologies useful in my school and future work. I never had exposure to this kind of thinking.

good guy,knows ands likes his students

Webber surprised us with his knowledge of our areas of engineering. We were from all engr majors on campus and we ranged from fresh to 5th yr. Webber kept us interested from the first class when he tried to discover who we were as students and where we were headed as engineers, he's a real listener. Headline News: Calpoly English professor understands and respects engineers! It is rare that I attend every class even in my major, but this guy makes you want to be there or you'll let your team members down. Webber is huge on collaboration. He teaches it, he does it with you, he inspires others at all levels to do it, you do it well and he sees it and rewards it. I sweated out my A, I earned it! Webber gives the course a professional feel. Honestly, my team unanimously agreed at the end of the quarter that there might not be a professor as good as Webber on this campus and this campus is up there.

I am advising ee majors this summer '04 and have been recommending this instructor to engineering students who will take this required writing course exclusive to engineers. It is ENGL149 a so-called basic course in technical writing for engineers. It is basic but it is also professional when taught by this professor. I advise that I did not take it seriously enough when I took it until late in the class when I realized that the stuff had value. more than 10 friends were being put thruogh the hell of 149 as taught by other engl instructors at about the same time. I walked away with great stuff basic to advanced but I didn't put the metal to the pedal until the seven week flag and I'm telling you that that is too late. I got a c- and it was the best evaluation i have ever received at CalP or Orange County schools where i slid through easily. I owe this professor a tip of the cap.

Tough instructor who packs his course full of realworld action. Too much work in one quarter. Glad I took it though I should have done better and taken it sooner, not at the end of my senior year.

LOVES to hear himself talk. Encourage him and he'll talk so much that he has to push back due dates. The class was easy enough -- we basically learned how to BS and still sound professional.

Tough, professional, accessible instructor. Collaboration is the watch word. As a B+ student in most classes, I did B+ work on my own in Weber's class. But here's the catch: he "mandates collaboration". If you want to succeed, demonstrate success as an individual but also as a team member. Weber holds you accountable to academic (higher standards than Cal - from New York he has also had interesting international experiences with education and business) and to industrial standards (he spells them out, stressess them over and over, and gives you real-world cases based on his experiences). I got a C in the course because it didn't hit me that I had to actually perform not just "act" professionally. In the end I got a lot out of his course. I tried to up my grade but Weber strongly justified the C that woke me up to why the College requires this kind of writing course. Weber's real.

Cool! Wears Solomons & Tevas. Walk with the guy after class. Talk and he will listen. Had a few brews downtown...he took time w/ us. Witty and unboring

This professor expects the class to run itself. He is pretty laid back in that we didn't find out something was due until one or two days in advance and then we had to bust our butts to get it done in time. If you like classes that seem un-organized and non-structured this may be the class for you. Also, you won't have any clue what your grade is until two weeks before the final. With my class, he didn't want to discuss grades whenever we brought it up or went individually to his office hours. Good luck!

Professor Webber is very unusual in the way he gets us to present in many ways: class, forum, lab, reading, wireless compuer, team, and individual work. He expects us to what he calls "align" digital and traditional writing of reports, getting us to learn then apply methods that he shows us in detail how to use in college and in our future (or in my case) present work. I took the e=portfolios idea to my boss, and he is going to implement this method at work. He wants me to get the Professor to visit our business site to demo e-portfolios. Professor Webber sent over materials to my boss and suggested I copresent e-portfolios to my coworkers and boss together with him. We are arranging it and my boss attended the forum we helped organize based on good principles. This professor comes at you in very different way that is very good for me who will graduate at end of this year. Professor Webber is worth taking in writing for engineers because he opens your eyes to many possibitities and my potential. I have met and talked to big shots who come here because Professor Webber is connected in some way to these important people. God how I have benifitted and how I wish I had time to take more of Professor Webber's classes. His philosophy and his work ethic are strong, clear, a good model for us. Thanks Cal Poly for bringing very good instructors not only in our majoe but in support, real support!

