Zulfacar, Maliha  

Prof. Zulfacar is an awesome person. She really tries to involve students in the class, and does so using humor and showing genuine interest in what they have to say. Her tests are pretty straight forward, and are based mostly on the reading. You'll do fine if you just keep up with it. A paper was required, but it wasn't difficult at all.

She teaches the class like it is an uperdivison major course. Her lectures have nothing to do with your readings, and the tests are in fine detail on your readings only. She combines unlike topics from in and out of class and throws them on the tests. You can have complete knowledge of the material and still walk out of the test with a D or F

She's a really nice person, but her teaching is hard to understand. Her lectures cover maybe 1/5 of what's on the tests, the rest is from the text. When students ask questions, she usually goes off on some other random topic and doesn't provide much help. Sometimes it takes a few tries to get through to her. On a personal basis she's really down-to-earth, and sometimes even funny (without trying to be).

she is from afghanistan. she mentions that a lot. she's pretty interesting, but you don't have to listen to the lectures to do well in the class.

I loved Dr. Zulfacar. She is a beautiful person inside. She is such a wonderful professor, because unlike some others, she has had so many experiences in her own life that are aplicable to sociology. She was one of the best teachers I have had so far, and deserves to be recognized. Her tests are not easy, but fair. I would and do recommend her to any of my friends who want to take SOC. Classwise, it is not easy, but what I learned from her can not be graded.

I took this class with a full schedule, and had no idea hat I got myself into. Malia Zulfacar's class was the worst. Her lectures went off on tangents everytime, she never prepared us for any tests. Her lectures had nothing to do with the tests, and the book really didnt either. The tests were in such fine detail, that our class average was like a D or something. My friend had Klukas and she loved the class, she said it was so much fun, and she got an A. I will never take another class with Zulfacar, and I will tell eveyone not to either. Oh, also she likes to pick on students and their opinions. SHe will call you by every other name than your own, and ask you personal questions about your race, social class, and religion. She also picks favorites. Please do not take this class unless you want to learn a plethora of information about afganistan.

Dr. Zulfacar is awesome! This class has a lot of reading (long chapters) and you also have to do 3 short written assignments that are graded easily. She adds points to all student's test scores to bring the averages up, and if more than 50% of the class missed a question, she gives everyone a point (whether you missed it or not). She is a funny and cultured teacher, and if you're up to reading every week, you'll get an A. Her class was really interesting and I recommend her to everyone.

I cannot say that i enjoyed being in this class. In fact, I would say it was quite the opposite. I found that going to class was completly unecessary, and she even tells you that you dont need to. Nothing in the class has absolutely ANYTHING to do with what is on the tests. The first test was impossible, and had a class avg of a D. However, the next test had a 15% curve, and had a class avg of around a C before the curve. I found that I learned a decent amount about sociology in this class, but I cannot give credit to the teacher.

I have to admit I was originally excited to take this class. The first day I found Dr. Zulfacar entertaining and straight forward. As the class progressed, her straightforwardness transformed into pure brutality. Immediately following the first midterm, the class realized how truly pointless attendance is. Dr. Zulfacar likes to pick students out of the class to humiliate, so sit in the back. She is abusive and rude and has no feelings. Also, I'm not sure she really knows the meaning of social imagination, or she'd be a little kinder to the people stuck in her class.

She was a really cool teacher. She has an accent which might bother some but I didn't mind. Her tests are mult. choice and directly from the reading. She makes an effort to help her students and you can tell she really likes the material. I would definately take her again.

I DIDNT LEARN ANYTHING. I DONT CALL MAKING FUN OF SOMEONES MAJOR PART OF SOC 105, WE WOULD SPEND THE MAJORITY OF THE TIME TALKING ABOUT WHY INDIVIDUALS ARE TAKING THIS COURSE SHE DID NOT KNOW HOW TO PRESENT THE MATERIAL CLEARLY I KNOW HER ACCENT WOULD GET IN THE WAY BUT SHE NEEDS BETTER EXAMPLES AND SLIDES FOR THE PEOPLE WHO ARE VISUAL. I DID GOT FOR HELP BUT TO BE HONEST SHE WAS NOT VERY HELPFUL. ITS UP TO YOU WHETHER YOU TAKE HER OR NOT? BUT MY BEST RECOMMENDATION WOULD BE NOT TO TAKE HER.

howd she get tenure?

HATED THIS TEACHER! She tests you on the biggest bullshit questions you could imagine that have honestly nothing to do with sociology what so ever. Such a complete joke, she ruined me with her final and because of my failing grade in this class i was put on academic probation. NOT A COOL TEACHER, NO HELP, NO CARE FOR HER STUDENTS. SO SO BAD

Professor Zulfacar is an incredible person. Her lectures can get boring and she repeats herself a lot, but I did come away from this class feeling more educated than most GEs where I come away with a grade and forget everything I learned. There are 4 exams, the last one being the final, that are all weighted equally. We also read A Thousand Splendid Suns and wrote an 4 page analytical paper, which was worth about half as much as one test. We also had a small presentation worth a few points. If you read the book and take your own notes, this should be an easy A (even without attending class). All the test questions are straight from the text. I recommend it.

Professor Zulfacar was horrible. She will openly single out students and criticize them in front of the whole class. She has a thing for privileged while males. If you are a well kept, white male, do not take the class. Your grade will intentionally suffer for it. Avoid her at all costs. I would have rather stayed at Poly an extra quarter to avoid taking her class if I knew.

LOVED LOVED LOVED HER!!!! SO SWEET! ... just ask her what you should focus on for the exam and she\'ll give you some pretty good hints!

