AI Rate Professor

Environmental Studies

Mary Poffenroth

ESCI01 · ES001 · GLST1B · BIO10 · ESCI0001 · ES1 · ESCID001 · ESCI1 · ESCI001 · ESCI0019 · 71 lifetime ratings

AI rating
88/100
RMP rating
4.1/5
Take again
76.92%
Difficulty
2.2

The decision

if you want a A, but avoid compressed terms if you dislike frequent assignments.

Best fit · Effort For RewardCaring and responsiveClear online structureEasy A with steady workLots of weekly assignmentsLenient grading
  • Most students praise her as , and strong for online asynchronous courses.
  • Grades are usually generous, but the course often .
  • Summer and compressed online sections draw the strongest workload complaints.

Key questions

Four answers before you build your schedule.

Is this an easy A?

EasyA

84/100

An A is very reachable if students keep up with , and many reviews mention lenient grading, , or easy exams.

Online evidence is stronger and shows easy grades with steady weekly work, while but thinner and includes one harsh writing complaint.

Is the course easy?

Beginner

76/100

The content is usually described as easy to follow and GE-friendly, though the workload can make the class feel harder than the concepts.

Online comments emphasize clear lectures and simple assignments, while but mention writing skill as a possible barrier.

Is attendance flexible?

Optional

82/100

Most reviews report attendance as not mandatory, though a few online reviews list mandatory attendance or say participation matters.

Both formats mostly report non-mandatory attendance, with online sections showing more variation through participation-heavy work.

Is this professor recommended?

WorthIt

81/100

and clear structure, but workload complaints keep this below a .

Online recommendations are strong but more mixed because of workload, while points.

Course guide

See how this professor fits your week.

Grading

Lenient

78/100

Students often say she grades generously or fairly, but a .

Format shift

Online reviews include the clearest lenient-grading evidence, while in-person reviews are mostly .

Workload

Moderate

47/100

Assignments are usually easy, but many students , and summer overload.

Format shift

Online sections carry most workload complaints, while as manageable but still present.

Teaching experience

Good

84/100

Students frequently describe her as , and engaging, with a smaller group criticizing workload and course design.

Format shift

Online reviews strongly support her teaching quality, while but less numerous.

Assessment method

FocusOnAssignments

34/100

The course is driven , and presentations, with exams mentioned less often.

Format shift

Online evidence is heavily assignment-based, while and only limited exam details.

Luni fit check

Weigh these signals against your actual schedule.

Get help balancing workload, grading, and timing when no option is an obvious fit.

Course format

Compare the in-person and online experience.

Classroom format

In person

9 reviews

Medium confidence · Best fit for Beginner Friendly

In-person reviews are also mostly positive, describing an easy and , but one older review reports harsh grading for weak English writing.

Main concern

The main risk is writing-heavy grading for students who struggle with English or written assignments.

What students said

“This course is extremely easy and has a lot of work but .”
ESCI1
“ if you are fluent in English.”
ES1
“The and interesting - topics are totally relevant for today's world and I learned a ton.”
ESCID001

Remote format

Online

41 reviews

High confidence · Best fit for Effort For Reward

Online reviews are mostly positive, with strong praise for organization and caring support but repeated warnings about weekly workload.

Main concern

The main risk is many small assignments, papers, or presentation work, especially in summer.

What students said

“I'm bad at staying academically focused but I'm still able to maintain an A due to how easy the class has been.”
ESCI001
“There are way too many assignments to keep up with, up to 8 a week.”
ESCI01
“ and she will grade leniently.”
ESCID001

Exam style

Know what to expect from exams and major assignments.

but generally student-friendly, with some online reviews mentioning no exams or open-note/open-internet exams and .

No-Exam OptionOpen Note FinalOpen Internet ExamsMultiple Choice ExamsLimited Proctoring Evidence

Assessment risk

Varies

76/100

Low score means less forgiving assessment conditions.

In person

In-person reviews provide limited exam-policy evidence, with one review saying exams require quick research and .

Limited Exam EvidenceQuick Research Exams
“ .”
ESCI0019

Online

Online reviews mention no-exam sections, open-note or open-internet finals, and multiple-choice exams, but they do not clearly prove webcam, Lockdown Browser, or strict proctoring.

No-Exam ClassOpen Note FinalOpen Internet ExamsMultiple Choice Midterm and Final
“ .”
ESCI001
“All quizzes and .”
ESCID001
“ , and open internet.”
ES1

Student evidence

See what students actually said.

Top student voice

“Great teacher - I recommend .”

Voice snapshots generated from 50 reviews, highlighting key themes in , and format differences. Credibility rating: High.

🎯 Teaching Quality

84/100

“I have lots of respect for Dr. Poffenroth.”

📈 Easy A Potential

84/100

“Minimal effort required to earn an A so long as you turn in all of .”

⚖️ Workload Tradeoff

47/100

“There are way too many assignments to keep up with, up to 8 a week.”

Theme 1

👨‍🏫 About Teaching Style

  • All her lectures were easy to follow along and .
  • She truly cares for what she does and .
  • Her lectures are very interesting, and she genuinely cares about student success!

Theme 2

📈 About Difficulty and Grades

  • and she will grade leniently.
  • and the class is super easy.
  • Do the assignments and get an A

Theme 3

📝 About Workload

  • She gives out A LOT of hw.
  • One week there was 12 writing assignments.
  • Too much work compared to other classes.

Data context

See exactly what the AI read.

Analysis sample

50

Recent reviews read by the AI

71

Lifetime ratings

91/100

Evidence confidence

The analysis uses 50 reviews across many years and both formats, with consistent praise for teaching and consistent warnings about workload.

Inside 50 stored ratings

Quality ratings

5 out of 545
4 out of 57
3 out of 59
2 out of 54
1 out of 56

Course coverage

ES00112 reviews
ESCI111 reviews
ESCI0016 reviews
ESCI016 reviews
ESCID0016 reviews
Show 5 more courses
ES13 reviews
ESCI00193 reviews
BIO101 review
ESCI00011 review
GLST-1B1 review

Reported outcomes

A range results lead the reported letter grades.

38 reported outcomes

A range

30

A+ 16 · A 13 · A- 1

B range

1

B+ 1

C range

1

C- 1

D range

0

No reported values

F

0

No reported values

No letter grade reported

6

Incomplete 1 · Not sure yet 5