Dr. Webber has failed my 149 class. Few people in the class like him or his "teaching" methods. We have no idea what we are being graded on or even why we took the class. He rarely teaches, and when he does he rambles and cant finish a sentence. Basicly we are working on a pet project of his to create a website so that he will look good. His class has nothing to do with technical communication unless you are one of the two people who are making the website. Im leaving this class with nothing more than i started with. Only the seniors in the class find it usefull because Webber knows a TON of professionals and has good networking (using) skills. If you want to stress about your grade (he doesnt tell you what it is until 2 weeks before the final) and BS your way through what would be an otherwise helpful course, take webber. Want to learn to communicate more effectively, take someone else. Lastly, if you do take him, hit him up for some food at a nice restaurant or something because he is LOADED! If you suck up a little he will probably take you.

I had a toughtime getting used to this prof's standards. They are high. He tells you at the begiining what to expect. Thhis prof means it so listen up. I have grown so much in his course. Few profs or teachers at any grade level have ever touched me like this prof has.

I thought this class was a complete waste of time. I didn't really learn anything from him and I had to figure it all out on my own. He went off on random tangents every class, taking about 20 minutes to get to his point...hence, complete waste of time. I would not recommend taking him at all.

Read the message from the 149 student who says he did everything on his own, that's crap and an insult to the rest of us students who were required to work COLLABORATIVELY from the first day of class to the last day of class. This professor is focused on teamwork, teamwork at higher and higher levels as the course progresses. It is impossible to do anything in this course totally by yourself because the professor audits (his description) every activity once we completed a segment or project phase. I was project manager for my group. In class Webber drilled each group. He knew who slacked, and he focused on all of us in the group until the slackards rose to at least an acceptable or minimally competent level in order to maintain the group's integrity and credibility (Webber uses and demonstrates both of these words too all along in the course). I get tired of anonymous students who are only critical because they don't get it that we are exposed to different forms of expertise that helps us develop our own expertise, our own skill-set (another Webber word) that becomes competitive as hell in a real marketplace. I have already benefitted and the class just ended. It's too bad that the engr college sees all english teachers as a necessary evil and that engr students resent taking this required technical communication for engr course. This professor knows the way we need to head as communicators in a tough world and he is appropriately tough in his collaborative teaching philosophy and interesting approach. The course taught by this realworld expert is worth the effort most of us put into the course. I didn't get the A I deserved because of slackards like the 149 prick below who didn't hold up his own.

Dr. Webber is extremely unorganized. He comes to class expecting the class to run it's self. He never once told me my grade it came as a relief and surprise when I got it. He springs deadlines on you from out of no where (I think he got us confused with his other section a few times and forgot to tell us stuff). He likes to hear himself talk and dose it a lot; to the point of wasting time and being absolutely annoying seniors seem to really like him for some unknown reason. A smart person but horrible teacher. I would avoid him if you like structure in a class and if you ever want to get grades along the way or even your assignments back.

Too tough a teacher for a 100 course, he excpects you to learn by doing stuff too sophisticated for the ridicuous range of engineers (not his fault) - freshman to seniors in 5th year, you will learn to communicate in a variety of real cases though, if you can stay with him. Exciting classes though & you meet pretty interesting experts who visit/work with his classes, webber's a classy guy, very bright and helpful

This guy is a joke! We did absolutley nothing in this class. We wrote an essay in the first two weeks that he never read. That was it, that was the work. The rest of the time was devoted to this bullshit project that had nothing to do with the course. No one had any idea what was going on and how he was going to grade because he had nothing to base it off of. DO NOT TAKE WEBBER!!! Although I did nothing and came away with a B, it was still a complete waste of time. It was also a lot of stress that I did not need because I was worried about my grade the whole time because I had no idea what I was going to get. So, let me repeat this a few times, DO NOT TAKE WEBBER!!! DO NOT TAKE WEBBER!!! DO NOT TAKE WEBBER!!! He is a joke. Don't believe anything that he says! He lies all the time. He acts like he has all these important friends and everything but I wouldn't be surprised if he sleeps in the back of his car. Oh yeah, one more thing...DO NOT TAKE WEBBER!!! DO NOT TAKE WEBBER!!! DO NOT TAKE WEBBER!!! DO NOT TAKE WEBBER!!!

