Detweiler, Robert  

History

3.84/4.00

47 evaluations


HIST 204


Sophomore
N/A
Required (Major)
Aug 2001
Bob Detweiler is not only a wonderful instructor, but a wonderful human being as well. He is very helpful to students who show an interest in learning and go to him for help. His lectures are presented in a format, which makes his classes very interesting and learnable (is that a word???). I would definitely recommend taking Mr. Detweiler for HIST 204. He brings alive the past and makes it interesting and fun to learn.


Sophomore
B
Required (Major)
Jun 1999
What a great guy. Mr.Detweiler is one of the most giving professor at Cal Poly in regards to his students. He will always help you if you need clarification, he even gives out his home number and tells you if you have any problems to call him at home.. He is there to serve his students. His lectures are clear, organized and he has a lot of life experiences to add. He is straight up about tests and you know what they are going to look like and what he is looking for. He makes it easy to learn about a subject you may not be interested in.


Sophomore
B
General Ed
Aug 1999
Dr. Detweiler is an awesome professor. His lectures are very intersting and easy to follow. He presents the material very clearly. He is also an awesome person outside of class. He would always answer my questions very clearly. He is probably the best professor I have had at Cal Poly.


Sophomore
B
General Ed
Sep 1999
I would recommend taking his class. He explains the topics covered very well. His class and his lectures were very interesting and not once did I turn back and look at the clock. He allows room for your point of view and really gets you interested in American History. He really cares a lot about his students and you could tell that he loves to teach. I believe Dr. Detweiler is one of the best professors on this campus, he is by far the best professor I have had here at Cal Poly.


Freshman
A
General Ed
Dec 1999
Dr. Detweiler has got to be the best teacher I have ever had, or ever will have. The class consists of two essay exams and two essay's. Everything you need to know is completely covered and understood through his lectures. Just by paying attention in class, I learned so much. By the time of the exams, I barely had to study. Not only is he a wonderful teacher, he is a wonderful man. He is more then willing to help anyone who wants his help, on their time. He is one of those few teachers who really wants to teach and help his students. I would more then recommend Dr. Detweiler to anyone and everyone.


Freshman
A
General Ed
Mar 2000
Dr. Detweiler was the best profesor I have had at Cal Poly so far. His lectures are very interesting, and he also adds in a bit of his own experiences from the Great Depression, mitlary, etc. He loves to teach, and it defiently shows.


Sophomore
B
General Ed
Mar 2000
Detweiler's a great guy. He goes out of his way to help you with anything and everything. I actually took him up on his offer to call "anytime" -- 9PM on a weekend. He was completely comfortable with talking to me for almost an hour. You'll learn some interesting stuff in his classes, and you won't have to work terribly hard to do well.


Freshman
B
General Ed
May 2000
Dr. Detweiler is an awesome speaker and makes history come alive! Ok maybe that's an overstatement but his lecturers were never boring. Many times I was surprised when the hour was up because unlike in many classes when I check out the clock four or five times, I never stopped taking notes and learning. He is a vietnam vet and has experience in the miliatary...it's almost like he has an insider's view of history. He is one of the most available teachers I've ever had and grades very generously...don't pass up his class.


Sophomore
B
General Ed
Jul 2000
Professor Detweiler taught one of the more interesting classes in my first year. He made history come alive at 9 in the morning. His test are very strait forward. He goes the extra for his students which is little to be seen in college. His reading assignments are easy, and even at times not necessary because his tests are based on most of his lectures. With the knowledge of what he is going to ask on midterms, and his teaching prowless, this is without a shadow of a doubt, the best class i had my freshman year, and he is one of the best professors at Cal Poly.


Sophomore
A
General Ed
Jan 2001
Prof. Detweiler is a bubbly stout man who relates history in a way I have yet to see a Poly. He is awesome. The tests were strictly essay form. He gives you a study sheet before the exam and draws the test questions directly from the study sheet. His class never gets boring because he makes dry, humorous comments that keep you interested in the subjects. He also goes off on rants that have nothing to with history...its tight. I think I learned more about him and his life and family than I did about history.


5th Year Senior
B
General Ed
Aug 2002
I wanted to add another kudo to the long list because even though I had other wonderful, top-notch professors, Dr. Detwiler was the top of the heap. (I've experienced the bottom of the heap too). He recreated history for us. He lectures were crystal clear, informative and interesting. You could stop him and ask a question any time without fear. He was open to all students, forgiving if you were having a tough quarter and graded fairly. His critiques of your paper showed he thoroughly read your ideas. He truly cared about you. He was born to teach.

