Fahs, Michael  

I'm alumni from four years ago and I credit Fahs as the jackass of my college memories. The subjects he teachs are mundane; org. comm. and bus. & prof. comm. These should be retitled Common Sense 101 and Useless Bullshit 101. Yet, despite the inane subject matter, he seemingly twists and adds on layers of trivality to it, making your studies unbearably time consuming. For those of you that have to take his class, fear not, just grin and bare it--you will survive. Those who say they enjoy his classes are the typical suck-up types, and are at the lower end of the speech comm. IQ chart. Those who despise the man have their fare share of grey matter between their ears and don't suck-up. Try to set yourself in a position that you can manage, or just put on a persona that respects him like a friggin golden retreiver and you'll reap an A grade (but you'll lose all dignity).

There seems to a wide variety of opinions which either characterize him as Cal Poly's answer to the BTK serial killer or as just your regular neigherhood harmless peeping tom. In his defense, I think the truth is that he is something in between. Do I think he lears at women in his class trying to make out the exact shape of their areolas underneath their shirts? Yes. Do I think he is the dude that kidnapped Kristen Smart and disposed of her body? No. Do I believe him, when he says he didn't sexually harrass Dr. Jackson, the official speech com, Sea Manatee? Yes. Do I Believe him when he says he has a presciption for the Roofies he keeps in his desk. No. Do I think that his semi-annual trips to Bangkok are purely for academic research on Thai Organizational communications. No. Do those black curly hairs occassionally lodged in his bushy mustache belong to underaged thai prostitutes. I don't have enough information to answer that question. In conclusion, i think we should give the guy a break. He's not as bad as what some of the people say.

This is a lame site. The comments are statistically insignificant. Most comments lack basic grammar and spelling skills.

I saw him in a wifebeater undershirt once. He looked like the dead fat guy from the beginning of Se7en. You can smell his breath from across the room and it smells like day old fried chicken and urine. All that aside, his lectures are very clear and he cares a lot about his student.

His classes might not be the most exciting, but you learn a good amount about giving speeches. His speeches are fairly easy (just remember to make 3-second eye contact and do not use words such as "um" "uh" "like" "you guys" "coulda" "gonna")and his midterm isnt too bad. He doesnt require attendance, but it is a good idea to go to class. For the midterm he gives you a review sheet, and as long as you saved all of his handouts you are good to go. Overall, even though I wish I had recieved an A, I learned a lot about giving good, imformative speeches.

DONT BELIEVE ANY OF THESE STUPID EVALUATIONS--THEYRE ALL BIASED AND DIMWITTED

He sucks. Dont take his class.

Took his COMS 101 class a couple years ago. A terrible teacher and a complete jerk. He had no sympathy for the Freshman who had never taken a speech class before in their life. He just gave everyone bad grades.

mmm kay? You follow? Fahs was very critical and made someone cry in my class once. He enjoys mixing the students words up and confusing them. He makes you feel really small. Well, thats a given due to his size. UMMM

Don't trust these ratings for Fahs. For this professor, you love him or you hate him. So all of the reports will be bias. I personally think he's a great guy..ok at teaching, concepts aren't always clearly conveyed..but in all seriousness, don't rely on these ratings. They're all extremely anti or pro.

If you are female -- or male -- avoid this character at all price. His reputation is everything it's cracked up to be. It is a crime that he is the only one you can take some required speech classes from.

My best advice to Dr. Fahs: Get over yourself! The favoritism, the fawning, the sycophants in this class are just too much.

Don't expect to do well in this class unless you've got female genital organs. This guy is so damned sexist is ridiclous, ******. This guy should not be allowed to leave his apartment without a police anklet, why is he teaching at a major university. A quick word of advice. Ladies--cover your breasts like a newborn baby because this cat's on the prowl. Fellas-- Steer clear, lest you be inadvertently sprayed by his territorial pissing.

Avoid. Sexist. What is this stuff about women students having to wear dresses or put their grade in peril? Didn't we leave this behind with our parents' generation?

