PUBPOL-411S
HISTORICIZING WHITENESS
Not in Fall 2026
Term
Overview
Feedback is mostly positive. The strongest signal is that discussion is a clear strength. Difficulty runs on the high side even without a single dominant complaint theme. 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 enrollment8–8
Semesters of data1
3.7
Hrs / week
7
Responses
8
Enrollment
88%
Response Rate
Evaluation Scores
Overall quality
Teaching, content, and experience combined.
5.0
Intellectually stimulating
Challenges students to think deeply.
5.0
Instructor effectiveness
Explains concepts and facilitates learning.
5.0
Difficulty
Higher means harder.
3.7
Feedback Analysis
Feedback Analysislow
Analysis based on student evaluations
Based on 25 comments across 1 sections
Feedback is mostly positive. The strongest signal is that discussion is a clear strength. Difficulty runs on the high side even without a single dominant complaint theme. 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.
• Readings, films, or outside materials come up repeatedly as a real strength rather than filler.
• Students repeatedly say the course teaches something concrete, whether that is content mastery, research skill, or a strong foundation.
Tradeoffs
• Difficulty runs high even when comments do not settle on one dominant complaint.
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
Research
Spring 2024 · Peck, Gunther
I learned how to analyze historical documents and comb through archives.
Spring 2024 · Peck, Gunther
I learned the skills of researching, analyzing, and applying information in new ways that I didn't think of prior to this class
Spring 2024 · Peck, Gunther
I learned about the importance of discussion and active listening to stimulate a small discussion and feed off from each other. I learned how to effectively conduct personal research and organize my findings in a cohesive manner. I learned how to structure a research paper, this was my first time.
Spring 2024 · Peck, Gunther
1. differing definitions of Whiteness across history 2. how to historicize race at different time points 3. how to use primary sources in historical analysis
Spring 2024 · Peck, Gunther
Rating History
Rating history
Error bars show \u00B11 std dev
| Term | Instructor | Overall | Difficulty | Hrs/wk | Enrolled |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring 2024 | Peck, Gunther 3.9Rate My ProfessorsQuality3.9Difficulty2.8Would retake71%Based on 30 ratingsClick to view on RMP → | 5.0 | 3.7 | 3.7 | 8 |
Instructor
Peck, GuntherHISTORY
Also teaches
HISTORY-295S THE HISTORY OF GARDENING4.6HISTORY-352 IMMIGRANT DREAMS/US REALITIES4.4PUBPOL-302D POL CHOICE/VAL CONFLICT4.4PUBPOL-307S DEMOCRACY: CRISIS/OPPORTUNITY4.3