University of Hawai'i eCAFE

eCAFE: Course and Faculty Evaluations

Instructor: Kathleen Sands

Available Survey Results

AMST 339, Fall 2011
AMST 469, Fall 2011
AMST 339, Fall 2010
AMST 469, Fall 2010
AMST 339, Spring 2010
AMST 339, Fall 2009
AMST 469, Fall 2009

Kathleen Sands: AMST 339, Fall 2011

Campus:	University of Hawaii at Manoa	Department:	American Studies
Course:	AMST 339 - Religions in America	Crn (Section):	76801 (001) 76802 (002) 76803 (003)

1. Class Level (pick one)

Mean	N-Size	Std Dev		Freshman	Sophomore	Junior	Senior	Grad	Other
3.43	14	0.51	Freq(%)	0 (0%)	0 (0%)	8 (57%)	6 (43%)	0 (0%)	0 (0%)

2. Course

Mean	N-Size	Std Dev		Elective	Required
1.33	15	0.49	Freq(%)	10 (67%)	5 (33%)

3. The instructor demonstrated knowledge of course content.

Mean	N-Size	Std Dev		Strongly Disagree	Disagree	Neutral	Agree	Strongly Agree
4.94	16	0.25	Freq(%)	0 (0%)	0 (0%)	0 (0%)	1 (6%)	15 (94%)

4. The instructor fulfilled the goals of the course.

Mean	N-Size	Std Dev		Strongly Disagree	Disagree	Neutral	Agree	Strongly Agree
4.88	16	0.34	Freq(%)	0 (0%)	0 (0%)	0 (0%)	2 (13%)	14 (88%)

5. The instructor communicated effectively.

Mean	N-Size	Std Dev		Strongly Disagree	Disagree	Neutral	Agree	Strongly Agree
4.63	16	0.72	Freq(%)	0 (0%)	0 (0%)	2 (13%)	2 (13%)	12 (75%)

6. I learned a lot in this course.

Mean	N-Size	Std Dev		Strongly Disagree	Disagree	Neutral	Agree	Strongly Agree
4.81	16	0.4	Freq(%)	0 (0%)	0 (0%)	0 (0%)	3 (19%)	13 (81%)

7. The instructor inspired me to be critical of ideas and materials.

Mean	N-Size	Std Dev		Strongly Disagree	Disagree	Neutral	Agree	Strongly Agree
4.8	15	0.56	Freq(%)	0 (0%)	0 (0%)	1 (7%)	1 (7%)	13 (87%)

8. The instructor is enthusiastic about the course material.

Mean	N-Size	Std Dev		Strongly Disagree	Disagree	Neutral	Agree	Strongly Agree
4.75	16	0.58	Freq(%)	0 (0%)	0 (0%)	1 (6%)	2 (13%)	13 (81%)

9. The instructor was enthusiastic about the course material.

Mean	N-Size	Std Dev		Strongly Disagree	Disagree	Neutral	Agree	Strongly Agree
4.94	16	0.25	Freq(%)	0 (0%)	0 (0%)	0 (0%)	1 (6%)	15 (94%)

10. The instructor was easy to talk with and available for consultation.

Mean	N-Size	Std Dev		Strongly Disagree	Disagree	Neutral	Agree	Strongly Agree
4.5	16	0.73	Freq(%)	0 (0%)	0 (0%)	2 (13%)	4 (25%)	10 (63%)

11. The instructor encouraged class discussion.

Mean	N-Size	Std Dev		Strongly Disagree	Disagree	Neutral	Agree	Strongly Agree
4.31	16	0.79	Freq(%)	0 (0%)	0 (0%)	3 (19%)	5 (31%)	8 (50%)

12. The instructor was well organized and prepared for each session.

Mean	N-Size	Std Dev		Strongly Disagree	Disagree	Neutral	Agree	Strongly Agree
4.56	16	0.51	Freq(%)	0 (0%)	0 (0%)	0 (0%)	7 (44%)	9 (56%)

13. The instructor sets high standards for students.

Mean	N-Size	Std Dev		Strongly Disagree	Disagree	Neutral	Agree	Strongly Agree
4.67	15	0.49	Freq(%)	0 (0%)	0 (0%)	0 (0%)	5 (33%)	10 (67%)

14. My overall evaluation of this instructor is....

Amazing!!

one of the most knowledgeable instructors I've ever had, and the kindest

I am 39 years old and working on a 2nd degree. Prof Sands is one of the finest profs I have ever had. She is a true scholar and academic what's more, she is vulnerable and gives her all (essence). I feel that she is truly making a difference.

Professor Sands made every class compelling and informative, and her ability to both explore multiple subjects in depth as well as breadth was very impressive for only having us Mondays and Wednesdays for 50 minutes. She is an extremely effective communicator and her good attitude and deep connection to the material made absorbing the information and retaining it much easier than it would have been with a less enthusiastic professor.

Great. Very knowledgable, I would take another class by her.

knows her stuff

PHENOMENAL teacher.

she is very enthusiastic and knowledgeable on the course material.

Very engaging personality. I enjoyed her teaching methods and her lectures were both informative and interesting

Very passionate about the material, you can tell by the way she talks during lecture. Was always upbeat. There was a lot of introductory material in the first half of the semester-but that is to be expected.

Great teacher very knowledgable. Makes students want to learn.

15. Assignments are interesting and stimulating.

Mean	N-Size	Std Dev		Strongly Disagree	Disagree	Neutral	Agree	Strongly Agree
4.64	14	0.5	Freq(%)	0 (0%)	0 (0%)	0 (0%)	5 (36%)	9 (64%)

16. Which aspects of the course did you like the best?

Definitely the lectures and small discussions.

kath taught it we still debated

Well planned lectures; almost entertaining in a documentary kinda way.

In the beginning of class professor Sands would often show a few thought-provoking images and play a song relevant to the religion we were studying that day. It proved both a good way to get focused for the class and a quick "highlight" of what to expect to prime us for the lecture. Her use of slideshows in general was extremely effective, and she has mastered the finer points of lecturing just quick enough to get everything covered, but slow enough for us to keep up. Questions were encouraged and always answered to the best of her ability even though each lecture was very full of information. We managed to make time to cover the information and explore side queries.

The lecture, complete with music, pictures, and interesting powerpoints

I liked the Friday discussion classes.

...the lab sections were helpful discussing the material presented in class.

I enjoyed the labs, being able to interact with my fellow students

Learning about different religions and WHY they believe what they believe.

Site visit. PowerPoint presentations.

17. Which aspects of the course did you like least?

I did not like reading the book with the short stories/documents.

having a GA teach us on fridays

Quizes

The only thing that I can list is that certain classes let out a few minutes late due to the sheer amount of material we were to cover in each lecture, but those were not very frequent occurrences.

The books/readings were a bit boring/long.

Reading quizzes should either be scheduled (not pop quizzes), or should test students on material covered in a previous lecture. The readings were not very helpful and definitely not worth the cost of the books.

N/A

Exam material is very extensive...wasn't really sure what/what not to study.

I don't enjoy presenting, but I understand it's a part of the Oral communication grade

Some of the powerpoints didn't seem that organized or it was hard to follow. Sometimes we were flying through material, so it was hard to grasp or write down everything.

Pop quizzes

18. My overall evaluation of this course is...

It was an awesome course that I learned a lot in.

great if it was small enough not to require a GA

Excellent-highest level of satisfaction.

Though I took this class, initially, because I needed an oral communication focus, I took away a lot of very valuable information and the ability to look critically at very relevant issues regarding religion, the constitution, and public life. Though many times there was not "one simple right answer" to the cases we studied, I believe it is vital to understand this about the nature of religion in the United States. The course was quite challenging, and I would not recommend it for someone who has a completely full load of credits already, but I enjoyed it immensely. Implementing the discussion section on Fridays was a unique way to offer attention and clarification to students in smaller groups. The issue debates (where most of the O focus came from) were necessarily challenging and required a great deal of preparation, and I feel the oral communication portion was explored very thoroughly as such.

Interesting for someone like me, who isn't particularly interested in religious studies.

I loved this course.

Challenging course, it encourages you to think critically and focus on your active listening skills.

Very enjoyable class. I learned a great deal about religion and life style in the United States

Overall its worthwhile. There is a lot of material to be covered, but the information is beneficial.

