Gooden, Reginald  

I would only recommed this professor if you learn well form the book alone. His grading and testing is fair but his style of teaching lacks personality.

Gooden was not a very effective teacher he goes off of the subject matter constantly and never gets his point across. When asked to explain something in further detail he made little effort to do it. Gooden does not even take the time to explain the subject matter when you go visit him during his office hours. Take this class only if you are prepared to read and learn on your own. The majority of the material on the test comes out of the book and the on-line supplement that comes with the book is very helpful. I honestly only attend 7 of the class days and those included 2 midterms, the final, and the first day of class. His lectures where so boring and so pointless that going to his lecture proved to be a waste of time.

DO NOT TAKE GOODEN! FIRST OF ALL, HE GETS PAID FOR DOING NOTHING. HE DOESN'T TEACH, HE TAKES EVERYTHING OUT OF THE BOOK. SO, NEEDLESS TO SAY, YOU DON'T NEED TO GO TO CLASS. I DID MOST OF THE TIME THOUGH...BIG MISTAKE! ALSO, HIS TESTS ARE SO SPECIFIC THAT YOU COULD READ EERYTHING AND STILL DO BAD ON HIS TESTS. AVOID THIS TEACHER AT ALL COSTS!!

Gooden is just NOT a good teacher. That's all it comes down to. His lectures had very little to do with the subject matter. If I were you, I would think twice about taking this professor. I think he was trying to impress us when he taught the class without any sort of notebook or aid. It resulted in a very random lecture which had little to do with any of the material on the test. DO NOT TAKE GOODEN.

I have read and concur with all previous evaluations of Professor Gooden. He really doesn't teach anything, and I proved it by only going to class 7 times (same deal as the other guy above, except I wouldn't have gone one time if I knew the midterm had been moved). However, I HIGHLY RECOMMEND THIS COURSE to anyone taking political science 110. This class is an absolute joke, provided that you read the book and do the online tests (many questions on Gooden's tests are the EXACT questions on the online ones). I cannot see how anyone could possibly get anything but an A, unless they're not reading the text or are complete fools. Bad professor, but the class is an easy 12 quality points.

For those of you who thought you were going to take a political philosophy class from the Ace pitcher for the 86' Mets, you are sadly mistaken, that's another Doc Gooden. This Doc Gooden is a douchebag. Jesus H. Christ, he is a terrible professor. He is disorganized, condescending in class, and has set new, high, standards for how boring a lecture can be. He also, on occassion, smells like cat pee. You'd be a damned fool to take his class, a damned fool.

"...smells like cat pee"? What? Did you go and sniff his running shorts? Stop trashing the guy. He did just what he told us he would do--take the questions out of the book. His lectures supplemented the reading. If you expect the instructor to put an outline on the board, go back to high school. If you want entertainment, go back to Sesame Street. If you want to know something about the Constitution, take this guy.

Dr.Gooden is by far the worst teacher I have had at Cal Poly. His lectures are unorganized, unstructured, and uninteresting in general. He asks questions of the class that are hard to figure out whether they are rhetorical or if he really expects an answer. He is not at all interested in the student's understanding and seems to be in his own world while he is speaking. There really is no purpose in attending class as he does not add anything to supplement the reading, he actually spends the whole classtime reading the text instead of analyzing it. He does not at all aid in interpreting the writings of Plato, Aristotle...he is also very condescending to students who ask questions that he cannot provide an answers for. It's a shame that the University tolerates such poor teaching. I can't believe I am actually paying to take his class.

Professor Gooden sure means well, and knows his material...he just lacks in the presentation of the material. During some sections of the course, he didn't explain the material in a chronological manner - he kept skipping around which made it confusing. But don't worry, everything he covers is in the book. Most students will be happy to know that there are no homework assignments except reading. I didn't ever have to write an essay for this class because you can choose to take more multiple choice questions instead of answering the essay (on the two midterms and the final). If you're a freshmen, this class should be easy if you payed attention in your High School U.S. History and Government classes. -CpX

I would say this class was pretty easy. Professor Gooden's tests are fair and should be easy as long as you read the assigned pages out of the book. His lectures are not as important for the tests. I dont know why he received so many bad reviews. He seemed very accomadating when it came to makeups and whatnot. His class is fair and he seemed like a very nice guy to me.