Excellent teacher!

We are in the hardest best class ever this quarter.

Our project is an real world report that analyzes and presents data in technical presentations that include rich media [NOT ugly mindless powerpoint]. Already in this four week we are streaming video and integrating text like pros!!! Three of us are working on a portable studio his weekend and we are treated like we are experts -- so we are!! in a serious fun way --actually doing the work of experts in the fields and presenting in print and digital like we are old hands at it. I like this professor...he cares and stays on you all the time to step it up a notch. We are in a great course taught by a great man, dr weber....and our communicating is real not fake book stuff written by clod professors who have never seen the inside workings of a real engineering shop...we have constructed a real situation with real people as users clients and we're liking it! Our team is the best. We could stream here, so build this engine for the real world..

Webber has no business as a teacher because he doesnt teach the class. He expects it to run itself. He gave us one assignement for the whole quarter and he didnt even grade it. It sounds bizarre but its true. This is a bad thing because grading was completely subjective, no one even knew what grade to expect because the curriculum and syllabus went out the window the 2nd week of class and all we did was a BS project of making a BS website that doesnt even exist anymore. POLYPORTFOLIOS.COM/WHAT-A-DUMBASS-IDEA visit it... THERE HAVE EVEN BEEN TIMES WHERE HIS BACK HURT AND HE TOLD A STUDENT TO CONDUCT CLASS... AND THE TEACHERS PET DID!!! WEBBER HAS NO BUSINESS AS A PROFESSOR BECAUSE HE DOES NOT HAVE A CURRICULUM OR GRADING SYSTEM. WEBBER IS JOKE DONT TAKE THIS POSER TRUST ME

I have no idea who has been writing some of these reviews, but Webber is a complete joke. We don't learn ANYTHING in this class. We waste the whole quarter doing meaningless projects. Don't buy the book; we don't even come close to using it.

Well, we completed a course of courses. Fist quality.

Worst teacher ever. In fact you can't even consider him a teacher. He comes ten minutes late to every class. He tells us we are going to do all these things and we never do any of it. He is such a load of bullshit. I don't believe half of the things he says. He hasn't given us a grade for a single thing we have done. He doesn't lecture. He just has us do these bullshit projects that he doesn't even look at. I bet this guy never even went to college. He is just good at working people. I bet he wrote all of the positive reviews on this site himself. Don't take him, you will regret it.

Underappreciated teacher who is practical and connected in some ways that opened the eyes of my engineering group. Our project was international in scope, and it was not merely academic: Professor Webber connected us directly to clients overseas who specifically forwarded materials that we could incorporate into our analytical report. We filmed our response and sent it to our clients in a professional manner that surprised our clients. Some of our responses came after the quarter ended, but that was good because it validated this man's capacity to get to the practical and real core of continuous learning beyond the class. He taught us to lead. And he revealed new resources that we used immediately. I told the college about the practicality and usefulness of this instruction. I am older than most of the 149 engineers who took this course, so I see certain values that I assume some think are unconnected to their coursework. But that's it: it's work, real applications.

I have'nt signed up for this class yet, but reading these reviews I find it fishy how "touchy-feely" all of the good reviews are. How they are all approximately the same length, and how incredibly well written they are. They seem like they were all written by the same person too. hmmmmmm

Don't take Webber unless you want to work like hell in what is supposed to be a basic ENGR technical writing course.

I never had a class like this. The instructor has made us use software for communicating like MindMap, which I wished I had had when I declared my major. It is a different, meaningful class so far. I am working with other E's in great ways.

I never had a class like this. The instructor has made us use software for communicating like MindMap, which I wished I had had when I declared my major. It is a different, meaningful class so far. I am working with other E's in great ways.

god this guy is good. eng never was so good. few professors work as hard for you. move this guy to eng and out of engl. screw engl go eng!