This guy is never around, even to answer the simplest questions on assignments. I started my own successful business with my father and this guy doesn't teach anything remotely similar to what I find in the real world!

just a little observation: to the guys and the sexist comments: you ever notice what the female:male ratio is in the speech comm major? its not sexist or favortism if their are 25 girls to 2 guys... change your perspective, please.

Fahs is quite an interesting man, he definitely has his favorites. If you already know him and he likes you, then you are set, if you he doesn't know you and like you, you are screwed. If your work isn't his way,then it is wrong. According to him, there is one way of thinking and he is unfair about it! He forgets that this course is a 200 level course, he needs to be more reasonable for sure. Don't take him if you have a choice, if you take him, I'm sorry, his classes are so boring!

Okay, guys...Its all pretty fucking funny what you all have to say about Dr. Fahs, but lets all calm down a bit. He is a little creepy with his turned-up mustache and his seemingly sexual behavior towards women, but I give the guy the benefit of the doubt. I personally think that he is perfect for teaching Organizational Communication. And...he IS intimidating, but it is kind of refreshing. When you are intimidated by someone it just makes you feel that much better when that person compliments you or gives you a "High-5." If you show concern for your grade in his class and work hard, then it is very rewarding. Don't be too afraid.

OK.. so it's all true, but you learn something, and like he says.. you have to be a PEON before you're the BIG BOSS. Anyways, want the notes, flashcards, studyguides...they will save so much time. SCOM majors, drop me a line. cduchene11 at yahoo dot com. oh, yeah.. it'll save you th enote-taking time, and you can sit their with your tally board and count the number of "MMMHHMMM", "you follow?" but, "more on that later..."

Dr. Fahs is EXTREMELY smart. He is also very passionate about his work and he wants to see his students succeed. There is a TON of work in this class; 3 simulations, 3 exams, a few papers, and we go through 2 books each with about 15 chapters (within 10 weeks.) If you have the time and energy to devote to it, this class is a valuable tool to have.

Fahs is the best teacher in the department. He has won the award many times. He is scary and intimidating, but has real life experience and knows his shit.

Some people thought this class was hard, I thought it was easy. Just keep up with assignments and hope you dont get stuck with a shitty group. As far as fahs being creepy, some people need to lighten up and recognize a master of craft when they see one.

I am a COMS alumni class of 2006. I just finished my MBA at USF, and I was looking back at my undergrad courses. Comm 213 with Dr. Fahs was a waste of time. This guy is full of crap, the class doesn\'t teach anything about the business world. I am a account manager for Morgan Stanley and nothing you learn in comm 213 will helps you succeed. My suggestion for any undergrad needing this course is take someone else. Overall, this guy is full of useless information.

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I am sincerely sorry that Communications majors have to take one or more of his classes to get their bachelor\'s degrees. Of course, you might end up learning several important factors of organizational communication. However, Fahs is not the source, due to the fact that he spends nearly a third of the available class to talk about his credentials and unrelated experiences. I would have been completely clueless had I not thoroughly read both textbooks and referenced the packet that he practically forces you to buy at the beginning of the quarter (another $20 out of your pocket). His grading is steep, and he claims to use a \"performance curve.\" A performance curve is based on the top score, not on the pre-established total, a fact that Fahs seems to have forgotten (or never really knew). There is practically little to no homework, but there is a slew of group projects and in-class simulations (which is very difficult when attempting to coordinate the schedules of 5-6 students). The tests are extremely difficult, due to the fact that most of the questions have to do with specific and painstaking application. I understand that Cal Poly\'s motto is \"Learn By Doing,\" but Fahs takes this respectable statement to a new level. Several things to look out for on your first day: ladies look your best, men suck up as much as possible and talk to him about football, and whatever you do... DONT SAY \"Um\", \"Uh\", or any other \"non-fluencies\" (as he puts it). If I could go back and decide whether or not to take his class, I wouldn\'t if they paid me.