Gooden is the creapiest mother fucker i've had as a teacher. He'll talk for two minutes, then stop, pause, and smile. The smile is deadly as hell because you think hell rape you in the bushes or something. His class is a joke. The lectures are terrible, he won't even write words down on the board. He writes abbreviations, and then he'll get sidetracked and start talking about the correlation between porn and republicans. The material has to be learned by reading the book, which is ca-ca. His class is a good place to do HW, but other than that, dont listen to him, he will only confuse you. If you HAVE to take his class, dont go to it, just read the book at home. He's 100+ YRS old so give him a break.....yeah.... i'll break his skull alright...

Professor Gooden was not a hard class really, he would just talk the whole time. He's a small, old man, but he knows politics and government like no other, he's extremely intelligent. I often found his lectures a little confusing, because he seemed to ramble and throw in random facts and stories. He assigned weekly reading, but wouldn't really follow it too strictly with his lectures. **Use the online study guide for the book** I stopped reading after the first midterm, and just studied from the online guide before the tests. There are two midterms and a final test, all multiple choice, but you have the option to write a multi-page, extremely in-depth essay in exchange for not doing 25 multiple choice. Needless to say, nobody ever did the essay. The tests aren't very easy either way, but he does curve. You would have to work a bit to get an A, but a B comes fairly easy.

um yeah...there isnt much else i can say about this guy that hasnt already been said. his tests reflect nothing from his lectures, the reading is a little much and its just not a good class. his tests are almost straight from the book citing examples and statistics as questions. gooden is retiring at the end of spring quarter '03 so there is something encouraging. so if you get him before he retires...that sux. READ THE BOOK fuck the lecture. thats pretty much it. good luck, you'll need it.

Wow, thank GOODENess that is over. This man is incredibly talented at being boring. I don't doubt the fact that he is passionate about his subject, but this guy just stunk royally when it came to lecturing. They just got more and more convoluted. I mean, really convoluted. Kind of like Alice and Wonderland or Monty Python or something, except really boring. He regurgtates the book, so read but dont go. If you do go, you are a chump for life. Fortunately for Dr. Gooden, and all of us, he will soon be flyfishing in Montana, because he is RETIRING after this quarter, or so he says. He's a nice guy, and fair guy, but his teaching smells like clams.

here's my fist word of advice.... don't even go to class. You really only need to be there for the first day (for roll call), and for the midterms and finals. I would like to start by saying that i loved the course material. I found poli sci to be very interesting, and enjoyed studying the book. That being said, lets talk about Gooden. Going to his class is a complete waste of time. The midterms and the final come directly from the book. There is even a website provided that gives you sample test questions, some of which Gooden even puts on the test. the rest are really similar. so why does this guy even lecture? Nothing from his lecture was even on the test. I went to class every day and took good notes on his lectures. When the tests came around, i realized that NOTHING he had lectured on had anything to do with the textbook or what ws on the tests. He is really old and talks really slow and quietly. I fell asleep every day in class just because he was so boring. This is a pretty easy class and If you read the book and work on the practice questions you will do fine. It is actually an interesting class, but it would have been a lot better with a more lively prof and lectures that actually related to the tests.

So far almost everyone on polyratings has been correct. This guy is like one of those high school teachers you wonder about how they graduated college. His lectures have absolutely nothing to do with the tests. He asks questions to the class that no one can answer, and just smiles like he will rape you. Even though he is by far the worst professor known to man, his class was a joke. I went to 6 out of the 20 classes, didn't read the book and never studied but still got a high B in the class. If you did well in high school government you will do well in his class. The only question is whether or not this class is a waste of your time. I'm mad at myself for going to those 6 classes because that is 12 hours of my life I will never get back.

