Sacramento’s American River College was founded in 1955 as a junior college, but it dropped that distinction once becoming a part of the Los Rios Community College District in 1968; the school then fell under a blanket of institutions including Consumnes River College, Folsom Lake College and Sacramento City College. Students today—along with their loyal Beaver mascot—come in droves to study online or at the recently revamped campus. When we say droves, we mean it: approximately 35,000 degree-seekers attend American River College! That makes it one of the largest community colleges in the Golden State. Of course, a large quantity of scholars calls for quite a robust staff. One former student told about five things they wish they knew before attending. One point made was about overly-opinionated professors who soured the educational experience. We’ve done some research of our own so you know who to take and who to avoid at all costs.
David Lopez is the kind of philosophy instructor who doesn’t put you through the rigorous paces just for the sake of it—how’s that for an ethos? Not only is he a charming and charismatic man, but he also has carefully considered his courses. As long as you show up, do the homework and participate, you’ll earn the grade that you deserve. There’s no hidden agenda to be found. Students say he has an approachable demeanor, which comes in handy if you need to ask for help.
Anthropology comes to life in the classroom of Kristina Casper-Denman—a department favorite. She’s a dynamic speaker, which makes for engaging lectures and spirited discussions. Do be warned, though: she randomly calls on students from time to time. Disorganization is a key complaint many students have about their professors, but you won’t find any of that here. Her up-to-date syllabus is followed to a T, and she gets bonus points for giving non-stressful take-home tests.
Are you a regular mathematician? Then Matthew Mitchell is the equations enthusiast for you! His courses, which deal with rigorous subject matter, are simplified by his very clear explanations. He’s the kind of teacher who will be joking with you in between examples—think of him as a well-informed best friend. One of his strong suits is giving thorough feedback, and that’s important in a subject that stresses the finer details. Even those who say they’ve been lifelong failures at math insist that he’s given them a fresh, encouraging perspective. Not bad, Mitchell, not bad at all.
While we’re focusing on math, let’s discuss Alisher Abdul. Students describe his personality as being rude and insensitive, leading to one very disengaged classroom. Unlike Casper-Denman who puts a lighthearted twist on calling out students, it just seems cruel when Abdul does it so regularly. Confusion ensues at his poorly planned lectures, and don’t even think about asking a question. If you do, you’ll certainly be belittled before your peers.
Rob Diamond isn’t quite as glimmering in the classroom as his name would suggest. His accounting courses are known for being GPA-killers, and overly challenging just for the sake of it. Despite his vast knowledge on the subject, his teaching style completely lacks enthusiasm. Little direction is given on projects, hard grading scales are employed and he might just accuse you of copying your homework for no reason. In our opinion, it’s just not worth the hassle with so many other qualified professors.
You’d think that Paul Daux would be a capable teacher, given he’s in the speech communication department. Sadly, he falls into the category of professors who blend too much of their personal opinion—often irrelevant asides—with course material. If you’re a sensitive individual, you would do well to avoid his class all-together. Beyond this glaring shortcoming, his lectures tend to come across as scatterbrained and uncollected. The workload is intense, and he won’t go out of his way to make sure you’re adequately prepared for it.
Ryan James is a ’13 alumnus of Ohio University’s College of Arts & Sciences with a bachelor’s degree in writing and media. He currently works as a copywriter for a Fortune 500 e-commerce corporation based in Columbus, OH.