Foroohar, Manzar  

Taking this instructor is like being in a Twilight Zone episode. You just can

Dr. Foroohar is one of the best, if not THE best, teacher I've had at Poly. She was concise, clear, and very informative. She opened my eyes to so much that's happening, so many injustices, in the world and it's inspired me. Class was always interesting and her Powerpoint notes were very clear. As long as you write those down, and add some of what she is saying, it'll be a breeze. You don't even really have to do the reading if you pay attention and go to class. There is a lot of reading but it is very interesting. And it's almost impossible to do badly on the tests. There are 3 20 question multiple choice tests and 2 20 pt. essay questions, including the final (which is one M.C. test and one essay test combined). she gives you the exact questions she is going to ask you for the essay questions so you can know the answers ahead to time. It's really great. The entire class is only 100 pts. and she gives you 3 3 pt. extra credit assignments. And they're really easy. It can be watching a movie and answering three 3 really easy questions, or even just writing your social security number on a sign-in sheet. So you have the chance of pulling you grade up an entire letter. Basically you have to be an idiot to fail this class. That or you're not willing to work. well, no . . . you have to be an idiot. All i can say is that Dr. Foroohar's class was really great and if you like to learn about history, take it. You won't regret it.

History 214 with Dr. Foroohar was pretty interesting. You really do learn a lot in this class, but towards the second half of the class you start paying attention to the clock rather than the lectures. I feel like Foroohar basically has done each lecture so many times that she\'s falling asleep through them herself. I got a B- in the class and thought I would have had a higher grade. My biggest piece of advice would be for everyone to GO TO THE EXTRA CREDIT OPPORTUNITIES she gives you! My grade would have been a complete grade higher if I wasnt such an idiot.

I read some of the other reviews in here whcih point out that Professor Foroohar is good at indoctrinating her students against Israel. Comments like "she really opened my eyes about the Middle East" are what one can expect to hear from Freshmen who have no historical knowledge and assume their professor isn't pushing a political agenda or lying to them. The course is not hard, if you want to believe the Jews stole Israel from the innocent Palestinians by means of Jewish terrorism against innocent Arabs. Professor Foroohar is simply full of crap. She even calls those refuting what she says liars even after the objective proof that her information is not true is presented in class. Really mature. Avoid this class unless you're a dummy who wants to be teacher's pet and believe whatever trip this professor dishes out to you.

Great teacher

In terms of being impartial she failed miserably. Let's get this straight regardless of what she says. ive been at poly for 4 years now and have never seen such a lying biased teacher. no i am not jewish, white, or european. Im asian (chinese) so i can say im more partial than she is at the very least. this class is just pandering to palestinian propoganda.

To the person who said she is unbiased, I think you are on some kind of medication. Every single lecture is the same anti Israel stance and that is the point of view she teaches from. I am not saying she is a bad person but she is definitely biased, this fact is not even debatable even the students who like her will tell you that. Her main goal is to tell you about how bad the Palestinians have it and how America is on the wrong side. Take the class at your own discretion. As far as teaching she was terrible, she mumbles too much and the lectures were quite boring. Her grading is fair but she has no mercy on you. About the only thing she is fair and unbiased in is her grading scheme. Everything else, prepare to be convinced to go against Israel and its policies.

DO NOT TAKE THIS CLASS. TOO MUCH READING ON USELESS TOPICS. CLASS IS NOT ABOUT MODERN POLITICAL ECONOMY. IT IS JUST ABOUT MIDDLE EAST FIGHTING.

What a racist old bag!

I thorougly enjoyed her class. I highly recommend 214 as a GE. Dr. Foroohar is an outstanding professor who presents the material quite well. You get to learn about the West's global, and the way Europe and the US shaped the political and economic status of our world. Her grading is very straightforward: study for the exams (3 true/false; 2 short essays). She is very helpful in class, and attending the lecture is what's perhaps the most important. Of course, the reader's important, and STUDY!

Dr. Foroohar is awesome. Her tests are straightforward, and often simple. There is one tests though for the Bitter Fruit book which you need to study up on. The class average was low. Remember to study the notes. If you go to lecture, you'll definitely get an A without having to stress over the reader. Dr. Foroohar presents the material from a different foreign point of view, which is awesome. It was cool to get an outside perspective that isn't consistent with the media over global issues. Also this class substitutes as the GE for Economics 201.

GREAT Professor. Dr, Foroohar has a very refreshing and liberal point of view. She made the class very interesting. I would HIGHLY recommend taking the class.

this class is straight out of the lecture!! dont buy that shitty $50 stupid red pamphlet thing at second edition cause nobody buys it back and you dont even use it. there are 3 twenty question true/false tests which each make up 20% of your grade. And then there are two essay tests which each make up 20% of your grade, but she gives you all the possible essay questions, there are like 30 and she picks two randomly. But they are worded exactly like she has on the internet. he lectures are from an outline on the internet then she expands on each little sub-header, so your notes are going to be really detailed. lots of memorizing, but it is history, so it isnt a bad class, just have to go everyday, but if you hate reading this is your class.

This class is demanding for a GE. However, you may get away with doing the outside chapter readings IF you attend all lectures. It's two days a week, 9-11. She's pretty good about letting you out about 10-15 early. Her lectures are important because the majority of the tests comes from her lectures. There are 2 essay tests and 3 true/false tests. She is a very opinionated and strong woman. She expresses a different point of view than what you're use to hearing. You learn about the history and current events of Latin America and about how scandalous US is. I think this is an important class to take at this time especially since it's relevant to our time.

Dr. Foroohar was great. She knows so much and opens your eyes to the world around you. Her test are simple, except Bitter Fruit. You need to study up on the Bitter Fruit exam because it's very abstract. For those who said she is difficult to understand, they're lying. Either they put little to no effort in listening to her lectures, or they're just bitter about they're grades. She's very easy to understand, it's up to you to listen. Go to class, and it'll get you out of reading her books.

Manzar's accent is [thick]. She gives true/false tests. Sounds easy right? Well I studied my sweet little ass off for her precious true/false final and failed it mostly because I didn't understand the damn question. The class had about 200 people in it, so personal attention is not even a possibility. If you like to study only to fail, this is the class for you. If you like professors who speak english, find yourself another class. Oh yeah, and if you're a conservative, you'll also be happy to know you are expected to spit out all the tree-hugging hippy crap she gives you in class on the test.

Trying to understand what she is saying is like interpeting tree huggin' hippie poetry, everyone hears something different. Her tests are not only confusing but also decieving. Sure 3 true/false tests and 2 essay tests all worth 20% sounds like an easy quarter, just wait til you see the tests. If you take this class pray that you get the easy copy of the test cuz the other one will leave you cryin' for Momma in a puddle of cold sweat. To sum up this class in one phrase, "What is this hippie crap?"

Foroohar was a really good history professor. I really didn't find her accent that hard to follow as some have mentioned. If you really find her that hard to follow, then you can just drop the course in the first two weeks. The grade is based on 5 exams: 2 essay and 3 true/false(each worth 20 points). She gives you all the essay questions in advance on the website, so they are pretty easy assuming you study. The True/False tests are the harder exams in the course. Sometimes the questions get very vague and force you to think about them too much. I really wish she'd had used multiple choice instead becase True/False can be pretty misleading depending on how you interpret the information. Study up for the Bitter Fruit exam because there is a lot of material covered on that one. The course material was REALLY interesting because it deals with issues that the modern world is facing(i.e. September 11th). I've never really gotten to study history that has happened in my lifetime- a very cool plus. If your a history buff and are interested in global affairs...DO NOT MISS THIS COURSE WITH FOROOHAR.

I find the unintelligent comments posted here very disappointing. There may be some very legitimate criticisms to be made of Dr. Foroohar, but none have been made here at Polyratings. If you cannot understand her accent, you really need to get out more. A lot of my professors here have accents of some sort, and it's just a matter of getting used to them. I recommend sitting close to the front in this class if you have difficulty understanding her. Also, anyone paying close attention would know that she does not make the Middle East out to be better than the United States. Rather, she levels criticism directly at the dictatorships of the Middle East. How could anyone miss her expression of contempt for Yassir Arafat? In fact, one of the main reasons she criticizes the United States is because of the US's past support of Middle Eastern dictatorships. And how exactly is it anti-American for her to show us America's foreign policy in Latin America over the past couple of centuries? She's not sharing wild conspiracy theories, she is sharing historical facts. Her analysis has a point of view, of course, but all history has a point of view, and if you cannot accept that, maybe you should reevaluate if you should be in a major university. To wrap up, Dr. Foroohar is one of the best professors I have ever had. She effectively conveys the material of the course, the tests are not bad at all, she is engaging and very friendly outside of the class room. You don't have to agree with her analysis, but don't write her off as some "hippie tree hugger" when you refuse to believe the hard truths she makes you face about this world.

