University of Hawai'i eCAFE

eCAFE: Course and Faculty Evaluations

Instructor: Ruben Juarez

Available Survey Results

ECON 301, Fall 2012
ECON 606, Fall 2012
ECON 301, Spring 2012
ECON 470, Spring 2012
ECON 301, Fall 2011
ECON 606, Fall 2011
ECON 420, Fall 2010
ECON 420, Spring 2010
ECON 651, Spring 2010
ECON 606, Fall 2009

Ruben Juarez: ECON 301, Fall 2012

Campus:	University of Hawaii at Manoa	Department:	Economics
Course:	ECON 301 - Intermediate Microeconomics	Crn (Section):	70849 (001)

1. Class Level (pick one)

Mean	N-Size	Std Dev		Freshman	Sophomore	Junior	Senior	Grad	Other
3.44	18	0.92	Freq(%)	0 (0%)	2 (11%)	8 (44%)	7 (39%)	0 (0%)	1 (6%)

2. Course

Mean	N-Size	Std Dev		Elective	Required
1.67	18	0.49	Freq(%)	6 (33%)	12 (67%)

3. The instructor demonstrated knowledge of course content.

Mean	N-Size	Std Dev		Strongly Disagree	Disagree	Neutral	Agree	Strongly Agree
4.72	18	0.57	Freq(%)	0 (0%)	0 (0%)	1 (6%)	3 (17%)	14 (78%)

4. The instructor fulfilled the goals of the course.

Mean	N-Size	Std Dev		Strongly Disagree	Disagree	Neutral	Agree	Strongly Agree
4.5	18	0.71	Freq(%)	0 (0%)	0 (0%)	2 (11%)	5 (28%)	11 (61%)

5. The instructor communicated effectively.

Mean	N-Size	Std Dev		Strongly Disagree	Disagree	Neutral	Agree	Strongly Agree
4.28	18	0.75	Freq(%)	0 (0%)	0 (0%)	3 (17%)	7 (39%)	8 (44%)

6. I gained a good understanding of concepts/principles in this field.

Mean	N-Size	Std Dev		Strongly Disagree	Disagree	Neutral	Agree	Strongly Agree
4.33	18	0.91	Freq(%)	0 (0%)	1 (6%)	2 (11%)	5 (28%)	10 (56%)

7. I learned a lot in this course.

Mean	N-Size	Std Dev		Strongly Disagree	Disagree	Neutral	Agree	Strongly Agree
4.28	18	0.96	Freq(%)	0 (0%)	2 (11%)	0 (0%)	7 (39%)	9 (50%)

8. I felt that this course challenged me intellectually.

Mean	N-Size	Std Dev		Strongly Disagree	Disagree	Neutral	Agree	Strongly Agree
4.44	18	0.62	Freq(%)	0 (0%)	0 (0%)	1 (6%)	8 (44%)	9 (50%)

9. Which aspects of the course were most valuable?

The quantitative aspects were most valuable because it strengthens the students' analysis skills to better understand the economics concepts. The in-class problem solving prepared students well for the homework.

Homework, forces you to go over material. The curves!

Having the problem sessions on each homework was valuable because it gives us a chance to see the solutions and understand where the solutions come from and why they make sense. Earning extra credit for doing a problem correctly at the board is also a plus. Having the quizzes is also valuable as we are assessed on all of the major concepts and we can check our understanding before the midterm and the final.

learning about the optimal price to charge and quantity to produce in different markets.

The lectures and the homework solution sheets. I really learned a lot from the lectures and I typically tune out most of my professors. And the homework solution sheets were really great. You rarely have a class where after a homework assignment is turned in, that you get to see exactly how every problem is supposed to be done. Those in particular really prepared me for the midterm and final.

The concepts which were put on the midterm (and probably the final) are the most valuable.

I learned 80% of the course by referring to the HW Solutions given out and the remaining 20% from the class discussion, so I felt like I was always behind.

All of it was valuable. Going from the ideas of supply and demand to profit making and when you should be cutting your losses when you are not making a profit.

I think one of the important aspects I thought was the most valuable is when he makes us, the student, do homework problems on the board. A lot of other people might feel differently, but to me it was a great way to understand the material. Another thing I think was valuable was the homework problems that were chosen. They are very similar to what I feel will be useful to use in the real world.

I enjoyed the graphical portions of the class because i felt as though that was the most useful tool we gained from the course for real life scenarios.

The realization of how math skills is extremely important in my future success in economics. The homework and the answer key.

Learning the applications of calculus and applications that i might use in my future career

I found it really convenient that majority of the material was posted online and that the professor really seemed not only dedicated to the study of the course, but also to the students as well.

10. Which aspects of the course were least valuable?

Tedious problems.

I think there should be two midterms just to off set bad grades more. haha

N/A

Going over the homework in class. Most students used it as time to do the homework, instead of having it prepared, and the pressure of having to show your work to the whole class was a nerve wracking situation. Also, it ate up a lot of time.

I thought having students going to the board to do HW assignments was a waste of class time. I would rather see an instructor do the HW in half the time.

I liked all aspects. if anything i think some would not like the review since he does cover material from econ 130, but i feel it is necessary.

N/A

I think everything was pretty necessary for the course.

11. The instructor is willing to meet and help students outside class.

Mean	N-Size	Std Dev		Strongly Disagree	Disagree	Neutral	Agree	Strongly Agree
4.5	18	0.71	Freq(%)	0 (0%)	0 (0%)	2 (11%)	5 (28%)	11 (61%)

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

Mean	N-Size	Std Dev		Strongly Disagree	Disagree	Neutral	Agree	Strongly Agree
4.41	17	0.62	Freq(%)	0 (0%)	0 (0%)	1 (6%)	8 (47%)	8 (47%)

13. Global appraisal: Considering everything how would rate this INSTRUCTOR?

Mean	N-Size	Std Dev		Very Poor	Poor	Average	Good	Excellent
4.33	18	0.69	Freq(%)	0 (0%)	0 (0%)	2 (11%)	8 (44%)	8 (44%)

14. The grading system was clearly explained.

Mean	N-Size	Std Dev		Strongly Disagree	Disagree	Neutral	Agree	Strongly Agree
4.33	18	0.77	Freq(%)	0 (0%)	0 (0%)	3 (17%)	6 (33%)	9 (50%)

15. Other comments:

Incorporate discussions about current real world news that are related to the concepts to keep the students interested.

He's a very smart man, but sometimes the way concepts aren't presented in the clearest ways. Notes were hard to understand when I went back for homework help. Maybe give it in more simpler ways? Maybe I'm the only one that's confused?

Perhaps having a stronger math background or preparation would be good for students enrolling in 301 - in 300, we were discussing partial derivatives in class, and a lot of students didn't even understand regular derivatives. I saw a lot of the same type of confusion in 301.

I don't like it when the professor sometimes confuses himself.

The book is not great for students that learn from a book at their own pace. It is frustrating trying to learn from a chalkboard presentation with lots of numbers unless there is a reference. I would rather have a better book or no book and lecture notes written by the professor available to make comments on during class. 90% of my energy in class was used trying to copy notes down and then often getting lost if I incorrectly copied a number, as a result, I often missed the most important part of class which was listening to the explanation or the economic parts. I had no desire to use notes submitted by students because there was no uniformity in quality. The HW problems were much more difficult than what was covered in class and the book was not a good reference. Class could be more organized by making printouts of problems that will be solved or at least referencing HW problems by mentioning the similarities and then pointing out the differences in how the HW assignment asks the questions or involves some other insight beyond the basics covered inc class.

Great teacher.. wish i discovered him sooner.

Taking him again next semester... Looking forward to it.

Good class, hard to follow at many points. Gained a lot of knowledge from the course.

Have a merry Christmas and a happy new year!

I had to get used to the accent but other than that i learned a lot and telling us that this was the most difficult course in economics was intimidating but it made me try harder in this class than my other classes.

