Isom, Denise  

WOW! GET THIS TEACHER!! She is seriously amazing. And Hilarious. You won't regret anything. Homework Load: Just readings...which are actually interesting. No boring text book reading. You have to write 2 papers in the class and they are really short. If you get a bad grade on the paper you are allowed to rewrite it, and you can choose the due date (as a class). Class time: Watched YouTube Videos, discussed intriguing topics, anything related to race, gender, class, politics. You are graded on class particpation, so be ready to share your ideas. Midterm: Take home midterm!!! She is likely to extend if you express your concerns on not finishin in time. But in order to do well on the midterm you are gonna actually want to read the class material cuz you have to analyze with objectives and terms you learn. Final: Group Project. All you have to do is do a presentation to explain ur project( 5- 10 min) and Thats it! Turn the project in and Bam. ur done.

DENISE ISOM IS THE SHIT! i took this class last fall and have been waiting for her to get on poly ratings to write her one. theres a paper and a take home midterm and a final project. thats it. no actual test or anything.. theres alot of reading but its interesting and everyone has a day they present one of them so if you dont get it or finish it its not a big deal cause everyone talks about it. you get to talk about whatever in class as long as it is somewhat related. she lets you re write everything. the mid term is long and hard but you can redo it and she will help you -the only reason i got a b is cause i didnt redo it. she loves people who talk in class alot, if you do its almost a guaranteed a. THIS CLASS IS AMAZING she is sooo legit take her take her take her . oh and the final project is whatever you want it to be and its easy and she loves everyones soooo sick

This teacher didn\'t teach me anything. She\'s really happy and laughing all the time, she makes everyone in the class feel good about participating. You leave class feeling good about yourself but later realize that the class was a total waste of time. Even though a lot of the material seems irrelevent and silly, make sure you take all her assignments seriously! I slacked off in this class thinking I\'d be able to just get by. It worked up until the very end of the quarter when she wouldn\'t let me take the final for not being active enough in the class. Raise your hand, turn in all your work, and at least pretend to be interested in the topic and you\'ll get an A no problem. There are no midterms or finals so your grade is based entirely off participation and homework.

worst teacher i have ever taken at cal poly. i took her last year and was really excited to take this class because i heard really positive feedback about the class in general. she was new so i didn\'t know what to expect but soon became really frustrated with her all quarter long. she is degrading, rude, and thinks she is the best professor ever. also, don\'t bother to ask her a question because she will tell you it is in her syllabus when it isn\'t and she will say she explained it in class when she never did.

If you regularly don\'t participate in class, DO NOT TAKE THIS TEACHER. Isom grades on participation in class (25% of the Fucking grade), and that only is if your comment shows some sort of reflection on the readings, no personal comments or whatever. She also disregards your own opinion if she doesn\'t like you, even though opinions in a class like this bring new sides to the conversations even when she asks for your thoughts on something. BTW, she picks favorites, which is RETARDED when some students will be trying to participate, but she doesn\'t call on them, and you end up getting screwed in the end. All in all, she\'s a bitch. the material is cool, but the teacher doesn\'t help do anything.

Would never take this teacher again. Even when you show her effort, she sometimes has nothing positive to say about it. Very critical. I feel her opinions of people were formulated during the comments spoken in class, so make sure to never say anything she disagrees with. I feel an ethnic studies class should be one where you can speak your opinion freely w/o being criticized, unfortunately this was not the case. Although she is funny and outgoing, I would never give this teacher another chance.

Seriously, if you want a good grade in any class. Do what the syllabus says and you win. Isom is good teacher, I respect her knowledge and commentary, her insight founded on her Ph.D work and teaching. She is very in touch with popular culture. Ethnic studies can be sometimes be a hard thing to swallow for some and Isom provides the environment were you can take a step back provoke your own thoughts whether you agree or not. You can sit in class not participate and get a D or you can spend sometime learning the reading, and understanding what she is talking about and get an A. It\'s college folks, sometimes there\'s work involved...