Very good well thought out course discuss sections being small is a good thing.

19. Other comments:

Sunny (our TA) was absolutely amazing. Her lecture on Hawaiian religion was riveting... I was transformed... Sunny is always so helpful and creative in discussion. She is awesome...

none

Sunny was an AMAZING TA! She was always able to help answer questions, she made review sessions interesting and engaging and was focused on instigating conversation. She also helped me think about subjects from all different aspects-critical thinking. I throughly enjoyed going to the lab sessions.

Kathleen Sands: AMST 469, Fall 2011 Back to top

Campus:	University of Hawaii at Manoa	Department:	American Studies
Course:	AMST 469 - Religion & Homosexuality	Crn (Section):	76804 (001)

1. Class Level (pick one)

Mean	N-Size	Std Dev		Freshman	Sophomore	Junior	Senior	Grad	Other
3.62	13	0.96	Freq(%)	0 (0%)	1 (8%)	5 (38%)	6 (46%)	0 (0%)	1 (8%)

2. Course

Mean	N-Size	Std Dev		Elective	Required
1.23	13	0.44	Freq(%)	10 (77%)	3 (23%)

3. The instructor demonstrated knowledge of course content.

Mean	N-Size	Std Dev		Strongly Disagree	Disagree	Neutral	Agree	Strongly Agree
4.93	14	0.27	Freq(%)	0 (0%)	0 (0%)	0 (0%)	1 (7%)	13 (93%)

4. The instructor fulfilled the goals of the course.

Mean	N-Size	Std Dev		Strongly Disagree	Disagree	Neutral	Agree	Strongly Agree
4.77	13	0.44	Freq(%)	0 (0%)	0 (0%)	0 (0%)	3 (23%)	10 (77%)

5. The instructor communicated effectively.

Mean	N-Size	Std Dev		Strongly Disagree	Disagree	Neutral	Agree	Strongly Agree
4.86	14	0.36	Freq(%)	0 (0%)	0 (0%)	0 (0%)	2 (14%)	12 (86%)

6. I learned a lot in this course.

Mean	N-Size	Std Dev		Strongly Disagree	Disagree	Neutral	Agree	Strongly Agree
4.64	14	0.63	Freq(%)	0 (0%)	0 (0%)	1 (7%)	3 (21%)	10 (71%)

7. The instructor inspired me to be critical of ideas and materials.

Mean	N-Size	Std Dev		Strongly Disagree	Disagree	Neutral	Agree	Strongly Agree
4.5	14	0.76	Freq(%)	0 (0%)	0 (0%)	2 (14%)	3 (21%)	9 (64%)

8. The instructor is enthusiastic about the course material.

Mean	N-Size	Std Dev		Strongly Disagree	Disagree	Neutral	Agree	Strongly Agree
4.93	14	0.27	Freq(%)	0 (0%)	0 (0%)	0 (0%)	1 (7%)	13 (93%)

9. The instructor was enthusiastic about the course material.

Mean	N-Size	Std Dev		Strongly Disagree	Disagree	Neutral	Agree	Strongly Agree
4.79	14	0.43	Freq(%)	0 (0%)	0 (0%)	0 (0%)	3 (21%)	11 (79%)

10. The instructor was easy to talk with and available for consultation.

Mean	N-Size	Std Dev		Strongly Disagree	Disagree	Neutral	Agree	Strongly Agree
4.5	14	0.65	Freq(%)	0 (0%)	0 (0%)	1 (7%)	5 (36%)	8 (57%)

11. The instructor encouraged class discussion.

Mean	N-Size	Std Dev		Strongly Disagree	Disagree	Neutral	Agree	Strongly Agree
4.93	14	0.27	Freq(%)	0 (0%)	0 (0%)	0 (0%)	1 (7%)	13 (93%)

12. The instructor was well organized and prepared for each session.

Mean	N-Size	Std Dev		Strongly Disagree	Disagree	Neutral	Agree	Strongly Agree
4.71	14	0.61	Freq(%)	0 (0%)	0 (0%)	1 (7%)	2 (14%)	11 (79%)

13. The instructor sets high standards for students.

Mean	N-Size	Std Dev		Strongly Disagree	Disagree	Neutral	Agree	Strongly Agree
4.71	14	0.61	Freq(%)	0 (0%)	0 (0%)	1 (7%)	2 (14%)	11 (79%)

14. My overall evaluation of this instructor is....

My overall evaluation of Kathleen Sands is that she is very knowledgable in the subject matter and invested in it as well. She expresses herself well and brings life to the subject. She used a diverse array of materials for us to study and left room for discussion to get into deeper subjects that weren't necessarily the goal of the day but were pertinent to the subject. She did have a few family situations as well as conferences that caused her not always to be available via email, which caused issues once or twice as far as posted readings being on Laulima. Overall, I really enjoyed her as a teacher.

She's a really nice person but I sometimes felt like too much was expected of us.

She is a very trusting teacher, I am very comfortable to talk to her about anything. She strongly encourages class praticipation which is really good to get students persepectives as well and just not all intructional.

Kath is an amazing professor and very knowledgeable in her field(s) of study. I would take any course she teaches based upon my experiences in this class.

She's a good teacher. She's really encourages student's conversation in class. Learned a lot.

One of the most interesting people I ever met. It has been an honor to learn under her.

She is a valuable professor at the UH Manoa.

she is very knowledgeable about the topics we covered in the course. She also keeps up to date with the current events that pertain to the course, often bringing into the discussion (if a student doesn't already do so) some news topic or other which demonstrates the concepts for the class that day.

excellent professor who actually makes students THINK CRITICALLY! amazing!

She is a very interesting and enthusiastic teacher. I appreciated her enthusiasm, especially since this was a longer class (12:30-3:00) and I do not exactly have the longest attention span. She was able to maintain the class's focus well and force us to thinking deeper on many issues.

that she is an excellent professor. I thoroughly enjoyed this class, and although I found the work somewhat overwhelming at times I feel that I learned a lot this semester.

She is very knowledgeable in this topic and a great help in coming to understand the different ways in which the topic could be approached. I think that with a course subject as delicate as this, class discussions could easily get out of hand and perhaps even offensive, but Kath did a wonderful job of balancing opposing views. I really appreciate her dedication to getting us to comprehend the topics at hand.

15. Assignments are interesting and stimulating.

Mean	N-Size	Std Dev		Strongly Disagree	Disagree	Neutral	Agree	Strongly Agree
3.93	14	0.83	Freq(%)	0 (0%)	1 (7%)	2 (14%)	8 (57%)	3 (21%)

16. Which aspects of the course did you like the best?

I liked the discussions. I believe Socrate's sentiment about the only way to knowledge is discussion and in class we were able to get to the finer points of issues by exploring it with each other. Overlooked details came to and demonstrated just how much disagreement there is within this issue even among those who are in favor of homosexual rights.

I liked learning many perspectives on the issue.

in class discussions

I liked all of the new information that I have gained from this course. Before, I did not have a clear perspective on these issues, but now i feel confident in being able to support my arguments.

The discussion was always stimulating and lead to a lot of grow in all of my peers and myself in terms of understanding our topics.

Just learning about different ways of people thinkings.

Discussions and the readings...

Everything.

There was a lot of duality with the course materials as well as assigned readings. In other words, both 'sides' of whatever controversy we happened to be covering were presented without prejudice towards either side. In fact, the strengths as well as the flaws of the arguments were dissected clearly and we as the students were forced to create our own opinions about the information.

Prof. Sands and the material

I enjoyed our class discussions and the different documentary films that were shown in class.

I liked the in class discussions the best. I'm naturally a shy person so I found the pressure to speak up very stressful, but I learned a lot from listening to my classmates.

I really just liked what I've learned from this course. It has been so easy for me to say that those who condemn homosexuality in the name of religion are simply bigoted or narrow-minded, but there is so much more to think about than that. I've learned that you need to think out of the box when it comes to this argument because otherwise, we're all just fighting about the same thing over and over again. There can be no solution when the argument isn't the right one to begin with. I really appreciate that the course has given me a new outlook on how to approach this topic.

17. Which aspects of the course did you like least?

Sometimes Professor Sands would suggest we spend 10 or 15 minutes on something like going over names at the beginning of the year or sharing what our final paper ideas were and somehow it would take an hour or more. It was frustrating and felt like a waste of time. When we were able to get focused, we accomplished a lot, but we fell behind several times in our daily subject matter.

