Andrew Lipman

8 weekly responses (1-2 pages) to be completed throughout the semester, 2 essays based on a book each, and a final exercise that was just an in-class response. Weekly readings were only a few pages. Prof. Lipman graded essays and provided feedback personally (vs a TA) which is definitely a unique opportunity in the history department.

4 responses (3-4 paragraphs) 2 serious take home essays (one book review and one primary source analysis) an in class essay midterm and final only 5% of your grade each and 20% of your grade is your participation in class and office hours

Weekly readings for discussion section which were very manageable, Q+Q (which are essentially short reading response, you do six on any readings you choose, with half before the mideterm and half after) 20%, 3 papers - the first one was 10%, the last two 20%, a midterm (10%), final (20%)

Professor Lipman is just incredible, I would take every class he teaches if I could. He does a great job of balancing lecture, discussion, reading, and writing, so that you end up with a thorough understanding of the material while still having a pretty low workload on any given week. His lectures are very engaging and I always looked forward to class. Highly highly recommend if you are at all interested in American history, even if just to fulfill a gen ed.

Professor Lipman is the kind of professor who reminds you why you came to college in the first place. His class changed the way I think — not just about history, but about what it means to engage intellectually. He genuinely listens to students and values what they say, and his classroom is one of the rare places where it feels like your ideas matter. Lectures are organized, engaging, and filled with nuance — he doesn’t just retell historical facts, he makes you think critically about how stories are told, who tells them, and who gets left out. There’s a strong focus on primary sources and historical argument, but he never talks down to you — everything feels like a conversation, not a performance. The writing assignments are serious but fair. You’ll be challenged to think, argue, and revise — but the feedback is kind, smart, and actually helps you improve. If you care about becoming a better writer, this class is a gift. I ended up changing my academic path in part because of how transformative this experience was. Take this class. Take anything he teaches

Andrew Lipman was a wonderful professor -- he gives a very good lecture and is very clear on his expectations for his class. The topics of the lecture were always listed on the board, as well as the key terms he expected students to know. He truly wants his students to succeed, and structures the evaluations in that way. The Q+Qs, which make up 20% of the grade, are based off a check system, and as long as you have read the piece and do some basic analysis, you will do well. The mideterm and the final are also based on the key terms he lists throughout the lecture -- the terms are used as proofs in essays. At times, he can be very humurous in his lectures though at other times more serious, but he is able to differentiate which material deserves which treatment. For a large lecture, he is able to work in participation from the class, though it is not required in the syllabus -- this makes for more meaningful contributions to discussion. Furthermore, he always makes sure to ask for questions as he wraps up parts of the lecture. I would definitely reccomend taking this lecture!

Grading In-Class Participation: 20% Responses (8): 5% each, 40% total Seeman Feast of the Dead Essay: 15% Karlsen Devil in the Shape of a Woman Essay: 15% Final Exercise: 10% Responses are short, around 1-1.5 pages. Essays are around 5-6 pages. He gives you the prompt for the final exercise ahead of time Three grace days given per semester to use at your discretion for the paper assignments.

Workload was moderate. Under 200 pages of reading a week but definitely do it as he leaves 1/3rd of the class for discussion of the readings. The TA was horrible: harsh grader, never emailed or spoke to the class about office hours, and I think we saw him once or twice through the whole semester. Totally useless. Otherwise I recommend the class.

Four 2-3 page responses to be turned in throughout the semester on any week's readings. Option to submit a fifth that will replace lowest score. Collectively comprise 20% (Because of the responses I felt like I was always writing, but genuinely improved my historical analysis skills) Two 5-7 page papers, each 20% Midterm is only 10%, Final is 20% (The midterm and final take the same format, a selected generalized theme with which you need to use a certain number of IDs)

Lipman is a fantastic professor. He values critical thinking and analysis and will push you to become a better writer, reader, and historical thinker. He gives you all the tools you need to succeed, so it is just a matter of putting energy and effort in. He is very kind and makes himself accessible to students, so if you ever feel unsure about something you are writing or reading it is easy to ask for help. This class is incredibly interesting and it is worth taking not only for the content but for the skills which Lipman can help you sharpen. Grading is fair, thoughtful, and intentional --- a perfect demonstration of the respect Lipman gives his students.