Dr. Isom is a really nice lady and I liked her a lot. Her class was very interesting and I actually liked going. That being said, participation is 25% of the grade so if you don't talk or email her, you are completely screwed. She's not a very lenient grader either. I didn't talk very much in the class and didn't email her a lot, so I got an F in the participation category and ended up with a C. Just go to class and speak up and you'll probably be fine.

this class was great but with that said you NEED to speak up in class. If you don't like speaking up in class make sure you E-MAIL her, GO INTO HER OFFICE HOURS, or talk to her AFTER CLASS. She gives you opportunities to contact her outside of class if you don't like speaking up in class. This class is interesting--her whole point is to open peoples minds and let them think about the world we live in. If you participate and do the readings this class will change your outlook on society. NO MIDTERMS/FINALS. Just papers and a final project.

The WORST teacher I have had at Cal Poly. 25% of your grade is based on participation and she doesn't post grades till the end so no one can object to her biased grading of assignments. Most importantly, if you do not agree with her point of view, you might as well take a nap on the train tracks, and wait for the Amtrak to roll over your body simply because you had a different opinion.

Dr. Isom really makes you appriciate the course work and content. She requires very little from you, a few readings, 2 papers and a final project. She mostly just wants to have open discussions with the class and hear everyones input about society and the roles we play. Highly recommended.

Take this class if you are interested in reading outdated text and participate in one dimensional "discussion". The Text she makes you read are published in the mid to late 90s. It would be okay if she updated us on the current situation that's relevant to what we are reading, but of course she does not. Personally, I don't feel comfortable blaming inequality on one or two particular race or class. It sounds very irresponsible and biased when only one side gets the blame. You can't start a fight with only one person, can you? She will pick on you if you present an opposite point of view, so be VERY prepared if you want to stand up to her. The so called discussion often felt like personal confession from classmates, which I actually care very little about. The entire class just felt like a bunch of privileged kids pitying the less fortunate, it's not a very pleasant feeling. I often get stressed out and lost any desire to participate very quickly.

Amazing Professor. Hands down my favorite class so far. The class is ridiculously interesting and changes how you view the world. You have to participate in the class discussions and actually show up to class. other than that you can basically get an easy A. She is an awesome professor and says Groovy alot.Put effort and actual thought into your papers and she grades fairly. Take this over history 207 anyday. she is the shit and this class is great. TAKE THIS CLASS

Wonderful professor! Very eye opening class, recommend to everyone. You just definitely need to participate and visit office hours or you will not get the grade you want. I am selling BOTH required texts (amazing grace and textbook)for $35 (probably less if you ask)email:rgdvm93@yahoo.con

Dr. Isom is a funny professor and i think I would have really enjoyed the class if the class was set up differently. I hated that it was only out of 100 points and 25 percent of your grade was based on in class participation. She gave me a bad grade in participation even though I talked a good amount, she decides if the participation counts or not. I got basically a hundred percent on every paper in the class including the final research paper worth 40-50 percent of your grade and still got a B in the class. Interesting class, bad setup.

Dr. Isom is one of the worst professors I have ever had at Cal Poly. She is disrespectful to students and definitely picks favorites. Dr. Isom clearly doesn't know what the word "participation" means because I sit in the front row and raise my hand multiple times every class and I have a D in participation. She likes to curse and trail off on tangents in class. Do yourself a favor and never ever take her for anything! My entire class agrees with me! This woman should not be in the education system!

Dr. Isom is a terrible, TERRIBLE professor. If you have any questions at all she will simply tell you, "It's in the syllabus". Granted every student should read and know the syllabus,sometimes said answer does not apply. She treats her students as if they know nothing, and your opinion will never be correct or valued. She is the rudest, most disrespectful professor I have ever come in contact with, and she certainly treats you with just as mush disrespect in office hours as well. She loves to dictate students, and she is clearly doing just that. Also, all material in class is over analyzed to extreme, unthinkable levels which makes it difficult to replicate in papers. I have received all A's on papers in my English courses, and D's in Dr. Isom's essays simply because she does not like what I have to say and because I don't analyze the material to f*ucking illogical extents. Also, keep in mind this is a one hundred level class. I am definitely going to the dean of the department along with MANY of my peers in the class. I haven't heard a single student say one positive thing about her this quarter. I'm telling you, for the sake of your GPA and more importantly your sanity and hope for human kind, stay away from Isom. She is absolutely HORRID.