I was really nervous going into this class with all of the terrible things I had heard, but I was pleasantly surprised. I actually really like Fahs- you can tell he's genuinely a nice guy, he just comes across as kind of arogant. This guy knows a lot of people (he'll let you know that) and can get you places. He knows a lot about organizations. He doesn't do Blackboard and you're never quite sure what your grade is. Definitely go to every lecture and I would do the reading. Oh and he gives out study guides before his tests. I definitely learned a lot in this class, so I don't know what everyone else was talking about.

I just want to clarify what type of teacher Fahs is. After reading through these comments, some of them made me sick, and now I understand why teachers want this site shut down. This isn't about taking the best professor in this case, it is about badmouthing a class in COMS you actually have to work out. Oh no what a shock! Now I have to say, Fahs is very stuck in his ways of teaching. That is true. But there is nothing wrong with learning a SPECIFIC style and how it works for you. If it doesn't work, you learned something. And yes, he has good old boy tendencies, but that is the generation he is from! He is smart and very influential, so naturally he thinks he knows best (turns out he does a lot of times). I did not get a good grade by "sucking up" to him. Because I was interested and even mildly intelligent, he was happy to help me and could see all the effort I put into my work. For all those people looking to float by in a COMS degree, I am disappointed and thoroughly abhor the way you get by in life. You are a waste of oxygen and space. ANYONE LOOKING FOR KNOWLEDGE AND ACTUALLY WANTS TO BE AN EDUCATED THOUGHTFUL PROFESSIONAL, TAKE ALL HIS CLASSES.

I took this class the summer of 2003. It was hot summer- especially for SLO- and all I could think at the time is, "why is this guy making us wear a suit to class?" I'll be honest with you: this class was hard. Prof. Fahs WILL challenge you and you will have to WORK HARD in this course. BUT, the lessons you will learn will prove to be invaluable to your career. Every day as a professional, I apply the skills I learned in this class. Every time I had to deal with my embarrassing non-fluencies in class was one less time I've had to face it as a professional. As someone who now interviews people for a living, I see the flaws that people make in interviews every day, and only wish they could have had the opportunity to take this course. Hands down, this class prepared me best for my future HR career.I can't thank Prof. Fahs enough!

The class is based off of interviews and speeches presented to the class. Pretty straight forward but kinda difficult to get an A. A very USEFUL course for anyone trying to get into the corporate world. Fahs is an AWESOME teacher who knows what he is talking about. I wish we had more teacher were taught us business related skills. Take this course- it will benefit your career! But be ready to do work and the 7am sucks!

Fahs is an ass, he's creepy and disgusting. Touched me one too many times and made me very uncomfortable.

Dr. Fahs, you have got to be one of the worst professors I have every encountered. *******. Hey Willy the Walrus called, he wants his damned mustache back.

I am not sure what the class number is, but the class was business and professional comm. Fahs does have his moments.....do you follow? More on this as we go.....haha.....Fahs knows his subjects and if you bust yo arse for him he will give you respect. Or is you have a nice arse he will give you respect. either way you gotta do somethin wit yo arse. Here are the keys to getting on his good side. Either talk to him about: dogs, blackjack, golf, or guitars. These topics will gain you status with this guy. If you have too much pride to do these things or do any arse wigglin then good luck!!!

Dr. Fahs presents the material well, but is a little too caught up in the "real world" idea. There is no such thing as the "real world." Yes, it is nice to know how to give a briefing and interviewing practice is always a good thing. But I don't think he realizes that there people in the "real world" who have no idea what they are doing. Not everyone in the business world knows what they are doing so if WE aren't perfect it's not going to get us fired like he thinks. Other than his very strong opinions on topics, he is a good teacher if you want to work hard and learn some interesting stuff. Oh, one last thing, do the reading ahead of time!!! The only thing you need it for is the test, but just do it as it is assigned. Trust me, spending an entire weekend catching up with this stuff is not a fun thing!