HIST 207


Junior
B
General Ed
Aug 2002
Dr. Detweiler is a great professor and a great guy. His lectures were very interesting, and he was so passionate about what he was teaching that you couldn't help but get wrapped up in it. He obviously cares about his students and makes himself very open and available to them. I was having a horrible quarter and went in to talk to him, and he was very supportive and helpful. Great guy, great class, great professor.


Freshman
B
General Ed
Jan 2003
Professor Detweiler teaches to help his students. He is always willing to help during his office hours and after class. He is a really nice and compassionate teacher; for example, if you cannot make an exam for any reason, he will let you take the exam at another time. There is one midterm and one final. The 2 exams are based mainly on his lecture, so I suggest going to class everyday and reading to book for supplementary reasons. The midterm and final are in the same format: defining 4 terms/people and choosing 2 essays from 4 that are given. Also, you write 2 take home essays: one one this Civil War, and the other on The New Deal. I got all my information from his lecture, and got a B+ on each. So the most important advice I can give you is to TAKE GOOD LECTURE NOTES AND STUDY THEM!


Sophomore
A
General Ed
Jan 2003
One of THE best at Cal Poly. Class did not have homework (except for a take home multiple choice paper) and tests were fair.


Freshman
A
General Ed
Jan 2003
i love this teacher. i had him at 8 in the morning and he was able to wake me up. You dont need to read the book at all if you go to all the lectures and take really good notes. Do go and see him during office hours, he is always willing to help. he will look over essays you need to turn in and even correct them for you, for the most part. He doesn't read from notes or make the class drag on, he knows his history and really brings it to life. All mid terms and finals are essays, and he gives you the promt for them. Dr.Detwieler is a man who makes history a blast. take him if you can


Sophomore
B
General Ed
Feb 2003
Detweiler is one of the best at Poly. He's got a great personality and a fair grading scale. TAKE HIM IF YOU CAN.


Sophomore
N/A
General Ed
Feb 2008
Phenomenal professor. Genuinely cares about students needs and will help immensely in office hours. The best part? You wont need office hours because there has never been a professor at Cal Poly that explains lecture material so thoroughly and vividly. FANTASTIC CLASS AND PROFESSOR! He doesn't have a 4.0 for no reason.


Freshman
A
General Ed
Apr 2008
Detweiler is absolutely amazing. He was so organized, the entire year was broken up into "essays" which he relayed to us verbally in an easily comprehensible fashion. He always asked us "how am I doing?" to make sure we understood. And if you ask him a question he really understands what you are asking and makes it incredibly clear for you. He is also really funny with his word choice, and the way he acts. Adorable! The workload is 1 midterm with a take home essay and the final with a take home essay. The tests have 5 short answer questions where you have to define terms from a list he gives you on the first day, 2 essay questions taken from a list of essay questions, and the take home essay on a question he gives you. These are not very difficult at all because he gives you the exact answers to all of the questions and essays in class. Attending class is very important, but so rewarding. I strongly recommend this class for your GE D1. I learned so much about history, freedom and equality, and just our country in general. Take Detweiler!!


Freshman
N/A
General Ed
Dec 2008
Mr. Detweiler is a great professor that really cares about his students and wants them to succeed. He presents the U.S. History material very well. This class is very time consuming as you have to write two 8 page essays and have a midterm and a final. He gives you the short answer and essay questions to the tests before taking them, so if you study then you should be successful. He is a very nice professor that is always at his office hours. I went about once a week and he was very helpful. He is a great professor and i would definitely recommend others to take his class.


Freshman
B
General Ed
Mar 2009
Prof. Detweiler was a good choice. There is nightly reading but it really isn't necessary to do well in the class. As long as you go to lectures and pay attention you will know all material for the exams. The only assignments are a midterm and a final, with a 6 page essay due on the date of both. He gives a list of all the possible vocbulary for the exam. However, he only chooses 5 from the list to test you on. The five he chooses are always covered in great depth. His office hours are VERY helpful for the essay and also the tests. Great guy who's passionate about his teaching.


Freshman
B
Required (Major)
Mar 2009
Detweiler was by far my favorite professor I have ever had. He knows his stuff really well, and always presents it in a way that will make sense and keep you engaged. He's super flexible on office hours, and will let you take the final or midterm on a different day if you need to. Theres two tests and two essays, and thats all that makes up your grade. Take this classs!!!


Junior
B
General Ed
Mar 2010
Detweiler is a sweet man who is very passionate about American history. Although I wish he had more structure to his class, he does give you everything you will need to know for the midterm and final way in advance. He is a fair grader, although he rarely gives you full credit for a question on an exam unless you go above and beyond with it. He\'s a nice man and I would recommend him to anyone looking for a decent D1.


