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Eng 22, Fall 2016

“Please rate the overall quality of the instructor’s teaching”

This course is a sweeping survey of Western literature and culture from an environmental perspective. In much the same way that feminist critics are interested in literary representations of gender and women, ecological literary and cultural critics (or simply “ecocritics”) explore how our relationship to nature is imagined.  As with changing perceptions of gender, such literary representations are not only generated by particular cultures, they play a significant role in generating those cultures.  Thus, if we wish to understand contemporary America’s attitude toward the environment, its literary history is an excellent place to start.  While authors such as Thoreau and Wordsworth may first come to mind in this context, literary responses to environmental concerns are often as old as the issues themselves. Deforestation, air pollution, endangered species, wetland loss, animal rights, and rampant consumerism have all been appearing as controversial issues in Western literature for hundreds – and in some cases thousands – of years. Starting with an excerpt from one of the West’s earliest texts, *The Myth of Gilgamesh*, this course will explore the often-ignored literary and cultural history of the natural world.

“Please rate the overall quality of the instructor’s teaching”

Average rating: 4.3 of 5 (♣♣♣♣♣ Excellent; ♣♣♣♣ Very Good; ♣♣♣ Good; ♣♣ Fair; ♣ Poor)

♣♣♣♣♣ Very inspirational, appreciate his knowledge and passion in both English and the environment. Thank you! Great class.

♣♣♣♣♣ I really enjoyed this class. The content is great, great movies and readings. Love how Ken is so interested in his teaching material. I became a vegetarian because of this class. It changed my life in unimaginable ways!

♣♣♣♣♣ This course changed my perspective of the world. He’s an excellent instructor who encourages us to ask questions during lectures. He debunked myths that we widely believe in like I thought fossil fuels was the main factor of global warming when reality it’s our meat consumption. Because of Hiltner, I am changing my lifestyle and slowly becoming vegetarian. He basically changed my life. I am glad that I took his class during my very first quarter of college.

♣♣♣♣♣ Hiltner was an incredible Professor. His lectures were inspiring and eye-opening. The materials were incredibly well chosen. He was able to make environmental issues not only relevant, but of utmost importance. He was attentive and made sure to answer all questions posed. Hiltner changed my perspective about ingrained social customs, such as religion and consumption. After taking this class I feel a new world has been revealed to me.

♣♣♣♣♣ By far one of my favorite classes ever! If you pay attention, it is mind blowing and will educate you on things about the environment you may not know. Rethinking my career now. Wanted to be an entertainment lawyer and now I am thinking about being an environmental lawyer.

♣♣♣♣♣ LOVED the content in this class. Very interesting, enlightening, eye-opening. Loved the films, always excited to end my weeks with the films. I would take another environmental based course. I was not expecting to enjoy this class so much.

♣♣♣♣♣ I really enjoyed your class and appreciated learning new perspectives to literature and how it can be a staple in spreading environmental consciousness. I appreciated conversation and facilitated discussion at the end of lecture engaging students in concepts being taught in class.

♣♣♣♣♣ The material was interesting and made me reevaluate the way I thought about the environmental consequences of my actions. I liked lectures with Professor Hiltner and enjoyed many of the readings and films from this course. The class was incredibly easy, though. I know others in the course who didn’t do a single reading since the midterm and felt pretty confident that they would still do fine—or even well—on the final. It wouldn’t be absurd to make this class more challenging for students.

♣♣♣♣♣ Excellent class! Great lecturer. I learned so much, really made me think about my life and future! Took this class as a GE—wasn’t too excited about it but absolutely loved it! I have been recommending all the documentaries we watched to all my friends and family. They were basically life changing. Very fair grader, interesting content. Never thought of any of the points the lecturer made!

♣♣♣♣♣ English 22 has been my favorite class taken at UCSB so far. The course material, along with the way it is taught is truly eye-opening. I would highly recommend this course to other students and suggest that it become a required course for all majors.

♣♣♣♣♣ Extremely well organized course. Used many forms of media to convey ideas, engaged students very well. Never felt extremely demanding or unworthy of my time. Learned quite a lot and will recommend this class to others.

♣♣♣♣♣ Excellent professor! He always answers our questions genuinely and you can tell he cares about what he teaches. Has a soothing voice. My favorite course this quarter 😊 Thank you for everything.

♣♣♣♣♣ LOVED this class! As an environmental studies major, I am deeply gratified from this class. So interesting, analytical, and the Professor Ken is so switched on and passionate. Loved having his environmental and feminist perspective.

♣♣♣♣♣ Such a great class. The films were all very interesting and made me feel passionate to make a change in my life. Hiltner is such a great Prof. and really cares about the subject he is teaching. Very glad I took this class.