Where do i begin with this creepy, sweaty, fat bastard. First of all, if you've never met the guy, just think Dr. Phil, only less sexually appealing, and with the hormones of an adolecent masturbating spider monkey from your neighborhood zoo. Man would I love to subpoena the sick porn files that he must have on his computer. He'd make Peewee Herman look like the Dalai Lama. Everything said about how sexist he is true as well. When i was in his office hours, I thought I was stuck in that old SNL sketch, "The Continental", which this creepy old man, leering at my chest, and making thinly veiled sexual advances. I was just waiting for him to offer me some cham-pon-ya, and "accidently" spill some on my shirt, so he could help wipe it off. Ladies there are reasons why there are so many complaints about this guy. Don't take his class unless you want him examining your camel toe, like a Saudi in the market for a new vehicle.

horrible./avoid. miserable experience

Professor fahs provides a valuable experience in communications. But overall his grading sucks.....he gave me a C when i really earned a B..JERK! i worked my butt off in his class and I know that was above the class average in performance. I earned at least a B for dealing with his self righteous crap! And warning... you are screwed into whatever grade scale he classifies you in......and it doesnt matter if your cute, because i am, and look where all of my ass shaken, eyelash batting got me.....SCREWED over with a C.

...Fahs is my ABSOLUTE FAVORITE PROFESSOR that I have had at Cal Poly! I don't know what all the bad reviews are about. This man knows what he's talking about; and in this class in particular, he WANTS to help you. He's not up at 7am on Tuesdays and Thursdays for his own good - he's there for you. This class is awesome and you will definitely learn a lot to help you when you graduate. Also, it's fun! Fahs is really helpful. P.S. He is not creepy - he has daughters of his own and is not out to get girls...that is just a lie. GREAT PROFESSOR - YOU WILL LEARN THINGS THAT YOU WILL ACTUALLY USE FROM THIS MAN and maybe even like getting up early too! :)

And he is smart, but totally pompous. During the office hours he was using all these 50 dollar words that I didn't even understand and I was just nodding my head.

The class provides valuable experience that will definitly help you get a job, but taking this professor seriously as a model professional communicator is a joke. Women beware- he oozes sexual slime and his perverted thoughts are thinly veiled. He demands that you dress up for his class so he can get a better look at you. Don't sit in the front row or you are sure to get an eyeful of his private buldge. Guys have it easy in this class if you speak up and joke around.

Lets be serious people. Dr Fahs will teach you more than any professor in this major, and you will actually USE this knowledge in life. Yes, he is tough to work for, but by the time you get through his series of classes, you will be amazed at how far you have come. You will not be given a high grade for mediocrity, and yes, you must study to get a good grade. i would not recommend this professor if you are involved in other classes that are high in work load. With the exception of basic org comm, his classes are among the most demanding of the SCOM courses. Idea:start with org comm. then decide.... As for all the rude comments on Dr Fahs polyratings page: forget them. it is too bad that this polyratings is anonymous, because if people had to verify their identity, noone would write such awful lies.

Dr. Fahs's 301 class is the single most useful class that I have ever taken at Cal Poly. The class is at 7 am, but I did not mind having to wake up early because his class was so great. Fahs does not lecture at you for two hours, instead, he uses class time as a workshop, which is a nice change from your typical class. As for all you people who left bad remarks about him... get a life! I dreaded taking this class after reading the evaluations on him, in fact, I put it off two quarters because of them. I finally decided to take it and to my surprise, this class became my favorite class ever. There are two oral briefings on topics of your choice, two interviews, and a midterm on the reading material. If you show up to class, do the readings and put some time into your interviews and briefings, you'll be fine. I HIGHLY RECOMMEND TAKING THIS CLASS OR ANY OTHER CLASS TAUGHT BY DR. FAHS!!!!

This site makes me sick. The students who wrote comments on here must not have taken the time to get to know Dr. Fahs. If they did they would have realized that he cares more about his students than 98% of the teachers at cal poly. Spend ten minutes in his office and you will see how much he cares and how disgustingly wrong your comments are!

Fahs embodies what he teaches. His confidence is perceived many times as cockiness many times, but he is the most prepared teacher I have ever had at Poly and he has the real experience to back up his claims. Take his courses and you'll learn a ton!

