Robert Neer

~400 pages to read in a week, but his lectures and class summaries of the text can more or less replace any kind of reading. 2 500-word summaries of an excerpt from a book assigned in class (you get to sign up for the book yourself and you might even have a partner to work with) 1 2500-3000 word research paper, topic of your own choosing (as long as it's related to the US military) 6 hours of class per week (it's the summer session, it's kinda the norm) 1 hour midterm (2 essays), 3 hour final (8 "identification" of excerpts on theme, 2 short essays, 1 longer essay)

Average CC workload. Posting for each class: You have to post ~250 words on each text, which can be a bit of a pain if you have other stuff. Midterm: one hour, open text. The problem is time, in that you have non of it. Bring in bullet points on the main ideas of the text and make your argument Final: Same as midterm, but three hours. Papers: First is 1,500 words, the second is 2,500. Don't bs, and don't recite what's in the text. Just make an argument, and support it.

He brought free coffee to every class. He gave away free books to whoever corrected his syllabus or slides, even if it's something minor like a date or just misspeaking. He took us on a field trip one class then bought us food and drinks afterwards. Now that I have your attention, let me tell you about how amazing Bob and his class really is. The course itself deals with various conflicts that the US military was involved in, but it's not a class that delves into the nitty-gritty strategy and tactics of wars. There is some of that, but the class deals with more general ideas and big picture things, as well as non-military aspect of the military (society, culture, politics, etc). This made the class more interesting for me, but not everyone is going to feel that way, I think, and that's fine. It's a summer class, so it's going to be 3 hours long. Beginning of the class, you go over the previous class, if any good questions came up and he couldn't answer it right away. Then a rundown on the reading assigned before, then a break at this point. After that, class discussion on either questions Bob prepared or any questions the students might have had while reading that week's books. The professor is what really makes the class shine, however. He's an easy-going and friendly guy who makes you feel comfortable to talk in class, which is super important as a significant portion of the…

Bob is a living legend. If you got him for CC go out right now and dance naked on the steps, cause you just got lucky. He is one of the nicest, most caring, and brilliant people I've met at columbia. He really goes out of his way to help his students, not just with CC stuff, but with anything you ask him. I reached out to him several times for advice on classes / internships and he was always so willing to help. Classes: Classes are fun most of the time. He opens with a ~20 minute lecture with slides, explaining the context and the main points of the text. I found these to be really helpful in summarizing the main points, so you could participate in the discussion even if you haven't done every reading. There's a 10 minute break, which helps you stay focused. He also does a great job in leading class discussion, he loves different opinions and criticism/support for the text, just make sure you say something meaningful. He's never harsh, but he will kindly ask you to clarify if you say something stupid Trips: Trips are great, and you get to see some of the stuff we touch upon in class in a different settings, which is awesome. The highlight was when Bob took us to the rare books library, which doesn't sound all that interesting, but is actually awesome. The good thing is that these trips are instead of classes. So it's not like Art Hum where you have to spend hours outside of c…

I've noticed that several reviews of Robert Neer praise him for caring about his students, and, as evidence, cite the fact that he brings coffee everyday and arranges several field trips and class dinners. I think it is great that Neer does these things for his students, but as a fellow Core instructor, I just want to point out that he cannot be using Core funding for these excursions. Core instructors are reimbursed up to a maximum of something like $250 a semester for outside events. As should be clear, that would cover coffee for 25 people for maybe three weeks, and there would be no money left over for trips to the Apollo, lunch catered by Thai Market, etc. Obviously Neer is funding these perks out of his own pocket. Again, I think that's swell, but I hope people don't presume that there is a strong connection between these outside events and an instructor caring about his students. Many caring Core instructors would love to be able to take their students to the Intrepid Museum but simply cannot afford it.

Heavier than some classes, but definitely manageable: bi-weekly online posting and group summaries of the texts. The summaries help a lot for prepping for midterms and finals. One midterm and a final, no IDs and creative essay questions. It's a good way to apply CC to the real world.

Bob is one of the nicest and most approachable professors I have had so far- a genuinely nice guy, he takes the trouble to make CC a fun class. The class atmosphere is very relaxed, he starts with a ten-minute presentation where he breaks down the texts into a couple of slides, and throws in some interesting trivia and history about the philosophers. He's a History PhD, so that's his jam. Bob's CC class is almost 100 percent participation - and if you love to talk and argue, this is the class to be in. He isn't as tough a grader as I thought: if you're regular about posting, participate now and then, and talk to him about your essays before writing them, you'll manage a good grade. Seems tougher on his midterm and final grades but cumulatively, class participation counts for a lot so your overall grade evens out. Aside from academic stuff, Bob genuinely cares about his students- he took us to Faculty Lunch, brought us food from Thai Market, coffee every class, and organized field trips to Amateur Night at the Apollo and the Intrepid..Now there's good use of the Core Office's funding! Definitely a CC section worth being in.

I completely agree with the previous review. Bob is an amazing professor and I would highly suggest taking CC with him. His class was certainly the best that I have taken at Columbia so far and most likely shall remain so. He makes every class interesting and enjoyable, yes I was lucky that the other students in my section were great, but Bob very much promotes discussion, ideas and fun! If you are interested in the material this is the perfect class for you and will be extremely rewarding. Each class has around a ten minute presentation at the beginning and a five minute break for coffee. He also organizes lunches, running OH and will exchange classes for trips - we went to the Intrepid and Amateur Night at the Apollo among others. Lastly, I agree that he is not a tough grader. He is very fair throughout the semester but nice when it comes to the overall grade. If you show that you are engaged and have put in effort you will do well.