A sample of anonymous student comments on SOC 241, Sociology of Work, taught by Kenneth Westhues in Fall 2010, at the University of Waterloo

The most enjoyable course I have taken at UW! Best prof I have had.

Professor very interactive and genuinely cared about the students. Great!

It is better to have a textbook.

Strength was flexibility, allows students to choose how they will be graded and optional presentations. Weakness: multiple-choice tests should be worded clearly.

The course wouldn't be the same without Westhues. He is into the material he is teaching and actually cares about the subject and also about students. Great teacher!

Well thought out, practical, very helpful and knowledgeable prof. Readings were useful but it was hard to keep up.

SOC 241 has been the course I have learnt most from to date, it has helped shape my perspective on the workplace.

Valuable and applicable information about the working world, makes students think critically about their own experiences. Some of the readings do not show a clear correlation to the course material.

I learned a lot from the course, I'm able to apply it to life issues that surface on a day-to-day basis.

Excellent teacher! I have taken many courses at UW but this one was taught so well, small class size made it more personal. Great environment and experience overall.

Best prof I have had at Waterloo. Westhues should teach other profs how to lecture.

Insightful. Hard to tie readings with lectures. I would like the course more if it was more structured.

Funny prof, able to make me pay attention. Articles are too long. Great perspective of the world, very helpful.

Excellent professor.

Prof did an excellent job of shedding light on the sociology of work.

Great course, lots learned. Would recommend it to others.

Okay course. Prof genuinely interested in course and students. Too much unnecessary reading. Not organized enough.

Too much reading. Learned a lot for the future.

One of the best / most valuable courses I've taken at university. Makes you exercise critical thinking skills. Very different in its structure and this makes students responsible. Instructor's philosophy of learning is something to be valued. I am so fortunate to have been exposed to this in my final semester of university.

Course allows students to think critically and state opinions. I gained a lot from it.

Good course. Learned a lot. Thank you.

I have great respect for this professor's teaching style but didn't have the time to invest in this course. I wish I had, I would have learned more.

I love Professor Westhues and I enjoyed the course so much.

Favourite course taken so far. Favourite professor. You know Westhues wants all his students to succeed and will do anything to help you.

It`s not just another course to take to memorize and get an A. We can actually apply what we learn. Westhues is an amazing prof.

Great prof. Lectures don`t always relate to readings, sometimes hard to understand.

My favourite course this term. I learned a lot that will be applicable to how I see life. Prof encourages students to think critically rather than just absorbing material. Test is fair.

Excellent, will recommend to friends. Prof was great, for sure take more of his classes in the future. Prof should stop smoking, really bad for health.

Great course, great prof, had fun, learned plenty.

The best prof ever, actually interested in his students. He provided me with valuable outlooks and insight into the working world, and life itself. Thank you.

Great course.

Professor is incredibly knowledgeable and has a deep core understanding of the course material. Course was more than I expected, which is always a nice surprise.

I loved this course, how it was taught differently in a more practical way.

Great course! Great instructor!

A positive and enriching learning experience with practical value for the future.

Excellent course.