This teacher is a freaking JOKE. All he talks about is how he's traveled all over the world and knows what technical communications is REALLY about, but never gets around to explaining it to the rest of the class. Then there was the group project of writing a textbook but not including any content, just what we want in the book. Don't ask me to explain it because I don't know. Everytime anyone in the class asked for clarification on the objective of the project, he spent 20 minutes feeding us bullshit about how technical communications is important. Don't expect to get a straight answer out of him, don't expect to learn anything, don't expect to hear about ANYTHING relating to tech writing, and don't expect to do any of the stuff that he says "we'll do next class period." Do expect him to miss class because he "got in a car accident." This class was a waste of my life, I didn't learn anything, and I still don't know what I'll actually be graded on.

I took this class as a light-load class for more units, and boy was this a good choice. Webber's 149 is so full of bull, it's hilarious. If you don't want to stress about ENGL 149, take Webber. The entire quarter was based on writing a 30-40 page analytical report (as a class) with a set of recommendations to a publishing company for a book on technical communications. I've probably done about 2 hours of actual work for this class for the entire quarter. I have no idea what to expect for a grade, though, since it just relies on that one report (which the entire class collaborates on as a whole). Collaboration is a key aspect of this class. Just like the guy below me said, don't expect to learn anything and don't expect to hear anything about technical writing. Expect a lot of easy bullshit. The guy is late a lot of the time, and a lot of the time you don't even need to go to class because you'd get practically nothing done in class anyways. ..yeah.

if you are ok with not learning anything, this class is it. we only wrote two in-class essay throughout the whole quarter. We did nothing and learned nothing. Just make sure you volunteer for anything if you want better grade than B or C

<u>aces.</u>

i love webber. he knows soo much neat stuff. he shares a ton of cool stories. his class isnt very structured. it is based on participation in discussion, attendance, and a project. i would highly suggest anyone to take this. i seriously will take any class with this guy-so awesome!

I have never experienced such a dynamic professor at Cal Poly. He is a good person who is aware of personal, academic, and professional development, apparently of all his students, definitely of my development. I am new to the technical communication program, hoping to achieve my serious objectives as a technical writer and to get certified. I have taken basic courses from a few professors who teach, frankly, vocational training in video, editing, and design, but this is the level I would have expected at Cal Poly where leaders are developed in engineering and comparable major areas. This course and this professor have reawakened hope that Cal Poly is supporting programs where graduates and those who are "certified" will take leadership in a truly high-level sense that will be appreciated by the industries that hire us. Thank you, Professor!

I have taken three of his classes. I'm the first to write this on the website, but certainly not the first to have stated the following. Webber does not teach. In the Writing Interactive Documents class, he never went over how to use the programs. It makes me think that he doesn't know how to use these programs himself. The class time spent blabbing away was not useful at all. I'm one of the people that has almost always enjoyed teachers' lectures, but having attended Webber's classes induces a strong impulse in me to band my head on the desk. If you take this class, you should count on learning everything on your own. Use your books, but more importantly, work in groups. Webber is an individual who is managing teaching something he doesn't know only thanks to his bullshiting skills.

Want to work hard at something you really like? Take this professor's courses. His perspective is refreshing. I am working and actually applying what I learned in his classes. He referred and recommended me. Now I'm recommending him.

Take this course! I love Webber's unconventional seminar style.

Professor Webber shares his unbelievable industry connections with you. This quarter, my class has organized two forums with three famous experts from industry. It's amazing that we put this series together with Dr. Webber's expert guidance and close oversight. It is so real. My communication skills have improved so much that my other professors have seen in me critical progress in presentations and written work in other classes where I have felt undervalued or under-challenged. I feel like I am really a part of a professional network that enables and empowers me in ways that I only expected to find in the working world much later in life. We wrote to these experts, ate with them, talked for hours in private times, guided them (yes we led them!) through these amazing forums in Phiilips Hall in the P.A.C. on campus. They, the experts, wrote to us, thanking us for what we did for them! Amazing process put into place by a great teacher who never stops giving if you perform at your best!! Grades seem inconsequential in this process that makes learning come alive with the best of the best rubbing shoulders with us. Thanks Professor Webber!!

Brilliant thinker and doer, this professor is above anybody here in SLO. This quarter, I have met four exceptionally accomplished scholars who are renowned in their fields. Webber provided complete access to these people who, like Webber, will have a lasting influence on my life. Learning in his class is one of the toughest yet most positive experiences I have ever had.