Too much info to comprehend in the amount of time we had. The course work was very challenging.

final paper

I did not like how some court cases used are very repetitive.

The laulima postings, Mostly because I would always forget to do them :/

Some things were really difficult to understand. just like the readings and what not. More so towards the language they use because I'm not so educated in politics.

doing the reading...

Group participation because I felt like Professor Sands had more invaluable things to say than most of the students.

That I had to form my own stances on the controversies in order to succinctly participate in the class discussions.

Buying 7 books, and reading most cover-to-cover.

I disliked the role playing. I think it was difficult since most of us don't know what the various roles required (i.e. an atheist doesn't exactly know how a conservative Christian would feel and so cannot accurately portray the part etc.). I also didn't particularly like doing the laulima posts about the readings every week, although I believe it is somewhat necessary in order to make sure everyone is doing the reading.

The aspect of the course I liked the least was posting the weekly discussions online. I would have preferred to turn in a paper copy, and I wish that there would have been a bit more guidance as to topics to write about because I felt like my posts became somewhat repetitive.

I generally dislike role-playing in general because I suffer greatly from secondhand embarrassment (and being put on the spot), but despite that fact, I think that the role-playing really did help me to further understand what we were discussing. Of course, there were also quite a few readings that just boiled my blood but there was no escaping that. I also sometimes felt that it was a little difficult to speak up because there were so many other dominant voices in the room. I think it's great that people are so passionate and that such great debates can be sparked, but I suppose that it starts to feel a bit intimidating or maybe even pointless to just jump into the conversation.

18. My overall evaluation of this course is...

that it is a great contribution to the college and should be more available and well-known. This is such a critical subject these days, and the underlying themes of the class about advocacy and deliberation in general are often neglected within UH in my opinion. This class would benefit anyone in life, no matter his or her major.

It was in interesting course. I took this class becuse of it fulfills a requirement, and I am glad i chose this class. I feel very knowldegeable of these current issues.

Excellent I learned a lot and would take it again if given the chance.

It was really interesting. I didn't know what to expect when it came to this class but overall it was good.

Excellent, unlike any course I have ever taken. In fact, after the first day I immediately enrolled in another of her courses. I'm a fan...

Kathleen Sands is an excellent professor and an invaluable human being with incite and opinions that have profoundly impacted my life in the best way. She was able to open a lot of peoples minds about issues that directly effect each individual. She goes beyond helping students to understanding the purposes to testimony, dialogue, deliberation and advocacy- and instills tools to analyzing language, value systems, critiquing arguments, understanding points of view, morality from an individual, societal and political level- (and how they are all related). Professor Sands is the best teacher I've had. She has made me think deeply about the issues today and my individual morals and frameworks are causally influenced by language. I feel as though I took away more than knowledge from this course. I feel as though I've grown as a human being because of Professor Sands.

Good.

It is a very interesting course, although somewhat time consuming despite being only once a week; however, I'm glad I took it.

that it is an excellent course and I am so glad it is taught at UH Manoa!

Any course in which I can gain a new perspective on something seems to me to be a successful one. I would definitely recommend this course to other students, but I don't think it's good for the super sensitive. This course requires the willingness to open your mind.

19. Other comments:

I feel the final paper might be a little large considering the tone of the rest of the class. While I'm knowledgable in the subject matter, I did personally choose a difficult aspect and am struggling with the paper. It is probably more my own fault than anyone else's, but I'm concerned about completing it either way. I would prefer shorter essays along the way to a giant final paper.

I am curious about the other classes she teaches which focus on religion and law but not through the lens of homosexuality and LGBT rights/

The work load is somewhat difficult, at least towards the end of the semester since the readings get more and more difficult. On top of which, we have to research for our final papers. I find myself running out of time with all the other final papers I have for my other courses plus the paper for this class, especially since this is a difficult paper to write. The fact that we are required (or encouraged) to find currently open controversies makes it even more difficult to research. It's interesting, but just a challenging task, especially since we still have the regular readings for class every week.

Kathleen Sands: AMST 339, Fall 2010 Back to top

Campus:	University of Hawaii at Manoa	Department:	American Studies
Course:	AMST 339 - Religions in America	Crn (Section):	77769 (001) 77770 (002) 77771 (003)

1. The instructor demonstrated knowledge of course content.

Mean	N-Size	Std Dev		Strongly Disagree	Disagree	Neutral	Agree	Strongly Agree
4.77	22	0.53	Freq(%)	0 (0%)	0 (0%)	1 (5%)	3 (14%)	18 (82%)

2. The instructor fulfilled the goals of the course.

Mean	N-Size	Std Dev		Strongly Disagree	Disagree	Neutral	Agree	Strongly Agree
4.55	22	0.67	Freq(%)	0 (0%)	0 (0%)	2 (9%)	6 (27%)	14 (64%)

3. The instructor communicated effectively.

Mean	N-Size	Std Dev		Strongly Disagree	Disagree	Neutral	Agree	Strongly Agree
4.59	22	0.67	Freq(%)	0 (0%)	0 (0%)	2 (9%)	5 (23%)	15 (68%)

4. I learned a lot in this course.

Mean	N-Size	Std Dev		Strongly Disagree	Disagree	Neutral	Agree	Strongly Agree
4.45	22	0.74	Freq(%)	0 (0%)	1 (5%)	0 (0%)	9 (41%)	12 (55%)

5. The instructor inspired me to be critical of ideas and materials.

Mean	N-Size	Std Dev		Strongly Disagree	Disagree	Neutral	Agree	Strongly Agree
4.36	22	0.73	Freq(%)	0 (0%)	0 (0%)	3 (14%)	8 (36%)	11 (50%)

6. The instructor is enthusiastic about the course material.

Mean	N-Size	Std Dev		Strongly Disagree	Disagree	Neutral	Agree	Strongly Agree
4.77	22	0.53	Freq(%)	0 (0%)	0 (0%)	1 (5%)	3 (14%)	18 (82%)

7. The instructor was easy to talk with and available for consultation.

Mean	N-Size	Std Dev		Strongly Disagree	Disagree	Neutral	Agree	Strongly Agree
4.36	22	0.73	Freq(%)	0 (0%)	0 (0%)	3 (14%)	8 (36%)	11 (50%)

8. The instructor encouraged class discussion.

Mean	N-Size	Std Dev		Strongly Disagree	Disagree	Neutral	Agree	Strongly Agree
4.0	22	1.11	Freq(%)	1 (5%)	1 (5%)	4 (18%)	7 (32%)	9 (41%)

9. The instructor was well organized and prepared for each session.

Mean	N-Size	Std Dev		Strongly Disagree	Disagree	Neutral	Agree	Strongly Agree
4.41	22	0.8	Freq(%)	0 (0%)	1 (5%)	1 (5%)	8 (36%)	12 (55%)

10. The instructor sets high standards for students.

Mean	N-Size	Std Dev		Strongly Disagree	Disagree	Neutral	Agree	Strongly Agree
4.43	21	0.6	Freq(%)	0 (0%)	0 (0%)	1 (5%)	10 (48%)	10 (48%)

11. My overall evaluation of this instructor is....

i really enjoyed taking this class. she is a very good teacher that does a nice job of getting students interested in the context of the class.

she is a good professor.

A really engaging instructor that is available to answer questions. She makes the class really fun and personal. Would take another class from her.

She is a wonderful professor and I want to take her other classes

I think Kath did a great job. I really enjoyed her lectures and she made the material interesting.

She is an amazing, amazing, professor. Very knowledgeable about the course and extrememly perceptive and understanding.

very good. She was very knowledgeable on the material she was teaching. She also made the class fun. Sometimes lectures can be boring and she knows this, so she will try to make it more fun and add in a joke or two or a funny observation. She lets us know when there might be some "boring" stuff, but she is very good about, letting us know that it is important we still learn it and take it into consideration.

Loved your enthusiasm for the course. It engaged me.

Professor Sands does a great job of teaching this course. I definitely learned a lot.

She's a great teacher. She explains thoroughly and makes sure that everyone understands.

-- snipped --

A professor that speaks from a great wealth of personal background with the subject and it is reflected in the lectures. The perfect class for her to be teaching.