Freshman
A
General Ed
Nov 2010
Professor Detweiler is the best history teacher I have ever had. Prior to taking his class, I loathed history and his class made me really appreciate American history. Some will argue that he is redundant in his lectures but I found the material presented in a thorough, organized way. All of the information for the midterm and final are given to you at the start of the quarter and in the middle so there is no surprise when the test comes. Overall amazing teacher! I highly recommend him!


Freshman
A
General Ed
Mar 2011
Overall, this class was not that exciting mainly because I've already taken american history about four times throughout my education, but the content was presented in an interesting fashion. Detweiler presents the material basically in essay form according to topic, with a thesis and outline with details to support that topic. This is really helpful because his midterm and final are basically the exact same thing as these outlines. His class handouts are exactly these essay outlines and what he wants to read for exams. There are two papers, but all you really have to do is rewrite the notes into paper form. You don't need the book at all if you go to class and take notes. Pretty easy class that is good to take for a GE requirement.


Sophomore
B
General Ed
Apr 2011
Professor Detweiler made 8AM class every morning a joy to go to. If you have the opportunity definitely take him, one of the best professors that cal poly has

HIST 320


Senior
B
General Ed
Jan 2008
What an awesome professor. He presented the material in a clear, concise manner and as long as you show up and take notes, you should have no problem getting a good grade. His lectures are interesting and he goes above and beyond to help students. For the love of god, take this man's class!!


Junior
B
General Ed
Jan 2008
Excellent course...excellent teacher.


Sophomore
A
General Ed
May 2008
Amazing teacher- always clear, very professional. There's a few papers, and alot of reading, but as long as you can get the general idea from his lecture, you'll do fine. HIs midterms are written and he gives you the questions before hand. He cares about his students and knows his stuff when it come to the American Revolution. Enjoyable class and would recommend it to all majors.


Senior
A
General Ed
Mar 2009
Bob Detweiler is an absolutely outstanding professor and is one of the best I have had here at Cal Poly. He presents material clearly and is always willing to help during office hours. He will literally go out of his way to help students understand the material and ultimately succeed in the course. There is a fair amount of work required for this course but by going to the lectures and taking good notes, it is not too difficult to get a good grade

HIST 321


Sophomore
A
Required (Major)
Feb 2009
A truly amazing professor! He has this great Dan Rather voice and really knows how to keep the class interested. Professor Detweiler really cares about his students and explains things so well. I have learned so much from him! He gives the study guide for the midterm and final well in advance - they are the exact questions that are on the tests. There are two 6-8 page double spaced papers, but they go so fast because it's basically all right out of your notes. It literally took me less than three hours to complete an 8 page paper. Make sure to have him go over the paper before you turn it in, though. He will mark exactly what he wants changed and it will improve your grade drastically. If you have the chance to take a class with Detweiler, do it!


Senior
A
Required (Support)
Mar 2009
I really can't think of any other professor at Cal Poly that is as interesting, encouraging, and empathetic as Professor Detweiler. He is so accomodating for his students and he understands that sometimes life gets in the way. He is extremely approachable and understanding of student difficulties, and he is always available during his office hours, phone, or email. There is quite a bit of reading and writing, but he is a very fair grader and gives you essay prompts and ID's weeks before they are due. He knows the Civil War and history very well- you can tell that he is passionate about what he does. Definitely one of the best, and one of my favorite professors in all 4 years of my college experience.


Senior
A
General Ed
Mar 2009
Professor Detweiler is absolutely outstanding and definitely one of my favorite professors I have had in my four years here at Cal Poly. He is not jaded by the fact he has a PhD and knows an incredible amount about history. Midterm and final exam questions, as well as essay assignment prompts, were given well in advance and Dr. Detweiler was always willing to go over the material if students had any difficulties. He even said to call him at home if we needed to. What a great guy. Outstanding class, great teacher, enjoyed every minute of this man's class


Junior
A
General Ed
Sep 2010
I absolutely loved Detweiler. Just because of this Civil War history class, I decided to minor in history. This class had a lot of work, but it was not too difficult. His lectures were interesting and he would write an outline on the board so you could follow easily. I have never wanted to write an evaluation on a teacher before, but Detweiler is such a great man and teacher. I have one class left for my history minor and I am waiting for him to teach another class so I can take him. If you want a great history teacher, he is the one to choose!!!


Junior
N/A
General Ed
Mar 2011
Dr. Detweiler is a great lecturer, but tough grader. I could not believe the comments he would write on my papers, and I know how to write a paper. There is quite a bit of work, and he grades so hard. Hard enough to mention twice.