I would just like to say first off, that I am deeply disappointed in the negative comments made towards Dr. Foroohar. She is by far one of the best professors at the university. The reason why people feel so offended by her comments is because she tells the truth, and the truth hurts. And to those students who complained about her accent that just shows how insensitive our student culture is at Cal Poly. I thought people taking a history would be sympathetic to liberal arts,keyword liberal. Dr. Foroohar is a compelling teacher and I've learned more from her in three months than I could ever learn in a whole year history taught by an "english" speaking professor with no accent. Dr. Foroohar knows a tremendous amount about latin america and the middle east, because she's either lived or visited these regions. She has visited Cuba and has lived in Iran, so she knows what she is talking about.

Dr. Foroohar is an excellent professor. Overall this is a great class, it makes you think about what goes on in this country. It's a great eye opener. The class isn't that hard, just keep up and don't miss lectures.

Dr. Foroohar's comments seem to be purposely divisive. However, when someone disagrees with her view, sometimes she cuts them off. I hated this class, but many people really like her. I guess it depends on personal preference.

I like Prof Foroohar because she is very knowledgeable about the material in the class (she always answered in-class questions in a satisfactory manner, and never was given a question she couldn't answer) and she teaches information that is not normally taught, but should be. She is not afraid to speak her mind about subjects, even if her opinions might ruffle some feathers. What she speaks is the truth, and we are just not used to hearing it from teachers. She grades fairly. The class points came from 5 tests, each one worth 20 points. 3 of the tests were multiple choice, based on assigned reading and class notes. The other 2 tests were essay, also on reading and notes. She also gave 3 opportunites for extra credit, 3 points for each event. I went to all 3, and the 9 points really makes a big difference. If you do the reading and take good notes and study them, it would be hard not to get at least a C or B, and an A would be fairly easy to. I got a B, and I didn't do half the reading (I regret it now - that A would have been nice). Some people have said that Foroohar's accent makes it difficult to understand her lectures. I didn't find this to be true. It is true that she does have an accent, but she speaks English well enough, and she was actually easy to understand. Plus, its interesting to hear how she pronounces certain words. So, yeah... good teacher, interesting class, study and you'll get an A fairly easily.

VERY GOOD. I enjoyed this class very much. It's hard to keep a two hour long history lecture interesting, but I was definitely interested. She is EXTREMELY knowledgeable about the subject matter considering she has lived in both the Middle East and Latin America. The grade is based on three T/F tests, and two essay tests which contain 2 questions each (which are chosen from about 20 questions which are given to you at the end of the readings). Each of these tests is worth 20 points which makes a total of 100. She also gives three opportunities to receive 3 points extra credit throughout the quarter. In other words, if you do all the E.C. you will get 9 extra points which will improve your grade by one FULL letter. Take her, you will learn a lot of very interesting things. If you go to class and listen you should have no problem getting AT LEAST a B.

You will get an A but do not take this teacher. Her tests are easy, its straight from the lectures. I warn you though, this teacher is unbelieveably liberal. She goes on and on about how great the PLO is and how horrible Israel is for trying to stop the PLO. I think that she has forgotten that the PLO is a terrorist organization who is attacking Israel. They are to Israel what Al'Qaeda is to the United States, and she praises them! You will recieve a very skewed and distorted view of the situation in the middle east. I could barely stand to sit through the lectures because they were so misleading. In fact, her tests say "answer the questions according to the lecture/book" because you have to give answers according to HER not according to reality. I thought i would not have to go to lectures because I allready knew a lot about the topic, but I had to go anyway because I had to learn the Foroohar version.

Manzar Foorhar is the most antisemetic faculty member on campus. She consistantly tries to push her alternative views of history on her students who often don't know better. If you take her class, keep your ears and mind open, and don't take everything she says for truth without a healthy deal of scepticism.

Foroohar is an excellent teacher. Always passionate and with great intellect. The reading could be a bit heavy if you don't know much of the material before hand. Also interesting are the facts and figures that she presents which most people don't know. Stuff about PLO and Israel, for example gives a refreshing point of view that I had never heard before this class. I did always wonder what the other side of the story was, but it seems no one was allowed to talk about it on TV or history class. It's exactly the kind of thing you SHOULD get in college. Those who call her anti-semetic are really just idiots who don't understand facts and historical analysis. Shows the extreme low class of some people who attend Poly. Maybe they should retake critical thinking. Do they also believe killing Native Americans and taking their land was right? Maybe I'm "anti-US" for suggesting such a simple truth. Get a life people.

Forhoohar was a fair teacher. The class is really straight forword; the material is presented and then you are tested on it. The tests are easy and the class is really interesting.

Manzar Foroohar is an amazing individual, as well as instructor, and her background, point of view and knowledge is definitely rare and important to grasp at this university. She really breaks down what's been happening in Latin America and the Middle East and why the United States is involved with those countries. This class is challenging, and there's a lot of reading and information. However, she gives her students a fair chance to succeed by offering a study guide and extra credit. I would recommend this class to anyone.

this was the most interesting class ive had at cal poly. take this class if you want an interesting gen ed class. i got a C because i ffailed one of the midterms. she gives three multiple choice midterms and two essay midterms, and one multiple choice final(not cumlatative) during lectures you write notes the entire time to get all the info, but its all interesting stuff. be prepared to do the readings and go to class. no textbook which is nice.

This was such a great class, extremely interesting. If you are interested in world events on any level this is a great class to take. Prof Foroohar was excellent, and has great background knowledge of the subject she teaches. The class is two short answer essay tests, and two true/false tests, one of them on the book "Bitter Fruit." Easy A if you go to class, pay attention, and do the readings. She also has opportunities throughout the quarter for extra credit. Great Class, great prof, I greatly recommend her!

So incredibly hard. So much reading. There were 10 sections of print outs, some were 50 pages, some were 75, most were about 30... and there was a book that she didn't talk about until the last week and was our ENTIRE final. I am a liberal and even some of the stuff she said was out of line by my opinion. She showed films that were full of propoganda for extra credit (I understand those are very important images and testimonies but a lot of them manipulated the facts based on emotion). Although I definitely agree with a lot of the things she said in class, I felt sometimes she was out of line by showing things that were JUST as one sided as the American media. That was one of the most frustrating parts of this class--she is very intelligent, very knowledgable, but definitely needs to make an effor to present both sides, or not present the side she personally chooses as the right side. The biggest problem is that she wants to change so many students minds but isn't willing to risk changing her view point at all. Overall, if you are up for the reading, I would still suggest this class because no where at Cal Poly, and in most of the United States are you going to get the (although very one sided) very important opposing view points of the Western government and the history surrounding Iraq, Guatamala, Israel, and several other key issues in the world. Oh yeah and her tests (2 of the 4) were T/F 20 question tests that were work 20% of your grade... if you miss one question there goes 1%. The other two were essays but she gives you the questions before hand, you should just study as you go along with the readings in the class.

Do not take this class unless you are willing to work really hard and read a lot of boring material...just to fail the tests in a GE class!! This class was so frustrating because I couldn't even understand Manzar's think accent to take accurate notes, much less follow what in the hell she was talking about in the daily lectures. I went to every single class, studied my ass off for the test, and even went to 3 of the offered extra credit movies...yet i still got a D...so you can make up your own mind about taking this class.

The two comments below are not quite accurate. The course is not hard. There is quite a bit a reading, but its a HISTORY class. If a person gets a D in this class, they are seriously going to struggle in any upper division courses at Poly. EVERYTHING that is on the test are pulled directly from the lectures and she gives you all the test questions prior to all tests. Its a simple matter of looking over your notes, you can also just skim over the reading. It was by far the easiest A at Poly. She did not show any films that were biased or propagada. In fact she only showed one film about Islam that was very objective. She did show extra credit films that had a "left" point of view, but they were optional to attend. The first day of class she clearly states that the ENTIRE class is taught from a Middle Eastern/Latin American point of view. Of course the material is not going to be pro-america. She emphasizes the "other" side b/c she would like students to understand what the world thinks of the United States and learn about another point of view. (Sorry to inform you but many countries don't like us). If you want a pro-america material and media, go to Fox News, which is also biased toward the right. One of the most important things to understand is that everyone has thier opinions and views, gather material and media from both sides and decide for yourself, but respect peoples and professors viewpoints. She does not need to present the other side b/c that is not her goal. All of her information is accurate and true, she does not try to sway students, she invites aruguments and challenges to her material. She is a fair, intelligent, and organized professor.