♣♣♣♣♣ Awesome class, possibly the best teaching style/lecture style I’ve had in 4 years at UCSB. NO JOKE.

♣♣♣♣♣ I love this course. I highly recommend it to all students here; it really encourages you to look at the world differently. It has largely impacted me and I will take the things I learned in this course with me for the rest of my life.

♣♣♣♣♣ Great class. Honestly made me interested in environmentalism and made me genuinely question my own environmental impact. Very interesting and engaging Professor!

♣♣♣♣♣ One of my favorite classes by far at UCSB. Has made me question my lifestyle for the better, and what I’ve learned will follow me through life. Great professor, would 100% take another class with him again.

♣♣♣♣♣ Professor is very educated and passionate about literature and the environment. Tests are not too hard and slides are all available online.

♣♣♣♣♣ Hiltner rocks! Puts a lot of heart into making his students care for and understand the issues of the past and of the future with regards to global climate change and perceptions of the environment. Thank you!

♣♣♣♣♣ I loved this course. The information was interesting and presented in a great way. Prof. Hiltner is very dedicated to the issues he talks about and it shows in lecture. I would recommend this course to anyone.

♣♣♣♣♣ Hiltner was a very, very good professor. He was very passionate about the subject and it was extremely obvious he knew what he was talking about. His level of knowledge about the material is one that every professor needs to conduct a successful course.

♣♣♣♣♣ Most of the material was interesting and I found all of it to have modern relevance. I definitely learned a lot about environmental issues and feel much more educated about the current issues.

♣♣♣♣♣ This class has made me want to explore environmental science more. Mr. Hiltner talked about how there will soon be an environmental humanities major/available and this course has made me want to add that on. He is very kind and approachable. The only negative thing is that Mr. Hiltner should be slightly more strict.

♣♣♣♣♣ At the beginning of the course, I was not fully aware of the environmental issues we face or their extent, but Prof. Ken Hiltner is both engaging and thought-provoking. I found myself looking forward to lectures as he presents some compelling arguments as to not only environmental issues that plague our world but on how we can begin to move forward in a positive direction.

♣♣♣♣♣ Professor Hiltner is a great teacher! My perspective about the world I live in is forever changed. Highly considering changing my major to environmental science.

♣♣♣♣♣ Professor Hiltner was very knowledgeable and enthusiastic about Environmental literature! I enjoyed his class very much.

♣♣♣♣♣ Please do not make your next class read Walden. I am an English major and I am incredibly bored. The only positive side is that it helps me fall asleep at night. Walden aside, I truly did enjoy your class. Your lectures directly related to the midterm and the day you addressed the students that would answer the iClickers and leave was hilarious. I hope you have a happy winter break and I will miss your class next quarter!

♣♣♣♣♣ Professor is very knowledgeable and interesting. I enjoyed discussions and the opportunity to ask questions. Lecture can be monotonous, redundant at times.

♣♣♣♣♣ Awesome teacher with immense knowledge and organized texts. Would like it if there was better organization (i.e. chapters we are supposed to read, what movie gets replaced with what).

♣♣♣♣♣ Honestly, this course was quite amazing. Before I had taken the course I had been oblivious—well not necessarily “oblivious” but unaware of many things. Specific major or not there is definitely a take home of necessary information.

♣♣♣♣♣ Ken is a great professor who is very passionate in what he teaches. He posts his lectures online allowing you to follow along. He helps you understand the relationship literature with the environment. This is a good class to take.

♣♣♣♣♣ Hiltner is very passionate about the subject and presents information well. Content can be a bit boring at times but what can you do.

♣♣♣♣♣ I really enjoyed this course. Throughout the duration of the course I became vegan. I have been somewhat of a minimalist for a couple of years now and I am naturally adverse to  consumerism. I enjoyed this course and a lot found a lot of value in the lectures and course readings. Great course and I highly recommend it. I was raised in the company Patagonia’s daycare and this course ties hand-in-hand with the company’s values.

♣♣♣♣♣ Has great command of the material. Is able to talk about other than what’s on the slides. Makes environmental problems interesting and not dull. Is not trying to make material seem more complicated than it is.

♣♣♣♣♣ This course is truly engaging when the students aren’t busy being apathetic. The lens, literary, through which we examine environmental values, is of particular interest to me. I think all students looking to broaden t heir worldview should take this course. It’s important to know the size of one’s carbon footprint, how it affects other people and earth (our only planet), and how to minimize that footprint. It’s time to heal the planet.

♣♣♣♣♣ The professor is obviously very passionate and knowledgeable. Straightforward tests.

♣♣♣♣♣ The course is very interesting historically as well as relevant to wat is going on currently in the world. This course pushed me to change my lifestyle and pay attention to environmental issues.

♣♣♣♣♣ Passionate and well informed on all topics discussed. He also encourages questions and discussion which is unique for such a large lecture.