-- snipped --

Professor Sands is very enthusiastic and knowledgable about the material. She can be untimely in posting readings, but overall she is a good professor.

Professor Sands is a great instructor. I learned a lot from the course.

* Showing 13 out of 15 survey responses.

12. Assignments are interesting and stimulating.

Mean	N-Size	Std Dev		Strongly Disagree	Disagree	Neutral	Agree	Strongly Agree
4.11	18	0.68	Freq(%)	0 (0%)	0 (0%)	3 (17%)	10 (56%)	5 (28%)

13. Which aspects of the course did you like the best?

i liked doing the site visit. i had always been somewhat interested in scientology so it was nice to have the push to look into it a little bit more

Asian religions

I like the idea of learning different aspects of each religion. It was a good class to open your consciousness.

I liked the site visit because it allowed my friend and I to visit a wonderful temple that we otherwise would not have even thought about going there. It was a great experience.

I loved hearing stories and evaluations from Professor Sands, she is so interesting!

I liked the small group section

the site visit

I liked her music and keynote presentations. She's always clear when she's presenting issues and other course material.

The lectures, the powerpoint.

The broad spectrum of topics the class covered.

no comment

I enjoyed the course material.

14. Which aspects of the course did you like least?

-- snipped --

The reading material was a little hard to keep up with!

-- snipped --

the quizes

-- snipped --

Not a fan of the lecture only format, but a necessary evil, I know.

-- snipped --

* Showing 3 out of 11 survey responses.

15. My overall evaluation of this course is...

excellent. i will tell all my friends to take this class

Good

I like the course, it taught me the aspects of America that I never knew about. I wish the course was less bias over one religion and allows all the religions to receive their best light.

Good. I thought the class was really interesting and it opened my mind to new things.

Great course, learned alot!

Very good. A very enjoyable class and I learned a lot.

-- snipped --

It's a good course. I would recommend it to anyone who is in need of an oral requirement.

It was interesting and informative.

The teacher makes the class work. If someone less knowledgeable or less enthusiastic were to teach the class, it would be a terrible bore and an ineffective class.

-- snipped --

Great course!

* Showing 10 out of 12 survey responses.

16. Other comments:

-- snipped --

* Showing 0 out of 2 survey responses.

Kathleen Sands: AMST 469, Fall 2010 Back to top

Campus:	University of Hawaii at Manoa	Department:	American Studies
Course:	AMST 469 - Religion & Homosexuality	Crn (Section):	77774 (001)

1. The instructor demonstrated knowledge of course content.

Mean	N-Size	Std Dev		Strongly Disagree	Disagree	Neutral	Agree	Strongly Agree
5.0	10	0.0	Freq(%)	0 (0%)	0 (0%)	0 (0%)	0 (0%)	10 (100%)

2. The instructor fulfilled the goals of the course.

Mean	N-Size	Std Dev		Strongly Disagree	Disagree	Neutral	Agree	Strongly Agree
4.8	10	0.42	Freq(%)	0 (0%)	0 (0%)	0 (0%)	2 (20%)	8 (80%)

3. The instructor communicated effectively.

Mean	N-Size	Std Dev		Strongly Disagree	Disagree	Neutral	Agree	Strongly Agree
5.0	10	0.0	Freq(%)	0 (0%)	0 (0%)	0 (0%)	0 (0%)	10 (100%)

4. I learned a lot in this course.

Mean	N-Size	Std Dev		Strongly Disagree	Disagree	Neutral	Agree	Strongly Agree
4.9	10	0.32	Freq(%)	0 (0%)	0 (0%)	0 (0%)	1 (10%)	9 (90%)

5. The instructor inspired me to be critical of ideas and materials.

Mean	N-Size	Std Dev		Strongly Disagree	Disagree	Neutral	Agree	Strongly Agree
5.0	10	0.0	Freq(%)	0 (0%)	0 (0%)	0 (0%)	0 (0%)	10 (100%)

6. The instructor is enthusiastic about the course material.

Mean	N-Size	Std Dev		Strongly Disagree	Disagree	Neutral	Agree	Strongly Agree
5.0	10	0.0	Freq(%)	0 (0%)	0 (0%)	0 (0%)	0 (0%)	10 (100%)

7. The instructor was easy to talk with and available for consultation.

Mean	N-Size	Std Dev		Strongly Disagree	Disagree	Neutral	Agree	Strongly Agree
4.8	10	0.42	Freq(%)	0 (0%)	0 (0%)	0 (0%)	2 (20%)	8 (80%)

8. The instructor encouraged class discussion.

Mean	N-Size	Std Dev		Strongly Disagree	Disagree	Neutral	Agree	Strongly Agree
5.0	10	0.0	Freq(%)	0 (0%)	0 (0%)	0 (0%)	0 (0%)	10 (100%)

9. The instructor was well organized and prepared for each session.

Mean	N-Size	Std Dev		Strongly Disagree	Disagree	Neutral	Agree	Strongly Agree
4.7	10	0.67	Freq(%)	0 (0%)	0 (0%)	1 (10%)	1 (10%)	8 (80%)

10. The instructor sets high standards for students.

Mean	N-Size	Std Dev		Strongly Disagree	Disagree	Neutral	Agree	Strongly Agree
4.7	10	0.48	Freq(%)	0 (0%)	0 (0%)	0 (0%)	3 (30%)	7 (70%)

11. My overall evaluation of this instructor is....

This is my last semester at UH and I am disappointed that I did not take one of her classes earlier in my undergrad, because she was by far my favorite professor. Every aspect of her teaching style is exactly what I was looking for in college- lots of discussion with her unbiased input. Her class was fascinating, I looked forward to going to it, and I learned a great deal about the subject. I will never forget this class.

an excellent teacher

she is a wonderful professor. open minded. kind. generous. VERY well educated and know exactly what she is talking about.

She is one of the best teachers I've ever had. Tackled a very volatile issue well, and made everyone comfortable while learning.

A teacher who cares about educating the person is invaluable.

Professor Sands is one of the most deeply knowledgeable professors that I have ever met. From Religious theology, to complicated social dynamics and understanding how other groups of people who think completely opposite things from her operate, to complicated U.S. Constitutional and supreme court cases, I have always sometimes stood back in awe that such intelligent people exists and are teachers instead of lawyers or somewhere else making the big bucks. Thanks goodness Prof Sands is in academia! I totally appreciate her exuberance and absolute positive energy that she is always filled with and is able to pass on like candy to us students. One word to sum up Professor Sands, â??vibrantâ?? like that vividly colored rainbow after a heavy rainfall, that catches everyoneâ??s attention and makes them pause to contemplate how awesome life is. That is how grateful I am to have met and been a student of Prof. Sands.

She is one of the best professors I've had in my college career, let alone one of the best that UH Manoa has to offer. She opened my eyes not only to new material, but to a whole new approach on communication, debate, and changed my overall level of thought. I loved her class and will highly recommend her to everyone student at UH.

She is very knowledgeable about the subject. She easily counter any in depth question that was asked, even questions that were of a graduate level in nature she handled with grace and ease. She also has great report with her students, leading to a very good breakdown of the traditional barrier between the professor and the students. It was not completely destroyed, but she held a good balance of being to do some "real" talk in class as well as serious academic discussion. She did make a lot of sex and gay jokes [in a light hearted manner]. Not a major thing, but I noticed it and did not feel the need to joke that someone was obviously not a lesbian because she thought to "just shove things into different ports to make it fit". It was light hearted in nature and no one minded it, I just found it queer for some many jokes of that nature.

Professor Sands is an amazing and intelligent woman. She also is one of the most understanding professor's I've had. Always willing to talk with you about issues, and really loves to hear student's input and discourse within the class.

12. Assignments are interesting and stimulating.

Mean	N-Size	Std Dev		Strongly Disagree	Disagree	Neutral	Agree	Strongly Agree
4.8	10	0.42	Freq(%)	0 (0%)	0 (0%)	0 (0%)	2 (20%)	8 (80%)

13. Which aspects of the course did you like the best?

I liked how class discussion was the main focus. The two-and-a-half hour class time felt like 20 minutes.

The discussion aspect. It was interesting to hear what other students thought about the course material.

how interactive the class was. it stimulated class discussion a lot and great exchange

Weekly discussions in class.

The class style was held more like a community of learners joined together to better understand ourselves and each other.