I don't know what is up with these people saying how hard and biased this class is. This was by far one of the most interesting classes I have taken at Cal Poly. Dr. Foroohar brings a totally different point of view to us in this class and has facts to back it up. I never really knew anything about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and I always just left it up to the news to tell me the facts, but I didn't realized just how biased and corrupt these facts are. This isn't one of those classes where the teacher throws out your opinion and you're expected to spit it back out at her on the test and if you disagree you get an F, her tests were all facts, straight from lecture and reading and were EASY. I don't know why these people had such a hard time?? Ok, so here's what you do, go to class and take lecture notes because this is where all the test info comes from. Then before the test skim through the questions (YES SHE GIVES YOU THE QUESTIONS THAT WILL BE ON THE TEST...SHOWS HOW HARD THIS CLASS IS) and see if any of it you can't get from your lecture notes, then go to the reading and try and find it. I'd say I read about 1/3 of the reading and I got an A. Plus she gives you 4 opportunities for extra credit where all you have to do is watch a movie and write a paragraph about it. The movies were all really interesting and there was one where these Palestinian people went back to their homes that were taken over by Israel. It was really sad. But for the D2 requirement, this is the best class to take because its not economics, its easy and its interesting. Plus you actually learn something that you can use in the real world and be knowledgable about. Take this class and enjoy it and don't listen to the bums who say its hard and biased.

She is a very nice person, however she is very liberal and goes out of her way to make sure everyone knows it. The extra credit movies were all alternative media sources and were pretty much boring, i only went for the credit. The tests are not hard, just take good notes and go to class. Its an easy A if you work for it

As a journalist now working for an international news agency, I am grateful to have taken Foroohar's class. I don't think many people realize that the information she presents in class is composed of years of research and experience synthesized into organized lectures (much of which isn't easily accessible once you're done with school). The views she presents are provocative, but absolutely necessary. Learn from her, even if you don't agree. There's a great big world outside of Cal Poly, and Foroohar succeeds in opening up a window to give her students a glimpse.

This class is the best at Poly that I have taken thus far and is so relevant to current politics in the Middle East. Foroohar is passionate and represents a unique view, rarely espoused by the mainstream media. Her class is very easy two essay exams based on supplemental readings and two 20 question multiple choice exams. Overall her class is only out of 100 points so you know exactly where you stand. Also she offers extra credit movies where you can earn up to 10 points. Take this class if you want to finally understand the Israeli-Palestinian conflict!

I wouldn't say this class is the easiest class, because i struggled to get an A. To do well in the class you really just have to keep up on your readings, do all the questions that she gives you, which is a hell of a lot of questions, but seriously, if you do them, study them, you'll ace the essay exams. The true/false exams are hard in the way that the cover SO MUCH material in only 20 questions...so in a way that really sucks and it's kinda unfair... but in the end she gives you 10 points extra credit opportunities. After the first test I got a D, and i thought i was going to fail this class... but i ended up with an A! So...you just have to put effort in it. It's actually pretty interesting. only the readings get too long. And don't leave the book, "Bitter Fruit" until the very end... start early.

Good class with interesting subject matter/material. However, she has an interesting accent which, when paired with lights off and a powerpoint presentation, nearly put me to sleep every time. The reading material is also rather dry, but the class was worth it.

10% extra credit for watching 4 decent videos that you definately should do. The I got B's on the two true or false exams because i hate that format. For the essays, she gives you one easy and one hard question so make sure you know them all. Reading the book is annoying but i finished in in two weeks and it definately was not worth it for 20 questions that i did bad on. She's really nice and the class is enjoyable although i did fall asleep a couple of times because its dark. Make sure you go to take notes...they help and are like the outline for the essays. The class changes your views and you will most likely end up pro-palestinian. Overall, I enjoyed it.

I loved this teacher! by far the best I have had at poly. The reading is dry but the lectures are pretty interesting. There are no papaers for the class. just two 20 pt. T/F multiple choice tests and two essay midterms which consist of two essay questions. study and do your work and you will get a lot out of the class!

For all of you that have signed up to take this class and not read this yet, I apologize. I just finished taking this class with Professor Foroohar, and it was by far the worst class I have taken and probably will be the worst I take at Cal Poly. I have not yet received my grade, but should get a B or a C, not bad at all. I have two problems with Professor Foroohar though, one her ridiculous expectations, and two her complete and utter bias towards the State of Israel. Her expectations were far beyond anything Cal Poly expects, to succeed in this class you need to spend all your time working on this class, the readings, the studying, the detail. Her bias was out of control, any reading that had to do with Israel was anti Israel, and it wasn't even hidden. Over and over she continues to bash Israel, in lecture, readings, and the movie she shows. When it comes to her tests you have two true false, one for the first half of class, and the second on the book Bitter Fruit, which is not worth reading for one test, true false sounds easy but it is much harder than it sounds, they are each 20 percent of your grade and can include any little detail from your reading or lecture notes. The other two test are essay tests, both 30 percent of your grade, and two questions each. Once again if you miss one detail you will be marked down on it. I know that this is only one persons opinion but I advise you to not take her class, it is too much work and very irritating and long to sit through.

214 was one of the most interesting classes I have ever taken, there's a lot of material, but if you take notes and pay attention you'll do fine. If you don't find the middle east interesting, don't take the class, the only way to do well is if you actually care about the material. I never read the online readings and I barely studied and ended up with a 99%. She also gives tons of extra credit, I mean like 15%, and its really easy, all you have to do is watch a movie and write a paragraph about it for like 3%. I thought she did a great job explaining things, as good as anyone could do. If you don't understand something, just ask questions or go to her office, she knows a lot about the subject. She has a bit of an accent but it wasn't hard to understand her. And to everyone saying she's antisemitic, you're a moron because you don't know what semitic means (Arabs are considered semitic too and I know she's Persian, but she doesn't hate Arabs) and if you actually know anything about the conflict in Palestine, you would know how skewed it is here and realized everything she tells you is true, you're right, she doesn't talk about terrorist attacks, but you already know about that. Does your calculus teacher talk about arithmetic? No! That would be a waste of time. So if you find the middle east interesting, defiantly take this class, it was the most fascinating class I have taken at Cal Poly.

She is a great professor, the class covers a lot of material in short time, so be prepared to actually learn things. It's a very interesting class, I actually enjoyed going to class and listening to her lectures. And, no, she is not bias to Israel, she is just presenting a big issue in the region that most don't know about and that the media does a good job of washing down. I thought I was having trouble in the class but because of the extra credit, I got a 95%, you don't need to read everything, I did read the book, but rarely the stuff online. All you really need for the essay tests are from the lectures, and the true/false quiz's contain very simple questions that you just know or don't. Not a bad class, and very interesting.

This professor/class is AMAZING! She really knows her stuff, considering she is from Iran and is a historian specializing in Latin America. Her lectures are not always the most exciting but for the most part I highly enjoyed going to class. She is really funny and realistic...and lets the class out about 20 minutes early most of the time. Her tests are easier than she makes them sound, so don't freak out, but still know the material. It is extremely important to go to every single lecture and take really thorough notes, or else you will actually have to do the longgg reading assignments. I did not read a single unit assignment and barely read half of Bitter Fruit and managed an almost perfect score in the class because I studied my notes...big time. So realy, take good notes and study them well and you will be fine. Professor Foroohar is such a great teacher and really covers all the coursework completely. I went into this class thinking I was about to get an F for sure since I had no previous knowledge of Latin America or anything going on in the Middle East [I admit, I was stupid in such matters], but now I really know what's going on. I HIGHLY RECOMMEND THIS CLASS. Do the extra credit, it's easy and it helps a lot...and you will actually learn something from it, too. Oh, and lastly, go to class with an open mind and a positive, respectful attitude...some days when I had to sit near the back, a few people would always complain about how much they hate the class and nothing ever makes sense...but that's probably because they rarely came to class, didn't take any notes, were too busy texting, and had no desire to learn anything about anything that was not directly affecting them. TAKE THIS CLASS!

This was my favorite class that I've taken at Cal Poly. She goes back and forth between the Middle East and Latin America, so you don't have to just drone on with one for 5 weeks then the other for the next 5. I didn't know a lot about the Middle East and the history of the people there, but after taking the class it was so helpful. And when I thought I knew a lot about Latin America, she taught me more than I had previously ever even knew. She gives 2 Essay Tests and 2 Multiple Choice. One of the multiple choice tests was for the book Bitterfruit, which is interesting but a little like a textbook sometimes. However if you read it, and then fully understand her notes about it, then you will do just fine. I read it in the last week of school and got an A, however that doesn't work for everyone. The final was only 10 minutes too. Also, if you do all of the essay questions that come with the readings before the tests, you will do great on them! Her notes for the most part give all the answers to them anyway. Basically, if you are completely attentive in class, you can slide on the readings and get an A. Just pay attention and take good notes. Also, I've read people complaining about the bias, but she'll be the first person to tell you this. She wants to give the side of the story that most people don't hear. Definitely take this class if you enjoy learning about the basis of issues going on in these two areas today, and what lead up to them.