She is the worst teacher BY FAR at cal poly. The comments that said they liked her must have been in la la land because she is a straight up bitch. To build on the comment before, she not only hates white well-off males, but all Caucasians in general. She will single out students in class constantly. And she claims she needs to wear dark glasses only on test days \"because the doctor says so.\" AVOID THIS TEACHER AT ALL COSTS. DO NOT LISTEN TO THE PEOPLE WHO RATED HER WELL.

Dude, whoever earns a C or lower in this class is honestly retarded. Yeah, she could be bad at teaching and sometimes say things she shouldn\'t, but this is one of the easiest classes if you actually read the textbook. Just read it. You\'ll realize that the exams are EXACTLY what the textbook says. Even more, the tests are from the authors of the book. So, if you don\'t realize that by the first exam...sorry, but you don\'t belong in this school. Read the chapters thoroughly, take noes on them, and don\'t go to class. It\'s a waste of time. I missed class for three weeks and still earned an A. Also, I didn\'t read the book (A Thousand Splendid Suns) and still wrote the paper (with the help from sparknotes) and STILL earned an A. If you do end up taking this class, follow my advice and you\'ll be golden.

CRAZY dont take her SHE MAKES NO SENSE! always just talks about how much she has struggled and how we are all dumb white rich kids. i did not learn one thing. Even going high was awful!

I only went to class about 4 times but for good reason. Her lectures came straight out of the book so as long as you read the book youll be fine. In lecture she basically regurgitates what youll read in the book. Not a bad teacher but not a particularly good one either

Very interesting, but expects way too much from a GE. Tests are strictly from the book so i recommend studying that instead of all the random stories/ videos she shows us in class

pure garbage. do not take this class....all she does is hate on how she is poor and everyone else is rich. she cannot put her views aside.

I literally just memorized the book to get an A in her class. Her lectures are pretty pointless because she bases all her tests off of the book. So make sure to read the book or you will fail.

Shes not bad. Shes cool as a person, funny. You can definitely understand her accent. The tests are straight out of the book, you have to read at least one time. theyre kind of hard though. overall its an average class.

Absolutely awful. I would expect so much more from a cal poly professor. She's obviously smart and is probably qualified to be a sociologist, but not to be a teacher. Her classes are useless, she copies the book in her slides, but she has homework that you have to turn in the beginning of class and grade at the end which she uses as a form of attendance, so you have to go. She explains slides by going of on totally unrelated tangents and spends the class making these grand claims about the world that are generally refuted by people who have actually been to the part of the world shes talking about. For Example, she once asserted that the United States is the only country in the world to not have a required daily pledge for its students to recite, to which 3 different people from 3 different countries challenged the assertion. She assumes that every student she teaches is rich, white, ignorant, and has never gone through any adversity. avoid this teacher at all costs

DO NOT TAKE THIS CLASS. take sociology online. I have never really cared about a professor that had a low rating until I had zulfacar. Her lectures are pointless, but this quarter if you didnt show up youd would get marked for not being a part bullshit discussions. Her class is based mainly on the two/ three midterms and her lectures do nothing to help you with passing her class/tests. Honestly, a waste of money and time.

Zulfacar is a tough teacher with a dry teaching style. Her grading is disorganized, and her participation grade is basically based on how annoying and opinionated you can be in class. Don't take her in a 4 hour lecture. Take Johnston

it was 4 hours/6-10 once a week class. Interesting Ted.talk docs. and reasonable class discussions. Tons of assignments, but manageable. I liked the class and didn't fall asleep. take it

She is an excellent teacher. I took two classes with her; soc 315 and 110. Soc 315 class was vibrant and highly interactive. The materials presented in class were relevant to current stuff happening around the globe. However, assignments for Soc 110 were way above the level of expectation for a GE 100 level class. She gives different assignments and is not an easy grader. Overall, she is funny, very knowledgeable and nice person.

I loved her. I took her for two classes, even though I only needed one of them for GE. She nearly inspired me to get an ES minor. She has had a very inspirational life, and though I took her courses two years ago, I still remember her as one of my favorite instructors at Cal Poly. The negative responses posted here are closed minded in themselves, and do not recognize the invaluable point of view we have available--one of a foreigner, of a person unpolluted by our own institution. Yes, she is confrontational, and she forces you to question the constructs of society, and it is these qualities specifically that contribute to the perspective and insight that can be obtained from Dr. Zulfacar.

she is by far THE WORST teacher at cal poly. she is from afghanistan, an afghan refugee to be exact, which she will tell you almost every class, and SUCKS. she can not speak clear english. she will constantly tell you her negative views about the US, but if you don\'t like it here LEAVE. I do not usually dislike teachers, but she is worth writing about. avoid her at all costs if you can. she tells you constantly how she values students opinions, but if you do say something in class, she will either object to it or completely ignore it all together. if you do get stuck with her, her lectures are pointless, so do not even bother going to class. just read the chapters for the test and you will do ok in the class.

Do not take this professor. She is very unclear in her requirements defining what she expects of you. She constantly changes her mind, and continually confuses the class. She did not follow the syllabus while lecturing, nor did her grading policy reflect the syllabus. Her lectures are difficult to understand, and often do not make sense. She contradicted the book several times, which makes it difficult to understand. If you do end up with her, pay attention to your readings, even the minute details, you'll see them on the tests!

Class is not very exciting... texts are even worse. Tests are not very well written. Zulfacar is a very interesting person and means well. When she talks about current topics the class was very interesting, however that did not happen often. She also has trouble understanding students' questions which makes for a frustrating situation.

Dr. Zulfacar is a highly experienced person in the field of ethnic studies. She's just not that good at presenting her knowledge. Most of her lecture material is straight from the book, so you could just read the assignments and never have to attend the class to get an A. A majority of class time is spent in current event discussions, but she tends to (purposely?) put a left-wing spin on everything. If you're a conservative minded person, you'll probably roll your eyes at everything the hippies say, which is basically what I did.