Ruben Juarez: ECON 606, Fall 2012 Back to top

Campus:	University of Hawaii at Manoa	Department:	Economics
Course:	ECON 606 - Microeconomic Theory I	Crn (Section):	70855 (001)

1. Class Level (pick one)

Mean	N-Size	Std Dev		Freshman	Sophomore	Junior	Senior	Grad	Other
4.92	12	0.29	Freq(%)	0 (0%)	0 (0%)	0 (0%)	1 (8%)	11 (92%)	0 (0%)

2. Course

Mean	N-Size	Std Dev		Elective	Required
1.73	11	0.47	Freq(%)	3 (27%)	8 (73%)

3. The instructor demonstrated knowledge of course content.

Mean	N-Size	Std Dev		Strongly Disagree	Disagree	Neutral	Agree	Strongly Agree
4.83	12	0.39	Freq(%)	0 (0%)	0 (0%)	0 (0%)	2 (17%)	10 (83%)

4. The instructor fulfilled the goals of the course.

Mean	N-Size	Std Dev		Strongly Disagree	Disagree	Neutral	Agree	Strongly Agree
4.67	12	0.49	Freq(%)	0 (0%)	0 (0%)	0 (0%)	4 (33%)	8 (67%)

5. The instructor communicated effectively.

Mean	N-Size	Std Dev		Strongly Disagree	Disagree	Neutral	Agree	Strongly Agree
4.5	12	0.67	Freq(%)	0 (0%)	0 (0%)	1 (8%)	4 (33%)	7 (58%)

6. I gained a good understanding of concepts/principles in this field.

Mean	N-Size	Std Dev		Strongly Disagree	Disagree	Neutral	Agree	Strongly Agree
4.5	12	0.52	Freq(%)	0 (0%)	0 (0%)	0 (0%)	6 (50%)	6 (50%)

7. I learned a lot in this course.

Mean	N-Size	Std Dev		Strongly Disagree	Disagree	Neutral	Agree	Strongly Agree
4.67	12	0.49	Freq(%)	0 (0%)	0 (0%)	0 (0%)	4 (33%)	8 (67%)

8. I felt that this course challenged me intellectually.

Mean	N-Size	Std Dev		Strongly Disagree	Disagree	Neutral	Agree	Strongly Agree
4.92	12	0.29	Freq(%)	0 (0%)	0 (0%)	0 (0%)	1 (8%)	11 (92%)

9. Which aspects of the course were most valuable?

All aspects of this course was valuable. All information given was helpful in many ways to be prepared for the tests and for just personal knowledge on the matter.

The homework sets were very difficult, but I think that they helped to prepare for the exams as they required that I go back and read the text, review lecture notes, and seek help from the instructor or TA.

10. Which aspects of the course were least valuable?

I personally feel that there were not any least valuable aspects in the course. Things were given in a balanced matter.

The length and pace of the course. It was a shortened course, so there was not a lot of time to absorb the material presented. There was so much material presented that the time to completely understand it was short.

11. The instructor is willing to meet and help students outside class.

Mean	N-Size	Std Dev		Strongly Disagree	Disagree	Neutral	Agree	Strongly Agree
4.67	12	0.65	Freq(%)	0 (0%)	0 (0%)	1 (8%)	2 (17%)	9 (75%)

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

Mean	N-Size	Std Dev		Strongly Disagree	Disagree	Neutral	Agree	Strongly Agree
4.67	12	0.49	Freq(%)	0 (0%)	0 (0%)	0 (0%)	4 (33%)	8 (67%)

13. Global appraisal: Considering everything how would rate this INSTRUCTOR?

Mean	N-Size	Std Dev		Very Poor	Poor	Average	Good	Excellent
4.55	11	0.52	Freq(%)	0 (0%)	0 (0%)	0 (0%)	5 (45%)	6 (55%)

14. The grading system was clearly explained.

Mean	N-Size	Std Dev		Strongly Disagree	Disagree	Neutral	Agree	Strongly Agree
4.58	12	0.79	Freq(%)	0 (0%)	0 (0%)	2 (17%)	1 (8%)	9 (75%)

15. Other comments:

More in class examples would be more helpful..

Prof. Juarez has handwriting that is sometimes difficult to read. It's probably necessary in order for Ph.D. students to get ready for the qualifying exam in time, but having only abstract theory courses in the first semester is extremely difficult. Having two midterms and that much homework in an accelerated course was a bit much, especially given the unscheduled review session.

I feel the class was great and I truly enjoyed coming to class and learning.

I think that for being a compressed schedule, the instructor did a pretty decent job of conveying the information and attempting to get students to the point of comprehension and prepare us for the next course in the topic.

The speed of the class makes for quite the challenging experience. So much can be learned and yet it always feels like there is much more material to be learned in the book.

Ruben Juarez: ECON 301, Spring 2012 Back to top

Campus:	University of Hawaii at Manoa	Department:	Economics
Course:	ECON 301 - Intermediate Microeconomics	Crn (Section):	83883 (002)

1. Class Level (pick one)

Mean	N-Size	Std Dev		Freshman	Sophomore	Junior	Senior	Grad	Other
3.42	12	0.67	Freq(%)	0 (0%)	1 (8%)	5 (42%)	6 (50%)	0 (0%)	0 (0%)

2. Course

Mean	N-Size	Std Dev		Elective	Required
1.83	12	0.39	Freq(%)	2 (17%)	10 (83%)

3. The instructor demonstrated knowledge of course content.

Mean	N-Size	Std Dev		Strongly Disagree	Disagree	Neutral	Agree	Strongly Agree
4.75	12	0.45	Freq(%)	0 (0%)	0 (0%)	0 (0%)	3 (25%)	9 (75%)

4. The instructor fulfilled the goals of the course.

Mean	N-Size	Std Dev		Strongly Disagree	Disagree	Neutral	Agree	Strongly Agree
4.58	12	0.51	Freq(%)	0 (0%)	0 (0%)	0 (0%)	5 (42%)	7 (58%)

5. The instructor communicated effectively.

Mean	N-Size	Std Dev		Strongly Disagree	Disagree	Neutral	Agree	Strongly Agree
4.25	12	0.75	Freq(%)	0 (0%)	0 (0%)	2 (17%)	5 (42%)	5 (42%)

6. I gained a good understanding of concepts/principles in this field.

Mean	N-Size	Std Dev		Strongly Disagree	Disagree	Neutral	Agree	Strongly Agree
4.58	12	0.51	Freq(%)	0 (0%)	0 (0%)	0 (0%)	5 (42%)	7 (58%)

7. I deepened my interest in the subject matter of this course.

Mean	N-Size	Std Dev		Strongly Disagree	Disagree	Neutral	Agree	Strongly Agree
4.33	12	0.65	Freq(%)	0 (0%)	0 (0%)	1 (8%)	6 (50%)	5 (42%)

8. Which aspects of the course were most valuable?

The group problems plus the lecture.

Profit maximization and consumer choice.

The office hours The homework assignment and having each person in class go up to board and do a problem

The nature of how points were assigned for taking notes and for doing the homework problems in the class were valuable as I believe this helped increase the number of students that would constantly attend the class.

This course evaluated a more microscopic view of a potential firm and their outcomes in different scenarios. the math in detail along with the graphs gave a visual understanding that has broadened my knowledge in the subject.

Step-by-step demonstrations of calculus based questions.

Homework assignments and take home quizzes helped to aid in understanding of material.

The learning style was very hands on. He would also require his students to solve problems on the board, so no one could fall behind in the course.

the homeworks were helpful as well as the class discussions

9. Which aspects of the course were least valuable?

N/A

Producer/consumer surplus.

Would probably be more beneficial to learning if the homework was handed in before being gone over in class.

I don't believe anything was of low value, for everything I attained will and has previously been used for other classes.

Typed class notes.

