Professor
Loretta Gaffney
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Most Helpful Review
Fall 2020 - At a large research institution like UCLA, it's very easy to feel like just another number. Thus was not the case in Prof. Gaffney's course. She went above and beyond in every definition of the word to ensure that we were appropriately engaged with the material. Her syllabus was accurate and the corresponding lectures were both topical and enjoyable. However, perhaps my favorite part of the course and arguably most impactful was the feedback she gave in response to our essays. Never has a professor shown so much care and attention towards the work I submitted by creating a video detailing critiques/general commentary. Prof. Gaffney is indicative of what teaching and education ought to be and if I weren't graduating, I'd enroll in her courses every quarter if I could. She is the blueprint and the new standard I will measure my professors against.
Fall 2020 - At a large research institution like UCLA, it's very easy to feel like just another number. Thus was not the case in Prof. Gaffney's course. She went above and beyond in every definition of the word to ensure that we were appropriately engaged with the material. Her syllabus was accurate and the corresponding lectures were both topical and enjoyable. However, perhaps my favorite part of the course and arguably most impactful was the feedback she gave in response to our essays. Never has a professor shown so much care and attention towards the work I submitted by creating a video detailing critiques/general commentary. Prof. Gaffney is indicative of what teaching and education ought to be and if I weren't graduating, I'd enroll in her courses every quarter if I could. She is the blueprint and the new standard I will measure my professors against.
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Most Helpful Review
Fall 2025 - So, the class was overall good. The professor is super kind and genuinely cares for you to succeed, so if you have any questions, just email or visit during office hours. I had a little issue, so I emailed her for a PTE, and she was happy to issue it, so right from the get-go, I knew she was gonna be great. The structure is that we have weekly reading (2/3), and obviously it's not the whole books, it's a part of the books/works, and you read those, answer discussion questions about one that you liked, answer another student, and every 3/4 weeks you have an exam. The exams are just essays (topics vary), but the main idea is that you use the readings for the essays (the first exam, to an extant is an exception). During classes you talk about the readings, discuss future projects and how the class can connect with your major, and so many things, like overall it's fun. My ONLY problem was that participation (discussions and in-class discussions) is 20% of your grade, and the rest of the 80% are the 3 essays (first two are 20, and the final is FORTY PERCENT). So that really "annoyed me" because you kind of worry and get anxious for no reason, since if you mess up even one of the exams, they're worth so much of your grade. Other than that, she has a rubric, grades fairly, and as long as you follow that, write something interesting and use her feedback to fix everything, you should be good. Overall, this being an online class, I'd definitely recommend it; the topics were fairly interesting, and it wasn't a "burden class," where it had a lot of course load and annoyed me or took time away from other classes, so, if you can, and you want a upper division course, take it.
Fall 2025 - So, the class was overall good. The professor is super kind and genuinely cares for you to succeed, so if you have any questions, just email or visit during office hours. I had a little issue, so I emailed her for a PTE, and she was happy to issue it, so right from the get-go, I knew she was gonna be great. The structure is that we have weekly reading (2/3), and obviously it's not the whole books, it's a part of the books/works, and you read those, answer discussion questions about one that you liked, answer another student, and every 3/4 weeks you have an exam. The exams are just essays (topics vary), but the main idea is that you use the readings for the essays (the first exam, to an extant is an exception). During classes you talk about the readings, discuss future projects and how the class can connect with your major, and so many things, like overall it's fun. My ONLY problem was that participation (discussions and in-class discussions) is 20% of your grade, and the rest of the 80% are the 3 essays (first two are 20, and the final is FORTY PERCENT). So that really "annoyed me" because you kind of worry and get anxious for no reason, since if you mess up even one of the exams, they're worth so much of your grade. Other than that, she has a rubric, grades fairly, and as long as you follow that, write something interesting and use her feedback to fix everything, you should be good. Overall, this being an online class, I'd definitely recommend it; the topics were fairly interesting, and it wasn't a "burden class," where it had a lot of course load and annoyed me or took time away from other classes, so, if you can, and you want a upper division course, take it.
Most Helpful Review
Fall 2024 - It was the best class I've ever taken! Not work heavy, really, just a weekly discussion posts around 300 words with responses and then three videos where we told a story. The materials were really interesting and she gives great feedback on the videos you turn in. If you have the chance to take her, definitely do it! She's really understanding too. It was a great class to take with two heavy classes.
Fall 2024 - It was the best class I've ever taken! Not work heavy, really, just a weekly discussion posts around 300 words with responses and then three videos where we told a story. The materials were really interesting and she gives great feedback on the videos you turn in. If you have the chance to take her, definitely do it! She's really understanding too. It was a great class to take with two heavy classes.
Most Helpful Review
Winter 2025 - I was in the Revolutionary Fantasies class, and it was a super interesting course to take while not being too heavy! All the readings were engaging, and I was glad I could read them. Since the materials were so fun, it was an easy class to take. The professor is amazing and truly makes you feel like she cares about what you think. I would take all of her courses if I could. If you have the opportunity to take her class, I would highly recommend it.
Winter 2025 - I was in the Revolutionary Fantasies class, and it was a super interesting course to take while not being too heavy! All the readings were engaging, and I was glad I could read them. Since the materials were so fun, it was an easy class to take. The professor is amazing and truly makes you feel like she cares about what you think. I would take all of her courses if I could. If you have the opportunity to take her class, I would highly recommend it.
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