When I first began this class with Zulfacar I was really into it. Her lectures were intresting, we dicussed current events and she seemed extremly clear about what she wanted from us. After the first midterm it was clear that she had no idea what she was teaching us. Her test questions were poorly worded, she tested us on a chapter that the slyabus said not to read (and told us we should have known it because it was in the book, and graded unfairly. I would do anything I oculd not to take her again.

She's a really nice lady, but was not very clear at all. She would explain an assignment, and you'd do it the way you understand it, only to find out she wanted something entirely different. It was an interesting class, but I don't think I'd take anything from her again simply because it was really hard to know exactly what she wanted.

i thought dr zulfacar was an EXCELLENT teacher. she brings so much to the classroom and to class conversations, drawing from her experiences living in afghanistan and in germany. she is genuinely interested in the material and in the success of her students and she really cares about what her students get out of the class. there was only one mid-term, and two projects (both of which were pretty easy), and the final exam was easy too (all multiple choice). she shows a lot of movies (some more interesting than others) and also showed us one that she personally directed about life in afghanistan. she recognizes that a vast majority of her students only take the class because it is a GE, but she is able to reach students in a way that makes them glad they took the course. i absolutely LOVED her class and would definitely take her again.

I love this woman. She is so educated and up to date on current events. In this class you have to either write a journal about current events or present a chapter from one of the books to the class. There was 2 or 3 books for the class, but you don't have to read all of them. We had a couple easy papers to write, and 3 tests, all multiple choice and she gives you some of the questions beforehand. The class gets into some really heated debates, and she fuels them with her own information and opinions. It was great!

She is probably one of the most unorganized teachers I've had since I've been at Cal Poly. She doesn't even know what's going on in class that day, who's presenting or not. You can just read the book and not go to class because its not worth it. I would recommend that you don't take her. Take someone else!

I sincerely hated this woman...she came unprepared for class and constantly made fun on engineers and 3rd and 4th year students, complaining that they shouldn't be in the class. She contradicted herself numerous times in explaining assignments. People turned in journals on 4 different days because she kept changing the requirements and due dates. Our final was supposed to be over 4 very long chapters, but on the VERY LAST DAY OF CLASS, she made it over 6 chapters, two of which were not even on the syllabus. She ripped into people during their presentations, asking them questions that they really didn't have any way of knowing. The last day of class she told people who felt that the class was bashing of white people need counseling because white people should not feel that they are to blame for colonists mistakes. What?!?! She told some guy that was trying to crash the class that he shouldn't care because we have nothing to worry about in our country. Going to class is completely pointless and the tests do come straight from the book. One midterm, one final and two projects. I couldn't tell you the grading system because she changed it so many times. I went to her office hours once to get helped, and she didn't understand or answer any of my questions. If you are taking her, then good luck. The class didn't have any interesting debates like the other people mentioned. And we only watched 2 movies and had to sit through the whole 2 hour lecture (EVERY TIME) listening to her ramble on in her lectures without getting a break. Maybe she will be better next time, but I doubt it. I was really disappointed with her class, because the class could have been a lot of fun.

well ok i got a B but its not because of any of the lectures... it was from all of the reading. the lectures i did come to i had trouble staying awake because the material is pretty dull. if you can, take another class

DON'T WANT TO ATTEND CLASS? Take this class because she teaches straight out of the text book and if you just read the chapters you will probably get a better grade than if you went to class. I only went to class the first week and found it horribly boring and painful to attend and useless. After that I only went for the presentation, midterm and final. There is a midterm and final, multiple choice non cumulative. There is an assignment where you read a comic book about WWII and answer some easy questions. The other assignment is to present a chapter to the class which is easy just read the chapter and make an outline. She is from Afghanistan and hard to understand sometimes so just read the text and it is actually interesting.

she IS the most unorganized teacher at cal poly! the sylabis has the correct work that takes place over the quater (1 midterm, 1 final, presenting a chapter to the class, and read a comic book on WW11 and answer some easy questions) but the days that they are on you will have no idea even if you do go to class be she is so unclear and doesnt follow anything. there is no clear date on when you give your presentation its just pretty much whoever says they will go that day. she never ONE TIME lectured on any of the material that was on the final (not cum) so its basically if you want to do all the reading at home then you will get a good grade ...well maybe because while we were going over the midterm we found 6 questions that she had marked wrong on the answer key so then went back and gave everyone in the class some extra points ...but who knows if the key was right for the final. she is very interesting and BAD BAD BAD!

Amazing professor. Close minded people will tend to believe she's anti-American or anti-business, but that's far from the truth. One of the most insightful GEs I've taken so far. Only has a couple homework assignments, plenty of opportunities for extra credit, one midterm, and a final.

Zulfacar was an amazing professor with so much to say. If YOU want to really make it a great class, come into it with an open mind and a good attitude, and you'll definitely be rewarded. Zulfacar infuses her lectures with personal experiences from her life in Afghanistan and all over the world. I felt like I could also apply some of what we learned in class to current events so that it has an immediate effect--it's not just mush you learn from a textbook. I definitely recommend this one.

I didnt like Dr. Zulfacar. I personally think that she does not do a good job explaning the course material. She did not lecture the second half of the quarter, b/c it's reserved for student presentation. I find that she talked a little too much about her personal stories during lecture. She doesnt seem helpful or friendly during office hours either. I wouldnt recommend her if there are other choices.