N/A

There was a week and a half long period where the professor had a substitute teacher that was not very helpful in learning new course material.

i didnt find the student note taking and posting too helpful

10. The instructor was able to explain concepts clearly and effectively.

Mean	N-Size	Std Dev		Strongly Disagree	Disagree	Neutral	Agree	Strongly Agree
4.33	12	0.49	Freq(%)	0 (0%)	0 (0%)	0 (0%)	8 (67%)	4 (33%)

11. The instructor is willing to meet and help students outside class.

Mean	N-Size	Std Dev		Strongly Disagree	Disagree	Neutral	Agree	Strongly Agree
4.58	12	0.67	Freq(%)	0 (0%)	0 (0%)	1 (8%)	3 (25%)	8 (67%)

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

Mean	N-Size	Std Dev		Strongly Disagree	Disagree	Neutral	Agree	Strongly Agree
4.5	12	0.52	Freq(%)	0 (0%)	0 (0%)	0 (0%)	6 (50%)	6 (50%)

13. The instructor sets high standards for students.

Mean	N-Size	Std Dev		Strongly Disagree	Disagree	Neutral	Agree	Strongly Agree
4.5	12	0.52	Freq(%)	0 (0%)	0 (0%)	0 (0%)	6 (50%)	6 (50%)

14. The instructor makes the course difficult enough to be stimulating.

Mean	N-Size	Std Dev		Strongly Disagree	Disagree	Neutral	Agree	Strongly Agree
4.45	11	0.52	Freq(%)	0 (0%)	0 (0%)	0 (0%)	6 (55%)	5 (45%)

15. Global appraisal: Considering everything how would rate this INSTRUCTOR?

Mean	N-Size	Std Dev		Very Poor	Poor	Average	Good	Excellent
4.67	12	0.49	Freq(%)	0 (0%)	0 (0%)	0 (0%)	4 (33%)	8 (67%)

16. The instructor was fair in grading and criteria of grades.

Mean	N-Size	Std Dev		Strongly Disagree	Disagree	Neutral	Agree	Strongly Agree
4.67	12	0.49	Freq(%)	0 (0%)	0 (0%)	0 (0%)	4 (33%)	8 (67%)

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

I like how Prof. Juarez tries to get the entire class involved and helping each other.

Profit maximization and consumer theory. They seemed like they would have the most practical use.

I like that we would go over the quiz and homework.

I liked the active engagement in class, and the different examples that were somewhat life-like in regards to potential scenarios. I also liked how, as many questions as I asked, there was always a good answer and an example to follow. Made for a clear understanding of the course.

Relaxed class atmosphere.

Things listed above

I liked the real life examples, and having to solve the problems. The class had a very good learning environment because of the size as well.

I enjoyed the concepts of the class

18. Other comments:

#11 is neutral because I made no effort to do so.

I would recommend handing out problem sheet, so we can follow you. I think it would allow the slower student to understand word problem a bit better. Perhaps a classroom with a whiteboard to make it easier to understand and read what is on the board.

I may be a little more on the louder side, but the professor did well with his sense of humor and patience to constantly try to make the students understand the curriculum. My best and most entertaining class of the semester. :)

Ruben Juarez: ECON 470, Spring 2012 Back to top

Campus:	University of Hawaii at Manoa	Department:	Economics
Course:	ECON 470 - Industrial Organization	Crn (Section):	87458 (001)

1. Class Level (pick one)

Mean	N-Size	Std Dev		Freshman	Sophomore	Junior	Senior	Grad	Other
3.46	13	0.52	Freq(%)	0 (0%)	0 (0%)	7 (54%)	6 (46%)	0 (0%)	0 (0%)

2. Course

Mean	N-Size	Std Dev		Elective	Required
1.42	12	0.51	Freq(%)	7 (58%)	5 (42%)

3. The instructor demonstrated knowledge of course content.

Mean	N-Size	Std Dev		Strongly Disagree	Disagree	Neutral	Agree	Strongly Agree
4.69	13	0.48	Freq(%)	0 (0%)	0 (0%)	0 (0%)	4 (31%)	9 (69%)

4. The instructor fulfilled the goals of the course.

Mean	N-Size	Std Dev		Strongly Disagree	Disagree	Neutral	Agree	Strongly Agree
4.54	13	0.52	Freq(%)	0 (0%)	0 (0%)	0 (0%)	6 (46%)	7 (54%)

5. The instructor communicated effectively.

Mean	N-Size	Std Dev		Strongly Disagree	Disagree	Neutral	Agree	Strongly Agree
4.08	13	0.64	Freq(%)	0 (0%)	0 (0%)	2 (15%)	8 (62%)	3 (23%)

6. I gained a good understanding of concepts/principles in this field.

Mean	N-Size	Std Dev		Strongly Disagree	Disagree	Neutral	Agree	Strongly Agree
4.46	13	0.66	Freq(%)	0 (0%)	0 (0%)	1 (8%)	5 (38%)	7 (54%)

7. I deepened my interest in the subject matter of this course.

Mean	N-Size	Std Dev		Strongly Disagree	Disagree	Neutral	Agree	Strongly Agree
4.31	13	0.75	Freq(%)	0 (0%)	0 (0%)	2 (15%)	5 (38%)	6 (46%)

8. Which aspects of the course were most valuable?

Applying formulas to economic concepts for a better understanding of the way firms react in various situations. The variety of coursework really helped put material into perspective.

Some of the homework questions were somewhat different than what was covered in lecture, forcing you to analyze the problem and work out a solution instead of just repeating what was done in class. This was helpful in strengthening my analytic skills and learning to look at problems from multiple angles and will probably help in future economic courses/problem solving.

The class was not just formulas on a board, there was lots of practical application in the real world. I enjoyed learning about different industries and how economics can apply. It made studying tangible.

Learning more subtle models that explain business behavior. the real world is not so simple and the introduction of numerous models offers new and more sophisticated tools to analyze industries.

Lectures

learning about the logic and reasoning of industries and firms.

quizzes and homeworks helped explain which aspects of the course were most relevant to know

The writing assignments allows you to use what you learned and was different from other economics classes where only pure theory is learned but no application of the theory was used.

Class lectures were very good and he used class time well.

writing the final project research paper was helpful in gaining knowledge about a particular industry. The homework was difficult, but I learned a lot through completing the assignments

9. Which aspects of the course were least valuable?

N/A

The industry reports were somewhat tangential to the course material. Maybe a better integration of what was learned in class to the industry reports themselves might strengthen this connection. It might mean more work for the papers/reports but I think it would be more useful.

Homework/tests/quizzes were more difficult than expected but there was plenty of opportunity to ask questions or seek help from others.

i dont know

typing out the lecture notes

The math.

industry reports

I feel like all of the homework was worth while. Some of it was cool and I liked knowing, but some of it I felt was just busy work.

I wish there was more writing and less math homework. I took the class because I thought it was going to be a writing intensive, but most of the hard work was learning new theories and long homework assignments

10. The instructor was able to explain concepts clearly and effectively.

Mean	N-Size	Std Dev		Strongly Disagree	Disagree	Neutral	Agree	Strongly Agree
4.15	13	0.8	Freq(%)	0 (0%)	0 (0%)	3 (23%)	5 (38%)	5 (38%)

11. The instructor is willing to meet and help students outside class.

Mean	N-Size	Std Dev		Strongly Disagree	Disagree	Neutral	Agree	Strongly Agree
4.69	13	0.63	Freq(%)	0 (0%)	0 (0%)	1 (8%)	2 (15%)	10 (77%)

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

Mean	N-Size	Std Dev		Strongly Disagree	Disagree	Neutral	Agree	Strongly Agree
4.54	13	0.52	Freq(%)	0 (0%)	0 (0%)	0 (0%)	6 (46%)	7 (54%)

13. The instructor sets high standards for students.

Mean	N-Size	Std Dev		Strongly Disagree	Disagree	Neutral	Agree	Strongly Agree
4.62	13	0.65	Freq(%)	0 (0%)	0 (0%)	1 (8%)	3 (23%)	9 (69%)

14. The instructor makes the course difficult enough to be stimulating.

Mean	N-Size	Std Dev		Strongly Disagree	Disagree	Neutral	Agree	Strongly Agree
4.46	13	0.66	Freq(%)	0 (0%)	0 (0%)	1 (8%)	5 (38%)	7 (54%)

15. Global appraisal: Considering everything how would rate this INSTRUCTOR?

Mean	N-Size	Std Dev		Very Poor	Poor	Average	Good	Excellent
4.62	13	0.51	Freq(%)	0 (0%)	0 (0%)	0 (0%)	5 (38%)	8 (62%)

16. The writing assignments helped me understand the course content.

Mean	N-Size	Std Dev		Strongly Disagree	Disagree	Neutral	Agree	Strongly Agree
4.38	13	0.96	Freq(%)	0 (0%)	1 (8%)	1 (8%)	3 (23%)	8 (62%)

17. The writing assignments helped me develop abilities to solve problems.

Mean	N-Size	Std Dev		Strongly Disagree	Disagree	Neutral	Agree	Strongly Agree
4.23	13	1.17	Freq(%)	0 (0%)	2 (15%)	1 (8%)	2 (15%)	8 (62%)

18. The instructor was fair in grading and criteria of grades.

Mean	N-Size	Std Dev		Strongly Disagree	Disagree	Neutral	Agree	Strongly Agree
4.31	13	0.95	Freq(%)	0 (0%)	1 (8%)	1 (8%)	4 (31%)	7 (54%)

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

Research on an industry or firm, and applying the course concepts to real world business.