HIST 401


Sophomore
A
Required (Major)
Apr 2003
Professor Detweiler is the most understanding and intelligent teacher at Cal Poly. He lectures for all 50 minutes with hardly any notes and is very open to questions. He assigns 4 article analysis, 2 take home papers, 1 research paper, 2 midterms and a final. They are all very straight forward and he grades fairly, mostly for the content. Take him, he's the best.


Junior
B
Required (Major)
Aug 2003
This guy is seroiusly the best professor ever. His lectures are always interesting . The books were reasonable and his test were very fair. He is extrodinarily helpful and cares about every individual in class. There is not more i can say but try and get him for as many clases as you can.

HIST 402


Sophomore
N/A
Elective
Aug 2001
Dr. Detweiler is an amazing professor. He not only presents course material in a way that is easy to follow, but in a way that is interesting as well. Upon going to his office for assistance on a paper, he greeted me by my first name(we had never spoken before) and was extremely helpful.


Junior
N/A
Required (Support)
May 2003
I had professor Detweiler for History 402, The American Revolution. Dr. Detweiler is as straight forward as they come. He is extremely helpful, often going out of his way to answer questions. I remember once that I asked him a question: "When was the 3/5 clause overturned?" He sent me a thorough response after class by email. He will make you work really hard for your grade, but it is well worth it.


Senior
B
Required (Support)
Dec 2003
I would highly reccommend Dr. Detweiler to anyone. He presents the course material so clearly that you seriously have to be asleep to not understand. He is the most approachable, friendly and nice professor i've ever taken at Poly. Take him if you get the opportunity.


Graduate Student
A
Elective
Sep 2007
So with his current rating of 4.0, Bob Detweiler is obviously outstanding. Just wanted to add that he gets better with age. Had him a few years ago, then again recently, and Detweiler's lectures have become more story-telling and less script-like. Don't complain about any work requirement; he's the best there is, you learn a ton, and reading is always required for history, so switch majors if you've got a problem with that. Ask questions, too.

HIST 404


Sophomore
B
Required (Support)
Jan 2001
I first took Prof. Detweiler for Hist 204 my first quarter at Poly, and I thought he was great. He made class really interesting. He's also very compassionate, he gives out his home phone number and tells you that you can call him whenever you need, and he'll be glad to assist you with anything. I expressed to him an interest in the Civil War, and he told me he was instructing an upper division course on the Civil war, but it was for juniors and seniors only. Since I was a freshman he told me that if I did well in Hist 204, he'd allow me to take hist 404. I ended up doing well, then taking the hist 404. He use to call me up before class to go over some material with him, he went out of his way to make sure I understood everything, because he knew I was only a freshman. I highly, highly recomend him to anyone!


Junior
A
Elective
Aug 2002
Bob Detweiler is the best teacher I have had at Poly! He gives a midterm, final, 2 essays, & 2 book reviews. As long as you take really good notes, you'll already have the answers to all the tests & essays(which he provides the questions for in advance). His lectures are so informative. He is SO knowledgable & really cares to help out his students. Everyone I've ever talked about loves him! If you ever have the chance to take him- DO IT! You don't necessarily have to read outside of class, except for the 2 book reviews for "Killer Angel" & "Cold Mountain". By the way, "Killer Angel" is THE best book I've ever read- it's like watching a movie. I also took him for Hist 207- same type of grading- just spell out everything you know & take great notes!! Overall- BEST TEACHER! I HIGHLY recommend him to everyone.


Junior
B
Required (Support)
Aug 2003
Dr. Detweiler is by far the best professor I've had yet at Poly. There aren't many instructors that can get me motivated enough to show up for an 8:00am lecture almost every class meeting, but Bob Detweiler did. ASK QUESTIONS! He will answer them thoroughly and clearly the first time or else he'll send you a detailed email to make sure you understand. He is the most approachable guy also because he never makes you feel like your wasting his time. Take Bob Detweiler if you ever get the chance. You won't be sorry!


Junior
A
Required (Major)
Jan 2004
THIS PROF IS EXCELLENT! i loved every second of this class, and am so disappointed that he is not teaching next quarter. the class has one research project, two papers and a midterm and final. its a good amount of work but well worth it. material is presented very clearly, and my attention was never lost during lectures. by far the best history prof at poly, and i have taken quite a few of them!


Senior
A
Required (Major)
Mar 2009
Dr. Detweiler's lectures were both informative and fun to listen to. Between both lectures and office hours, you learn so much. Fantastic professor and I would definitely take him again


Junior
N/A
Required (Support)
Dec 2009
Detweiler is such a great teacher. There is a lot of work involved, but none of it is too hard if you atay on top of things. He keeps class interesting and is sop funny. He is very helpful during office hours too.

WGS 815


Graduate Student
A
Required (Major)
Nov 2016
he sure does like his women, wet!!