This professor sucks. Ok...ethnic studies, right? You're not supposed to be stereotypical, right? You're supposed to have an open mind, right? C'mon, you'd expect a professor who has degrees, experience, and knowledge to learn SOMETHING about the interactions and stuff around the world, but i thought she was VERY VERY closed minded. Basically, if you're not a sociology major or something of the sort, don't take her. If you say something, but couldn't get the right words out, she'll ask you for your name and your major and then quickly make assumptions about you....yes...and then the whole class laughs (unless it's already happened to them also)...which i think is really F&%#ed UP!!! Her lectures are also very pointless...she rambles on about things...gets side tracked into lllloooooonnnnnnggggg tangents, and then stops and asks "where was i going from here??".....basically, just read the book, show up for the exams, and do your project. oh...and if you do get stuck takng this class your junior or senior year, don't let her know because you'll never hear the end of it...she is soo very disappointed in you for not taking her class earlier....that you waited until you NEEDED to take it....(and i took it because i wanted to...can u believe it?)...and you might want to suck up to her...she is a sucker for ass kissers...she plays favorites.

absolutely dreadful....perhaps the worst class i've taken. basically, read and teach yourself. And you'd never expect her to be so stereotypical, but she absolutely is.

Hands down, worst teacher I have ever had in my entire life. Zulfacar plays favorites, if she likes you--don't bother doing most of the work, don't worry about giving a good presentation, and don't worry about doing well on your exams and essays; you will get an A. If she doesn't like you, good luck getting by in this class; it's unbearable. I saw this teacher give other students As for work that they didn't do and Bs Cs and Ds to students who did the work--but it wasn't to her standards (which are ridiculously high for how much of a joke this class is). The tests are hard, if you go to her class and pay attention, don't expect to get above a C-. READ. That's the best advice I can give to you, understand everything you read too because the TESTS ARE HARDER THAN YOU WOULD EXPECT FROM SOMEONE WHO DOESN'T LECTURE ONCE FOR THE FINAL. Don't even bother going to her office hours, I did, it was a waste of time. She said she would help students understand questions they had, but she just tells you you are stupid (not directly, she just says stuff like 'you don't get it'). If you are an engineer or male or if you don't understand the conflicting information from class v. the book, don't expect help from Zulfacar. When in doubt, answer based on the book, not what she said. Do your project but expect to get your ass ripped apart if you are not a minority. Seriously, don't take Zulfacar. She made this quarter unbearable for me and sooo many other people. Oh, she also says she likes you if you talk in class--not true. She likes you if you are a minority or a female and you talk in class; infact, if you're a minority AND a female you probably don't even have to talk in class.

WORST TEACHER EVER! DO NOT TAKE HER! She is the worst teacher I have had here at Cal Poly. If you are a minority student and female then you will most defintily get an A, without having to attend class. Or, if you speak up about discrimination you have encountered, then you will definitly get an A. If you are white and male than you are really in trouble. Especially if you are an engineer. The first day she goes on and on about how much she hates that we were all in her class because we had to be. We learned females shouldn't aspire to be teachers(the reason being is that it is too stereotypical)...ironic since she is a female professor. She changes her mind all the time and has a horrible memory. She complains that white male teachers makes more than she does and she has to drive around in a beat up honda. I think she especially hated our class, because during presentations she would ask people questions they could not possibly know the answer to and then would get mad at them for not knowing it. The tests come from the book and memorize all the percentages. Going to lectures was pointless and extremely boring. I was looking forward to this class and was extremely disappointed. It is amazing how close minded she is when all she preaches is how close minded the rest of the world is...never mind...just how closeminded the white population is. Good luck!

by FAR the worst teacher i have ever taken. she lectures us on our prejudices, but she is probably the most prejudice person i have ever met. Her lectures are 100% worthless, she just plugs it full of political inuendo... its disgusting, and entierely innapropriate. I showed up to class twice the first week to test it out, and only then returned to turn in assignments and give a presentation and take the final. I cant really put into words how bad this class is, its several notches beyond terrible. It blows my mind how people are recommending this teacher left and right, i seriously can not understand it. DO NOT TAKE THIS TEACHER IF YOU HAVE ANY SENSE ABOUT YOURSELF! The usual BS-ers u find in every class would eat up all her garbage opinions and made the class feel like a group therapy session or something... i think those are the ones making the positive reviews. If you do have the bad luck to take that class here's the recommendations: go on the library website and download all the outlines and study with those referencing the book. DO NOT go to the class as it is a waste of everyones time, DO NOT buy the newspaper subscription... theres no work with it, and its not on the final. If you make the mistake of going to class, make sure to talk about how white people are completely supressing minorities.. its sure to score points with her.

Some reading, of course, is involved. Tests were not hard if you read and attended class. However, she cannot communicate with students. She doesnt understand a lot of the questions students asked her. She was asked several questions, concerning an assignened project, and she answered them all with the same answer. Clearly, she did not understand any of these questions. She isn't that bad of a teacher but she will fustrate you so much.

DO NOT take this course with this teacher if you can help it. I had it in a huge lecture so maybe that's why it was such a horrible class, but she didn't lecture on what she tested us on - so we had to teach ourselves the material and then on top of it the tests were rediculously hard. I DON'T get C's ever . . especially not in a GE, this class was rediculous . . I learned some interesting stuff, but was tested on zero of it. I suggest taking it pass or fail if u must.

WORST TEACHER I HAVE EVER HAD.....PRETTY MUCH THE DEVIL IN DISGUISE..

The most interesting idea occurred to me today while reading through some of these hilarious comments. College seems to be more of a self fulfilling platform and personal agenda pursuit arena for college G.E professors as a posed to objective learning/student development. I

HORRIBLE. Horrible horrible horrible. Avoid this class if you can; I thought it sounded like an interesting topic, but rather than being about gender (it's titled Sociology of Gender) the class was about women and politics in developing countries... It had absolutely no focus, tests were impossible to prepare for and questions frequently made no sense. Literally the most poorly organized class I've ever been in. And Zulfacar seems interesting and quirky at first, but you'll soon realize she picks favorites in her classes and only focuses on them. Everyone else will probably get a C, despite their efforts. This should be a relatively simple and easy course, she makes it difficult because--why? To make it seem more legitimate? Also, it's interesting to note that she does tend to "pick on" people for being privileged and white, although she's the first to admit that she comes from a highly privileged and wealthy family. Very classist and annoying.