The homework. It was difficult enough that it really made you think and analyze it instead of just regurgitating models or equations.

I liked the writing assignments the best. Working with other people helped too.

i like going over the homework because i almost always needed some explanation on how to do some of the problems

lectures

none.

The final project, a lot of flexibility was given in this so you could do whatever interested you.

I liked covering the product differentiation and I liked that we covered almost the whole book.

Writing the research paper and giving my presentation about the industry. I also learned a lot about new models and theories in industrial organization

20. Other comments:

don't like typing out the lecture notes, people should be forced to come to class and take their own notes.

This course was dominated by math equations and not much writing at all. I felt like I was taking a math class instead of a writing intensive class. I had difficulties grasping all of the math concepts.

I wish we would have done more homework like examples in class before the homeworks were due, because the homework took forever.

Ruben Juarez: ECON 301, Fall 2011 Back to top

Campus:	University of Hawaii at Manoa	Department:	Economics
Course:	ECON 301 - Intermediate Microeconomics	Crn (Section):	70921 (002)

1. Class Level (pick one)

Mean	N-Size	Std Dev		Freshman	Sophomore	Junior	Senior	Grad	Other
3.08	12	0.67	Freq(%)	0 (0%)	2 (17%)	7 (58%)	3 (25%)	0 (0%)	0 (0%)

2. Course

Mean	N-Size	Std Dev		Elective	Required
1.5	12	0.52	Freq(%)	6 (50%)	6 (50%)

3. The instructor demonstrated knowledge of course content.

Mean	N-Size	Std Dev		Strongly Disagree	Disagree	Neutral	Agree	Strongly Agree
4.42	12	0.9	Freq(%)	0 (0%)	1 (8%)	0 (0%)	4 (33%)	7 (58%)

4. The instructor fulfilled the goals of the course.

Mean	N-Size	Std Dev		Strongly Disagree	Disagree	Neutral	Agree	Strongly Agree
4.25	12	1.06	Freq(%)	0 (0%)	1 (8%)	2 (17%)	2 (17%)	7 (58%)

5. The instructor communicated effectively.

Mean	N-Size	Std Dev		Strongly Disagree	Disagree	Neutral	Agree	Strongly Agree
3.83	12	1.03	Freq(%)	0 (0%)	1 (8%)	4 (33%)	3 (25%)	4 (33%)

6. I gained a good understanding of concepts/principles in this field.

Mean	N-Size	Std Dev		Strongly Disagree	Disagree	Neutral	Agree	Strongly Agree
4.08	12	1.08	Freq(%)	0 (0%)	1 (8%)	3 (25%)	2 (17%)	6 (50%)

7. I deepened my interest in the subject matter of this course.

Mean	N-Size	Std Dev		Strongly Disagree	Disagree	Neutral	Agree	Strongly Agree
4.0	11	0.89	Freq(%)	0 (0%)	0 (0%)	4 (36%)	3 (27%)	4 (36%)

8. Which aspects of the course were most valuable?

The homework and tests.

The strong math basis will be use for the future

The way the class is set up is very proper. If one studies they will know all the material.

He is brilliant.

The quizzes were good indicators of if student's understand the material. The homework problems were good practice for quizzes and the exam. Bonus points for participation is helpful in maintaining a good grade.

It helped me tie business and economics together.

learning about analytical tools in economics while incorporating critical thinking, and applying those concepts to current issues. learning about producer, consumer, and market strategy (i.e. cost functions, individual & market demand, production, profit maximization and competitive supply, etc.)

the homeworks, going over them in class...also lecture was comprehenive and crucial to the class, if you go to lecture you do well on the homework and quizzes

I learned some interesting math components that deal with economics.

9. Which aspects of the course were least valuable?

Making student write notes made the notes confusing and almost useless.

N/A

Maybe it is just Microeconomics, but information is sometimes vague and not readily available. This makes learning the material even that more difficult and maybe impossible.

Content is far difficult from other 301 micro classes.

The amount of homework problems assigned were excessive, especially if only two are going to be graded.

It was all pretty valuable.

N/A

nothing, everything was done the right way

His organization was not very good and his lecture notes seemed scattered at best.

10. The instructor was able to explain concepts clearly and effectively.

Mean	N-Size	Std Dev		Strongly Disagree	Disagree	Neutral	Agree	Strongly Agree
3.83	12	0.94	Freq(%)	0 (0%)	1 (8%)	3 (25%)	5 (42%)	3 (25%)

11. The instructor is willing to meet and help students outside class.

Mean	N-Size	Std Dev		Strongly Disagree	Disagree	Neutral	Agree	Strongly Agree
4.5	12	0.67	Freq(%)	0 (0%)	0 (0%)	1 (8%)	4 (33%)	7 (58%)

12. Talking to the instructor during office hours was helpful.

Mean	N-Size	Std Dev		Strongly Disagree	Disagree	Neutral	Agree	Strongly Agree
4.08	12	0.9	Freq(%)	0 (0%)	0 (0%)	4 (33%)	3 (25%)	5 (42%)

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

Mean	N-Size	Std Dev		Strongly Disagree	Disagree	Neutral	Agree	Strongly Agree
4.17	12	1.03	Freq(%)	0 (0%)	1 (8%)	2 (17%)	3 (25%)	6 (50%)

14. The instructor sets high standards for students.

Mean	N-Size	Std Dev		Strongly Disagree	Disagree	Neutral	Agree	Strongly Agree
4.18	11	0.6	Freq(%)	0 (0%)	0 (0%)	1 (9%)	7 (64%)	3 (27%)

15. Global appraisal: Considering everything how would rate this INSTRUCTOR?

Mean	N-Size	Std Dev		Very Poor	Poor	Average	Good	Excellent
4.08	12	1.08	Freq(%)	0 (0%)	1 (8%)	3 (25%)	2 (17%)	6 (50%)

16. The instructor was fair in grading and criteria of grades.

Mean	N-Size	Std Dev		Strongly Disagree	Disagree	Neutral	Agree	Strongly Agree
4.25	12	1.06	Freq(%)	0 (0%)	1 (8%)	2 (17%)	2 (17%)	7 (58%)

17. Other comments:

He has a strong and unique accent/persona, but at the end of the day he is very helpful and an excellent professional.

Knows material extremely well. In fact, his intelligence is to fast for a few students.

nope

Class is rather hard. Quiz are out of 100 points but there are only 4 problems. So if you get one wrong your already at a 75%, and if you get two problems wrong you get a 50%. Homework is good and helpful, but maybe too much problems.

Ruben Juarez: ECON 606, Fall 2011 Back to top

Campus:	University of Hawaii at Manoa	Department:	Economics
Course:	ECON 606 - Microeconomic Theory I	Crn (Section):	70926 (001)

1. Class Level (pick one)

Mean	N-Size	Std Dev		Freshman	Sophomore	Junior	Senior	Grad	Other
4.67	12	1.15	Freq(%)	1 (8%)	0 (0%)	0 (0%)	0 (0%)	11 (92%)	0 (0%)

2. Course

Mean	N-Size	Std Dev		Elective	Required
2.0	12	0.0	Freq(%)	0 (0%)	12 (100%)

3. The instructor demonstrated knowledge of course content.

Mean	N-Size	Std Dev		Strongly Disagree	Disagree	Neutral	Agree	Strongly Agree
4.25	12	0.45	Freq(%)	0 (0%)	0 (0%)	0 (0%)	9 (75%)	3 (25%)

4. The instructor fulfilled the goals of the course.

Mean	N-Size	Std Dev		Strongly Disagree	Disagree	Neutral	Agree	Strongly Agree
3.83	12	0.83	Freq(%)	0 (0%)	0 (0%)	5 (42%)	4 (33%)	3 (25%)

5. The instructor communicated effectively.

Mean	N-Size	Std Dev		Strongly Disagree	Disagree	Neutral	Agree	Strongly Agree
3.83	12	0.83	Freq(%)	0 (0%)	0 (0%)	5 (42%)	4 (33%)	3 (25%)

6. I gained a good understanding of concepts/principles in this field.

Mean	N-Size	Std Dev		Strongly Disagree	Disagree	Neutral	Agree	Strongly Agree
3.92	12	0.79	Freq(%)	0 (0%)	0 (0%)	4 (33%)	5 (42%)	3 (25%)

7. I deepened my interest in the subject matter of this course.

Mean	N-Size	Std Dev		Strongly Disagree	Disagree	Neutral	Agree	Strongly Agree
4.08	12	0.9	Freq(%)	0 (0%)	1 (8%)	1 (8%)	6 (50%)	4 (33%)

8. Which aspects of the course were most valuable?

His explanation is clear.

