PUBPOL-390A
DUKE-ADM ST ABR: ADV TOP
Not in Fall 2026
Term
Overview
Feedback is mostly positive. The strongest signal is that discussion is a clear strength. Best for students who will actually talk in class instead of sitting silent. The sample is still thin, so treat this as directional rather than definitive.
DepartmentPPS
Terms offeredSpring
Typical enrollment13–13
Semesters of data1
3.0
Hrs / week
11
Responses
13
Enrollment
85%
Response Rate
Evaluation Scores
Overall quality
Teaching, content, and experience combined.
4.8
Intellectually stimulating
Challenges students to think deeply.
4.7
Instructor effectiveness
Explains concepts and facilitates learning.
4.6
Difficulty
Higher means harder.
2.6
Feedback Analysis
Feedback Analysislow
Analysis based on student evaluations
Based on 39 comments across 1 sections
Feedback is mostly positive. The strongest signal is that discussion is a clear strength. Best for students who will actually talk in class instead of sitting silent. The sample is still thin, so treat this as directional rather than definitive.
Student Reports
How hard is the A?
A is doable but not automatic
The signal here is more do-the-work-and-you-should-be-fine than easy-A chatter. Students do not describe the A as automatic, but the evidence also does not paint grading as punishing.
Homework Load
Moderate homework load
Homework load looks moderate. The recurring signal is steady weekly work, but not a course that turns every assignment into a grind.
Lecture Load
Lighter lecture burden
Student comments describe this as more discussion-, seminar-, or workshop-driven than lecture-dependent. The lecture burden itself does not sound like the main source of friction.
Strengths
• Discussion is a clear strength; students repeatedly describe the class conversation as engaging and useful.
• Students repeatedly say the course teaches something concrete, whether that is content mastery, research skill, or a strong foundation.
Tradeoffs
• There is no single dominant complaint theme, but the feedback is not uniformly glowing either.
Best fit for
Best for students who will actually talk in class instead of sitting silent.
Watch out for
• Most of the signal comes from a limited sample, so be careful about over-generalizing.
• A large share of the evidence comes from one instructor's version of the course, so this may not generalize cleanly.
Student Responses
1. how to read bills 2. how to present information through different modes 3. analyzing tradeoffs of policy and constraints that policymakers face in making decisions.
Spring 2025 · Lilly, Bethany
I learned how to analyze legislation, draft memos for specific topics, and what aspects go into pandemic health policy.
Spring 2025 · Lilly, Bethany
1. The considerations that go into drafting a bill 2. Reading legislative text 3. How to design one-pagers
Spring 2025 · Lilly, Bethany
I learned generally about pandemic policy, how legislation is made during an emergency, and about Washington DC.
Spring 2025 · Lilly, Bethany
pandemic policy, how to read bills, translating policy into something the general population can understand
Spring 2025 · Lilly, Bethany
Rating History
Rating history
Error bars show \u00B11 std dev
| Term | Instructor | Overall | Difficulty | Hrs/wk | Enrolled |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring 2025 | Lilly, Bethany | 4.8 | 2.6 | 3.0 | 13 |