AI Rate Professor

Foothill College · Biotechnology

Phil Hawkins

BIO41 · BTEC53A · BIOL41 · MICRO41 · BTEC65 · BIOL45 · MICRO · BIO1B · BIOL1 · 39 lifetime ratings

AI rating
47/100
RMP rating
2.8/5
Take again
36.84%
Difficulty
3.9

The decision

if you want a demanding science class and .

Best fit · Hardcore LearnerTough examsHeavy workloadPassionate expertDisorganized lecturesStudy-intensive
  • Students agree the material is difficult, workload is heavy, and .
  • some praise his passion and knowledge, while many criticize disorganization and .
  • He fits motivated biology students who want depth and can handle demanding, uneven structure.

Key questions

Four answers before you build your schedule.

Is this an easy A?

HardWork

42/100

An A is possible, but comments repeatedly say , and staying ahead.

Online reviewers are positive but still call the class hard, while and heavy workload.

Is the course easy?

Challenging

28/100

Microbiology content is inherently hard, and students say lectures are fast, detailed, and .

Both formats describe difficult material, with in-person reviews .

Is attendance flexible?

Recommended

35/100

Attendance is effectively important because students say .

Online reviews stress staying current, while in-person reviews repeatedly warn that .

Is this professor recommended?

Depends

49/100

and passion, but many others warn against the disorganization and .

Online reviews are positive, but the and often negative.

Course guide

See how this professor fits your week.

Grading

Strict

34/100

Students frequently call him a tough grader and , though .

Format shift

Online reviews do not sound harsh, while .

Workload

Heavy

24/100

Reviews repeatedly mention lots of , and exams in a six-unit course.

Format shift

Both online and in-person reviews describe substantial work, with and fast-paced.

Teaching experience

Average

50/100

His knowledge and enthusiasm are strong, but many students .

Format shift

Online teaching reviews are favorable, while and often criticize organization.

Assessment method

Balanced

58/100

Assessment appears to combine homework, , and lecture exams.

Format shift

Online reviews mention homework, labs, papers, quizzes, and tests, while .

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

37 reviews

High confidence · Best fit for Hardcore Learner

In-person reviews are sharply mixed, praising his knowledge and passion but often criticizing disorganization, heavy work, and .

Main concern

Many in-person students struggle with , and .

What students said

“ , but fair and challenging.”
BIOL41
“ and fast paced.”
BIO41
“ and he tends to go on tangents.”
BIOL41

Remote format

Online

2 reviews

Low confidence · Best fit for Hardcore Learner

Online reviews are positive but still describe a hard, workload-heavy class that requires steady studying.

Main concern

The main online concern is keeping up with weekly work in a difficult six-unit course.

What students said

“YES IT IS HARD!”
BIO41
“There is homework every week, 2 labs, papers, quizes, and 2 test.”
BIO41
“you have to anticipate that the class will be difficult.”
BIO41

Exam style

Know what to expect from exams and major assignments.

Exams are commonly described as tough, picky, and based on detailed lecture material, with .

Tough ExamsDetail-Heavy TestsLecture-Based Exam MaterialCurve Mentioned

Assessment risk

Strict

30/100

Low score means less forgiving assessment conditions.

In person

lectures, but reviews do not clearly prove open-book, closed-book, webcam, or proctoring policies.

Tough ExamsDetail-Heavy TestsLecture-Based Exam MaterialCurve Mentioned
“ ”
BIOL41
“ details from the book, never discussed in lecture.”
BIO41
“ ”
BIO41

Online

Online reviews mention quizzes and two tests, but reviews do not .

QuizzesTwo TestsNo Clear Proctoring Evidence
“There is homework every week, 2 labs, papers, quizes, and 2 test.”
BIO41

Student evidence

See what students actually said.

Top student voice

“He's pretty tough, but he's also very fair and respects the students that show up and work hard.”

Voice snapshots generated from 39 reviews, highlighting key themes in teaching, workload, and exams. Credibility rating: High.

🎯 Teaching Quality

50/100

“He is very knowledgeable in the field of biology.”

📚 Workload

24/100

“Between lab and and fast paced.”

🧪

30/100

“ .”

Theme 1

👨‍🏫 About Teaching Style

  • and he tends to go on tangents about material that is not entirely related to the class.
  • He is very passionate about his subject.
  • His powerpoint lectures and .

Theme 2

📈 About Difficulty & Grades

  • YES IT IS HARD!
  • , but fair and challenging.
  • The material is tough but if you try you will do well.

Theme 3

📝

  • There is homework every week, 2 labs, papers, quizes, and 2 test.
  • He also has big assignments due on the day of the test.
  • .

Data context

See exactly what the AI read.

Analysis sample

39

Recent reviews read by the AI

39

Lifetime ratings

86/100

Evidence confidence

Thirty-nine detailed reviews across formats and years provide strong evidence, though opinions are highly polarized.

Inside 39 stored ratings

Quality ratings

5 out of 512
4 out of 53
3 out of 54
2 out of 58
1 out of 512

Course coverage

BIOL4116 reviews
BIO4112 reviews
MICRO413 reviews
BIO1B2 reviews
BIOL12 reviews
Show 4 more courses
BIOL451 review
BTEC53A1 review
BTEC651 review
MICRO1 review

Reported outcomes

B range results lead the reported letter grades.

16 reported outcomes

A range

6

A 3 · A- 3

B range

8

B+ 5 · B 1 · B- 2

C range

1

C 1

D range

0

No reported values

F

0

No reported values

No letter grade reported

1

Drop/Withdrawal 1