Theories of Microeconomics, which are helpful in developing our own research agenda in the future.

Microeconomic theory1 is great and what I really want to take. Prof.Juarez has enough knowledge about this course and he has enough experience to teach graduate students.

The course as a whole was very valuable

9. Which aspects of the course were least valuable?

I would like him to explain about difficulties of homework in class.

Everything is valuable, thus far.

-- snipped --

Compression of the course into (approximately) seven weeks.

* Showing 3 out of 4 survey responses.

10. The instructor stresses important points in lectures/discussions.

Mean	N-Size	Std Dev		Strongly Disagree	Disagree	Neutral	Agree	Strongly Agree
4.08	12	0.79	Freq(%)	0 (0%)	0 (0%)	3 (25%)	5 (42%)	4 (33%)

11. The instructor was able to explain concepts clearly and effectively.

Mean	N-Size	Std Dev		Strongly Disagree	Disagree	Neutral	Agree	Strongly Agree
4.0	12	0.85	Freq(%)	0 (0%)	1 (8%)	1 (8%)	7 (58%)	3 (25%)

12. The instructor is willing to meet and help students outside class.

Mean	N-Size	Std Dev		Strongly Disagree	Disagree	Neutral	Agree	Strongly Agree
4.08	12	0.79	Freq(%)	0 (0%)	0 (0%)	3 (25%)	5 (42%)	4 (33%)

13. Assistance from the instructor outside the class was readily available.

Mean	N-Size	Std Dev		Strongly Disagree	Disagree	Neutral	Agree	Strongly Agree
3.83	12	0.83	Freq(%)	0 (0%)	0 (0%)	5 (42%)	4 (33%)	3 (25%)

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

Mean	N-Size	Std Dev		Strongly Disagree	Disagree	Neutral	Agree	Strongly Agree
3.73	11	0.9	Freq(%)	0 (0%)	0 (0%)	6 (55%)	2 (18%)	3 (27%)

15. Global appraisal: Considering everything how would rate this INSTRUCTOR?

Mean	N-Size	Std Dev		Very Poor	Poor	Average	Good	Excellent
3.83	12	0.94	Freq(%)	0 (0%)	1 (8%)	3 (25%)	5 (42%)	3 (25%)

16. The instructor was fair in grading and criteria of grades.

Mean	N-Size	Std Dev		Strongly Disagree	Disagree	Neutral	Agree	Strongly Agree
4.08	12	1.0	Freq(%)	0 (0%)	1 (8%)	2 (17%)	4 (33%)	5 (42%)

17. Other comments:

It is hard for me to keep up with this class.

-- snipped --

I think this course could be better coordinated with ECON 627. Ideally, ECON 627 would introduce concepts a week or two prior prior to their being needed in ECON 606. In this way, the two courses would serve to reinforce each other, as well as distrubiting the material of the courses more evenly over the course of the semester.

* Showing 2 out of 3 survey responses.

Ruben Juarez: ECON 420, Fall 2010 Back to top

Campus:	University of Hawaii at Manoa	Department:	Economics
Course:	ECON 420 - Mathematics Economics	Crn (Section):	78522 (001)

1. The instructor demonstrated knowledge of course content.

Mean	N-Size	Std Dev		Strongly Disagree	Disagree	Neutral	Agree	Strongly Agree
4.5	4	0.58	Freq(%)	0 (0%)	0 (0%)	0 (0%)	2 (50%)	2 (50%)

2. The instructor fulfilled the goals of the course.

Mean	N-Size	Std Dev		Strongly Disagree	Disagree	Neutral	Agree	Strongly Agree
4.25	4	0.5	Freq(%)	0 (0%)	0 (0%)	0 (0%)	3 (75%)	1 (25%)

3. The instructor communicated effectively.

Mean	N-Size	Std Dev		Strongly Disagree	Disagree	Neutral	Agree	Strongly Agree
4.25	4	0.5	Freq(%)	0 (0%)	0 (0%)	0 (0%)	3 (75%)	1 (25%)

4. I gained a good understanding of concepts/principles in this field.

Mean	N-Size	Std Dev		Strongly Disagree	Disagree	Neutral	Agree	Strongly Agree
4.25	4	0.5	Freq(%)	0 (0%)	0 (0%)	0 (0%)	3 (75%)	1 (25%)

5. I deepened my interest in the subject matter of this course.

Mean	N-Size	Std Dev		Strongly Disagree	Disagree	Neutral	Agree	Strongly Agree
4.5	4	0.58	Freq(%)	0 (0%)	0 (0%)	0 (0%)	2 (50%)	2 (50%)

6. Which aspects of the course were most valuable?

The formal math elaboration in the beginning, as well as his availability to help with homework and quiz preparation.

All of them.

Constraint optimization.

7. Which aspects of the course were least valuable?

All content was valuable.

Not much.

The time for Game theory is bit long.

8. The instructor was able to explain concepts clearly and effectively.

Mean	N-Size	Std Dev		Strongly Disagree	Disagree	Neutral	Agree	Strongly Agree
4.5	4	0.58	Freq(%)	0 (0%)	0 (0%)	0 (0%)	2 (50%)	2 (50%)

9. The instructor is willing to meet and help students outside class.

Mean	N-Size	Std Dev		Strongly Disagree	Disagree	Neutral	Agree	Strongly Agree
4.5	4	0.58	Freq(%)	0 (0%)	0 (0%)	0 (0%)	2 (50%)	2 (50%)

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

Mean	N-Size	Std Dev		Strongly Disagree	Disagree	Neutral	Agree	Strongly Agree
4.25	4	0.5	Freq(%)	0 (0%)	0 (0%)	0 (0%)	3 (75%)	1 (25%)

11. Global appraisal: Considering everything how would rate this INSTRUCTOR?

Mean	N-Size	Std Dev		Very Poor	Poor	Average	Good	Excellent
4.25	4	0.5	Freq(%)	0 (0%)	0 (0%)	0 (0%)	3 (75%)	1 (25%)

12. The TA gives clear and understandable explanations.

Mean	N-Size	Std Dev		Strongly Disagree	Disagree	Neutral	Agree	Strongly Agree	N/A
4.0	4	0.82	Freq(%)	0 (0%)	0 (0%)	1 (25%)	2 (50%)	1 (25%)	0 (0%)

13. The TA appears to have a thorough knowledge of the subject.

Mean	N-Size	Std Dev		Strongly Disagree	Disagree	Neutral	Agree	Strongly Agree	N/A
4.0	4	0.82	Freq(%)	0 (0%)	0 (0%)	1 (25%)	2 (50%)	1 (25%)	0 (0%)

14. The TA was easy to talk with and available for consultation.

Mean	N-Size	Std Dev		Strongly Disagree	Disagree	Neutral	Agree	Strongly Agree	N/A
3.67	4	1.15	Freq(%)	0 (0%)	0 (0%)	2 (50%)	0 (0%)	1 (25%)	1 (25%)

15. The TA's oral speaking was clear and effective.

Mean	N-Size	Std Dev		Strongly Disagree	Disagree	Neutral	Agree	Strongly Agree	N/A
3.75	4	0.5	Freq(%)	0 (0%)	0 (0%)	1 (25%)	3 (75%)	0 (0%)	0 (0%)

16. Assignments make students think.

Mean	N-Size	Std Dev		Strongly Disagree	Disagree	Neutral	Agree	Strongly Agree
4.75	4	0.5	Freq(%)	0 (0%)	0 (0%)	0 (0%)	1 (25%)	3 (75%)

17. I feel that this course challenged me intellectually.

Mean	N-Size	Std Dev		Strongly Disagree	Disagree	Neutral	Agree	Strongly Agree
4.5	4	0.58	Freq(%)	0 (0%)	0 (0%)	0 (0%)	2 (50%)	2 (50%)

18. The instructor was fair in grading and criteria of grades.

Mean	N-Size	Std Dev		Strongly Disagree	Disagree	Neutral	Agree	Strongly Agree
4.25	4	0.96	Freq(%)	0 (0%)	0 (0%)	1 (25%)	1 (25%)	2 (50%)

19. Other comments:

One of my best classes at UH!