Dr. Isom is unbelievable rude and disrespectful to her students. She doesn't care about anyone's opinion unless it matches her own. She is very unprofessional and clearly picks favorites in the class. I feel uncomfortable going to her office hours because every time I have been, she is demeaning and condescending. She grades according to her own opinion and if you don't parallel her opinion, you will not receive a good grade. She is by far the WORST professor I have had at Cal Poly and I don't recommend anyone taking her for this class.

Basically, she's a hardass. She expects a lot from us. I had to work really hard analytically to do well in this class. You need to be actively going in to talk to her during office hours about the weekly assigned readings, and always raise your hand to contribute to the class discussions. As 25% of the grade is based on participation (which really means deep analytical thinking that she likes, not just your opinion), you need to really think hard and uniquely about the readings. I would not take her again if I had to, but if you do need to take her, it's not the end of the world. Put in an honest effort and you'll be fine. Don't complain about things, but also don't let her walk all over you- she's the kind of person that needs to be stood up to every once in a while.

Unfortunately this was the worst class I’ve taken at Cal Poly. This professor comes off very racist and sexist, which hurt a lot of people’s grades. Unless you are a women who loves to be suck up in class and talk all the time you’re not going to do well. A lot of the guys in my class did not do well because half of your grade is participation and she would only call on girls. The only kids who had decent grades were ones who would go into office hours with other students in the mornings at 7 am to talk to her about how terribly racist our world is towards minorities and were jobless because of it. As a Hispanic man I felt like this lady still has a lot to learn. Avoid this class if you’re looking for an easy GE that won’t cause a ton of problems for you during the quarter.

Overall this was a fun class and was not too much work. However, you have to realize that she largely grades on how creatively you can apply the material from the readings. Simply writing your papers based on what was covered in class will not get you a great grade. She wants creativity. Another thing, you HAVE to talk in class. 25% of your grade is based on talking in class. Also, I could tell that pretty much everyone in the class put on this phased that we were outraged with the status quo and that we were going to change it. It kind of felt fake and phony. This class has the basic structure of "feel bad for being white"

Very racist against white and/or rich people. Horrible teacher. If you don't agree with her views exactly then prepare to be openly criticized and picked on in class.

The most eye opening class I have ever taken. I enjoyed every minute of it. There was a great deal of reading and writing for grading, but she grades mostly on creativity of ideas and understanding than anything else. Talk in class with good ideas and new opinions, you'll get an A.

Dr. Isom is terrible. All she is worried about is women's rights and how african americans are not treated right. She is the most tough grader I have ever had, if you can, do not take this class. Everyone hates it. And she requires a lot from you. worst teacher I have had yet. trust me

Great teacher who is really passionate about what she teaches. Interesting information. That being said, you have to participate in the class to pass. I didn't participate that much and struggled. Do the readings also. It is hard to participate when you don't know what the class is talking about.

Make sure to go to office hours and always keep track of how many participation points you have. She doesn't always keep track of when you talk, so doing extra credit helps too!

She is a very nice lady and very easy to talk to. I don't believe she understands what participation is because she grades very heavily on it and gave me a C for participation even though I almost always had my hand raised- Its not my fault you don't call on me. If you are white and not in a liberal arts major... you are going to have a bad time. But, she is very nice, knowledgeable, and respectful to all of the students who put in a lot of effort. She is probably one of the better professors I have seen at Cal Poly.

Dr. Isom is a great professor! The class is based mainly off of participation that is based on a few readings before each class. It's not hard to keep up, but sometimes it's hard to get a word in. You can get one participation point for analyzing each reading and turning it in on the day of class, which was helpful for me since I couldn't think up things to say on the spot during class. The content is super interesting and really gets you thinking, especially the section on gender. If you ever have the chance to take Dr. Isom's class, DO IT. She knows what's up.