Foroohar was an excellent teacher. I loved going to her class. She wants people to do well in the class, since the simple grading methods. She also realizes that this is generally a GE course and isn't expecting you to devote 100% of your time. However, you do have to study for the tests, two short T/F tests and two essay exams. The first T/F test is easy, the essay exams are straight from the lecture and the last T/F is on the book. I only read 20 pages of the book and got a B+ on the test, so obviously not that hard. She also gives you plenty of opportunity to get extra credit. I recommend going to the talks, it's free points. If you pay attention in lecture, take good notes, this is a very simple class. Also, make sure you are open-minded since the topics can get controversial.

I absolutely loved this class. I learned so much about the world outside of FOX news and CNN that we in America rarely ever get to see. This professor is very dedicated to free speech in her classroom and her lectures are actually really interesting. Also, she gives all the questions that will be on the essay tests ahead of time, so that you know exactly what to expect. She gives plenty of opportunity for extra credit, too (up to 10 full points). I ended up with 100% in this class because I actually did the reading, went to class (almost) every day, and did the extra credit.

She is a completely amazing teacher and her class and lectures support that. Everyday I was excited to go to class because you learn more and more about what going on globally and you expand your knowledge and awareness about todays media, but more importantly she urges you to learn and make your own opinions on current politics and issues. Although this class seems requires a lot of reading, it is completely worth it and I enjoyed it. Its a fairly easy class if you take good notes and take the time to learn them, I gave pretty good effort because I loved what she taught however its easy to slip into the B range if you dont keep up. She is my favorite teacher and this was my favorite course at CP so far.

Foroohar was an amazing teacher. Although biased, she states so towards the beginning of the class. She presented the material via powerpoint/lecture and her questions were straight from the lectures and readings. I got an A because I attended class and I did the readings and can guarantee that anyone who goes to class and does the homework will get at least a high B, if not an A. I would recommend her to anyone and would gladly take any other classes she has to offer at Cal Poly.

TAKE HER... I am a student who hates history and for the first time I actually understood why some people might like it! Her class is based off a 100 point scale. She also offers you 10 points extra credit throughout the quarter! You have 2 20 questions True/False tests and 2 Essay tests worth 30 points each. For her essay test though she gives you "sample questions" which she promises will be identical to the essay questions, so basically you have your essay questions in advance. She is a very good and easy to follow lecturer so if you take solid notes, you won't need to do any of the readings. TAKE HER

FUCK MANZAR!!! she is an absolute fucking bitch...she can't teach for fucking shit and the entire class is out of 100 points, so if you mess up once your fucking screwed. she speaks shitty ass english, and is totally anti-semetic...she blames all the problems in the middle east on the Israelis and the western europeans...DON'T TAKE THIS CLASS, DON'T EVER TAKE A CLASS WITH MANZAR!!! YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED!!!

Dr. Foroohar is biased. She admits this openly in the beginning; her lectures on the Middle East is a linear argument about why the US sucks and Israel is the worst thing to ever occur to human rights. It's true that you can succeed in Dr. Foroohar's class; she falls into that category of professors that gives you grades based on your ability to tell them what they want to hear. You can succeed in Dr. Foroohar's class by doing the workload, which she herself admits is a lot. You will have to read an excruciatingly large amount of dull reading, but at the end of the chapter(s) she gives you the study questions that will be on the test. You can succeed on the tests by studying the questions at the end of the chapters; she'll give you two essays based on all of the chapters, and each essay test has two study questions from the chapters. The class is interesting and informative, but you have to devote the time to do *everything*. Take Foroohar - if you think your shoulders are broad enough. What's funny is that with all the work she assigns you, she expects you to have it done on time - when in fact with the work assigned to her (i.e. grading our exams) she doesn't have to have it done on time. She finished grading our 3rd out of 4 tests the week after finals so we had no time to review them before she submitted grades.

i don't know how someone could get anything lower than a B in this class. I guess this class would be interesting for that person who has not the slightest idea of current politics or history for that matter. She did give out a lot of reading but the questions are given to you at the end of each reading and she usually couples a difficult question with a really easy one. The final was a piece of cake. 2o questions on a book? How could anyone possibly get a bad grade if they read the book? Easy Easy class, good D block to fill. Pretty boring and repetitive though.

Foroohar - Great class great instructor Her persona in class / office hours - 1) She brings both professional and personal information to discussion 2) She is passionate about the subject matter. 3) This instructor is open-minded and opinionated (THIS IS NOT A CONTRADICTION) 4) She will listen to your views and ideas with critical passion, as I would expect all my professors to do 5) She doesn't dismiss opposing views, but has clear, rational, factual information to counter those views. a. She does not eliminate or discredit all alternative viewpoints b. She makes valid casual connections c. She explains how evidence has been misinterpreted or dismissed d. She demonstrates how c leads to invalid conclusions Pedagogy - 1) READ... Read... read... 2) Listen (to her, to others, to the authors she assigns) 3) ASK... Ask... ask... 4) Notes? - sure notes, on what she says, on what the authors say and on WHAT YOU THINK! For those of you who need a "teacher" I believe our campus has study skills course/counselor that can help. For those of you who have the desire and willingness to learn you'll be fine in this class.

She was a great teacher. The lectures weren\'t always the most interesting but for a GE class it was certainly a lot more interesting than normal. She is very biased but tells everyone that on the first day of class. Her tests are hard if you don\'t prepare for them but if you do the reading and know the lecture material you will be fine. She gives extra credit opportunities to raise your grade up to 10%. The reading is relatively boring but not too overwhelming. Over all I really enjoyed the class and learned a lot.

For someone who came in knowing virtually nothing about Latin America and the Middle East situation today, this was a very eye-opening class. Foroohar\'s pretty great. She has a thick accent, but she knows her stuff and as long as you can answer all the topic questions, you\'ll do fine in the class. Definitely one of the more interesting classes for the D2 GE.

READ THIS IF YOU THINK THIS CLASS WILL BE EASY! I took Chemistry and calculus classes that were way more advanced then this last quarter, yet I spent most of my time studying for this worthless GE! DO NOT TAKE THIS CLASSS! It will cause you to spend way more time then you should for a class like this. big picture..-FOR ONLY 1 OF THE TESTS YOU HAVE TO READ OVER 200 PAGES OF WORTHLESS NONSENCE AND REMEMBER DATES AND NAMES FROM THE READING, THEN YOU HAVE TO WRITE 2 ESSAYS SHE CHOSES OUT OF 26 possible, yes I said 26. And if you write a genus essay but don\'t include every point she wanted, she markes you down. I know this because I went to her office to get an explanation as to why I didn\'t get the A the I deserved. It makes me sick that this woman is allowed to teach. Fuck her. My friends, please don\'t take this class. P.S. GO ISRAEL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Grading Policy: Two essay exams (short essays, in class)-- each 30% of final grade. Two true/false based Exams-- each 20% of final grade. Professor Manzar does not give make-up tests or hand out incompletes except in compelling circumstances such as serious illness, family emergency, etc. She also expects everyone to attend class on a regular basis and participate in class discussions. In the beginning of the quarter, Professor Manzar would do a random roll call and dock off 1% off someone\'s grade if they failed to show up for class. However this practice was discontinued later in the quarter. Homework/Load: Not much. Basically just online PDF readings assignments for each topic that provide background info (in most cases) and are not graded. Each reading assignment was about 45 pages on average. Roughly 1 reading assignment/week. I usually printed out each assignment and spent 60 minutes a week reading for this class. There is also a list of short essay topics at the end of each reading assignment. The professor draws questions from these lists to put on her short essay exams. I skipped the last 2 reading assignments because I felt she covered them pretty well in lecture. I studied more for other major classes then I did for this class. I attended all but one lectures. I usually spent 2-3 hours going over the course material with a friend the night before each exam. Bottom line: Just go to lecture, pay attention, take notes, and ask questions if you get lost. Be sure to go over notes and the main ideas of each topic with a study partner before every exam. Also, though she considers herself to be an Atheist (and thus not a Muslim), her lectures show more of the Palestinian perspective of Israel-Palestine dispute. However this really isn\'t a bad aspect of the class nor a reason to skip this professor. If anything, Professor Manzar will offer you a perspective that you can\'t get through American media, which in most cases is pro-Israel.