None.

The pens for white board were often dilute so it was difficult to read what is written. (and I want the instructor to write a bit more neat.)

Ruben Juarez: ECON 420, Spring 2010 Back to top

Campus:	University of Hawaii at Manoa	Department:	Economics
Course:	ECON 420 - Mathematics Economics	Crn (Section):	87408 (001)

1. The instructor demonstrated knowledge of course content.

Mean	N-Size	Std Dev		Strongly Disagree	Disagree	Neutral	Agree	Strongly Agree
4.67	12	0.49	Freq(%)	0 (0%)	0 (0%)	0 (0%)	4 (33%)	8 (67%)

2. The instructor fulfilled the goals of the course.

Mean	N-Size	Std Dev		Strongly Disagree	Disagree	Neutral	Agree	Strongly Agree
4.17	12	1.03	Freq(%)	0 (0%)	1 (8%)	2 (17%)	3 (25%)	6 (50%)

3. The instructor communicated effectively.

Mean	N-Size	Std Dev		Strongly Disagree	Disagree	Neutral	Agree	Strongly Agree
3.83	12	1.03	Freq(%)	0 (0%)	2 (17%)	1 (8%)	6 (50%)	3 (25%)

4. I gained a good understanding of concepts/principles in this field.

Mean	N-Size	Std Dev		Strongly Disagree	Disagree	Neutral	Agree	Strongly Agree
4.0	12	1.21	Freq(%)	1 (8%)	0 (0%)	2 (17%)	4 (33%)	5 (42%)

5. I deepened my interest in the subject matter of this course.

Mean	N-Size	Std Dev		Strongly Disagree	Disagree	Neutral	Agree	Strongly Agree
3.92	12	1.31	Freq(%)	1 (8%)	1 (8%)	1 (8%)	4 (33%)	5 (42%)

6. I learned a lot in this course.

Mean	N-Size	Std Dev		Strongly Disagree	Disagree	Neutral	Agree	Strongly Agree
4.33	12	0.89	Freq(%)	0 (0%)	1 (8%)	0 (0%)	5 (42%)	6 (50%)

7. This course was helpful in developing new skills.

Mean	N-Size	Std Dev		Strongly Disagree	Disagree	Neutral	Agree	Strongly Agree
4.17	12	1.19	Freq(%)	1 (8%)	0 (0%)	1 (8%)	4 (33%)	6 (50%)

8. I felt that this course challenged me intellectually.

Mean	N-Size	Std Dev		Strongly Disagree	Disagree	Neutral	Agree	Strongly Agree
4.67	12	0.65	Freq(%)	0 (0%)	0 (0%)	1 (8%)	2 (17%)	9 (75%)

9. Which aspects of the course were most valuable?

It was a good blend of economics and math. I like the way the course was structured with the technical stuff in the beginning, then applications at the end.

They were all valuable.

Mathematics in economics. More undergraduate economics classes should include similar math techniques as demonstrated in this class.

The problem sets were the most valuable. A lot of optimization practice. I initially thought this class would just be a review of basic calculus and linear algebra, but I liked that we went into different areas and focused on certain topics.

problems

the class discussions were very helpful since the material was very difficult for me to understand. he also was available to assist students with questions and did not seem to mind helping outside of the classroom.

Dr. Juarez worked on many examples in the class to demonstrate step by step how optimization theory, game theory etc can be applied. His approach was very appropriate for beginner students trying to grasp the economic theory, and was very helpful. He also gave us many problems to solve as homework, which greatly enhanced our understanding of the course content.

His lecture was not boring but very interesting, understandable, clear, and resonable. Whenever i need a help, I visit his office lots of times. He is always available. After I meet him, I could understand all math problems which are tricky. He is not only good instructor but also good adviser. I asked him about admission of graduate school. His advice played a critical role in my decision. I have loved math since middle school, I love math more than before through taking his class. I like homework although sometimes it is very difficult for me. There is about 10 problems in the homework. Some problem is so tricky. To solve the problem, usually I spent 5-7 hours. It tortured me but I think that kind of problem should be in the homework because students must deeply think about that kind of problem by using mathematical mind. They must also apply mathematical formula and idea, which they learned, to solve problem. If they do not use tools which they learned, lecture is meaningless. Therefore, homework in this class is very important. I like quiz also. I think the timing of quiz is very nice because the day of quiz is same day to homework due. For finishing homework, students should work it hard. Just after they finish homework, they can test themselves how much they are understanding what they learned.

The homework. It really helps to prepare for the final. Final would be a little bit easier if students do their homework.

10. Which aspects of the course were least valuable?

The content was very good. It was just really difficult to learn sometimes because it was confusing. He would make little mistakes fairly often, and it was distracting sometimes. I didn't like how the study materials we were given were from other Universities. I would rather have study guides made by the professor.

They were all valuable.

none

The homework also. Since only one question on the homework is graded, students have no way to know whether their works are right or wrong. They could have spent the whole week doing the homework but their answers were wrong and then got a zero. It would be good if the professor can give us the solutions to the problems.

11. The instructor was able to explain concepts clearly and effectively.

Mean	N-Size	Std Dev		Strongly Disagree	Disagree	Neutral	Agree	Strongly Agree
3.83	12	1.11	Freq(%)	0 (0%)	2 (17%)	2 (17%)	4 (33%)	4 (33%)

12. The instructor is willing to meet and help students outside class.

Mean	N-Size	Std Dev		Strongly Disagree	Disagree	Neutral	Agree	Strongly Agree
4.5	12	0.67	Freq(%)	0 (0%)	0 (0%)	1 (8%)	4 (33%)	7 (58%)

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

Mean	N-Size	Std Dev		Strongly Disagree	Disagree	Neutral	Agree	Strongly Agree
4.08	12	0.79	Freq(%)	0 (0%)	0 (0%)	3 (25%)	5 (42%)	4 (33%)

14. The instructor sets high standards for students.

Mean	N-Size	Std Dev		Strongly Disagree	Disagree	Neutral	Agree	Strongly Agree
4.58	12	0.51	Freq(%)	0 (0%)	0 (0%)	0 (0%)	5 (42%)	7 (58%)

15. Global appraisal: Considering everything how would rate this INSTRUCTOR?

Mean	N-Size	Std Dev		Very Poor	Poor	Average	Good	Excellent
3.92	12	1.08	Freq(%)	0 (0%)	1 (8%)	4 (33%)	2 (17%)	5 (42%)

16. The TA gives clear and understandable explanations.

Mean	N-Size	Std Dev		Strongly Disagree	Disagree	Neutral	Agree	Strongly Agree	N/A
2.0	11	0.0	Freq(%)	0 (0%)	1 (9%)	0 (0%)	0 (0%)	0 (0%)	10 (91%)

17. The TA appears to have a thorough knowledge of the subject.

Mean	N-Size	Std Dev		Strongly Disagree	Disagree	Neutral	Agree	Strongly Agree	N/A
2.0	11	0.0	Freq(%)	0 (0%)	1 (9%)	0 (0%)	0 (0%)	0 (0%)	10 (91%)

18. The TA was easy to talk with and available for consultation.

Mean	N-Size	Std Dev		Strongly Disagree	Disagree	Neutral	Agree	Strongly Agree	N/A
2.0	11	0.0	Freq(%)	0 (0%)	1 (9%)	0 (0%)	0 (0%)	0 (0%)	10 (91%)