Dr. Zulfacar is an incredible PERSON who tries extrememly hard to relate to her students. I was very impressed with the way that she brought class material down to our level. She does a great job of outlining the day's lectures, and lecture material pertains directly to the text book. The video tapes that she uses in class were actually interesting, and I didn't fall asleep during them like in other classes! Her grading is fair...actually, she's easier on her students than they sometimes deserve. Her Soc 315 class is not as hard as it seems...students should stick it out and not be afraid to ask her for help.

I was pleasantly suprized with Dr. Zulfacar. Blinding choosing this class and professor, as a student of the Math and Science Department, I was quite pleased with her fair grading and organization of this class. For this 2/1.5 hr course the format usually consists of: 0.5 hrs current events along with applications to the concepts learned from the textbook and 1.0 hr of lecture based on the book (Marger) with her humerous and entertaining personal stories. Encouraging group participation, discussing current international news made the class more 'real' with direct applications to the world today. (Participate in discussion!) Your grade is based on a midterm, two assigments, and the final. The midterm and final are the exact same format and hold the same weight (50 m/c, 3 short essay - 80 pts. tot. each) and the two assisgments are pretty straightforward. Also, the final is NOT cumulative. First assignment (20 pts) : question and answers based on MAUS I and MAUS II. Second assignment (35 pts): 5 page paper OR 10 wk journal. Though her lecture is directly out of the book, her stories about her interesting life around the world makes attending class worthwhile. Interesting material, class, AND professor. Manageable reading load - if you stay on top of the reading, you'll definitly pass this class. I guarantee it.

Dr. Zulfacar is one of the best professors that I have ever had because she is well-cultured herself. She relates the information well, and she presents the material with an international perspective. This class is imperative for stidents to have. Many crucial social issies are discussed in class -- discussions were interactive and heated. I felt that my class in particular, worked through a lot of race and ethnic issues. Dr. Zulfacar is not an "easy teacher" - she expects a lot from her students because she gives a lot to them. I felt proud of my grade of a B+ because coming from her, I know that I worked hard for it.

The material in the class is easy. I would've passed the class if I had actually attended the class. However, be careful when you turn in a project/paper to her. Accusations of unsourcing and plagerism might occur. Just be warned. She is a strict teacher. She knows the material well, but she also believes stereotypes.

this teacher really wanted you to know about issues around the world, we studied a bit on the holocaust and i actually by the end of the quarter learned a lot about things going on around the world that i had no idea about, it was shocking. We had to do a group report, but it wasnt that bad at all...the multiple choice on the test were VERY hard and there was an short essay portion...this class sounds bad but it was a real eye opener, i think it would be easier then history 315

Zulfacar is a semi cool person but has not a clue about teaching! It doesnt matter if you are an A student or compleatly understand the information, you will struggle to get a C. The tests have nothing to do with the lecture or the book. They are a bunch of questions about her point of view. Our class average is a D. Zulfacar sucks, and I recomend poking out your left eye before taking this class.

Of all the general ed classes I've taken so far, this one was by far the most interesting. I was seriously disinclined to go due to the fact that it was at 9 AM, and Dr. Zulfacar even encourages you NOT to come if you can't sit through the lecture. However, it really was a pleasure to attend, and I ended up not missing a single session. When it comes down to it, the class is cake- just read the book and take notes. That's basically the only homework, other than reading the comic books Maus I and II (which make good free reading anyway) and a report on one of the regions of ethnic conflict in the world. As long as you don't make a complete idiot of yourself by saying things that are obviously not true, the second assignment is simple. It is true that Dr. Zulfacar picks favorites, but the good news is it's easy to become one! All you have to do is actually volunteer something once in a while. If you're not the talkative type, you can run errands instead, as there will be plenty of opportunities. As for the exams- they're reasonably difficult, but Dr. Zulfacar curves them nicely. You really shouldn't be complaining if you have any knowledge of the subject matter. Unfortunately, the first half of the stuff in the book is incredibly boring, though you will surely agree it was necessary by the end of the quarter (most of our class did). Try to correlate key ideas with the lectures and target those specifically for study. I found Dr. Zulfacar's lectures to be very interesting, and she often speaks about her equally intriguing history and the home country she is in exile from. She also has an excellent sense of humor, often making smug yet serious references to Eminem- who she keeps mistaking for Shaggy. I highly recommend this professor and class to anyone taking the GE requirement.

To be honest when I first signed up for SOC315 because I needed a class and not because I wanted to take the class. However, after the first class I knew this class would not only be informative but that I would enjoy it. Dr. Zulfacar is an extremely fair grader she is honest. She strongly encourages class participation and she will not stand for people talking over her or falling asleep. If you are boarderline between grades she will take this into consideration and give you the higher grade if you particpated in class discussions. Although you could get a decent grade without even going to class I suggest that you attend class. Malia wants you to not only learn what is in the book but to know what is going on in the world. The only people who I ever heard complain in class were those who hardly ever came to class. Malia is an excellent professor and a great person. I highly recommend her for any course.

Dr.Zulfacar is the best teacher for this course. I love her because she is a genuine person. As a professor she is very knowledgable and helpful. Those faculty should give her tenure already!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Where do I start? First of all, this teacher needs to learn the language. She is extremely ignorant when it comes to relating to Americans, especially college students. Her tests are straight from the book and not hard, but be careful with journals and/or class presentations. She LOVES to screw people over on those assignments and refuses to change grades. She was unapproachable and pompous, but you could never go to class and get an A.