Fantastic!

one of the best instructors, fair grader, extraordinary networker.

I've been taught by many excellent profs at Cal Poly -- you can tell they really enjoy their job teaching and have much insight into their specialized topic. I've also taken courses from a few duds. Webber is definitely wasting a tenure-track position better filled by someone else. He doesn't teach or train on the software he assigns to the class. He can't even answer rudimentary questions about them. When he interrupted a productive session with my group, he added information that not valuable or even really related to what we were discussing. He's a salesman, not a teacher. He belongs in the corporate world somewhere -- of course, they require that you produce something worthwhile once in a while.

A lab monitor told me about Webbers class creating projects that rock. He said sit in and watch the presentations. Before I captured I talked to students and to Webber. Before you take his course understand his methos - Webber requires you to complete 3 digital projects. He works with you until he measures your confidence and expertise. You learn the material in a mix of ways, one on one with him, books, software, teams, and you must demonstate your progress infront of others. Each time you you do that it isn't a any old academic demo it's a deeper professional experience. Webber wants you to walk hot coals and you do it. Webber spent over 2 hours outside class every wednesday afternoon for 9 weeks to get my client presentation just perfect. Webber gets A from my team and me.

Bob Webber is excellent in lecture and lab. I had my bachelors 3.8 GPA and wanted to learn more about ecommerce to start my own business after being laid off. When my old adviser recommended Dr. Bob Webber in the English Department Technical Communication Program, I questioned his sanity. This is an unbelievable course with a great mentor. He's a pro not just a prof. I think I had a good undergrad preparation here,and Dr. Bob smartly built on that foundation. He connected me in class and out. Believe it or not my new business is open and in one quarter I developed what Bob calls web presence.This is my independence day!!

Want to know the truth about Webber? Guess why they hired him. The guy before him died and they needed a quick replacement. Guess why they're going to fire him. He lied about his credentials and now he's under review. Normally I'd say something like Webber is an embarrassment to the tech comm program or an embarrassment to the English department. He's both. Fact is, he's an embarrassment to the entire school. The teacher that died - I don't know much about him. I do know that it's safe to say that his corpse has more character and conviction than Webber could ever hope to have. Webber cannot teach. The person who said he was a waste of a tenure was absolutely correct. But he's not just a waste of a tenure, he is a waste of a man. If he is going to pretend to teach, let's just drop the pretense and not talk at all. Frankly his words are not worth the time it takes to listen. You want a teacher who can teach? Choose a teacher. You want a waste of an education and an embarrassment to teachers everywhere, choose Webber.

I can not believe what I have read here that was written by one of our highly paid infamous administrators who hate teachers. Bob Webber is one of the best teachers many of us have ever had. Cal Poly is rotting from the head and no body has done anything to stop it. Maybe now the time. REvolt against this revolting campus dictatorship! I was in this 519 class where we organized an "advanced multimedia forum" and we actually met and networked closely with Webber's tremendous contacts OUTSIDE of CP. As students we had we had over four hours to spend with one of the top MIT media leaders. Our public and private dialogue dialogue was immensely important to our careers. Webber didn't say but it is clear that he had to put this together by himself with no support from CP admin who have their heads in this academic toilet. This is a good man and a great teacher who is loved by lots of us INSIDE of CP. WAtch your butts, ADMIN, but of course that is advice that you have already taken.

In my job, which I have in large part because of Dr. Webber's contacts in the business world and because of Cal Poly's rigorous programs and credibility, I use much of what Professor Webber taught me. It seems that every new situation that arises in my work demands different perspectives. Professor Webber has given me confidence in my ability to lead teams in resolving difficult issues. We live in a different world that requires a new kind of leadership. I loved his classes (3), I was inspired to work hard and to reach high, but I did not know the true value of this man until I entered this competitive job market, until I faced my first leadership challenge, until I received the highest rating of any colleague in my department for two straight years. It's funny how one teacher's teaching can stay with you so profoundly as you work. I call him or email him whenever I need an insight. He responds with delight, with depth, with a genuine interest in me and my growth.