Talking with the other students about the readings either before or during the class, pulling out more topics that we could discuss further all together.

I liked how well the class had discussion. It was a great flow, & must better than just listening to the professor talk; though the lectures were also great. I also think the online postings where also great since it lead people to explore ideas a bit so they could come to class with atleast a little bit of preparation and organization to their thoughts.

Discourse among the students and Professor Sands.

14. Which aspects of the course did you like least?

it was VERY challenging. very hard reading material.

Posting responses the night before class.

Ten page paper. I wish it was broken up into parts that could lead to one paper at the end. Overload of information. Way too much reading.

The huge paper at the end of the course. I knoe you have to have something to pin our grade on, I just wish there was a less painful (for us and for SHort answer midterms about the authors we've covered so far...

The online postings, only because Tuesday was personally an odd day to post them. But it was totally understandable and more a personal thing than anything "wrong" with the course.

Writing the final paper... Kinda confusing, but I shouldn't have procrastinated.

15. My overall evaluation of this course is...

Best course at UH.

Excellent course

hard but fun class. the professor made it so much better. if it wasnt for her, i would have dropped out

Great course, really interesting especially if you know little about it.

I learned a lot about communication and the issues surrounding Homosexuality in our society. That nothing is as black and white in who's in agreement and who's not over this issue. Most especially that religions are divided in their stance on this issue, and not so clear cut as the loud mouthed religious people would like us all to think. I am recommending this course to anyone who would like to understand their own views on homosexualtiy.

Outstanding.

5 Golden Stars.

Very good course. Opens your mind and gives you the tools to argue, intelligently and peacefully, what you believe in.

16. Other comments:

Sands is great!!!

Too bad her religion and law class doesn't fit into my schedule for next semester.

Thank you for sharing a little bit of your personal life with us. And that this course has opened me to not be so close-minded towards those religious right people. To listen to people and repeat back what they are trying to tell me to gain a better understanding of those around me. BTW I will buy my child those "Two Daddy" and "Two Mommies" childrenâ??s books. Instead of putting on my "gay-dar" I am now equipped with a "anti-gay-dar" and am better equipped to engage in discussions with others about their views.

Thanks Professor!!

Kathleen Sands: AMST 339, Spring 2010 Back to top

Campus:	University of Hawaii at Manoa	Department:	American Studies
Course:	AMST 339 - Religions in America	Crn (Section):	87137 (001) 87138 (002) 87139 (003)

1. The instructor demonstrated knowledge of course content.

Mean	N-Size	Std Dev		Strongly Disagree	Disagree	Neutral	Agree	Strongly Agree
4.64	25	0.49	Freq(%)	0 (0%)	0 (0%)	0 (0%)	9 (36%)	16 (64%)

2. The instructor fulfilled the goals of the course.

Mean	N-Size	Std Dev		Strongly Disagree	Disagree	Neutral	Agree	Strongly Agree
4.56	25	0.58	Freq(%)	0 (0%)	0 (0%)	1 (4%)	9 (36%)	15 (60%)

3. The instructor communicated effectively.

Mean	N-Size	Std Dev		Strongly Disagree	Disagree	Neutral	Agree	Strongly Agree
4.24	25	1.05	Freq(%)	1 (4%)	1 (4%)	2 (8%)	8 (32%)	13 (52%)

4. I learned to apply principles from this course to new situations.

Mean	N-Size	Std Dev		Strongly Disagree	Disagree	Neutral	Agree	Strongly Agree
4.32	25	0.69	Freq(%)	0 (0%)	0 (0%)	3 (12%)	11 (44%)	11 (44%)

5. I was stimulated to discuss related topics outside of class.

Mean	N-Size	Std Dev		Strongly Disagree	Disagree	Neutral	Agree	Strongly Agree
4.24	25	0.78	Freq(%)	0 (0%)	0 (0%)	5 (20%)	9 (36%)	11 (44%)

6. I learned a lot in this course.

Mean	N-Size	Std Dev		Strongly Disagree	Disagree	Neutral	Agree	Strongly Agree
4.44	25	0.58	Freq(%)	0 (0%)	0 (0%)	1 (4%)	12 (48%)	12 (48%)

7. I participated actively in the small group sessions.

Mean	N-Size	Std Dev		Strongly Disagree	Disagree	Neutral	Agree	Strongly Agree
4.32	25	0.75	Freq(%)	0 (0%)	0 (0%)	4 (16%)	9 (36%)	12 (48%)

8. The instructor inspired me to be critical of ideas and materials.

Mean	N-Size	Std Dev		Strongly Disagree	Disagree	Neutral	Agree	Strongly Agree
4.24	25	0.88	Freq(%)	0 (0%)	1 (4%)	4 (16%)	8 (32%)	12 (48%)

9. The instructor is enthusiastic about the course material.

Mean	N-Size	Std Dev		Strongly Disagree	Disagree	Neutral	Agree	Strongly Agree
4.68	25	0.56	Freq(%)	0 (0%)	0 (0%)	1 (4%)	6 (24%)	18 (72%)

10. The instructor was easy to talk with and available for consultation.

Mean	N-Size	Std Dev		Strongly Disagree	Disagree	Neutral	Agree	Strongly Agree
4.16	25	1.18	Freq(%)	2 (8%)	0 (0%)	3 (12%)	7 (28%)	13 (52%)

11. The instructor encouraged class discussion.

Mean	N-Size	Std Dev		Strongly Disagree	Disagree	Neutral	Agree	Strongly Agree
4.28	25	0.74	Freq(%)	0 (0%)	0 (0%)	4 (16%)	10 (40%)	11 (44%)

12. The instructor was well organized and prepared for each session.

Mean	N-Size	Std Dev		Strongly Disagree	Disagree	Neutral	Agree	Strongly Agree
4.44	25	0.71	Freq(%)	0 (0%)	1 (4%)	0 (0%)	11 (44%)	13 (52%)

13. The instructor sets high standards for students.

Mean	N-Size	Std Dev		Strongly Disagree	Disagree	Neutral	Agree	Strongly Agree
4.48	25	0.65	Freq(%)	0 (0%)	0 (0%)	2 (8%)	9 (36%)	14 (56%)

14. My overall evaluation of this instructor is....

A great lecturer who's enthusiastic about religion. She presents the subject in a very interesting and understandable manner.

Professor Sands is a wonderful instructor, and I wish that my experiece at the University of Hawaii had proved to have included more professors like her. Her dedication to the subject matter, willingness to draw on examples from her own life experiences, and personal research engaged students in a way that makes the course content an experience, rather than a simple session in memorization. I found myself so engaged in the classroom and so inspired by Professor Sand's enthusiasim that I found myself wishing it wern't my last semester, so I could change majors. This course has left me pondering graduate research in this field.

very educated in this subject, very passionate because it was a big part of her life. She communicates this well and inspires others to adopt that passion because in one way or another its a big part of all of our lives.

She is very unclear about her expectations and unfair with her grading.

SHe pinpoints the subject matter that she is interested in so the class seemed lopsided on issues and controvery. We had whole classes on subjects that fit her needs to get awarness out.

Wonderful professor! Really enthusiastic about the material and was always available for questions.

very enthusiastic and very knowledgeable and caring

Really knows her stuff and does her best to get the class interested in the material. Some of the films were interesting, while other bits seemed superfluous. Technology set-up was a bit of a problem most of the time and powerpoints were disorganized, but the information therein was always helpful and interesting.

She is a very good teacher. I was happy to see that Professor Sands knew a lot about this subject. And if we ever had any questions, she was always there to help us.

excellent

Great professor. She is passionate about what she's teaching, which helps to make it more interesting.

not good. she often showed up late, or did not show up at all if she was covering for the TA in our sections. very irresponsible. should have emailed students and took responsibility for herself. not relying on the department to post a sign on the classroom door. very inconvenient for students who had one class and students who were waiting for that class to start. very inconsiderate. caused us to have more work to do for our sections. like posting write ups on laulima.

She's a good teacher and a lot of the material was very informational and a lot of these points are easily retained because it helped shape my view on different people and cultures and helped me accept them.

A wonderful and enthusiastic teacher

Kat is amazing. She is enthusiastic about the class and what is has to offer. She is always available to meet with students who have questions or concerns. This is my second class with her and she still amazes me with the amount of energy she has.