Grading Policy: Two essay exams (short essays, in class)-- each 30% of final grade. Two true/false based Exams-- each 20% of final grade. Professor Manzar does not give make-up tests or hand out incompletes except in compelling circumstances such as serious illness, family emergency, etc. She also expects everyone to attend class on a regular basis and participate in class discussions. In the beginning of the quarter, Professor Manzar would do a random roll call and dock off 1% off someone\'s grade if they failed to show up for class. However this practice was discontinued later in the quarter. Homework/Load: Not much. Basically just online PDF readings assignments for each topic that provide background info (in most cases) and are not graded. Each reading assignment was about 45 pages on average. Roughly 1 reading assignment/week. I usually printed out each assignment and spent 60 minutes a week reading for this class. There is also a list of short essay topics at the end of each reading assignment. The professor draws questions from these lists to put on her short essay exams. I skipped the last 2 reading assignments because I felt she covered them pretty well in lecture. I studied more for other major classes then I did for this class. I attended all but one lectures. I usually spent 2-3 hours going over the course material with a friend the night before each exam. Bottom line: Just go to lecture, pay attention, take notes, and ask questions if you get lost. Be sure to go over notes and the main ideas of each topic with a study partner before every exam. Also, though she considers herself to be an Atheist (and thus not a Muslim), her lectures show more of the Palestinian perspective of Israel-Palestine dispute. However this really isn\'t a bad aspect of the class nor a reason to skip this professor. If anything, Professor Manzar will offer you a perspective that you can\'t get through American media, which in most cases is pro-Israel.

Professor Foroohar is by far the best professor I have had at Cal Poly. Her Political Economy of Latin America and the Middle East class profoundly changed the way I think about the world. She teaches her students how to think about real issues that affect the world. Her class is composed of 2 true false tests with 20 questions on each test and 2 essay tests where you have to answer 2 essay questions on each test. Her lectures are very interesting and entertaining, so much so that I never missed a lecture. Take Professor Foroohar if you have the chance!

I was very scared about taking this class because of what I had read on PolyRatings, but despite what every one says- its not impossible to get an A, or even pass if for that matter. I can\'t sugarcoat it though, its a TON of work. Do the readings, and outline the essay topics at the end of each weekly reading assignment, because she draws the questions for the test directly from those. For the most part, the information is really boring, and Foroohar is a bitch, but the class isn\'t terrible.

I really enjoyed this class. The reading was a lot to keep up on, but I printed them up and it was easier to follow. She asks some obscure questions from the readings on the test, but most questions are from the notes, make sure you go to class and know all the material from the lectures! I couldn\'t make it to her regular office hours, but she was always willing to set up an appointment so i could review my chapter responses with her, and it was super helpful! This class was hard, but not impossible! go to the extra credit lectures, no way i would have had an A without them.

This class was not easy by any means. I\'m relatively decent at history classes, so I did well, but I know that there were people around me who did exceedingly poorly in this class. Manzar really knows what she is talking about, and despite her background I felt she was as unbiased as she could be. A major point of the class is to expose common misconceptions about Latin America and the Middle East, and to show us how American culture is biased. The last few weeks of the class is all about the Middles East conflict, personally I\'m pro-Israel and the class definitely sympathizes with Palestinians, but I definitely can appreciate learning more about the situation to be a more informed individual. Overall she teaches very well, you can get at least a B by just coming to class and taking good notes from the lectures and studying those notes. There are two essay tests and two true/false tests - overall pretty easy. She grades fairly.

This professor has an agenda. Her classes are nothing but propaganda to support her cause. While she does grade fairly, she does not accept disagreement to her opinion. I routinely would give facts showing an alternate point of view, which she could only respond to by saying \" there is no proof.\" She is relentless. Worst teacher ever, do not take.

When I first signed up this class I didn\'t know what to expect. I had a late registration and it was one of the few GEs left that I could take. I actually had a negative expectation of it because it was an 8pm class and the name sounded boring and a little intimidating. However, after taking Hist 214 with Foroohar I can easily say that it has been one of my favorite classes at Poly. Don\'t get me wrong, there is plenty of reading and preparing for the tests takes a lot of time and work but the class was so interesting and eye-opening that I didn\'t mind putting in the effort. Foroohar has a very unique perspective that isn\'t heard that often in America and she is very passionate about what she teaches. Take her if you can.

Professor Foroohar's class is very interesting. It brings in a point of view that is seldom seen by Americans on a very important topic. However, she is very biased. I think that if you take her opinion as a biased opinion it can open your eyes and make you feel strongly about the Israel/Palestinian conflict no matter which side of the argument you are on. I was not looking forward to this class, but now I am really glad that I took it because I gained a lot of knowledge that I did not have before. Overall, good class, good teacher, but do not formulate your own opinions based on everything that she has to say.

This class titled Political Economy of Latin America and The Middle East did not seem to have anything to do with political economy in my opinion until the 7th week when we started talking about Palestine. In the beginning of the class there was a lot of history about Latin America and who conquered who and other items. This class is VERY EASY if you take good notes during the lectures because all of the answers are there for you. She gives you the freaking test questions on blackboard, so basically the test is given to you on the first week. There are two true/false test and two essay test. The essay test are what is on blackboard and what i basically did was answer the questions and go over them over and over again. Because the questions are what exactly will be on the test. Well she chooses two of the questions so you need to study all of them. Honestly it wasn't even that hard to know since some were easy answers. The true false test aren't that bad neither just need good notes like i said before. The readings are USELESS, i read until the first exam and realized i am wasting my time because i did use anything i read in the exams and still got a B+. She tells you to read the book Bitter Fruit which i did not and still passed the true false final. Foroohar is a very knowledge teacher, amazed me at how she could remember all these events. Oh yeah she gives out a good amount of extra credit that will help your grade. I think without extra credit i would have gotten a B-. This class is easy if you know your shit, so study hard!

This teacher exploits the lack of knowledge of students about what is going on in the middle east. If you openly oppose her, she will tell you that you are wrong because there is no proof. If you openly oppose her with proof and make her look bad she will grade you down, and with each point counting as a percent of your grade it sucks. She gives all the facts in her readings, for example: Zionists did act x, Palestinians retaliated with act y, but will only lecture on how bad Israel is and nothing about act y. If you take her just show up, and be quiet and you will be fine.

Professor Foroohar is thorough. The readings are simple and definitely supplement the lecture notes. The first test this quarter was easy if you reviewed the notes. If you actually listen and keep an open mind, you might learn something interesting. Sure, you might have to ask a question or two (or even go to office hours and introduce yourself) to clarify a point, but Prof. Forohar is more than willing to tell you her take on it which is what you are tested on. Can't get much easier than that if you just pay attention.

If you need to fulfill a D2, and feel ok about doing a fair amount of online readings (no more than 10 pages a night if you space it out correctly, I didn't), then this is the class for you. There are only 4 tests, 2 multiple choice/ T/F, 20 points each, and 2 essay/short answer, 30 points each. If you do the study guides for the essay tests and feel pretty good about your answers, then you're bound to get a 20 at the bare minimum, probably more towards a 24. The final is a 20 question multiple choice/ T/F on the book you're supposed to read. I read 60 pages of it and we did 1 and a half lectures on the book in class and I got a 20/20 on it. Show up to class everyday, try not to fall asleep (it's hard at times), and you'll get at least a B. WAY BETTER THAN ECON 222!!!!!

Terribly boring class. Too much of your grade is riding on too little of assignments. There is only 4 things that are graded that add up to 100%.

I won't lie, Dr. Foroohar's HIST 214 course is tough. I'm still awaiting my grade in this course, which is likely to be in the C range- and I worked my butt off in this class. I chose this class because it was either this or econ with Villegas (just go see his polyratings...), and I am honestly glad I chose this course over that course. A bit about this course: there are two 20-question true/false tests, each worth 20% of your grade (miss a question, lose a whole percent), as well as two essay tests each worth 30% of your grade. In addition, Dr. Foroohar offers several extra credit opportunities, usually not exceeding 10 points (10 points=10% in this course- so GO). When it comes to the essay tests, you are given a list of practice questions which are on her blackboard (usually 20-ish questions). From that, she will choose two of these questions, and each question is graded out of 15 points (15+15=30%). On these essay tests, she is looking for solid facts (dates, names, places, etc), not bs- so know your stuff! My advice is to take good notes in class, and on the assigned readings, simply type relevant information into the "find" button and extract information from there to study for the essay test. The True/False tests are a hit or miss- basically just know what's in your notes, study with flash cards, etc. I was told by students who took this class in previous quarters that reading the Bitter Fruit book (which is the entirety of what the last t/f test is on) wasn't entirely necessary, so I skimmed it- I wish I had read it more in depth. Another piece of advice, since Dr. Foroohar is very biased, just keep in mind which "side" is "favored" in the lecture- if the favored side is shown in a positive light, the question is usually true. During office hours, Dr. Foroohar is very sweet. She is fair, she provides advice on how to improve in her course, and is very passionate about the subject she teaches. For how intimidating she is in class, I was pleasantly surprised by this. In addition, her personal stories which she tells in class provide good insight on the topic she is teaching. Overall, this is a good class. I know people who were going into the final with over 100% (it can be done), as well as people who were going into the final with a failing grade. Know how to study the first time around, get help when you need it, and you should do well.

