Columbia College Core · Columbia University
Average amount of work for a core class.
What an incredible professor! Michael Fowler is SO knowledgable and his enthusiasm about the material is contagious. I found myself fascinated by his lectures and was inspired to enroll in several more art history classes (next semester) after taking this class. I am so glad I took this course early in my academic career as I am now considering doing a major or concentration in art history. Not only is Michael super intelligent and a great lecturer, it is clear he is a great guy who genuinely cares about his students. He is friendly and encouraging in office hours. Moreover he totally changed my outlook on art history and I have found myself referring back to the material we learned in this class for several of my other courses. We need more professors like Michael at Columbia! If you get the chance to take a course with him do it!!!
Totally reasonable- A take home midterm, semester long exercise (3 drafts), and a final slideshow exam. If you pay attention in lectures and take notes you will do fine. Attendance to all lectures was required
So glad I took this professor for Art Humanities- he is super competent and knowledgable about the material and the lectures were very engaging and interesting. He was also understanding about deadlines and was willing to grant extensions if necessary for the semester long exercise. 100% would recommend taking this professor!
Required reading, though solely personal accountability holds you to it. A term paper, with multiple drafts due at different stages in the semester which help keep you from procrastinating. Slideshow final, take-home midterm.
Friendly, very engaging, will go out of his way to help students. Opens himself up for frequent office hours. Knowledgeable to classical era especially, but well-versed in every unit. Has clearly done his homework. Classes are very much a group conversation based around slides; very little lecture.
Professor Fowler is truly an incredible professor. He goes out of his way to help students and exudes a contagious level of enthusiasm for the subject matter. His lectures are energetic and intellectually stimulating. He is always excited to take the extra time to speak outside of class. His passion for the subject material and for instruction in general is really extraordinary. If you have a chance to take Art Hum, consider taking his section!
Not bad at all. Very much graded based on how the student grows in written analysis + how much the student is willing to engage in class discussion, not how much they know about art in the first place.
Michael is the single most enthusiastic professor I have had at Columbia. Not only does he commute back and forth from BOSTON every week, but he also prepares his lectures extremely thoroughly as not to waste students' time. He takes the time to sit down with each student outside of class to talk with them about their essays, too, and sets multiple deadlines so that students can improve their work before it is submitted as a final, polished draft. He also was the first professor I've had at Columbia who made any effort to put the Core in context of it's inherent flaws, calling out its focus on white male scholars and inserting the voices of other groups where appropriate (without tokenizing said groups).