Dr. Isom is brilliant and her class is genuinely fun if you're with a group of people willing to do the reading and contribute to the discussions. Our class was great, and Dr. Isom was good about calling on different people during discussions so one or two students didn't dominate overly much. I found how she leads discussions to be a perfect balance. We've all had professors who let students go off on BS tangents, and professors who only ask questions to get a specific answer so they can continue their lecture. Dr. Isom is neither. She leads without constricting the conversation to her own opinions, and she'll challenge BS before anyone is allowed to waste too much time. Her class was the best discussion environment I've been in so far. Assigned readings tended to be short and full of ideas. For Ethnic Studies in general, you have to be prepared to hear, understand, and apply critical theories you might not agree with. If you can't do that, Dr. Isom's class is an excellent place to learn, but you do have to learn.

You MUST have an open mind and motivation to learn through reading and discussion to excel in this class. If you do not believe in or fail to acknowledge the modern social constructions, prejudices, and institutionalized racism... then you will hate this class. If you want to gain a better understanding of how America works, take this course. My Advice: prepare for a fair amount of reading, take notes in class, read the syllabus BEFORE you ask questions, bring the books to class, go to office hours, and talk to her about essays if you are struggling. #bias ...She is my favorite professor at Poly and has taught me more about myself and my world than I could have ever imagined so, be brave and join the conversation.

I loved taking Isom, I thought she was brilliant and passionate about the subject. She's a tough grader, but she will allow resubmissions on the written reports. The class requires you to think critically, and the reading is a must-but it's interesting and doesn't take long to get through. Participation in class discussion is important, but if your not good at speaking in class you can make up participation points by going into office hours and talking to her about the reading and showing her your notes on them. I highly recommend this class, I learned so much about society and culture pertaining to race, gender, and class-it was fascinating.

This class changed the way I think. If you have the chance to take a class by Dr. Isom, do it. You won't regret it.

Okay...so... everyone else is right: BE IN HER FACE AND PARTICIPATE IN CLASS!!! I aced every homework, project, and finally the final and still ended up with a B. Keep in mind, I made one comment a lecture (twice a week), in order to get participation points; but still; it wasn\'t enough to get participation points. So.... in other words, keep your hand raised and MAKE SURE she knows your name

One of the most amazing teachers I have ever had. She asks for you to respect her as she respects you; therefore, you must read a participate,in turn, no tests just projects are asked of you. She motivates students to think outside of the box. Anyone who takes her class and doesn\'t come attentive, is truly wasting her time and your own. Her class is refreshing and truly an education experience.

Awful teacher. Knowledgeable in the subject but very unclear instructions and grades you on a rubric that you do not get to see. She has a surprisingly strong vocabulary but mispronounces most of it and and says things like \"more better,\" which is annoying once you realize your grammatical abilities greatly surpass your professor\'s. Personally attacks people when she does not like what they are saying or even how they are saying it and constantly puts people down. She definitely plays favorites but also has certain students that she clearly doesn\'t like for whatever reason and continually puts down in front of the entire class. Uses essays solely to see whether you did assigned readings (1-3 chapters a night). Smart but does things in a bizarre way and never explains her expectations, but still marks you off.

Awful teacher who makes an interesting topic with much to learn simply a waste of time. Isom is semi-interesting at times, but it\'s rare. Seems to have a fun personality, but fades quickly. Although you can tell she thinks otherwise, she is very uninsightful; makes up her own symbolic connections in media that are unfounded and extremely far fetched. Majority of grade is on class participation, not to be confused with thoughtful insight or educated comments, but she is instead seeking only repetition of the assigned reading (which is assigned in excess and is very dry material).

Dr. Isom is a wealth of knowledge on ethnic studies. Her class was very fair. It consisted of one reading presentation with a group, one final project, and one paper. You are graded on participation and it constitutes a large part of your grade so you have to do the reading and then say something meaningful in class almost everyday. The class is eye opening and informative. The information is fun to read. The texts can be dry at times but her lectures (which are more like class discussions) are amazing!

