Reviews of professor Brian Schaffner

Rating: 2.0/5, difficulty: 5.0/5
I have literally never had a teacher or professor in all of my years of schooling who graded as unfairly as Brian and I probably will never again. He is seriously the worst grader ever -- you'll think you walked out of an exam with an A- or B+ and end up with an F.

Rating: 5.0/5, difficulty: 3.0/5
Literally all these negative reviews are from people who didn't do well on the group project. They complain about groups but in reality, in the polling and data analytics community, that's just the way things are. Great guy, literal household name, super cool and funny. Can't recommend enough.

Rating: 5.0/5, difficulty: 4.0/5
prof schaffner is a political research expert, and it's so cool to take a class with someone who is the leader in his field. solid lectures, interesting material, and a genuine care for what his students have to say. intro to civics studies is a hard class, but worth it. it's graded by TAs who can be hard to please.

Rating: 5.0/5, difficulty: 3.0/5
Prof. Schaffner is the best!! This is a lecture based class, but his powerpoints make it really easy to follow along and stay focused.

Rating: 4.0/5, difficulty: 4.0/5
It was a tough class, you learn to code in r, do statistical tests, and hear about his love for Taylor Swift. The midterm was really tough and a time crunch. Final was a bit easier because we had more time and knew what to expect. He gives a few extra credit points to students who win contests or show up early. Class is curved at the end.

Rating: 5.0/5, difficulty: 3.0/5
CVS0020 is a great class taught but amazing professors and TA's. Prof. Schaffner is a true gem. He is very insightful and provided a lot of information about reading and using data. His lectures where always clear and asked probing questions to help students think more critically. Would highly recommend.

Rating: 5.0/5, difficulty: 3.0/5
Taking a polling class with Prof Schaffner is a unique experience because you are conducting research within a class. Schaffner makes each class fun and tries to engage his students, and he will always answer your questions. Everything in the class is straightforward and if you ever get confused, he will try his best to help. Take his class.

Rating: 3.0/5, difficulty: 3.0/5
I am quite concerned about his grading system. For the group project and participation grades, a lot of the grading is super subjective and is not clear on why points are deducted. If you want an A in this class, understanding the course material is not enough. You would need to be very proactive with speaking in class and in office hours.

Rating: 5.0/5, difficulty: 3.0/5
Incredible professor. The lectures are super engaging and presented very clearly. Slides are flawless. Schaffner is really just a slightly awkward teddy bear who is also one of the biggest pollsters in the US. Honestly, my biggest grievance is giving too much airtime to students who just want to hear themselves speak without shutting them down.