15. Overall, the TA is an excellent teacher.

Mean	N-Size	Std Dev		Strongly Disagree	Disagree	Neutral	Agree	Strongly Agree	N/A
4.46	25	0.59	Freq(%)	0 (0%)	0 (0%)	1 (4%)	11 (44%)	12 (48%)	1 (4%)

16. The TA sets high standards for students.

Mean	N-Size	Std Dev		Strongly Disagree	Disagree	Neutral	Agree	Strongly Agree	N/A
4.3	24	0.56	Freq(%)	0 (0%)	0 (0%)	1 (4%)	14 (58%)	8 (33%)	1 (4%)

17. The TA was able to stimulate class participation.

Mean	N-Size	Std Dev		Strongly Disagree	Disagree	Neutral	Agree	Strongly Agree	N/A
4.46	25	0.59	Freq(%)	0 (0%)	0 (0%)	1 (4%)	11 (44%)	12 (48%)	1 (4%)

18. Assignments are interesting and stimulating.

Mean	N-Size	Std Dev		Strongly Disagree	Disagree	Neutral	Agree	Strongly Agree
4.28	25	0.74	Freq(%)	0 (0%)	0 (0%)	4 (16%)	10 (40%)	11 (44%)

19. Which aspects of the course did you like the best?

Lectures. The fact the powerpoints are all posted online.

I enjoyed the individual points made in the study of each section of the course. I loved, and very much respected Professor Sand's use and study of the law as it pretains to this course. I felt that she provided us with a bank of knowledge that we can use elsewhere as well. I also enjoyed the music and slides before each class. This was such a good idea in introducing everyone to the new sections.

discussion sections

I really enjoyed the discussion sections and the site visit. It really broadened my horizon to other cultures.

The part about native american religions I liked best

I liked the music in the beginning of class, it got me in the mindset for the lecture. Really interesting topics and I liked the debate format.

her ability to keep the class interested

The Asian religions in America were the most interesting to me, I guess because they're usually overlooked in favor of broader Christian religions.

I liked the readings and going to class and relearning our readings through powerpoints.

The site visit was fun. Lab was helpful, for the most part, in understanding the concepts and issues taught in lecture.

fair

The site visit was the highlight of this course. We were able to actually go out and really be involved with what we were studying.

discussion sections/ debates

The facts and looks on different cultures and religions in America. I really liked being able to discuss these things openly.

I liked the lab sessions the best, it allowed group discussions as well as a smaller setting so that everyone was able to interact.

The brevity and gravity given to each religion

I enjoyed the visit to different religious places (not of our own religion) in order to get us some in person experience in different religions. I also enjoyed the once a week discussion sessions to get a better understanding and new ideas about the week's lectures.

20. Which aspects of the course did you like least?

N/A

The gay marriage, feminist part which has a small scope in religion for how long and hard we discussed these issues.

Keeping the class over time, especially if it's because class started late. Also, she whips through the powerpoints really fast, so it's hard to take notes and take in the lecture. Power points were not posted until just before the exams, so I often forgot what was missed from the slides.

john

The history of Protestantism was necessary but slightly tedious because of all the different sects.

N/A

Debates and assigned readings.

broad

The room we were in doesn't help my stay awake at 9:30am.

It was a really fun course and I would recommend it to my friends.

I didn't like the quizzes in lecture, sometimes it's hard to make it to class exactly at 9. Therefore sometimes we miss the quizzes and have no way of making it up.

being in class so early.

21. My overall evaluation of this course is...

Very good.

Fantastic! I would encourage everyone to take it. I don't say this about many classes, but I really feel that this course should be a graduation requirement. It opended my eyes to many new views, and I feel that courses like these are a great step towards tolerance and understanding on the college campus.

Great class! I recommend anybody to take it with an open mind.

It was interesting to get and inside look at different religions.

It's great to learn about the history of american religions

fun and interesting

Very informative, but sometimes tedious in the information overload.

Is that this was a great class.

339 was an interesting course I learned a lot of interesting conecpts and issues going on in America.

great

Good course, fantastic teacher.

decent

A good course that helps me learn how to deal and work with other people. And helps me accept differences from a rational point of view from learning a little bit and being less ignorant from this class.

Wonderfully executed.

This course is great if you're interested in learning about a group of religions. A great way to open your mind about different ideas as the weekly discussions makes it happen

22. Other comments:

I've already recommended the course to other AMST students.

must have

Kathleen Sands: AMST 339, Fall 2009 Back to top

Campus:	University of Hawaii at Manoa	Department:	American Studies
Course:	AMST 339 - Religions in America	Crn (Section):	79193 (001) 79194 (002) 79195 (003)

1. Class Level (pick one)

Mean	N-Size	Std Dev		Freshman	Sophomore	Junior	Senior	Grad	Other
3.43	28	0.69	Freq(%)	0 (0%)	2 (7%)	13 (46%)	12 (43%)	1 (4%)	0 (0%)

2. The instructor demonstrated knowledge of course content.

Mean	N-Size	Std Dev		Strongly Disagree	Disagree	Neutral	Agree	Strongly Agree
4.82	28	0.48	Freq(%)	0 (0%)	0 (0%)	1 (4%)	3 (11%)	24 (86%)

3. The instructor fulfilled the goals of the course.

Mean	N-Size	Std Dev		Strongly Disagree	Disagree	Neutral	Agree	Strongly Agree
4.61	28	0.63	Freq(%)	0 (0%)	0 (0%)	2 (7%)	7 (25%)	19 (68%)

4. The instructor communicated effectively.

Mean	N-Size	Std Dev		Strongly Disagree	Disagree	Neutral	Agree	Strongly Agree
4.57	28	0.88	Freq(%)	1 (4%)	0 (0%)	1 (4%)	6 (21%)	20 (71%)

5. I learned a lot in this course.

Mean	N-Size	Std Dev		Strongly Disagree	Disagree	Neutral	Agree	Strongly Agree
4.32	28	1.02	Freq(%)	0 (0%)	3 (11%)	2 (7%)	6 (21%)	17 (61%)

6. The instructor inspired me to be critical of ideas and materials.

Mean	N-Size	Std Dev		Strongly Disagree	Disagree	Neutral	Agree	Strongly Agree
4.25	28	1.08	Freq(%)	1 (4%)	2 (7%)	1 (4%)	9 (32%)	15 (54%)

7. The instructor is enthusiastic about the course material.

Mean	N-Size	Std Dev		Strongly Disagree	Disagree	Neutral	Agree	Strongly Agree
4.68	28	0.55	Freq(%)	0 (0%)	0 (0%)	1 (4%)	7 (25%)	20 (71%)

8. The instructor was easy to talk with and available for consultation.

Mean	N-Size	Std Dev		Strongly Disagree	Disagree	Neutral	Agree	Strongly Agree
4.36	28	1.03	Freq(%)	1 (4%)	0 (0%)	5 (18%)	4 (14%)	18 (64%)

9. The instructor encouraged class discussion.

Mean	N-Size	Std Dev		Strongly Disagree	Disagree	Neutral	Agree	Strongly Agree
4.21	28	0.99	Freq(%)	1 (4%)	0 (0%)	5 (18%)	8 (29%)	14 (50%)

10. The instructor was well organized and prepared for each session.

Mean	N-Size	Std Dev		Strongly Disagree	Disagree	Neutral	Agree	Strongly Agree
4.68	28	0.72	Freq(%)	0 (0%)	1 (4%)	1 (4%)	4 (14%)	22 (79%)

11. The instructor sets high standards for students.

Mean	N-Size	Std Dev		Strongly Disagree	Disagree	Neutral	Agree	Strongly Agree
4.5	28	0.75	Freq(%)	0 (0%)	0 (0%)	4 (14%)	6 (21%)	18 (64%)

12. My overall evaluation of this instructor is....

I love her. She is so knowledgeable and takes the time to get to know each individual student. Her lecture style is relaxed and I find myself actually learning instead of falling asleep because many of the issues discussed in class are very interesting.

Awesome, really good lecturer

The instructor was very knowledgable.

Very personable and friendly!

Very well prepared. Instructor truely has a passion for the subject and is a joy to hear lectures from. The instructor was very knowledgeable of the course and she seemed to enjoy the class... which made the classroom space a great learning space.

She is very knowledgable in her area. I feel like I learned a lot and have become a more knowledgable person after taking this course.