♣♣♣♣♣ Professor Hiltner is WOKE! Although a lot of the readings are pretty dry, the environmental criticism within each is really interesting. I loved the class and everything he had to say. He’s got such a great sense of humor too. 10/10 would definitely recommend!

♣♣♣♣♣ Good class, comprehensive material, and great documentaries! I enjoyed the class and material, very interesting.

♣♣♣♣♣ Very interesting class if you’re an environmental studies major to see the relationship of literature and other texts. Brings issues frequently talked about to life. Would definitely recommend this class to anyone who finds this topic interesting. Movies each week is a plus!

♣♣♣♣♣ Refreshing to have a professor who practices what he preaches with veganism and minimalism.

♣♣♣♣♣ Great course, Dr. Hiltner! The materials gone over and the movies shown were really interesting and has definitely changed the way I look at things now. Great PowerPoints by the way. I can tell you put in a lot of effort in them, though maybe one improvement would be to have the slides available in the standard PowerPoint fashion, since the animations sometimes take too much time. The transcripts are a bit hard to read. Thanks for the great class!

♣♣♣♣♣ Good choice in texts. Interesting insight. Cohesive in information about the environment. Would recommend this course.

♣♣♣♣♣ Precise teachings, meaningful lectures, responsive feedback, etc.

♣♣♣♣♣ I appreciate how straight forward and organized this course was.

♣♣♣♣♣ Such a nice teacher and effective in teaching his content.

♣♣♣♣♣ Seems to be very interested in the material. Great teacher.

♣♣♣♣♣ Ken was funny and kind—kept the course interesting as he was always passionate about the subject. The movies on Friday were nice!

♣♣♣♣♣ It was fascinating to see the historical basis for current issues; understanding them more deeply should more than easier to mitigate, at least I hope.

♣♣♣♣♣ Loved the structure of presentation (Prezi). Lectures engaging. Told a strong, good discussion! iClickers could be used more usefully—perhaps to prompt discussion. Also, although Trump election discussion was topical, but also somewhat upsetting/distracting. Glad it was had, but shouldn’t be forced to engage (iClicker).

♣♣♣♣♣ Great humor! Maybe add different readings! Explains well, and lets students engage to material during lecture!

♣♣♣♣♣ Address questions asked in lecture and repeat it for those who did not hear it. Everything else was so excellent! I am actually transitioning into veganism because of this class! Loved it!

♣♣♣♣♣ Enjoyed learning about another way to analyze literature.

♣♣♣♣♣ Very inspiring professor. He opened my eyes on how much environmental issues I still needed to know. I am an active environmentalist now all thanks to him. One of the best I’ve ever met.

♣♣♣♣♣ The class material and readings were interesting and applicable to today’s current issues. I thoroughly enjoyed this course.

♣♣♣♣♣ Fun guy. Walden is a good book. It changed my life.

♣♣♣♣♣ I like this professor. Never knew this class would be really interesting. I would recommend this.

♣♣♣♣♣ Interesting class! As a life science c major it  was fascinating to learn about the environment from a cultural and literary approach.

♣♣♣♣♣ Explains well. Lectures are a little boring/kinda reads off slides. Videos are interesting.

♣♣♣♣♣ Very passionate about the topics discussed. Helpful to have PowerPoint online.

♣♣♣♣♣ He is very kind and helpful, but I can’t not fall asleep in this class.

♣♣♣♣♣ This course made me realize how screwed our planet is.

♣♣♣♣♣ Extremely compelling and thoughtful course. Great professor who is witty and knowledgeable.

♣♣♣♣♣ Great lecturer. Takes opinions and connects to students. Fair exams. Relevant content. Cool dude.

♣♣♣♣♣ The Boy!!! Great energy/vibez. “phasis” is tight.

♣♣♣♣♣ Great instructor—very laid back while being informative. The only thing more I could have asked for would be a clearer study guide for the midterm and final.

♣♣♣♣♣ Really enjoyed this class—very eye opening and interesting content and Professor.

♣♣♣♣♣ The material was great and opened my eyes to how engrained environmental issues are in our culture.

♣♣♣♣♣ Very interesting topics. Made a huge impact on how I see the environment now.

♣♣♣♣♣ He is very passionate about the material.

♣♣♣♣♣ Great instructor, repetitive, yet makes lectures easier to understand. Clear and concise.

♣♣♣♣♣ Great course! Lectures are interesting. Worthwhile. Make sure I pass please 😊

♣♣♣♣♣ Some movies GREAT: Before the Flood. Others terrible: Andy Goldsworthy: Rivers and Tides. Enjoyed no homework. Fell asleep in class but great talking voice.

♣♣♣♣♣ Professor is very passionate about the subject and presentations are helpful. Readings are a little long/hard to understand.