Dr. Fahs is by far one of the most difficult teachers I had while at Cal Poly. That being said, COMS 301 was one of the most beneficial classes I took. This is not a class to take if you want an easy class that you can skate through. We had the class at 7am and it was brutal, but worth it. Dr. Fahs is extremely intelligent and successful in the industry, and thus he is interesting to listen to and learn from. Yes, he is definitely not the nicest individual but he cares about his students and about preparing them for the real world. So my suggestion is...if you want to get ahead, especially if you are graduating soon, take this class! The interview experience and business insight Dr. Fahs gives you will benefit you more than you know.

I have taken just about all of Dr. Fahs classes and think I know him quite well. It is interesting to see that over 10 years of Polyratings and not much has changed. Some people see him as gold, some see him as junk. I think there is some truth to both. He is a great professor and his classes are amazing. But you have to be warned that his personal style of doing things may not be to your liking but you find yourself trapped by his power. If you suspect that he has power over you, be wary.

I don\'t know why everyone hates Dr. Fahs so much, he really is a nice guy! Just because his classes are difficult doesn\'t mean he is a terrible teacher. 301 was probably the most useful class I have ever taken, and 213 was not useful or interesting, but not too hard either. He is a \"different\" kind of guy, but I think is really genuine and sweet. But, who knows, maybe I was just one of his favs?

outstanding. Absolutely phenomenal instructor

Dr. Fahs is one of the best professors I have had at Cal Poly, and he is a really nice guy too. You can tell he loves his job and seeing his students improve during the quarter. I put in the time and went to his office for clarification when I wasn\'t sure about anything, and really didn\'t think the class was that hard. It was really useful though. I would even go as far as to say it was fun. If you don\'t put in the time and effort to do well, it will definitely show. I am guessing the people who wrote some of the really mean reviews on this page were total slackers, because none of their allegations are true. I was wary of taking Dr. Fahs because of the bad reviews, but I am really glad I did take him and I hope to take more of his classes in the future.

I really like Dr. Fahs. You will learn a lot from this class, and if you put in the time to talk to him and do the work, he will notice and you will succeed. He understands that learning is a process and not everyone is going to get up and give an outstanding briefing on their first try. But, with practice and patience you will see yourself improve a lot by the end of the class. I would definitely recommend COMS 301 with Dr. Fahs.

I have actually asked my department to omit this class from the required course list because no one should be forced to take this class. Not only is Fahs demeaning, he is a pervert. He favors women (and makes them very uncomfortable) and he puts students down to make himself feel smarter. Why this man has not been fired gets me. I guess when your tenured you can get away with anything. GIRLS--STAY AWAY FROM THIS MAN. If you have to take this class, ask to get it substituted for something.

I decided to drop my communications minor after taking this class. I didn't really learn anything, but this class cost me a fortune. First of all, he requires formal business attire on presentation days (which for me, meant buying an outfit just for this class). Then he forces you to buy a $20 packet written by him, which basically consisted of assignment sheets and useless papers that we never even used. Lastly, he charges each person close to another $20 for scones and coffee on the final presentation day ... all this on top of the extremely expensive books and tuition. Meanwhile, he likes to flash around his money clip and occasionally hand out dollar bills. I found this somewhat insulting. Don't take this class if you don't have to. It is difficult (but only because he makes it that way) and expensive.

You either love Fahs or you hate him...I personally loved him. Such a cool class. Even though it sucks having class at 7 am (the only time it's offered), this class is so interesting that it's worth it. 2 Oral briefings, 2 rounds of interviews, and a midterm. If you commit to the class, it isn't hard at all. If you are afraid of public speaking, definitely take this class to push yourself...you will benefit from it in the long run!

First off, I don't understand where anyone is getting the pervert vibe from. Anyways, this is a great class but it's no walk in the park. You will work your ass off if you're not good at public speaking (and if you are, then it's slightly easier.) Fahs is a nice guy if you "try." Go to his office hours, do extra credit, show that you're actually trying to get better in the class and that will show in your grade (10% is subjective from how you've participated/grown in the class.) Fahs doesn't just give grades, he makes you earn them and in the end, you become a way better applicant and public speaker after the class. Take this class if you want to get better at interviewing and public speaking.