19. The TA's oral speaking was clear and effective.

Mean	N-Size	Std Dev		Strongly Disagree	Disagree	Neutral	Agree	Strongly Agree	N/A
2.0	10	0.0	Freq(%)	0 (0%)	1 (10%)	0 (0%)	0 (0%)	0 (0%)	9 (90%)

20. The exams cover the lecture material well.

Mean	N-Size	Std Dev		Strongly Disagree	Disagree	Neutral	Agree	Strongly Agree
4.27	11	0.79	Freq(%)	0 (0%)	0 (0%)	2 (18%)	4 (36%)	5 (45%)

21. The exams are returned in a reasonable amount of time.

Mean	N-Size	Std Dev		Strongly Disagree	Disagree	Neutral	Agree	Strongly Agree
4.55	11	0.52	Freq(%)	0 (0%)	0 (0%)	0 (0%)	5 (45%)	6 (55%)

22. The instructor was fair in grading and criteria of grades.

Mean	N-Size	Std Dev		Strongly Disagree	Disagree	Neutral	Agree	Strongly Agree
4.0	11	1.26	Freq(%)	1 (9%)	0 (0%)	2 (18%)	3 (27%)	5 (45%)

23. Other comments:

It would be really helpful if we were given copies of the answer key for the homework. Even on the problems that weren't corrected. I feel like I did a lot of work for not much credit, and I don't even know if I did it correctly.

The course was very intensive. There were 7 very hard homeworks where some have more than 10 questions and complex. There are a lot of textbooks used, some are taken from very advance textbooks as compared to other 400 level textbooks we have used, some are not in the course outline. This is by far the hardest course in Econ 400 levels I have taken. Time spend solving homework really takes up time for our other subjects. It is like a graduate course in its setting and content. We also had 5 quizzes overall and lot of readings. Some problems we cannot solve in groups as they were so complex. The way he grade us is not fair in my opinion. For all the homeworks, he only graded from one question he choose himself and not the rest, so if you were able to do by yourself or in groups at times like 11 questions out of the 13 questions, and he grade 1 of the 2 complex ones that you did not do, he will grade you zero out of hundred, without taking into account the number of hours you spent struggling to finish the others. However, he do not provide solutions for homework, of which we expect as he only grade one problem only, so how can we know that what we did in homework that he did not mark are correct or not. For the quizzes, he marked us in 25 points, so you either have 25/100, 50/100, 75/100 or 100/100 which is not fair. Even if you attempt half of a given question in the right way or did it the right way with minor errors, he will mark you zero anyway. The class was very huge be4 and now its only a around 10 left, sometimes it sounds rude when once he said that if you got below 80% in the mid-term you do not belong in his class. However, Professor Ruben is a very smart, young and active and he force you to go beyond your limits if i may say, which is very good but getting a bad grade due to this kind of grading is not very nice, since we put his subject as priority compared to other courses because if you don't fully solve them and do noknow them crystal perfectly he can easily give you zero. I have spend/allocate more than twice for this course compared to others which may jeopardize my other course grades. Nevertheless, Professor is a good Professor and very intelligent, maybe he wants us to do our very best but it is too intensive especially with the complex homework given our other priority courses that we have spend less time on and concentrate on his demanding course. Furthermore, Professor is very smart and thanking him for his teachings. Thank

Consider changing the course requirements listed in the course catalog to include math 242 and 243. Perhaps also recommend linear algebra prior to taking econ 420.

This isn't really a comment on the professor but more a comment about the class itself... I don't know how possible this is, but maybe a changing of the course prerequisites. I think a calc 3 class (differentiation in multiple variables) would make everything go really smoothly for everyone. Also, the class is meant for people preparing for graduate school and since that math class is commonly recommended by a lot of graduate programs, it seems like it would work out well. I think there is enough of a focus on specific material in this course that a general multivariable calc class wouldn't have a lot of overlap.

even though i did not do well in the class, Professor Juarez did more than what was expected of him and I appreciated it.

There is always a trade-off between covering as many topics possible and explaining thoroughly and giving students some time to absorb new ideas and to be comfortable with applying new techniques in practice. While I did appriciate a wide range of topics covered in the course, I also noticed some students were having difficulty keeping up with the pace of the course. For many students this is the first math econ class, so it is important that students are not discouraged by the demand of the course and that they will be confident and comfortable in approaching math problems in their future study. I am of the opinion that students should be allowed to try out new techniques and make mistakes without feeling too penalized for it; since this is an undergraduate course. Dr. Juarez did accomodate this by giving student extra points toward their grade in advance; however I also noticed quite a few students were struggling, receiving lower grades. One of the possible ways of encouraging these students may be to give them extra credit assignments so that they can have more practice, at the same time do not feel too penalized by their initial difficulty in learning these new economic techniques. I very much enjoyed learning math econ from Dr. Juarez; and I hope he can continue to improve the class arragements and to encourage students in this regard.

I want to say, "Thank you very much." During a semester, I learned lots of math stuffs from you. I hope to see you next semester. Whenever I have a mathematical question, I will rush to you. Please don't run away. It's just kidding

This class is a little bit over my expectation but I think it would be okay if students know more about this in the beginning of the semester. The homework and the solution part is the only part that I can think of to improve the class performance.

Ruben Juarez: ECON 651, Spring 2010 Back to top

Campus:	University of Hawaii at Manoa	Department:	Economics
Course:	ECON 651 - Thry of Pub Finance - Revenue	Crn (Section):	87415 (001)

1. The instructor demonstrated knowledge of course content.

Mean	N-Size	Std Dev		Strongly Disagree	Disagree	Neutral	Agree	Strongly Agree
4.75	8	0.46	Freq(%)	0 (0%)	0 (0%)	0 (0%)	2 (25%)	6 (75%)

2. The instructor fulfilled the goals of the course.

Mean	N-Size	Std Dev		Strongly Disagree	Disagree	Neutral	Agree	Strongly Agree
4.63	8	0.52	Freq(%)	0 (0%)	0 (0%)	0 (0%)	3 (38%)	5 (63%)

3. The instructor communicated effectively.

Mean	N-Size	Std Dev		Strongly Disagree	Disagree	Neutral	Agree	Strongly Agree
4.25	8	0.71	Freq(%)	0 (0%)	0 (0%)	1 (13%)	4 (50%)	3 (38%)

4. I gained a good understanding of concepts/principles in this field.

Mean	N-Size	Std Dev		Strongly Disagree	Disagree	Neutral	Agree	Strongly Agree
4.63	8	0.52	Freq(%)	0 (0%)	0 (0%)	0 (0%)	3 (38%)	5 (63%)

5. I deepened my interest in the subject matter of this course.

Mean	N-Size	Std Dev		Strongly Disagree	Disagree	Neutral	Agree	Strongly Agree
4.88	8	0.35	Freq(%)	0 (0%)	0 (0%)	0 (0%)	1 (13%)	7 (88%)

6. Which aspects of the course were most valuable?

Student presentations (research topic) were helpful. Instructor is good at explaining concepts, especially mechanisms.

Open discussion and I like that you always ask questions while teaching, this help students learn actively.

The method and the material that profesor used in the class.

7. Which aspects of the course were least valuable?

Implementation of the student presentations (course material) could be better.

Sometime you left a questionable problem unsolved and move on so it's a bit confusing.