9/10 She was very biased though! Even if she was not aware of it, she was. In all her lectures, I witnessed a blatant disrespect for specific beliefs. She picked and chose her content very specifically, and presented to the class a perspective that definitely is not uninfluenced by her personal experiences.

Shes very knowledgeable. She encourages students and their ideas. Very supportive and uplifting even if your thoughts are extremely ignorant. Very positive and creates a safe environment. Cares about your success and sets you up for it. Great instructor that gives great lectures.

great teacher

good

Kathleen Sands is an ethusiastic and encouraging professor. she knows her subject very well and is great about repeating things and going over things so we can all understand it. She is a great teacher.

Great. She is very knowledgeable of the material. I loved her knowledge of the court cases involved in the American struggle and religion. it really added to the course and gave a new and detailed perspective I was not used to.

She was wonderful. You could tell that she really enjoyed teaching and the topics she taught us. I also liked the broad extent of her knowledge and when she was truthful if she didn't know something exactly right. I appreciated that honesty instead of trying to fake it just because she is the teacher and wanted to make a good appearance.

not a friendly person but knows the material

Well spoke.

She's very easy to talk to.

She is awesome. I loved the class. I enjoyed learning from her, but I felt like the exams were confusing and worded in a way I was unable to understand.

Kath is an amazingly warm and informational individual. She encourages discussion and helps break down hard to swallow concepts for students to understand better, even speaking within their realms of understanding.

So so knowledgeable yet delivers in an enthusiastic and inspiring way, not boring!

Awesome, very enthusiastic about teaching and the course content. Really got me interested in the material.

i really enjoyed her enthusiasm on the material. it was really refreshing to have her as a professor

13. Assignments are interesting and stimulating.

Mean	N-Size	Std Dev		Strongly Disagree	Disagree	Neutral	Agree	Strongly Agree
4.12	25	0.93	Freq(%)	0 (0%)	1 (4%)	6 (24%)	7 (28%)	11 (44%)

14. Which aspects of the course did you like the best?

The music snippets before class, the lectures, the discussion questions, the readings... everything.

open ended lectures. Discussion section was good as well.

I thought the topics discussed in class were very interesting. Also, I really enjoyed the site visit that we were required to do. The class was organized well.

Prof. Sands gives great lectures. I liked the lay out of her power point presentations.

learning something new everyday

I really enjoyed all of the pictures. Since I do not have much knowledge in religions, it was helpful to see examples of different aspects of each religion.

Lectures and the site visit.

I liked Kathleen's lectures the best. They included music at times which was awesome. They were interesting, controversial at times in an appropriate way, and intellectual. This course was more in depth than any other previous religious classes ive taken, which have included 320 and 350 level classes. That was much appreciated. Learning the legal side of religion was very interesting. It opened my eyes to religion in America.

discussion section

good

i really enjoyed the issues aspect of the course, it was fun getting to discuss different ideas and points of view with other classmates.

I loved the materials dealing with the legal cases and the discussion starters.

I liked the lectures the best i think. There was always so much information and interesting facts to learn. Very enjoyable.

the discussion section

The films.

Learning about public religion.

The fact that the instructor tried to make it as interesting as possible

the lectures

I enjoyed the discussions and music from the course.

LECTURES, they restate important material in a clearer and fresh aspect

Site visit.

i enjoyed the music she played at the beginning of class that related to the religion or subject we would be talking about that day.

15. Which aspects of the course did you like least?

Site Visit. I work two jobs and carry a full load of courses, so I do not have a lot of time to go to different places.

Albanese book

I wish there were more assignments to keep us engaged in the class and to give us other chances to academically prove ourselves rather than just two tests, class discussion, and a power point. I feel that my overall grade would have been better if I had a chance to write an essay, or even take a pop-quiz once in a while. I would normally never ask for more work, it just seems that there are very limited opportunities for us to improve our grades.

I appreciate her PowerPoints but sometimes it is difficult to read because of the color difference of the text and the background and sometimes the font. I really didn't like it when her lectures went past 10:20. I felt torn between wanting to finish the lecture and trying to be on time to my next class in BioMed.

Friday discussions - often awkward and unexciting.

I felt as though there were some negative prejudices about Christianity expressed in lectures that I felt were not appropriate and I did not care for. It was not fair and was not necessary in order to express a point.

too easy

content

N/A

The site visit. It did not seem to add to my experience of the course and I did not feel comfortable in the situation at the site. I feel that it could have been a great extra-credit opportunity, but that the assignment did not add much to the course.

I can't think of anything that she did that I didn't like.

grading policies.

I'm not sure.

That sometimes the material was a little boring.

I didn't like having to travel for the site visit but the visit was nice.

Amount of reading

i cant really say that thewre was a part of the class that i didnt like. i enjoyed this class.

16. My overall evaluation of this course is...

AWESOME, as all American Studies courses are. I should have changed my major a long time ago.

The content of the course was great, I learned a lot.

excellent course, excellent intructor would highly recommend

I thought this course is really easy. I'm glad it's an O.

9/10

Great. Interesting. Stimulating. Just enough work required! Perfect.

good but should be 100 or 200 level

okay

This is a great class, i feel like i really learned a lot in this course and came out looking at religion in a whole new way, i even learned a great deal about my own religion

Great. It offers a new and detailed perspective on a brief study of the Religions in America.

Awesome. I would recommend this class in a heartbeat.

it was ok

A very good course.

it's ok.

not bad, very interesting

The course is very interesting and a good overview of Religions and new religious traditions in America.

10 out of 10

Great course, needs a bit more structure or intruction to the students with the discussion assignments.

i enjoyed it and am glad to have taken it.

Kathleen Sands: AMST 469, Fall 2009 Back to top

Campus:	University of Hawaii at Manoa	Department:	American Studies
Course:	AMST 469 - Religion & Homosexuality	Crn (Section):	79199 (001)

1. Class Level (pick one)

Mean	N-Size	Std Dev		Freshman	Sophomore	Junior	Senior	Grad	Other
3.75	16	0.45	Freq(%)	0 (0%)	0 (0%)	4 (25%)	12 (75%)	0 (0%)	0 (0%)

2. The instructor demonstrated knowledge of course content.

Mean	N-Size	Std Dev		Strongly Disagree	Disagree	Neutral	Agree	Strongly Agree
4.94	17	0.24	Freq(%)	0 (0%)	0 (0%)	0 (0%)	1 (6%)	16 (94%)

3. The instructor fulfilled the goals of the course.

Mean	N-Size	Std Dev		Strongly Disagree	Disagree	Neutral	Agree	Strongly Agree
4.76	17	0.56	Freq(%)	0 (0%)	0 (0%)	1 (6%)	2 (12%)	14 (82%)

4. The instructor communicated effectively.

Mean	N-Size	Std Dev		Strongly Disagree	Disagree	Neutral	Agree	Strongly Agree
4.94	17	0.24	Freq(%)	0 (0%)	0 (0%)	0 (0%)	1 (6%)	16 (94%)

5. I learned a lot in this course.

Mean	N-Size	Std Dev		Strongly Disagree	Disagree	Neutral	Agree	Strongly Agree
4.65	17	0.79	Freq(%)	0 (0%)	1 (6%)	0 (0%)	3 (18%)	13 (76%)

6. The instructor inspired me to be critical of ideas and materials.

Mean	N-Size	Std Dev		Strongly Disagree	Disagree	Neutral	Agree	Strongly Agree
4.65	17	0.61	Freq(%)	0 (0%)	0 (0%)	1 (6%)	4 (24%)	12 (71%)

7. The instructor is enthusiastic about the course material.

Mean	N-Size	Std Dev		Strongly Disagree	Disagree	Neutral	Agree	Strongly Agree
4.82	17	0.73	Freq(%)	0 (0%)	1 (6%)	0 (0%)	0 (0%)	16 (94%)

8. The instructor was easy to talk with and available for consultation.

Mean	N-Size	Std Dev		Strongly Disagree	Disagree	Neutral	Agree	Strongly Agree
4.71	17	0.85	Freq(%)	0 (0%)	1 (6%)	1 (6%)	0 (0%)	15 (88%)

9. The instructor encouraged class discussion.

Mean	N-Size	Std Dev		Strongly Disagree	Disagree	Neutral	Agree	Strongly Agree
4.94	16	0.25	Freq(%)	0 (0%)	0 (0%)	0 (0%)	1 (6%)	15 (94%)

10. The instructor was well organized and prepared for each session.

Mean	N-Size	Std Dev		Strongly Disagree	Disagree	Neutral	Agree	Strongly Agree
4.76	17	0.56	Freq(%)	0 (0%)	0 (0%)	1 (6%)	2 (12%)	14 (82%)

11. The instructor sets high standards for students.

Mean	N-Size	Std Dev		Strongly Disagree	Disagree	Neutral	Agree	Strongly Agree
4.59	17	0.71	Freq(%)	0 (0%)	0 (0%)	2 (12%)	3 (18%)	12 (71%)

12. My overall evaluation of this instructor is....

very accommodating of all students, but I felt the course could have been more theoretically intensive.

