HIST 19
Fiat Lux Freshman Seminars
Description: Seminar, one hour. Discussion of and critical thinking about topics of current intellectual importance, taught by faculty members in their areas of expertise and illuminating many paths of discovery at UCLA. P/NP grading.
Units: 1.0
Units: 1.0
1 of 2
AD
Most Helpful Review
I had him for a fiat lux about the Romanov's, and he is by far the worst professor I have ever had. I would do anything to avoid ever having him again. I am a very conscientious student; I don't rate a professor badly just because he demands a lot of his students. Frank literally insulted us, and when we weren't jumping to answer his belligerent questions he yelled at us for not doing the reading (which was 50 pgs for a fiat lux) and kicked us all out (although we actually had done all the reading). I dropped the class after the 4th week, and everyone I know who stayed in regrets it, as he is failing almost everyone in the class and still insults them, while the readings are now 100 pgs a week. For a fiat lux. Rude, demanding while assuming the worst of all his students, and not even teaching anything in our fiat lux, I urge everyone who sees his name on a class listing to RUN AWAY. seriously.
I had him for a fiat lux about the Romanov's, and he is by far the worst professor I have ever had. I would do anything to avoid ever having him again. I am a very conscientious student; I don't rate a professor badly just because he demands a lot of his students. Frank literally insulted us, and when we weren't jumping to answer his belligerent questions he yelled at us for not doing the reading (which was 50 pgs for a fiat lux) and kicked us all out (although we actually had done all the reading). I dropped the class after the 4th week, and everyone I know who stayed in regrets it, as he is failing almost everyone in the class and still insults them, while the readings are now 100 pgs a week. For a fiat lux. Rude, demanding while assuming the worst of all his students, and not even teaching anything in our fiat lux, I urge everyone who sees his name on a class listing to RUN AWAY. seriously.
AD
Most Helpful Review
Fall 2020 - Gelvin was great! The only work in this class was one reading per week which we'd discuss the next week in our seminar. I feel like I actually learned a lot about the new Middle East and Gelvin was really great at facilitating conversation. He was also pretty funny. Take this fiat lux!
Fall 2020 - Gelvin was great! The only work in this class was one reading per week which we'd discuss the next week in our seminar. I feel like I actually learned a lot about the new Middle East and Gelvin was really great at facilitating conversation. He was also pretty funny. Take this fiat lux!
Most Helpful Review
Winter 2019 - I took a fiat lux seminar with Lal, "Essaying America." Seminars are suppose to be based in student discussion but this professor talked for about 80% of the time. He even went over the class time limits with his long rants. His rants were often political, and he would raise his voice which was very uncomfortable for such intimate settings. I was hoping to get more back and forth discussion between students, but majority was the professor questioning student’s comments, sometimes in an interrogative manner. I think he is trying to be socratic in this, but it comes off as arrogant because he obviously holds his opinions as superior to those of the students. I wouldn't take any class that involves discussions with him as the overseer. Also, beware of disagreeing with him politically, when I mentioned gun rights as being written by the “forefathers” as a mode to defend against tyrannical governments, he almost blew a gasket.
Winter 2019 - I took a fiat lux seminar with Lal, "Essaying America." Seminars are suppose to be based in student discussion but this professor talked for about 80% of the time. He even went over the class time limits with his long rants. His rants were often political, and he would raise his voice which was very uncomfortable for such intimate settings. I was hoping to get more back and forth discussion between students, but majority was the professor questioning student’s comments, sometimes in an interrogative manner. I think he is trying to be socratic in this, but it comes off as arrogant because he obviously holds his opinions as superior to those of the students. I wouldn't take any class that involves discussions with him as the overseer. Also, beware of disagreeing with him politically, when I mentioned gun rights as being written by the “forefathers” as a mode to defend against tyrannical governments, he almost blew a gasket.
Most Helpful Review
I took her seminar. She was very sweet and nice, very understanding of the class' needs. It was a small class, and she really tried to teach us and make us aware. Overall, a very memorable class, and not too much work. The final "project" ended up being a trip to Little Ethiopia, where we got free food.
I took her seminar. She was very sweet and nice, very understanding of the class' needs. It was a small class, and she really tried to teach us and make us aware. Overall, a very memorable class, and not too much work. The final "project" ended up being a trip to Little Ethiopia, where we got free food.
AD
1 of 2