If you are reading this, drop this course now.

the other reviews surprise me. this class is challenging, but not that much. most of my major courses (PHYS) are significantly harder than this course, and this course was a nice GE to add to my schedule. also, Dr F is GREAT. idk why people are bitching about her. everyone is being way too paranoid about her bias or whatever. its not like she can present every side of the issues. plus, any bias by my observation is minimal, if existent at all, in the course. she made sure to notify us if what she was saying was her opinion or historical data. she holds students to some pretty tough standards, expecting quite a lot, but i think you will find that the material in this class is simply fun to talk and think about, and the class won't be as hard as it seems. take it.

I hated this class at first, but it grew on me a little bit in the second half of the quarter. The material isn't easy, but it's not impossibly difficult either. Dr. Foroohar is a good enough professor. She's a bit intimidating in class, and she does voice her strong opinions every once in a while, but I didn't feel it took away from the course content. If you really dislike history, do not take this class; it'll bore you to tears. If you're not fond of history, but you can handle some fairly intense studying two or three times in the quarter, you should survive the class okay and then be done with the GE area. Two of your four tests in the quarter are essay tests with two questions. She gives you all of the possible questions at the beginning of the quarter. Use that to organize your notes and study. Write down every detail that is mentioned in class, in the days leading up to the tests, constantly go over your notes and make sure you have something to say for each topic, and you'll do okay grade-wise.

Iranian pro palestine communist, trying to convince people that America and Western Europe is the most evil institution in the world. God forbid if you are Jewish or Israeli because she has it in for you. Do not take the class.

Grading is easy, tests are simple I know im going to end up with a B, there are only four tests and she offers some extra credit so that helps too. Take the class since its easy, but man this class is biased! If you are uncomfortable with her being against Israel you probably should not take the class. Because she says she is not but then she actually is, and almost never talks about the Israeli side only the Palestine side. I think take the class just for an easy A or B.

Avoid her at all costs, worthless stupid old fool

Let me just start with this: the reviews of this class are extremely telling of the reason this class is being taught. Throughout the course of the semester, Dr. Foroohar taught extremely methodically and professionally. She would lecture with a standard pace of depth progression, and semi-frequently open up for class discussion. Her tests were the opposite of opinion-based questions, asking for specific dates and things like which countries certain leaders held movements in. She would always take any and every question asked. That being said, probably 4 people at most ever spoke out in class to ask questions or encourage friendly debate. There was one or two times, however, when some people jumped down her throat (much to the amusement of the rest of the class) for absolutely no reason (there was one instance where she told us Israel and Palestine could not agree upon borders and a student got extremely upset that she was being biased by saying this). The point of the class was to teach another perspective different than the one we have been taught all of our lives. Living in an imperialist state (this is not debatable), we have always been taught from our own perspective the course of history. Now Dr. Foroohar is trying to give us the opposite. This knowledge of both sides is VITAL to becoming a learned individual on an issue, no matter what one believes. She would always address both sides of an issue without inserting her opinion at all, but focus much more heavily on the side not discussed in American politics because that is the side we don't already know. She wouldn't be a TEACHER if she taught us things we already knew. We had two multiple choice short-answer tests throughout the year, each 20% of our grade, and two short answer tests in which she gave us the questions beforehand, each 30%, and 6-8% extra credit. The course was very easy to succeed in, and more and more of a privilege to be in as the quarter progressed. Dr. Foroohar is extremely intelligent and championing a cause (teaching the ideal less accepted) so important for the education of our humanity, but not taken up by many specifically because of students like the ones below. The nature of the assignments leave her literally no way to grade students worse because of their political beliefs or race (the ones making the comments never cared enough to make that clear anyways). The students making the comments below failed or performed poorly in the class because of their own ineptitude, and year after year the same embarrassing individuals log onto Polyratings after grades come out in a flurry of pre-pubescent fury to slander and attack this completely undeserving woman. For anyone that enjoys growing as an individual and learning a great deal from a very highly educated and experienced professor, despite maybe receiving some ideas that may not necessarily make them feel warm and fuzzy, I would highly recommend Dr. Foroohar.

Tough, tough class. Exams are extremely challenging and they make up 100% of your grade. If you're lucky enough, an extra-credit opportunity will arise but even then, don't count on it to help your grade dramatically. She is fair but she has no mercy. No excuses, no compromises, nothing. She is intimidating with how much she knows and how much materials she covers in one class. Definitely not the easiest class to pass or get through. Think twice about taking this class, for sure. Honestly.

amazing, absolutely loved her. she is a little hard to understand because of her accent, as ive heard many people find that a problem, but she's there to help. she'll answer any questions you have without being condescending or belittling. she's extremely knowledgeable and is unbiased as well as respectful of different views. you only have to worry about 2 "esssay" tests and 2 quizzes. if you take good notes and study well before the tests/quizzes, this class is an easy A.

Still taking this class, so I can't give a grade. I wanted to get the rating out of the way before I get my grade, since I'm probably going to struggle for a C. She's brilliant, and listening to her lectures is.. well, I wouldn't say fun, but more than worth the time. Granted, you have to be willing to listen to information and perspectives we usually don't encounter. That being said, the tests can be brutal. If you're not one for studying, or paying attention in lectures, or rereading materials then this isn't the class for you. She provides all of the short answer questions ahead of time so they shouldn't be a problem (60% of total grade). The T/F questions are the type of question that try to fool you. Even if she doesn't intend to, the way they read is confusing. Each is a straight forward statement ( Civilization A invaded Civilization B in the X Century and assimilated their people with Method Z), you just have to know that all the parts are right. It can be disorienting when you're testing (15ish minutes to do the multiple choice) since your mind begins to question whether it was X Century or Y Century. Everything runs together. From what I've heard, someone else wrote something along the lines of "Hardest I've ever worked for a C-"; it seems like a fairly accurate assessment. I love the class, but hate the tests. It's not worth taking if you can't put in sufficient study time or attend all the lectures.

Great professor! Take HIST 214 for your D2. She presents the important information well. The topic was easy to become interested in too. I'm so happy I took this class. The essays are easy if you prepare for them. So are the tests. Basic studying.

HIST 214 was one of the most boring classes I've ever taken in my life! Foroohar, although passionate about the subject, lacks some enthusiasm. This caused many to fall asleep during class (of course, including me) She also wasted so much time during the first few weeks taking roll for a class with 120+ students. To make the course even more enjoyable (sarcasm) the topic readings are dreadful. I had to have a caffeine drink next to me whenever I attempted to get through the readings. Do NOT take this class. Save yourself the trouble!

This was one of the easiest classes i have taken so far. Yes she is very biased, a little difficult to understand, and the lecture is extremely boring. BUT if you write down what she says along with the powerpoint you have all the answers to the "essay" tests (two short answer questions that she gives you in the beginning of the quarter) and the t/f tests should be easy if you just memorize the notes. DONT read the extra reading handouts she says to, they dont help on tests whatsoever. There is one book the the final t/f test is on, but can easily be passed without reading. I only studied for this class twice the whole quarter and ended up with a 100% in the class. She also offers a lot of extra credit that accounts up to 12% of your grade depending on how many opportunities come up.

Worst teacher I've had at Cal Poly. Hard to understand. Two tests for the entire quarter and both at the end of the quarter. Too detailed of tests

Stupid policies, Four tests including final. Missed the first 2 due to athletics, her policy was to make me take both of them on the last class, which is the day of the 3rd test. 80% of my grade was on 1 day. Very detailed tests. Difficult to understand her lectures and it is also very boring. She is very monotone throughout. Not very understanding or willing to help with grades.

Professor Foroohar presents her material in-depth, albeit her material is the same powerpoints she's probably been using for years. She is horribly unhelpful (never responded to emails) and runs her class very arbitrarily, meaning if she decides to change the concepts on the final without letting you know, she will. I will admit I am grateful for at least learning more about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict in the Middle East. I would also like to point out that the total amount of possible points in the class was 100, meaning if you mess up on one test (only 4 opportunities for points) it is extremely difficult to pull yourself back up. Mrs. Foroohar may be interesting as a conversationalist and is knowledgeable about history, but as a teacher, she failed to deliver. Not exaggerating, probably the worst teacher I've had in my entire life.

Professor Foroohar is an excellent teacher. I would go into her office hours and she would help me with anything I needed. She does have an accent that can be hard to understand sometimes, but overall she presents information very clearly and effectively. This class requires a lot of work, but as long as you pay attention and take good notes during lectures, it is an easy A.

Excellent professor. Very knowledgeable and thought provoking. One of the best at Cal Poly. She made me feel good about spending all this money coming to this school, because if you take her class, it'll be crystal clear to you that you can't get this kind of education in too many other places.