I felt very comfortable in Professor Sands' class. She pushed me to think critically and play a solitary game of Devil's advocate, when analyzing articles. Sands' is a great professor. She is understanding and attentive. I never felt a bias within the class, I feel that she treated everyone equally.

Outstanding teacher

One of the best, if not THE best, teachers I have ever had...EVER (and I've had some great ones). She is a great asset to the University of Hawaii and they should count their blessings that they have her. GIVE HER TENURE so you don't risk losing a great educator!

Proff. Sands is extremely bright, fair, and smart. I really enjoyed the class and how she engaged it. She was also able to mentor as well as teach. She made a difference in a very hard semester.

The instructer was always encouraging during consultation. She had a great sense of humor and taught me to think critically about political issues regarding same sex marriage.

She is a great professor. I enjoyed coming to her class every week. She definitely knows her material and is very approachable and understanding. I would definitely recommend her classes to anyone.

Great

I believe the instructor was beyond helpful and informative I learned more then I intentionally thought I would and she touched upon subjects and aspects I would have never gave a thought about and in our society we must be able to understand and solve our problems effectively. It helped out my situation at home with my sister I really think there is a lack of understanding on this subject and the stereotype about homosexuality seems to be more voiced then the reality of what we are prohibiting these individuals from,which the equality and freedom to the same rights as heterosexuals and the resurgent of prejudice and dicrimination is upsetting espiecially because my sister is going through the problems of being unacceptted in society. But the main point is that this instructor exceeds all expectations of what you would expect! VERY knowledgeable

I learned a lot from this class since I have never taken a class on homosexuality OR religion before. It was also very interesting to hear about the political side of this topics.

Very good. This class was about a very controversial topic and although the instructor was clear on her stance on the topic, she often played devil's advocate and brought up points for opposing arguments and did not condemn students for their beliefs.

Great! Very knowledgeable of the subject matter and actually advocates for many of the topics brought up in class.

Great. She was very knowledgeable of the material and was able to offer several resources for the issues presented in class. She was able to offer an aspect to religion, morality, and homosexuality which I had never before explored in one class. She also encouraged great discussions for the students which aided in our understanding of the issues.

that she is a very good professor who takes the time to listen to each student's need when they come to see her (from my experience) The class is interesting, although I wish it was two days a week for a shorter class period instead of once a week.

fabulous. I love this class. The professor is very friendly and welcoming. She makes sure that everyone in class is comfortable. If more teachers at UH were like Dr. Sands, our school would be in MUCH better shape than it is now.

13. Assignments are interesting and stimulating.

Mean	N-Size	Std Dev		Strongly Disagree	Disagree	Neutral	Agree	Strongly Agree
4.2	15	0.94	Freq(%)	0 (0%)	1 (7%)	2 (13%)	5 (33%)	7 (47%)

14. Which aspects of the course did you like the best?

I liked the class discussions and talks with the professor.

I most enjoyed the class discussions; in classroom and online. I think that the discussions, made the readings clearer and more understandable. I also enjoyed the videos. The videos were always in relation to the what we were learning and were interesting.

Great reading selection

Professor Sands made everything interesting and helped us "connect the dots", so to speak, by helping us understand key points on complicated issues regarding sexuality and law. After taking this class, I feel like I understand the Law and our Constitution much better. She is not only one of the smartest people I have ever known, but she is gifted with the ability to understand her audience and know exactly how to help us to help us "get it."

I enjoyed the classroom and also the discussions the most. I did feel that the reading was heavy but if the books and/or reading from the books were available on laulima that would be great.

The active communication with my fellow students and teacher. Overall I felt that this class had more commoradarie than all my other previous classes.

I enjoyed the video documentaries and the class discussions. I enjoyed most of the readings, especially Stranger at the Gate and Non-violent communication. I also enjoyed how we could apply videos and everything in our discussion leader presentations.

The Open discussion among the students.

The reading assignments makes you really think and analyze and put it into context on what is going on with religion and homosexuality and how to communicate and go about the problem. I loved the discussions it really let me understand what my other class mates thought and it never occured to me. I LOVED the arguments with students with opposing views all problem solving starts with understanding your opposing sides argument.

I thought the instructor did a very good job in delegating class discussions and was always extremely understanding of everyone's opinions/thoughts.

I liked that this course was very much discussion based which allowed the students to engage with and better understand the material.

The open group discussion structure of the class. I really got to know a lot of fellow students in my class.

The readings. I loved the film that she opened the course with. It seemed to adequately open the course up to the issues we would be dealing with. The organization of the readings were great. She offered several sides of the issues--usually within the same week.

I enjoyed her explanations of what we were reading. A few of the reading were difficult but when she broke it down it was easier to understand. I enjoyed reading the articles she posted online.

The class discussions and personal testimonies really made the class relax and feel comfortable. Even though some of the readings were tough, the personal stories and videos really helped to support the topic.

15. Which aspects of the course did you like least?

Some of the readings felt tangential to the course goals.

I felt that the legal aspects of the course were most difficult

Weekly posting was not really needed in my opinion put more weight on discussion

Sometimes I wish the class was longer.

I think how much reading we had to do every week in time to post sometimes was challenging and stressful.

The Posting to Laulima on the Weekly readings.

The amount of reading a writing done in the class was quite extensive for a class that was not considered writing intensive. Readings were difficult and sometimes I couldn't keep up :(

I thought the room was too small for the size of the class, it cut some of the students out of the discussion.

The group presentations were a nice touch to the class, but I felt they overtook the class time too much. I felt we learned more thru open discussion, not when a group presented certain readings.

N/A

I didn't like reading some of the books which had a lot of legal terms, but the only reason is because I don't have experience with it. When she explained the book it made more sense.

The readings were very useful, but we had quite a few for one week. That can't really be helped with a class that only meets once a week, but if I had to say something, it would be the amount of reading for the next classes.

16. My overall evaluation of this course is...

Interesting, but could have been more intense.

The course is laid out effectively. It is broken down so that we know what types of discourse we're going to be learning and how those readings apply to that.

great course would highly recommend it

It was a pleasure! A+++

The is course should be required for all students. I felt that it was informative for a lot of people and shed light about this subject.

overall a challenging but great course! I liked the way how everything we have learned about in class was put together in the final lectures.

Great! I would recommend this course to anyone. The material was so interesting and it helped me understand how to analyze both sides of an argument better.

A+ I still walk away from this course with so much more knowledge then when i came.

EXCELLENT I would highly reccomend this course to all college students!

This was a great course! I have definitely been enlightened about the political debates/discourse that have been going on about homosexuality and religion. I thought the instructor did very well during heated class discussions and handled the situations very well. Reading assignments were a bit lengthy, but still interesting. She was a very kind professor, never negative, and always smiling. :)

Excellent. If I could take another course from this instructor I would, and I would definetly reccomend this class to other students.

Awesome: one of the best college-level courses I've had. Really informative and I felt I learned a lot, and not necessarily everything learned was encompassed in the class syllabus.

Great. She is very knowledgeable about the subject and loves encouraging the understanding of all views. I felt that the course greatly benefited the way I communicate within and around discourse.

this is a very enjoyable and informative course, I would recommend it to other students.

i think everyone should take this class. It makes you look at yourself in a whole new way. Even if you aren't homosexual, you get a better understanding of what it's like to grow up gay in a "straight" world. Also, we learned about different religions views on homosexuality. Even if you dont agree with everything that is taught, you do learn tolerance and acceptance, and that's a lesson that everyone needs to hear.