Dr. Fahs has a broad base of knowledge and presents it in a clear manner. His shortcomings are a blatant showing of favoritism to a select group of students. Since much of your grade is based on class participation and evaluations of your performance in classs, if you do not fall into Dr. Fah's favorite list then you are out of luck. My suggestion would be to get on his good side and keep your fingers crossed.

Please be wary of the previous post, fellow communication majors as i think we are all the victim of a cruel hoax. You see, the class the poster claimed to have taken with Dr. Fahs,"SPC 69", does not in fact exist. Indeed if you were to look at the catalog there are no classes in the department that have only two numerical digits (i.e. SPC110, or SPC 225, or SPC 311). In fact there are no classes with "69" in the numbers (i.e. SPC 169, 269, 369). So i do not think it was a typo or an innocent mistake. Given this initial deceit by the poster, i doubt that he has seen date rape pills in Dr. Fahs' desk. How would he have an opportunity to look anyway? I am also highly suspicious about Dr. Fahs having ever showing up to campus with pubic hair lodged in his mustache. It seems highly improbable that he would be able to make it through a day without plucking it out. It is especially preposterous considering the implication that the pubic hair could have belonged to an asian. It it were indeed an asian pubic hair which is of a different color than his, there would be no way he wouldn't have noticed it, and surely would have plucked it out before arriving on campus. Furthermore, the other implication that said pubic hair may have been from an alleged trip to thailand is even more silly. did dr. fahs not shower or groom himself after a 20 hour flight. Gross. I doubt it. In conclusion i think we should all take the previous post as a grain of thought as most if not all of it was fabricated.

He is a living example of the principles he trains you in. Great man - very helpful and considerate. Good class!

Dr. Fahs' COMS 301 & 413 classes are by far (along with English 310) the most professionally-, personally-, and life-relevant classes I have ever taken in college--and definitely in any department in the Liberal Arts. I use the business, inter-personal, and training lessons I learned there in the real world in my business and when I applied for jobs/changed careers. He may come off a little stiff at first, but if you need anything--additional training, personal help, etc., he is there for you. Most importantly, if you are SERIOUS about being an ADULT in the REAL WORLD and being at the TOP OF YOUR GAME in the world, in whatever career you choose, his experience (he's a corporate consultant and helps companies/can see how they need to "clean up their act". I guarantee that you will never take a more helpful class IN YOUR LIFE! You will be able to run for president after this--or start your own company or be sought after in whatever field you go into by the best companies. You think I am kidding...I am not!

Dr. Fahs is reeeeeeally old school. He's an incredible professor (as far as his lectures go): he really expects a lot of his students. Dr. Fahs was the professor I always imagined my college experience to consist of. He's intense, and he means business. Men, beware: he likes girls, and girls only. It's actually quite comical (seeing as I'm a woman) how he chooses his favorite 2-3 girls per class, and is (I think, unknowingly) short and unforgiving with all the boys. He really does test his students, he expects for them to have full knowledge and skill. His internship class, it should be noted, can be taken for 2 or for 4 units. He has no idea or way of knowing how many units you decide to enroll in for the quarter, so be smart and just take it for 4. He'll never know. Also, he never opens up his PolyLearn site, so keep tabs on his due dates. If you don't do everything on time, and if you don't respond to his emails DAY OF, he will NOT be happy. He's called me out for it before. The pros outweigh the cons with Fahs, but he's a lot to handle.

Total creep! AVOID him at all costs. If your a major do not go to the banquet at the end of the year. Be careful, he really is a sexual predator. He should be fired from Cal Poly. Forewarned is forearmed.

What the guy/gal below said. Amen. I too took this class and have long since graduated from Poly, but I was cruising Poly Ratings for a kick and thought that I should pipe in and let you know how much of a joke this prof is.