Easy A. Took this class my freshman year as a GE and spent probably 8 hours max studying for it but YOU HAVE TO TAKE NOTES! Dont do the reading! Everything i was tested on was in lecture. you should take more notes than what are on her powerpoints because her power points are mostly outlines. just add bullets of what she says. She gives no homework, you'll have two midterms non-cumulative that have 25 multiple choice questions and two essay questions. also she gives you like 3 opportunity for extra credit throughout the quarter which count for not 3 points but 3%! so do all three and you just got basically free 9% added to your final grade. basically study your notes for 2-3 hours the night before each test and if you have good notes expect at least a B

Nasty racist bitch. Dont listen to the others. Shes a freak who hates jews and everyone.

She is a racist woman who hates Jewish people and Israel. She supports HAMAS. She thinks HAMAS is a peaceful organization that only retaliates. How is this woman teaching at our school? This is Islamic infiltration of our schools, and Islamic brainwashing. Im terribly offended by her rhetoric and I call for Cal Poly to remove her. There is even a news article detailing how her being an Anti-Israeli is allowed to chair an Anti-Semitism committee.

Foroohar is a very interesting lecturer and I was impressed how she was able to talk non stop about topic for two hours straight. She is also one of the best professors I've seen in terms of answering her students questions effectively. The only negative thing I can say about this class is that it can be really boring, especially if you're not a history major like me. If you take this class, be sure to sit close to the front if you don't want to fall asleep.

This class was okay. There are 5 t/f quizzes and the final is an easy paper. I did much better on the quizzes when I didn't read, and instead just studied my notes a ton. However, make sure to read Bitter Fruit. Most people didn't do very well

Hard to understand. Her tests are 15 questions true false and extremely hard. She doesn't know how to work technology and her class was boring. She doesn't assign homework but she assigns 40 pages of reading for each topic. Bad class. Dont take her

Professor Foroohar is a pretty good teacher. Her lectures were super interesting, and you learn a lot. Watch out for the quizzes though, they sound easy but are designed to trick you. They're all true or false and often she throws one word in there that changes the answer, so read carefully. Other than that it was a fun class and not too much work. There was a lot of reading, but if you stayed on top of it it was definitely manageable.

She is a fine teacher when it comes to educating and lecturing on material. She is very thorough and describes information in great detail. However, she is extremely one-sided. I am a Jewish student, and I felt extremely uncomfortable during her discussions about the middle-east, as she presented all of the course material in ways that seemed to attack Israel. If you are uncomfortable about this, DO NOT take this class. She says she does not express her opinion, but every document you read and every video you watch is Pro-Palestinian. I wouldn't mind this if she actually presented the other side of the issue, but she didn't. Also, the blackboard readings are pointless. Study the lecture notes, and you'll be fine. Make sure to get an early start on Bitter Fruit because it will be easier to keep up with class lectures. I ended up with a B- after working my butt off. This is not an easy class.

those who are disagree with her truthful statements on Israel are probably jewish and angry. israel should not be allowed to get away with its crimes against humanity. but they are America's pet in the middle east so they can do what they want. which includes bombing hospitals.

I have no qualms about the teaching style that Dr. Foroohar implements in History of the Middle East. It's actually very easily understood and I applaud her for compiling centuries of history into 10 weeks on instruction but as far as her personal biases go, I am very disappointed. The latter portion of our course was focused on the Arab-Israeli conflict and rather than present the matter objectively explaining the influence of both parties, she remained staunchly in favor of Palestinian accusations. Not only was the lecture material influenced by Arab sentiment but all of her assigned readings for so-called "Book Reports" (which by the way were bullshit because she doesn't passout a rubric or even have a comprehensive explanation of the assignment) all ignore the Jewish diaspora and dispellment from the region that occurred for hundreds of years prior to this. It's so disappointing when a class such as this which describes such a terrible era of racisim and discrimination is taught by someone who feels the same way.

Dr. Foroohar is definitely passionate about issues in the Middle East, however History of the Middle East was basically just a way for her to shove her opinions down everyone's throats. The class consists of three tests (for which she would provide no feedback) and two book reports. The tests were all essay questions where she would ask the most random things that she would lightly brush over in lecture. For example, instead of questioning on major issues in Iran or in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, she would ask about obscure things (such as the difference between Akhbaris and Ululis--who cares? Is this a trivia class? And what does this have to do with history? She obviously just wanted to make sure we were listening to her rants). She would also test on historically debated things such as Plan D, which, if researched, one would know this "plan" is constantly debated throughout the world of historic academia. If you don't write down her opinion, she will mark you down. Her book reports are based on two non-historic books. The first is called "The Israel Lobby and US Foreign Policy" which is a political piece in which the authors argue for US military and diplomatic aid to Israel to cease immediately. It is not a historical piece, but 400+pages of a political argument. The second is called "In Search of Fatima" which is a memoir written by a Palestinian woman who recounts her life in Europe after her family leaves Palestine after the Israeli declaration of independence. Since when is a political piece and a memoir considered legitimate historical sources? They are not. Dr. Foroohar focuses only on Iran(she is Iranian) and the Israeli-Palestinian conflict instead of the history of the entire Middle East. This class might as well be titled "Dr. Foroohar's opinions on Iran and the Israeli-Palestinian conflict." This evaluation is not coming from anger as I did quite well (B) in the class, but the fact of the matter is that Dr. Foroohar is so vocally biased. I'm all for people having their own opinions, but if you teach a history class, it would be nice for history to actually be taught, not her opinion. Hey, since this is a Middle East class wouldn't it be nice to learn about, oh I don't know, IRAQ?! Take this class if you want to hear about how Iranians are the best race in the world, how Israelis suck, and how the Jewish diaspora didn't ever occur (that's right, she denies that Jews were persecuted and exiled from areas of the Middle East, Russia, Europe, etc for hundreds of years, something that is a historical fact). I'm not pro-Israel or pro-Palestine but I can tell when someone is trying to shove their opinion down your throat and ignores historical facts while doing so. I wonder if she denies that the Holocaust ever occurred too.....

As a history major I was eager to take this class and gain knowledge about the Middle East....while I did gain much knowledge per say...this class is incredibly biased. You will read books by discredited historians such as Ilan Pappe and by anti israeli writers who take quotes criminally out of context to make their points. Through researching for class projects and such, i found that there is essentially an entire industry online devoted to slandering Israel with false quotes and false data. Remember to always check the primary source of the quote!!! Remember don't be an idiot and believe everything your professor says as truth and you will be fine. Your an adult now. Im glad I took this class because i gained valuable insight into the anti-israel position, so I am better aware of the b.s so many now seem to take as the truth....

I'm currently taking my 4th class with Professor Foroohar, and I fail to understand what everyone gets so upset about. To those who say she is biased, she is, but I challenge you to name a single person in your class who is not. At least she is aware and willing to acknowledge that her biases, since she realizes that all of us form opinions based on our experiences and backgrounds. Perhaps you need to take a closer look at your own biases before ranting about someone else's. Moreover, you will not be marked down for having a different opinion. Especially since her tests focus on the people/organizations that shape the regions and their ideas and programs, rather than anyone's interpretation thereof. Also, everyone gets worked up about how she is anti-Israel. She is passionate about social justice in all regions of the world, so that colors her opinion, but she presents the situation as a complex problem without an easy answer. You don't have to agree with everything she says, you just have to be able to think more critically about situations that have been oversimplified in most of our understandings of them. As far as the classes go, Foroohar is stuck as the only history professor with any specialization in either Latin America or the Middle East, so her classes are the only ones that cover these regions. That's quite lot of material to cover in a quarter, so she generally decides to focus on a few countries from the region as case studies rather than skimming over every country and never going into any depth. She's really not that difficult of a professor, as long as you actually attend class. Her essay tests come straight from her lectures, and the readings, though she stresses them and they are helpful, are really only supplemental. It's what she says during lecture that matters most. (so don't just copy the slide and go check facebook) The hardest things are that her accent can be difficult for some students to understand, and that you have to make sure when you ask a question, that you are clear about what you're asking so that she can give a more helpful answer. Many students complain because there aren't clear guidelines on her projects, but I think that's more because students are so used to being babied by their professors that they need everything spelled out to a t. Take advantage of the fact that she doesn't specify page limits or or strict procedures. As long as you present a thorough, critical analysis of your topic, how long it is or how its formatted doesn't really matter so much.

She is a pretty good lecturer. Your grade is based on 3 true/false and 2 essay like tests. Tests and quizes are fair and are straight from her lectures. Pretty straight foward class. If you are a good listener and take good notes you will not have to read any of the assignments.

A good professor. Don't be fooled by the large size of the class though. Dr. Foroohar's exam are part mult choice, part fill in and require at least one real in class essay (1-1.5 pg).