If you like classes that you never need to show up for and can just read the book, then this one is for you. I showed up to class maybe once every 3 weeks, and that was a waste. Gooden is one of the worst lecturers ever. Besides the fact that he's a short old guy with a crazy smile and some creepy eyes, Gooden will start talking about one subject, jump to anoher, write a word or two on the board, and then talk about something else. I wouldn't recommend even buying a notebook for this class. There are however a few good things about his class. 1) his test are curved...he gives you two 50 point mid-terms, 25multiple choice and 25 either multiple, choice or essay(nobody did the essay) which are CURVED. A final with 50 points in the same format, and another 50 cumulative points: 25 that are multiple choice questions, with 25 points of either mult, fill-in, or essay, all of which is CURVED. Also he gives you a website with study questions that are helpful, and soem test questions are exactly the same as those on the website. I put little effort in and simply went to the website and studied vocab and got a b.

I really can't say much about Gooden as a professor (I only went to class on exam days), but I can see what other students are talking about below. He seemed like a pretty creepy guy, but I just tuned him out. This is a perfect class for seniors who have that one last GE to fulfill. I pretty much approached this class from a self-study perspective. I did the reading and used the textbook website to prepare for the exams. The multiple choice questions were very simple, mostly common sense. If you want an A with as little work as possible, take this class. Good luck.

Pretty much the worst class of the whole year.. i would avoid this professor a all costs.... i wanted to shoot myself everytime i went to class... and if you have to take him DONT do it at 8 in the morning!!!

Gooden is a very smart man, and I'm sure he means well. Unfortunately, his lectures are EXTREMELY boring. He doesn't take role, so you don't really need to go to class. He says the tests focus on the information he lectures on, but all you really need to do is read the book and do the sample tests online. IF you go to lectures, pay attention to the court cases - there are a lot and they are SOOO boring, but he will tell you which ones will be on the test (so that's helpful!)

I'll be honest, I'm not the best student, but he's not that bad. Whats great about this guy is that you don't need to show up, just read the book he assigns and you'll be fine, i finished the midterms and finals in less than 15 minutes, all multiple choice questions. very boring lectures though, read the book and take the practice online quizzes cause the test questions are from the books online quizzes

He was the best teacher I have EVER had. I don't know why everyone complains about him. He is so so so interesting and compassionate. He is my favorite teacher and for an older man, I think he is pretty attractive.

A very dull prof. who does a poor job at explaining or sparking any interest in the subject matter. You get the feeling that he is there only because he has to be.

Dr. Gooden, first of all, is not fit to hold a Ph.D., if he really even has one in the first place. His lectures on philosophy make you want to die as he simply regurgitates what is in the book but fails to explain it at all. He doesn't care what you think either, since he believes he is Plato and no one else, not even the guy who writes Cliff's Notes, knows a thing. Don't try to put your opinion down when writing essays, just repeat what crap he spews in class and you will be fine, I am proof of that. However, his class is a good place to get work done for other classes, and of course for naps. That is about it. Don't go into the class expecting to learn philosophy either, because you won't. If you are a POLS major, take another teacher for 230, it is simply not worth it. I think I am now dumber from having taken the class.

this man should retire, gives political science a horrible impression to students. boring, dry, and i didn't learn one thing.

Okay seriously guys. I have never had such an awful experience in any class. This guy is just ridiculous. I got a B+ on the midterm and realized that it was completely pointless to go to class. After the midterm I missed 3 classes (literally 3), and when I went in for help he told me he wouldn't help me because I "stopped caring about this class". He accused me of lying when I said that I'd only missed a coupld of classes, and acted like a little girl who got her feelings hurt. He told me my grade on the final would prove that I didn't go to class. I ended up with a B- in the class, which is my lowest grade in my entire life. This class makes you dumber. You are losing information by sitting in it. PLEASE don't waste your time and effort.

So I was completely avoiding this course but had to take it with Gooden because I was about to graduate. I hardly went to class before the midterm and got a C. I didn't do any of the readings but instead searched online to find essays that he gives you in advanced for the tests. For the final I started attending class more and taking notes(although he is completely incoherent). I ended up getting an A in the class because your final grade (if better then your midtern) is your grade in the class. I am pretty embarrassed to say this, but once I started attending the class I actually started to respect the guy. Crazy huh? So if your in my situation just swallow your pride and take the class; it wasn't a complete waste of time.

