PUBPOL-830
SPECIAL TOPICS MODULE
Not in Fall 2026
Term
Instructor
Overview
Feedback is mostly positive. The strongest signal is that the readings, films, or examples carry real weight. Best for students who will engage with the materials instead of skimming everything.
DepartmentPPS
Terms offeredFall, Spring
Typical enrollment7–31
Semesters of data5
3.0
Hrs / week
147
Responses
284
Enrollment
52%
Response Rate
Evaluation Scores
Overall quality
Teaching, content, and experience combined.
4.3
Intellectually stimulating
Challenges students to think deeply.
4.3
Instructor effectiveness
Explains concepts and facilitates learning.
4.5
Difficulty
Higher means harder.
2.6
Feedback Analysis
Feedback Analysishigh
Analysis based on student evaluations
Based on 408 comments across 18 sections
Feedback is mostly positive. The strongest signal is that the readings, films, or examples carry real weight. Best for students who will engage with the materials instead of skimming everything.
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
• Readings, films, or outside materials come up repeatedly as a real strength rather than filler.
• 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 engage with the materials instead of skimming everything.
Student Responses
1. Pragmatic thinking development 2. More knowledge on EVs 3. How the "rubber meets road"
Fall 2023 · Curran, Shelley
Understanding of the local Department of Transportation Electric Vehicle pros and cons public transportation iniaitives
Fall 2023 · Curran, Shelley
Each guest speaker brought a very different perspective, which, since transportation policy is highly intersectional, I thought was an effective way of developing thinking in the course. I learned 1) the strain on the power grid caused by EVs, 2) the considerations of private EV manufacturers and how they choose locations to make production plants, and 3) that Arnold Schwarzenegger drinks peach schnapps.
Fall 2023 · Curran, Shelley
We were able to learn from a lot of different speakers who work in varying spaces across policy and transportation.
Fall 2023 · Curran, Shelley
I definitely learned a ton about EVs and energy policy. Also learned some about how political deals and decision-making happen behind closed doors.
Fall 2023 · Curran, Shelley
Rating History
Rating history
Error bars show \u00B11 std dev
| Term | Instructor | Overall | Difficulty | Hrs/wk | Enrolled |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fall 2025 | Curran, Shelley | 4.1 | 2.6 | — | 18 |
| Spring 2025 | McCorkle, Pope | 4.6 | 2.7 | 2.8 | 97 |
| Fall 2024 | Curran, Shelley | 4.1 | 2.3 | 2.3 | 36 |
| Spring 2024 | McArthur, John | 4.4 | 2.6 | 2.9 | 68 |
| Fall 2023 | Curran, Shelley | 4.1 | 2.8 | 3.8 | 65 |