None

8. The instructor was able to explain concepts clearly and effectively.

Mean	N-Size	Std Dev		Strongly Disagree	Disagree	Neutral	Agree	Strongly Agree
4.5	8	0.53	Freq(%)	0 (0%)	0 (0%)	0 (0%)	4 (50%)	4 (50%)

9. The instructor is willing to meet and help students outside class.

Mean	N-Size	Std Dev		Strongly Disagree	Disagree	Neutral	Agree	Strongly Agree
5.0	8	0.0	Freq(%)	0 (0%)	0 (0%)	0 (0%)	0 (0%)	8 (100%)

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

Mean	N-Size	Std Dev		Strongly Disagree	Disagree	Neutral	Agree	Strongly Agree
4.5	8	0.53	Freq(%)	0 (0%)	0 (0%)	0 (0%)	4 (50%)	4 (50%)

11. Global appraisal: Considering everything how would rate this INSTRUCTOR?

Mean	N-Size	Std Dev		Very Poor	Poor	Average	Good	Excellent
4.43	7	0.53	Freq(%)	0 (0%)	0 (0%)	0 (0%)	4 (57%)	3 (43%)

12. The TA gives clear and understandable explanations.

Mean	N-Size	Std Dev		Strongly Disagree	Disagree	Neutral	Agree	Strongly Agree	N/A
5.0	8	0.0	Freq(%)	0 (0%)	0 (0%)	0 (0%)	0 (0%)	1 (13%)	7 (88%)

13. The TA appears to have a thorough knowledge of the subject.

Mean	N-Size	Std Dev		Strongly Disagree	Disagree	Neutral	Agree	Strongly Agree	N/A
5.0	8	0.0	Freq(%)	0 (0%)	0 (0%)	0 (0%)	0 (0%)	1 (13%)	7 (88%)

14. The TA was easy to talk with and available for consultation.

Mean	N-Size	Std Dev		Strongly Disagree	Disagree	Neutral	Agree	Strongly Agree	N/A
5.0	8	0.0	Freq(%)	0 (0%)	0 (0%)	0 (0%)	0 (0%)	1 (13%)	7 (88%)

15. The TA's oral speaking was clear and effective.

Mean	N-Size	Std Dev		Strongly Disagree	Disagree	Neutral	Agree	Strongly Agree	N/A
5.0	8	0.0	Freq(%)	0 (0%)	0 (0%)	0 (0%)	0 (0%)	1 (13%)	7 (88%)

16. The instructor was fair in grading and criteria of grades.

Mean	N-Size	Std Dev		Strongly Disagree	Disagree	Neutral	Agree	Strongly Agree
4.75	8	0.46	Freq(%)	0 (0%)	0 (0%)	0 (0%)	2 (25%)	6 (75%)

17. Other comments:

Thank you for being very open minded.

The materials covered are all very interesting. The instructor was very helpful and knowledgeable.

Ruben Juarez: ECON 606, Fall 2009 Back to top

Campus:	University of Hawaii at Manoa	Department:	Economics
Course:	ECON 606 - Microeconomic Theory I	Crn (Section):	71108 (001)

1. The instructor demonstrated knowledge of course content.

Mean	N-Size	Std Dev		Strongly Disagree	Disagree	Neutral	Agree	Strongly Agree
4.13	15	1.36	Freq(%)	2 (13%)	0 (0%)	0 (0%)	5 (33%)	8 (53%)

2. The instructor fulfilled the goals of the course.

Mean	N-Size	Std Dev		Strongly Disagree	Disagree	Neutral	Agree	Strongly Agree
4.2	15	0.86	Freq(%)	0 (0%)	1 (7%)	1 (7%)	7 (47%)	6 (40%)

3. The instructor communicated effectively.

Mean	N-Size	Std Dev		Strongly Disagree	Disagree	Neutral	Agree	Strongly Agree
3.87	15	1.3	Freq(%)	2 (13%)	0 (0%)	1 (7%)	7 (47%)	5 (33%)

4. I gained a good understanding of concepts/principles in this field.

Mean	N-Size	Std Dev		Strongly Disagree	Disagree	Neutral	Agree	Strongly Agree
4.0	15	1.31	Freq(%)	2 (13%)	0 (0%)	0 (0%)	7 (47%)	6 (40%)

5. I deepened my interest in the subject matter of this course.

Mean	N-Size	Std Dev		Strongly Disagree	Disagree	Neutral	Agree	Strongly Agree
4.0	15	1.2	Freq(%)	1 (7%)	1 (7%)	1 (7%)	6 (40%)	6 (40%)

6. I learned a lot in this course.

Mean	N-Size	Std Dev		Strongly Disagree	Disagree	Neutral	Agree	Strongly Agree
4.13	15	1.36	Freq(%)	2 (13%)	0 (0%)	0 (0%)	5 (33%)	8 (53%)

7. Which aspects of the course were most valuable?

The method is used to approach of this field.

Problem sets

It is VERY fun to take this course even though it is required for me! that means everything for a first year phd student. Ruben is very interesting. He is familiar with the course materials even though sometimes he stumbles on some parts but that made him closer to us!

I think I like Ruben the most amongst the 3 teachers we have this semester. The aspect I think most valuable is that he always gives us a big picture of lecture, which keeps me on track of where we are going and the point of proving something. I like it when Ruben always goes over the previous meeting during the first 5 minutes to recall what we were doing during the last lecture so that the lecture goes very smoothly. Just a bonus, he once came to the class with a giant hole on his jeans and the whole class could see ... well, some part of the teacher that no other teachers would be willing to show to students. (neither will Ruben, it was an accident). He was very embarrassed about that and apologized in the following lecture too. :-)

The whole course.

bad..bad..bad...

The abstrct generalization of the microeconomy principles in terms of maths is very important.

Especially, in the begining of the class we cover the properties of utiliyt functions and how to proof these properties hold. These aspects are very helpful for my future research fundamentals.

I thought that Dr. Juarez did a great job in applying the Theory to areas that would be useful in our PhD research, etc.

The teacher was very confident in the subject matter & it helped in the class a lot

8. Which aspects of the course were least valuable?

N/A

Well, choosing to be a phd student means i have to accept everything laid ahead, like it or not. Fortunately, I still can find some fun in it!

so far I haven't had any complaints about this course

No comments.

bad..bad..bad...

no.

There is nothing special which is unvaluable.

N/A

The teacher sometimes go with the speed of couple of students in the class and not the majority

9. The instructor was able to explain concepts clearly and effectively.

Mean	N-Size	Std Dev		Strongly Disagree	Disagree	Neutral	Agree	Strongly Agree
4.07	14	1.27	Freq(%)	1 (7%)	1 (7%)	1 (7%)	4 (29%)	7 (50%)

10. The instructor is willing to meet and help students outside class.

Mean	N-Size	Std Dev		Strongly Disagree	Disagree	Neutral	Agree	Strongly Agree
4.36	14	0.84	Freq(%)	0 (0%)	1 (7%)	0 (0%)	6 (43%)	7 (50%)

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

Mean	N-Size	Std Dev		Strongly Disagree	Disagree	Neutral	Agree	Strongly Agree
3.93	15	1.16	Freq(%)	1 (7%)	1 (7%)	1 (7%)	7 (47%)	5 (33%)

12. Global appraisal: Considering everything how would rate this INSTRUCTOR?

Mean	N-Size	Std Dev		Very Poor	Poor	Average	Good	Excellent
4.13	15	1.19	Freq(%)	1 (7%)	1 (7%)	0 (0%)	6 (40%)	7 (47%)

13. The TA gives clear and understandable explanations.

Mean	N-Size	Std Dev		Strongly Disagree	Disagree	Neutral	Agree	Strongly Agree	N/A
3.86	15	1.1	Freq(%)	1 (7%)	0 (0%)	3 (20%)	6 (40%)	4 (27%)	1 (7%)

14. The TA appears to have a thorough knowledge of the subject.

Mean	N-Size	Std Dev		Strongly Disagree	Disagree	Neutral	Agree	Strongly Agree	N/A
4.0	15	0.88	Freq(%)	0 (0%)	1 (7%)	2 (13%)	7 (47%)	4 (27%)	1 (7%)

15. The TA was easy to talk with and available for consultation.

Mean	N-Size	Std Dev		Strongly Disagree	Disagree	Neutral	Agree	Strongly Agree	N/A
4.21	15	0.8	Freq(%)	0 (0%)	0 (0%)	3 (20%)	5 (33%)	6 (40%)	1 (7%)

16. The TA's oral speaking was clear and effective.

Mean	N-Size	Std Dev		Strongly Disagree	Disagree	Neutral	Agree	Strongly Agree	N/A
4.21	15	0.7	Freq(%)	0 (0%)	0 (0%)	2 (13%)	7 (47%)	5 (33%)	1 (7%)

17. The instructor was fair in grading and criteria of grades.

Mean	N-Size	Std Dev		Strongly Disagree	Disagree	Neutral	Agree	Strongly Agree
4.29	14	0.73	Freq(%)	0 (0%)	0 (0%)	2 (14%)	6 (43%)	6 (43%)