Dr. Z. is a very interesting instructor who brings a great deal of knowledge and experience to the topic of global ethnic relations. Early in the class I felt as if the opinion of a white student was not welcomed( based on the vocal students), but she was able to provide a less militant classroom environment by week 3 or 4, which couldn't have been an easy task, since we had some real angry students in the class.The final result was a classroom where everyone could discuss an issue without fear of criticism. This contributed a great deal to the learning experience. The Maus I and II books are required, and a breeze to read ( comic books). The larger text is decent, but make sure you read it because she lectures very little after the midterm is over, because of class presentations. Be aware that when it comes to the group project, it is your oral presentation that will make your grade, not the written report, so spend ample time developing visual aids. learning your topic and practicing as a group, or you may very well end up being raked over the coals in front of the whole class.This is because she can spot a B.S.'r a mile away, and can easily separate the serious students from the slackers. Overall, I think she is a great teacher who really cares about her students.

If I can give one piece of advice to students here, it is to take Dr. Zulfacar for any class you can. She is the best professor I have had here. I would expect to find her at UCLA, not a dinky little school like Cal Poly. Her background is fascinating; when she talks about her life, it is engaging and not boring at all. She is insightful and open. She can be hard on people that really don't "get it," but remember this is college and professors are not necessarily here to make us feel good about ourselves no matter how ignorant we are. You will learn in this class! Someone here wrote that she is ignorant about relating to college students. Well, relating is a two way street, and she really does make an effort to relate to her students, but you will need to make an effort to relate to her as well. Take her class!

Dr. Zulfacar is one of the BEST professors i have ever had. end of story. take her class!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Dr. Zulfacar is an extraordinary person who has been through more in her life than most people in America will ever experience. I love the way she handles her class and is not a BS teacher. She is not afraid to challenge the status quo and challenge you not only as a student, but more importantly as a person. Yes she will single students out but she does it out of a genuine and caring heart. If you are interested in learning and becoming a more well rounded person take Dr. Z. She will not only inspire you but begin to broaden your view about the world as you see it. Plus she is easy if you do not get an A or B come on, her midterm is a breeze and the two essays you have to write you can write in groups which makes it extremely easy. Bottom line take Dr. Z!!

ehhhh. awesome lady, really liked her as a person. but i had her for two classes during the same quarter and it was torture. the classes are kinda bologna. and i worked hard in one and slacked in another and got a higher grade in the one i slacked in? kinda backwards...but it seems like she gives 95% of the class a B so i guess that works in most people's favor.

Professor Zulfacar is really funny and tries to make the lectures as interesting as she can. They will never be exactly exciting. Lectures were pretty boring, a lot of reading and a group project. There is a lot of work, but none of it is difficult. Bringing in a summarized news article every lecture, midterm, final, group project, group chapter review questions and 2 or 3 essays. Was an okay D5.

Zulfacar was really, really sweet. The subject material is interesting, but she didn't present it in a way that kept me interested. I would find myself zoning out in class. I took it cr/nc and probably got a C or a C- in the class with very little studying. It's an easy class with a lot of busywork, but she is a very sweet lady and I enjoyed her a lot.

enthusiastic is a good word to describe Dr Z. she can be crazy sometimes, but its generally just funny. the course is a LOT of work fyi. she likes to push students in this class and she acknowledges it. expect to participate in class and speak up in the discussion. it is a fun class to take, despite all the work, if you have the time. the group project is really big and pretty hard, but also fun, just hope for a great group. she mostly tries to connect individually with her students and class is usually fun to go to. anyway, i would recommend this teacher and class if you have the time for quite a bit of work.

she is a very kind lady and is funny. she assigns a lot of work though, but she takes into account how much you participate in class and time you spend in office hours and attendance in your overall grade. the book we got has a study guide and good tools to review for tests online. she appreciates people getting into the topic and who understand the reading

one of my best classes at poly; interactive; connecting class readings to current events. interesting doc. films. For someone interested in world stuff, take it. readings are not easy and she is not easy but worth it. take it.

I love her! She was a great teacher. Her class not only helped me to see my surroundings with different eyes, but it also made me realize that it's time to open our eyes and get out of our own bubbles. Most people may never understand what this means, it is just a level of awareness or consciusness and where you stand at this point! One thing l can say is that those who are multicultural, multilingual, who travel abroad, who really care, have emphathy and understand what living in community really is are the ones who judge less!!! Once someone told me that whatever you experience in your life is no more than the reflexion of who you really are at that moment! So if someone is being nasty to you, then it may be time for you to self-evaluate yourself and see what's going on within you that is attracting that " nasty" experience...maybe that person that apparently you dont like is mirroring your own behaviour or your own personality or how you treat people. I really liked Zulfacar, she challenged me a lot and l am so thankful for that. l think she was one of my best professors. I am happy for that :-)

I really liked Maliha Zulfacar. I enjoyed attending her lectures and I enjoyed doing the assignments. She recognized that this was a General Ed requirement for most of us and told us that she understood multiple times. However, she had us doing a ton of more work than i expected after what she had said. On top of that, a lot of the stuff we were doing didn't count for anything towards the grade. The only things that counted were the midterm, final, and a little bit on the presentation project. Her grading was pretty weird because she screwed up on the math. But I really enjoyed this class because it dealt with all asian americans, not just japanese, koreans, and chinese. a lot of people didn't like this class for that same reason though.

