Professor: Fruzzetti Course format: Seminar Number of respondents: 20 Total Enrollment: 23 Class Composition: Froshs: 9 Sophs: 11 Jrs: 1 Srs: 2 Concs: 4 Non-Concs: 12 Don't Know: 4

Instructor Average: 2.65 Course Average: 2.32

“Race, Culture, and Ethnic Politics” examines the construction of these three ideas in a single course. Though there are no listed prerequisites, students found a background in ethnic studies and an open mind to be useful.

Students generally had less than stellar reviews regarding Professor Fruzetti’s teaching style. Many claimed that the often student-run class was in desperate need of regulation, yet found no such resource in the laissez-faire attitude of the professor. On the occasions when the professor did lecture, many respondents claimed she was poorly organized, redundant, and confusing. In addition, reviewers stated that Professor Fruzzetti would often pose questions to the class without eliciting or suggesting possible answers to such queries. Students also asserted that the professor failed to address the relevance of readings during class and offered limited (and often delayed) course feedback.

The course work consisted of one essay, one book review, one group presentation, one individual presentation, and one 20-page paper. Many students complained that all of these requirements were not greatly clarified in class, especially the 20-page paper. In addition, the readings for the course were derived from a long of list of books, in which students were to choose which books they preferred to read. As a result, some reviewers felt there was no structure to class discussion, as students would read several different books.

Most students reported devoting three to four hours per week to work outside of class. By and large, students left what one respondent called a “shallow and aimless” course. Though some students expressed satisfaction in the independence offered to them in reading and researching their own interests, a majority of the respondents wished there was more cohesion to this unfocused class.

View AN/0106 in the Brown Online Course Announcement.