Gooden is perhaps one of the most boring teachers at Poly. I would shoot myself in the head, or at least transfer if i had to take this guy for two more classes; like some poor souls might have done in prior years. Thank god for the incoming teachers that are quickly replacing the likes of Gooden and actually provide some inspiration in their teaching methodologies. It is clear Gooden knows political philosophy, he lectures almost off the top of his head, which is also why his lectures are so boring and do not give students proper insight to the material that would allow for better essays for the tests. When he said we were the last class he was teaching, i seriously hope for future students he meant it.

Okay, basically if you are a POLS major then this a required course. But all I can say is stay far far away from Gooden. This professor is the worst I have ever had. He is rude and downright ignorant. He is unwilling to help and could care less if you understand anything that comes out of his mouth. I went to his office hours twice and he was of no help at all. He has definietly lost his touch with teaching and this man needs to retire ASAP. He gives a midterm and a final, both are two essays. I never did the reading and instead just looked up everything on the internet (because he gives you a list of possible essay prompts ahead of time). I got a C on my midterm and I wound up with a B- in the class, so I guess that means I did better on the final. But regardless this class is almost painful. Stay AWAY.

Business majors: A degree for the intellectually impaired, HA HA.

Gooden was the most boring, unorganized instructor I have ever had at Poly. He droned on in lectures and his huge, essay tests had nothing to do with the class. Many students went to complain or talk to him, and he was unwilling to help them out or explain the material in any detail. So, even if you read, and attend (and stay awake through) every class, the tests will still be irrelevant. Avoid Gooden like the plague!

Gooden is a difficult prof, no doubt about it. He is probably too difficult for most undergrads to appreciate. He is challenging and a must take for someone who is pre-law or interested in political theory.

Gooden means well, but his lectures made no sense. He doesn't explain the material clearly at all. Your grade is based on one midterm and one final... if you do better on the final, he'll give you that grade in the class and totally disregard the midterm grade. I thought I was done for after I took the final, but I ended up doing all right in the class. If you absolutely must take POLS 334, DON'T TAKE IT WITH GOODEN if at all possible.

All of the things people said before are true about Gooden, except that now he only gives two tests and they are mandatory essay format. I am in the process of studying for one and have absolutely no idea what is going on. Believe everyone when they say do not go to class. I have gone to every one, along with like three other people and am an idiot for doing so. This guy is by far the worst teacher I have ever had. Dont bother asking him questions because he will not answer it, he will just give you a vague statement about something irrelevant or ask you another question, and then make you feel dumb for asking. I asked him how inclusive the essays should be on the test and he told me they should be an hours worth. This class is terrible.

I HATED GOODEN!!!! NO ONE IN MY CLASS LIKED HIM EITHER!!!He is a horrible teacher. All he does is read to you out of the book and have you underline sentences. His two tests are rediculous!!!One of his questions was ....Discuss the trials and tribulations of democracy form the Mayflower Compact to the New Deal...If you don't know that is 300 years of history....There is a 1000pg book that you can write on this subject...but you only have 1-2 hours. He asks these questions so he can justify giving you a low grade by telling you all the crap that you missed...I had a friend in the class he showed up for the first day, mid-term, and the final and still got a C. Get into groups and study ..that is the only way to go...Oh Gooden if you are reading this....you are an asshole!!! You need to retire...nobody likes you!!!!!

AVOID AT ALL COSTS. This guy gives the worst lectures I have ever had to sit through. All he does is read to you out of the textbook and tell you what to underline.....for two hours. His tests are absurd even if the questions are given in advance. Test question example, "Explain the development of Federalism in the United States from the Revolutionary War to the New Deal." Ummmm....that has to be one of the most broad and encomapssing questions of all time. He grades like an A**hole and I hope that no one has to experience one of his classes.

Terrible. Embarassing that he is a professor at Cal Poly. This guy needs to take a class on teaching because he sucks at it.

The material is very boring, but if you do the readings you should not have a prob. I never went to class, but I read everything. The lectures are SOOOOOOOOOOO boring!!!