I don't know why Dr. Zulfacar is teaching at Cal Poly. This school is supposed to be a "learn by doing" campus, with stress on how the teachers tecach, rather than do research- but how can we learn when she spends her time doing lectures at Harvard (at midterms) and not even showing up for the final!!! I was very disappointed because she requested that we do so many extra activites, but they were for no credit at all. The only thing that counted were her midterm, final, and the final project. Her grading was terrible because she was very UNCLEAR about pretty much everything. She said that you don't need to show up for class, but you really do need to be there every day because she is constantly changing the dates she wants you to present projects. On the final projects, she requests a certain project, but does not fully explain what she REALLY wants. So when you are happily doing your final presentation in front of the entire class, she rips on you for not completing the assignment the way she wanted.

Zulfacar is an interesting person who is a refugee straight from Kabul. She is nationally recognized for her work on documentaries about life in Afghanistan and the Taliban regime. While she is interesting to hear about her emotional life stories about a country decimated by war and about how her perspective of the world changed after 9/11, this class might be boring if you pick this class just to get that GE out of the way. But if you are into Asian culture (I am an anime nerd) you just might enjoy this class that essentially talks about history from an Asian American perspective. In this class we had a midterm, essay, final, and project. For the tests, they were multiple choice tests where you have to do the reading or else you'll bomb it. Normally, the final would have an essay component, but for this quarter since she had to leave Cal Poly so soon, it was just the multiple choice. The essay requires you to select one of ten books to read and answer a question about a specific topic. The project is anything related to Asian culture (book, novel, visit a community etc.). One big problem she has is that her expectations are vaguely stated. Also, she lectures with an accent for two hours straight without giving us a chance to breathe. But she is really nice and willing to help you by whatever means possible and the projects that we did were very interesting. Test questions are tricky but are fair game if you did the readings. So overall, I recommend this class and professor to only those who are into Asian culture and those interested in hearing about life in a war-torn country and the effects of 9/11. She knows Asian history in America inside and out. The projects were fun and interesting to hear. However, lectures are dull because the overheads have way too much information than we need and she often takes them down too fast (although you can go to her office and copy them down). Do the reading and the tests shouldn't be difficult.

This class was really interesting. She lectures basically on the reading materials that are assigned and she really gives interesting perspectives about the way Asians have lived in America. Sometimes this material is boring, but she is to the point. What makes this class interesting is that, being from Afghanistan and having lived in Germany, she talks alot about her experiences and ordeals. The workload is reasonable, if not light, as she understands well that this is a GE class. This class is discussion-oriented as most the quarter was spent on doing projects that portray Asian culture in America and that was the best part about the class. Overall, take this class if you are into Asian culture.

Dr. Zulfacar knows her stuff and has seen a lot; however, that does not translate into the classroom. Her lectures involved her putting up slides chock full of information and not in any sensible format, then talking very quickly about stuff that wasn't on the slide. When a student asked her to slow down so we could write down the information on the slides and still be able to listen to her, Dr. Zulfacar made some comment about not having to memorize dates, trailed off, and continued her breakneck lecturing.

Dr. Zulfacar really cares about her students. She may put you off at first because she knows there are students in her classes who are there only because "they need it to graduate," and she will accuse just about everyone in the class of this. Even if that is the case, I urge you to open your mind a little and just enjoy the class for what it is: a study of culture. Her classes are interesting because she places more emphasis on Indians, Afghanis, etc because she too is from that region. The material is easy enough to follow. Just read the main text, take the notes, and participate in the class discussions once in awhile and you should be able to pull a B with NO PROBLEM. The project is actually kinda fun (especially if you do it in pairs) and the papers aren't long (2 pages). I urge anyone to take any class with Dr. Zulfacar because she is totally willing to help any student, open minded, and has plenty of funny stories to tell about her immigration experience in America.

Avoid Zulfacar at all costs. I took her ES class about Asian Americans because it fullfilled a G.E. and I thought it sounded very interesting. The first day of class I thought it was going to be good. Z. seemed to have experience with the topic. But boy was I way off. We never studied Asian Americans. She would do a really quick lecture full of dates and numbers she said we did not need to know, because it was not on the test. Well, actually everything she said we didnt need to know, was actually on the test. We would then just watch videos on non Asian topics such as nazi concentration camps, the SAT test, and white supremists. It was horrible. I went to class, did the reading and assignments, (she is a horrible grader, tough for no reason because you cannot even read her comments) and still got a horrible grade in the class. I'm normally an A- student. Avoid her at all costs. She is frusterating and horribly unkind during office hours. She even humiliated people in front of the class for the presentations they did or for beliefs they held. STAY FAR AWAY FROM HER!!!!!!!

Dr. Zulfacar is a very educated woman..and I look up to her for that, based on where she came from and what she can teach you about her own personal experiences as an asian immigrant. She loves to talk and has the worst memory ever so she'll talk about things over and over again as if she's never spoke about them before, which makes missing a class not a big deal. The whole quarter she got me mixed up with another person who was always there and participating in class, so I got away with an okay grade. Right before I was going to turn in a paper, she already had me marked down that I already turned it in! I would recommend taking her because its fairly easy to pass her class and most of the time class discussions are quite interesting if it pertains to you.

This was not a traditional class in the sense that you listen to the prof lecture, you take notes, and then you reguritate information on a test. About half of the time in class was spent discussing current events and the professor sharing personal stories about life in Afghanistan and as an immigrant in the U.S. which was facinating. There's no regularly schedualed homework, only two short (2 page) papers and a group presentation at the end of the quarter. She really is an amazing professor with a lot to share with a receptive class. Take this class if you want to have a better understanding of a different part of the world, and have a little fun at the same time. It really was a fun class.