I have to say that professor Isom is the most untolorable person let alone teacher I have met at cal poly. I was really disappointed in the manner she treated her students. To get a good grade try to stay on the her good side talk about the problems she thinks are there, act like you care, and stick to her viewpoint. Oh and she will fail you in almost everything and you will either get a F or a good grade. You will literaly have no idea until grades come out.

do NOT take this teacher. ever. the class is 25% participation, and you have to basically say what she wants to hear. I always read people saying that \'this is the worst class I have taken at Cal Poly\' but honestly this was the only class I have truly dreaded going to.

I know this is cliche...but this is the absolute worst class I have ever taken at Cal Poly. Isom is a horrible teacher. She\'s teaching an ethnic studies class, yet on the first day she separates the class into groups depending on the student\'s race. She stated that she does this because \"we would have formed groups with people of our own race anyway, so why not get it over with.\" I didn\'t understand this at all because I would have just gotten into a group with whoever was sitting next to me. Personally, I did not walk away with any more knowledge about ethnic studies than when I walked into that classroom. I dreaded every day I had to go to that class. Forget about speaking your opinion if your a conservative. Every day you get into a circle and have a class discussion on whatever crazy author she decides to introduce. She\'s in love with Tim Wise, who is pretty much insane..look him up. She makes you feel bad for being white. She is one sided and closed minded about any other views other than her own. Taking this class was the biggest mistake of my life. STAY AWAY AT ALL COSTS...you\'ve been warned

25% of your grade for this class is participation. With that said, she doesn\'t just give you participation points for contributing to the conversation, but grades your comments on their merit. If you just have a comment or a story that you think is relevant but doesn\'t analyze the readings then you won\'t be getting any points for that comment. I dreaded going to this class and the text book was terrible. The book is all articles from social commentators writing as intellectual as they possibly can and eventually they all say the same thing. Take home message: Do Not Take This Class.

Do not take this class. 25% of the grade is participation and another 25% is based on group participation outside of class. She only gives students credit for telling her what she wants to hear, basically that colored people are discriminated against all the time. She also never posts grades or gives out any grades for the entire quarter, So you have no idea what your final grade is until after you have finished the course. She fucks you over by telling you that you are doing all right in the class because shes paranoid about her end of the quarter evaluations (she said this in class) and then she screws the students however she feels like through final grades. Honestly this teacher sucks ass. ... She seriously needs to come back from the 1860's, get a reality check, and learn that not posting grades and making a class almost entirely based on participation is a bitch move for fucking over students.

Okay, seriously, I don't know what's going on with all these other evaluations. I LOVED Isom. She's funny, passionate, and makes you look at things you had never looked at before. Yes, you have to participate. Get over it; it's an upper division, seminar based class. It's interesting material, and there aren't a billion assignments to turn in. It's only logical that in a class that is almost entirely class based discussion, participation would be a large part of your grade. I didn't go to every class, but spoke a fair amount and still got all of the points. She wants you to show that you read and put some effort into the lessons. The projects are entirely open to whatever you want to do, and she'll help you a lot if you ask. This class can truly make an impact on you if you let it, and I am thankful to have taken it even though it isn't what I'm usually into learning. TAKE THIS CLASS if you can appreciate a truly passionate professor and a real lesson from the material.

Isom is an incredibly knowledgeable professor. The whole class is basically doing the assigned readings and then discussing them in class, with Isom helping to guide the discussion. That being said, you must participate in the discussions to get a good grade. The midterm and final are both papers and she is a fairly easy grader. I genuinely enjoyed going to class because of the interesting perspectives on racial issues I would hear. If you are a close-minded individual, that's unfortunate and you will probably not like this class. Overall, I would say this was the most eye-opening class I have taken at cal poly.

Dr. Isom is one of the most thoughtful, inspirational, and understanding professors I've ever had. On top of that, she's the best lecturer I've ever seen. The concepts covered in the class were relatively abstract and required deep critical thinking -- which she helped students from all walks of life with. Instead of stating content bluntly, she would instead ask students thought-provoking questions that elicited the answers. I wish I could take another course with her; ES 381 changed my life. And I'm white!

What else is there to say? Fine person, nothing interesting. Class was meh... Blah, blah, blah... Fine person.