Technician
wednesday january
27 2010
Raleigh, North Carolina
technicianonline.com
RateMyProfessors launches iPhone application Students and administration react to new application for popular Web site Arth Pandya Staff Writer
The popular professor review site, RateMyProfessor.com, launched an iPhone application Jan. 20, giving students access to a database consisting of reviews for more than one million professors from 6,000 schools, directly from their iPhone. The application comes at a time when Apple, the creator of the iPhone, reported a 100 percent rise in iPhone sales, selling 8.7 million iPhones in last quarter alone. The site, however, didn’t receive praise from faculty at the University. “When I looked at it, it seemed to be more of a popularity contest for the professors, rather than whether it was a good course or professor,” said Bobbie Kelley, an undergraduate advisor for biology. Gregory Neyhart, an associate professor in chemistry, said the site wasn’t a reliable source, as the comments do not reflect the majority of the students in the course. “I’m not sure it gives an accurate picture of a professor. You tend to only get comments from students who really liked or disliked you [the professor],” Neyhart said.
Phil Brown, director of undergraduate studies in chemistry, said faculty reviews, even at the University, vary. “If you get on NCSU’s Web site and look at the various comments, they’re all over the board,” Brown said. “The first student will say the professor was the best they ever had, and the second says they were the worst.” Grade distribution also influences the review professors receive, according to Brown. “Grade distributions definitely correlate with reviews. Professors who are demanding typically have lower reviews,” Brown said. According to a press release on Jan. 20 by Music Television’s college network, which owns and operates the site, RateMyProfessors.com experienced close to an 18 percent growth in visitors in 2009. With the release of the iPhone application, the numbers may rise even more. Chasen Arey, a freshman in biochemistry, said the site helped him choose his courses for the spring semester. “It’s a good resource to use before signing up for classes,” said Arey. “It [the site] helped me form the semester that I have now.” Arey admitted, however, that some of the information on the site wasn’t the most ac-
Based on the Web site RateMyProfessor. com • Cost: 99 cents • Where: iTunes Store • Availability: Now •
Source: itunes store
curate depiction of the professors. “I looked more at the comments students made about the teaching style of the professor, rather than the statistics,” Arey said. Huiying Shen, a junior in biological sciences, said the site helped her foresee what the class was going to be like beforehand. “There are realistic comments from students about the professors that you wouldn’t know until you meet them,” Shen said. According to Shen, the site is accurate in its reviews for good and bad professors, but not for average professors or those new to the University. “[For] the bad teachers, and the good teachers, the reviews are there, but for new professors or the average ones, you don’t really know what to expect,” Shen said. The site can be helpful, Brown said, but students must keep in mind that some reviews might be misleading, and could possibly be detrimental to their education.
Courtesy rate my professor
“It can be helpful, but it’s really not the way students should go about their education.” The application costs 99 cents and is available for download in the iTunes Store.
the pack suffers a tough home loss
Obama reports on State of the Union Students respond to the State of the Union’s topics including economy, spending
App at a glance:
State of the union quick facts: It is his first State of the Union Address
Nick Tran
51% of Americans believe Obama needs to improve on the economy
News Editor
Barack Obama will deliver his first Current national deficit: $12 trillion State of the Union address Wednesday, Obama’s solution: A freeze in marking the beginning of his second all non-security related domestic year in office. The most anticipated spending point of the Address will be the economy, which 51 percent of Americans Who’s exempt: Departments of believe Obama has paid too little atDefense, Veterans Admininstration, tention to, according to a Wall Street Homeland Security Journal poll. Wall Street Journal estimates the freeze The annual Address has traditionwill lock up $447 billion over 10 years ally been an opportunity for the President to report on the condition Wall Street Journal predicts it will of the nation and declare his motives save$250 billion and priorities for his coming years in Source: obama’s state of the office. The Address will be given at 6 union address p.m. before a joint session of Congress. Obama is expected to present his proposal to reduce the national deficit, which recently exceeded $12 trillion. was reported to have said. Travis Kolczynski, a freshman in Obama’s solution, a freeze in all nonsecurity related domestic spending, nuclear engineering, said the freeze has been much debated in the days will likely do nothing to help with the national deficit and the economy. leading up to the Address. “It probably won’t [help] because The freeze is estimated to lock up we spend a lot a total of $447 on defense and billion over 10 it’s always overyears, 17 percent budget anyway,” of expected fedhe said. eral spending, Kolczynski said but should save Travis Kolczynski, freshman in nuclear there are many the government enginerring other issues he $250 billion by should be worthe end of the set period, as reported by the Wall Street ried about, as the state of the union is pretty disorganized. Journal. “Ford’s doing a little better but The Departments of Defense, Veterans Administration and Homeland health care is still in the air and unSecurity, however, will be exempted employment still sucks,” Kolczynski said. “Frankly I’m tired of all the polifrom the spending freeze. “We are at war, and we are going to tics.” Sherrie Smith, a freshman in biomake sure that our troops are funded at an adequate level while those wars are ongoing,” a White House official UNION continued page 3
“Frankly, I’m tired of all the politics.”
insidetechnician
Poetry, drums and Mike Myers
Beat poetry night brings creative spirits together at an event held on Friday night. See page 5.
viewpoint arts & entertainment classifieds sports
4 5 7 8
Matt Moore/Technician
Julius Mays covers his head with his jersey while exiting the court following Tuesday night’s game at the RBC Center. State lost to the University of North Carolina 77-63.
For complete coverage of the Carolina game, see page 8.
Students look forward to Woodson’s arrival Anticipation of new chancellor exhibits reactions
a school academically similar to the University. “He is a highly qualified individual for the job and he’s obviously the apCaroline Barfield propriate choice since he’s coming Staff Writer from a school like Perdue,” Gust said. Earlier this month, Dr. Randy “When he gets here his top priorities Woodson was announced as the should be tuition and fees, especially University’s 14th chancellor. At his involving Talley.” Gust said he hoped Dr. Woodson reception, Dr. Woodson directed a specific comment to students, “I could alleviate some of the excessive am going to get to know you, and fees students pay while supplying as you are going to get to know me. many educational opportunities as There is no challenge, just oppor- possible. “Hopefully he’ll be able to add more tunity.” facult y so the Students University will be acknowlable to add more e d ge d t h i s classes,” he said. statement, D e s pi t e t h e and have challenges that formed their Patrick Bedsole, junior in lay ahead of the ow n opi nmarine science new chancellor, ions about the Gu s t b el ie ve s University’s that the chancelnew chancellor will make a lasting impact. lor. “I feel that Woodson’s impact will be Mike Gust, a sophomore in middle school education with a spe- a positive one and that he will create a cialty in science, believes that Dr. stronger and more stable community Woodson is the perfect chancellor- for the Wolfpack,” Gust said. Patrick Bedsole, a junior in marine elect for the job since he came from
“Dr. Woodson seems like a swell guy.”
Chancellor quick facts: Who: Dr. Randy Woodson What: 14th Chancellor Woodson said: “I am going to get to know you, and you are going to get to know me. There is no challenge, just opportunity.” Students’ feelings in regards to Woodson: Optimistic Source: Dr. Randy Woodson
science, said, “Dr. Woodson seems like a swell guy. Fingers crossed he won’t take any bribes.” Bedsole also believes that Woodson is the right choice for the University. “His agricultural experience and knowledge is fitting for a university such as ours. His prior research seems quite impressive. I hope that our University’s affinity for agriculture and hard science will continue to grow under Dr. Woodson’s guidance,” he said. Bedsole said he also thinks finances should be Dr. Woodson’s first priority. “Randy’s top priority should be
WOODSON continued page 3