She will ramble on all quarter long, and expect you to write pages and pages for her numerous exams. Tough woman. Great person, but needs to ease up on her tests. Take this class @ summer school J.C

This was a tough class for me for the following reasons: Her lectures are extremly boring, Her accent is very hard to understand, Writing down everything she says is nearly impossible-but a must to do well in the class, She is obviously not exited about what she is teaching, and she does alot of complaining, trying to sway students opinoins (teachers salaries, wars, corrupt US government, etc.). I had friends take her and get 'A's while other people I know (and myself) failed. You must take exellent notes, but it is very hard to do when the lights are low, she has trouble speaking clearly, and she is lacking enthusiasm in what she is teaching. Take another teacher.

Her mastery of the material is awe inspiring. Her accent made her a little hard to understand, but kept me on my toes. She lectures from few notes, offers comprehensive outlines, has sample test questions available, and reviews for all tests thoroughly. Her midterms were multiple choice, as was the final. Only one essay-type test was given & it was fairly easy. Class lecture notes were more valuable than any reading, don't miss her class!

She is extremely hard to understand. I went to this class and fell asleep almost every day because I could not understand anything she said and her lectures are not very inspiring. Tests are very easy, and all of her lectures and tests are primarily based on the reading. Easy to not attend class and still get a good grade as long as you read. Be careful though she takes random attendance

This class really isn't that difficult if you can stay awake. I managed to fall asleep every single class lecture, fail one test, and still pull a B+. Extra Credit is key!! Good person, teacher, who really understands the material well. A little hard to understand, and remember to objective, otherwise she'll easily persuade you to hate the Jewish government. The essay tests can be difficult, but not nearly as difficult as staying awake.

To the person who said "she's clearly not excited": You are DEAD WRONG. This woman has more passion about History than anyone I've ever met at Poly. Her lectures are excellent and her tests are frankly way too easy compared to what she could do. She may be opinionated but she explains clearly to everyone at the beginning of class that this is a fact of life in History. In fact she teaches you to extract the truth from facts and not from opinions. Given this, she makes a genuine effort to pass people who may not be interested in any History. But don't fall asleep through her class, she could call on you to ask questions.

Foroohar seems to have mistaken the podium for a pulpit. Her politics interfere with the teaching of the class. She is from Iran and tries to convince you that the U.S. is horrible and the Middle East is perfect. She is also rabidly anti-Israel. It's like she's trying to make us hate our country. The U.S. has its problems (and there is some corruption), but she fails to see its good points. She conveniently overlooks the bad points of Middle Eastern countries. However, I am willing to acknowledge good points of the Middle East. I don't want to get into an us vs. them argument. There's a lot of overly patriotic people today, in the U.S. and the world. They refuse to aknowledge the possibility their country may be wrong. They have an extremely narrow point of view and no tolerance for others. We mustn't let these people foster hatred between us and our fellow countries. Midway through the quarter, I could not take it anymore and withdrew from the class.

I had Dr. Foroohar two years ago before 9/11. The material she taught in that class really opened my eyes to the rest of the world. For some of the people who are diappointed, I'm sorry. If you want to keep hearing the same old stuff taught to you in history classes since 4th grade, this class isn't for you. She challenges conventional notions of history and backs up her teachings with good evidence. I found that some people in the class gave her a hard time because of what she said about Israel. But I didn't hear a single point be credibly disputed. Talking about Israel may not be "fashionable" at home around your dinner table, but I'm here to learn something other than what my parents believe. Sometimes truth isn't what we want to hear. The accent is completely understandable, not at all "thick." I found that tests are easy if you've been attending.

Foroohar isn\'t the greatest professor in the world, but she\'s not the hard-ass overly biased professor many think. Certainly she is ambiguous throughout the quarter, lecturing on things of questionable relevance and going off on unnecessary tangents, but lecture is pretty much a restatement of the readings. DO THE READINGS and you\'ll be pretty good. Ask questions in class repeatedly until you get the answer she wants and don\'t procrastinate on your paper assignment. It takes longer than you\'d expect. Your grade consists of two essay-based exams and a research project. She thinks she is being easier on you by not giving you an official paper, but a detailed outline is probably more difficult in the long run. You get study guides before the exams but they can be extremely long and only somewhat helpful. The class was divided between studies of Cuba and Mexico during the term I took it but I\'m sure she changes it every once in a while. There are better classes but don\'t be upset if you get stuck with this one. I wouldn\'t recommend it for those of you looking for GEs though.

I have never tried so hard to end up with a C- before. I am an A and B student, and while I admit I took more units this quarter than any other quarter during my Cal Poly career and simply did not have time to complete all the reading Prof. Foroohar assigned, I felt like I could not succeed on the tests no matter how hard I tried. The class was not structured in a way that is optimal for my learning style (basically, stating a list of bullet points off PowerPoints from one end of the quarter to the other), but even when I felt as though I was remembering all the points I wanted to remember for the two-essay-question exams (even when I wrote EVERY single fact I could possibly remember about the question), I received a D on the tests. Prof. Foroohar seemed frustrated that students were struggling, which made me feel uncomfortable going to her for help. Even when I have to try hard to succeed, I don't usually feel like I am struggling in a class, but that's how I felt the entire quarter in HIST340. (Also, I was frustrated by the fact that "History of Modern Latin America" only included a detailed outline of prominent Mexican presidents before wrapping up the class by spending the last few weeks studying Cuba. I thought I would leave with a more well-rounded understanding of South American/Caribbean countries, but that just wasn't the case)

Dr. Foroohar is a gift to the Cal Poly History Department. She is high quality, extremely intelligent, and a great lecturer. I also had her for History 214, which is usually her most controversial class. I knew I loved her when on the first day she explained how often she gets reports of being biased on class evals. "Of course my class is biased" she said. How could it not be? This woman was born and raised in the Middle East. She presents to you in whatever class she teaches a side of history you will not have seen otherwise. She shows you a break from "official histories" or the sides to history that different countries would LIKE you to believe. If you have issues with freethinking and quesitoning of traditional narratives, maybe you should not be in college at all. As someone personally completely unbiased and uninterested in issues regarding the Middle East and Latin America prior to taking any of Foroohar's classes, I think she is skillful at presenting the facts, but does not pretend not to have an opinion.

Honestly the worst professor I have ever had, and that, pathetically, includes all the professors I had at junior college. Your entire grade will be made up by the midterm and final. For the tests, she gives you a "study sheet" that includes over 70 terms/names. Then, she chooses two of those items for you to write an ESSAY about. You don't just write like a short response, but an essay. So basically, you are given 75 essay prompts with no idea of how to narrow it down. It is seriously impossible. She is the worst teacher in the history of the world and I would never take her class ever again even if my life depended on it.

Before I enrolled in 341 (Modern Central America), I read the Polyratings for Dr. Foroohar. After reading the comments, I was disinclined to take any of her classes. Now, three weeks into the quarter, I'm glad I enrolled in her class. She has an amazing knowledge of modern Central America and is able to pull facts (major and obscure) out of her brain in an instant. Although she has an accent, it is neither distracting nor hard to understand

The last person who posted on here is either Dr. Foroohar or someone who has absolutely no objectivity. I don't know what facts this person is talking about... I have the same class and all she does is read straight off of the powerpoint slide. Takes some real skill to pull that out of your brain. As far as objectivity? Yeah some guy pointed out that the book has inconsistencies. But, lets think about this one. You are using a book to prove your point when events such as the death of the father and brother are either false or exaggerated and crucial to the book for drawing sentiment to the plight of the peasant... that seems pretty major to me. Lets however assume that she didn't lie as well concerning the peasants. Perhaps that is how they live but the fact remains that if you compromise integrity in one aspect you lose credibility in all. There is also the case of bitter fruit. She constantly cites from that book, particularly about the revolution in Guatemala. Yet when she "offers" the dissenting view of the other book who explains it? Yeah, that goes to someone in the class audience who didn't even give an adequate review and we move on because it is "sufficient." The problem is the guy shows some serious problems in Bitter Fruit, most notably the fact that he gives hard proof that, indeed, communists were at the high level of government and in control of the media arm. Yet there is no mention of this... Just that "his wife was a communist." Or, for more objectivity, lets talk about the video she showed in class. It is funny because it is amazing how distorted some things are. Granted Iran-Contra was shady, yet the film portrays the Sandinistas as heroes who were out for the common worker. Too bad the film doesn't tell you who they interviewed among the peasants, especially since there were very few dissenting voices shown. All in all the class isn't hard if you can rattle off what her version of history is. Just be prepared to sit through a lecture that is like watching paint dry.

very interesting course material and excellent teacher. learned a ton and highly enjoyed the class and the teacher. she is a great teacher and has lots of personal experience in latin america. go to class because they are essay tests and a book you have to read.