Western Kentucky University / S / Joseph W. Survant

I have a hard time believing these other e-vals that say Dr. Survant is a bad teacher (maybe that's only because they received a bad grade). I completely disagree. Dr. Survant is an excellent lecturer who is knowledgable in a lot of different fields. From what I observed in his class, he was willing to help everyone. We had quizzes regularly, but it wasn't hard if you actually read the material. His essay grading is firm, but he's willing to give help if you need it. I would recommend him to anyone wanting to learn about English and a lot of other different issues . Who wouldn't want to take a class from Kentucky's 2004 Poet Laureate?

I have Survant this semester (Spring 2005) and It is by far the worst english teacher I have ever had. No matter what essay you type up he will always have something bad to say about it. I never could get through the first sentence w/out him writing some crap about how it was wrong. He would count off for EVERY LITTLE THING!! No Joke, it would be best if you did not take him and if he is the only english pro left to take it would be best to wait another semester!!!

Dr. Survant is a very nice guy and he is beyond being an expert in British Literature. If anyone knows his stuff it is definitely Dr. Survant. However, this class is extremely difficult and so are the exams. The amount you have to read (and you actually have to read, retain, and truly remember) is extreme. There are 2 exams, which consist of short essay, quote identification, and longer essay. There is also 1 quiz on a novel, which is short answer. Then there is the final which is 2 essays and too many quotes. When taking this class, the quotes are the killers. Dr. Survant is a very nice guy and he is very approachable. While his class might be hard, I still definitely recommend him.

There are only 4 grades throughout the whole course: 2 tests, a quiz over a novel, and the final. If you aren't a test taker, take someone else. The course is quite difficult, but if you're an English major, it's required, so get it done with ASAP. British Lit. is not my forte.

He has his own views on things. He is an optional retiree and that's probably a good thing. Don't take him. I did well in English all throughout high school and then I took him and his stupid class!

Mr. Survant is someone that is one minded. He tells you to do your interpretation of something and you do and then he tells you it is wrong. I used to like English and made good grades, but he made me not enjoy it. So don't take him unless you're open to other opinions about your work. He is very close minded.

Dr. Survant is evil. He is extremely biased and does not like ag students. If you are an ag student do not take him it would be better to stay another year in school than to sit through his class.

There is almost no way to get an A in his class. I still have no idea what the right answers were to his esay tests. I had a 79 and he gave me a C. HORRIBLE TEACHER!!!

Dr. Survant is a good man. He may be a little unyielding in some situations but is fair. He is a man who likes to do things in his own way. This is understandable to me. If you fulfill the course requirements then you will do just fine in this class.

Has pop quizes. Two of the 3 exams are just writing a paper to analize a story/poem he gives you for the test.

If you're a begining poetry writer you might have difficulty in this class, but considering that 203 is a prerequisite before you take 305 anyone who signs up for this course should be pretty well prepared. You usually write a poem a week and the bulk of your grade comes from the revised collection of the poems you write. You've also got to attend at least one visiting speaker/writer that visits campus during the semester. The atmosphere of the class is that of a standard workshop: my particular section was very constructive without being too critical. Dr. Survant is good at getting you to think in new ways about poetry writing, but the scope of criticism is narrow at times. Overall a pretty good class.

Dr. Survant is so interesting and brings a lot of insight into the authors studied in this course. His exams are short essays, a long essay, and quotation identification. It's been worth every minute inside and outside of the class.

The exams were poorly constructed and did not accurately reflect the information we were assigned to read in the book OR the lectures in class. If you don't see it his way, forget about achieving a good grade. For an unnecessary class such as this, I can't believe this SOB gave me such a shi*ty grade!