Dr. Z is very passionate about what she teaches, and she takes things seriously. But, she knows how to engage students in discussion. Bring in some news relating to the topics being discussed and try to say some comments about the readings and you will get much more out of the class. The midterms are a bit tricky with the multiple choice, although she is not trying to be difficult. Pay attention to what she focuses on and look for main concepts, then some points to further that information. She always likes to hear personal stories and is willing to explain complicated matters (not that there are really any) to those who are having difficulties. Some can get thrown off by her accent, but seriously, give her a week and you will be used to it. I laughed at least once a class session and still managed to learn about the topic. She also teaches other ES classes, so look them up if this can't fit in your schedule.

Mrs. Z is passionate about the subject that she teaches, but that is her biggest down fall. She fails to recognize that you cannot degrade students on a continous bases in class and expect them to perform at the level she expects. She is unable to lecture appropiately to prepare students for the exams and her ability at giving instructions for a student to present a good presentation is extremely lacking. She also openly shows favortism in class and doesnt seem to see the problem in it. So if your taking this class expecting it to be easy and somewhat interesting you are in for serious wake up call.

I had a very love/hate relationship with this woman. After the first lecture, I was so excited to be in this class because I felt that we were actually learning about life, not just regurgitation from a textbook. What we read were a series of essays on Asian Americans, which were mostly good, if not somewhat difficult to understand. That was the good part; when she engaged us in discussion and we had to think about difficult things. However. I have never met a professor more frustrating or more hurtful. On several occasions, she has insulted, demeaned, and done many things that people in her profession should never do. For example, she singled me and a friend out during a class discussion about gender roles (in an Asian American class, I don't know why) and asked point blank if we "preferred males"! We were so shocked that we were nearly speechless, and I don't think anyone believed us. How absolutely degrading. She had a syllabus, but didn't follow it. For example, it said we would be put into groups based on a topic we chose, and we had a 20 minute presentation and a 3 page paper due. So this is what I'm preparing for. Then she gets mad at everyone when we start asking questions, and explains that "the group is just so you won't choose the same topic. You have to do indvidual 20 minute reports and papers. But if you have the same topic, you can do it with a friend." Then... the first couple weeks of reports had 20 minutes worth of presentation. Then she ripped on the person while they stood standing for 10-40 minutes leading a class discussion on it! Then the last couple weeks, she made people rush to finish their whole report in 10 minutes, would stop them if they went over, and frequently exclaimed that she doesn't know how they got behind and only got 3 or 4 presentations done in a 4 hour lecture. Besides that, a 3 page paper was not actually due, but an outline of the presentation would suffice. And she couldn't understand why we were frustrated. She also told us that outlines on each essay would need to be completed and brought to class. It would be worth so many points, blah blah blah. After the third week, she stopped collecting them. We stopped going over the outlines in our groups that took us forever to set up the first couple weeks. She never mentioned them again. Until the 10th week, when she told us that none of us read all the essays (which many of us did) and nobody completed the outlines like she assigned (which several did!) She said that only those who could turn in all 6 or 7 outlines by the next day at 4 would get full credit. A friend stayed up all night to do it. The next class, she ripped on them all for "plagiarism." First, it's an outline. Second, they were all in quotations. Third, they were about a specific essay. Fourth, since when does an outline consist of a submitted piece of work the student claims as their own? We all believed they were to study from and learn the material. Then, she gives us our final... where every question was a direct quotation from the book... without citations. How is that different? She said the class is lucky they aren't being failed, reported, and kicked out of Cal Poly. I have never heard anything more ridiculous in my life. I had a couple anxiety attacks in class because of all this, which has never happened to me in any other class. In one four hour lecture, she kept us 20 minutes past the four hours, with zero breaks. She promised either to let us out half an hour early or give us a break. We sat for that length of time listening to presentations and her ripping the people apart. I know this is long, but I wanted to be specific in the reasons why I both enjoyed and dreaded this class. Let me also be clear that other students in my class had it worse. Will you learn from this class? Most likely. Is it worth it? You decide.

I find the last evaluation completely mind-boggling. I was in the same class and have only the exact opposite comments to make about the professor and the course itself. Zulfacar is not your mundane, by-the-book professor who lectures solely based on the course outline. Anyone would know that this is not only boring but an inadequate exposure to the field of Ethnic Studies. Zulfacar goes above and beyond her duty as a professor to encourage students to keep up-to-date with world events and reassess the theory and actual events related to the subject. The last student makes it apparent that Zulfacar's expectation of college students to take an open-minded approach to our reading assignments, current events and our lives is far too complex for some of the others in the class. I walked away from this class grateful for the intellecutally stimulating conversations and lessons I took from participating in Zulfacar's class.

Dr. Zulfacar is extremely smart. She expects highly of her student and has them work hard for their grade. She has a genuine heart to teach her students and learn from them. Her history is very moving and she enjoys sharing it with the class. There is one midterm (a take home essay and a multiple choice section) and a big project with presentation. The final is easy with short answer questions and a multiple choice section. Take her if you really want to learn Asian American study---but don't take her just to fulfill a GE. She requires a lot from her students!

Very interesting class. Sometimes the material was very boring, the part of the class I enjoyed the most were the discussions. It was great having an instructor with such a diverse background. The midterm and final were straight from the book, so if you do the reading you will do fine. She curves the test because she realizes that she maynot word some of the questions very well. If you are interested in broadening your outlook on the world, I would highly recommend her as a teacher.

Dr.Zulfacar is probably the most interesting professor I have had at Poly. With her personal experiences going back to Afghanistan, one can not help but be interested in her story. With this class being her first time teaching this particular type of class and topic, I found her to be very comfortable and personable, as well as class. I hope that this class continues in the future so other students will be able to study the topics discussed, and that Zulfacar teaches this class again, so that students will be able to learn a topic about global issues from a professor who is very global in her own right. If I get a chance to take a class with her again, I will surely jump at that chance!