♣♣♣♣♣ Enjoyed the first part of the class.

♣♣♣♣♣ I liked the class but wish there was a discussion section to talk more about the material. Interesting perspective on important topics.

♣♣♣♣♣ Very interesting class.

♣♣♣♣♣ Very interesting. Very engaging.

♣♣♣♣♣ Very interesting perspective environmentally. The topics are relevant to the world today.

♣♣♣♣♣ Great teacher, great class.

♣♣♣♣♣ It is a very good course 😊

♣♣♣♣♣ Awesome professor!

♣♣♣♣♣ Thank you!

♣♣♣♣♣ Amazing and caring.

♣♣♣♣♣ Professor Hiltner’s accent is unplaceable.

♣♣♣♣♣ Great.

♣♣♣♣♣ No politics.

♣♣♣♣ You close your eyes a lot when you lecture. Also, you know a lot of things, like a lot. Some of the readings were really dense so I ended up not doing them, but they were all pretty good and useful for the course.

♣♣♣♣ The content is good, the professor has detailed PowerPoints, but he reads off the PowerPoint word for word despite that he is very knowledgeable on the topics. Good class. 8/10 would take again.

♣♣♣♣ Very clear instructions and obviously interested in the material. Not the most exciting topic but he continues to make an effort to get students enthused in the lecture material. Always welcomes comments from students during class and willing to answer any questions. Overall very helpful in furthering my knowledge on the subject.

♣♣♣♣ Material itself and environmental concepts linked to those materials was interesting and eye opening but was presented a bit too blandly. The films did help though, and added a certain element to the class, it helped apply concepts.

♣♣♣♣ The instructor was passionate about the subject and the lectures were enjoyable. The readings, however, were dull.

♣♣♣♣ He’s a very kind and easy to understand professor. He keeps the class interesting and engaged. Should make people stay instead of them leaving. Very good Professor overall!

♣♣♣♣ Everything always takes an interesting viewpoint that I’ve never thought about.

♣♣♣♣ Very introspective class. Tied a lot of course material and readings back to our daily lives. Instructor also broadened my knowledge of how modern day thinking emerged and how it affected the evolution of our society as a whole. Instructor was clearly very passionate about the course and its material. I learned a lot in this class.

♣♣♣♣ More visuals for visual learners in PowerPoint 😊 Very interesting and relevant info!

♣♣♣♣ Sometimes the lecture is boring, sometimes it is interesting. However, it is a pretty straightforward class, although you do have to keep up with the reading. If you do not like poems, then you’ll be fine for the first half of the quarter, but for the second half, you’re kind of screwed.

♣♣♣♣ Professor Hiltner is very passionate about what he teaches and that can often pass on to students. The class can be interesting at times, but the content can also be boring. Overall it was a good class to take.

♣♣♣♣ Interesting choice of documentaries that were informative and relevant. Appropriate choices of text to read. Overall an interesting course with an important perspective beign shared of the environment.

♣♣♣♣ The times that I actually paid attention, content was really interesting. But Hiltner goes through (really long) slides fast and it’s kind of discouraging when you’re trying to keep up!! I hate that he makes lecture mandatory but I guess it’s okay, given he assigns no HW.

♣♣♣♣ Appreciated your passion for the environment and the course. Sometimes the environmentalism was a bit too peachy though. Maybe make the course more intense to encourage more participation. Would like to read more books/more in depth readings. Interesting readings. Learned a lot about environmental literature. Thanks for all the environmental knowledge!

♣♣♣♣ Too many readings and lecture slides were too lengthy. Some of the readings were interesting and I wish we could’ve taken more time to discuss them. I think it would be better if we only had a few readings (like 4 books) so we can discuss them during the quarter.

♣♣♣♣ It was sometimes hard to follow the paragraph style slides. The readings were too confusing to comprehend. Retained a lot more info through slides. Before the Flood! Awesome documentary.

♣♣♣♣ Try to be un-bias regarding politics. Some students voted for Trump and find it offensive as hell and a waste of time when we could be continuing in lecture or reviewing instead of negatively addressing politics.

♣♣♣♣ Availability of lectures online is very helpful. Instructor provides helpful, additional information along with what is presented in Prezi lecture. Instructor always open to discussion, easy to approach with comments/questions, and does well facilitating discussion. Course material/reading easy to access. Film Fridays were very helpful with pursuing the course in perspective in modern times.

♣♣♣♣ CONS: Too many words on slides—full sentences are exhausting to read/ keep up with. PROS: Movies are great/inspiring. Class discussions interesting. Prezi online is helpful.

♣♣♣♣ Class is informative and thought provoking but not very interactive. Could be helpful if instructor repeated questions that were asked so the whole class could hear and think about each question.

♣♣♣♣ The professor is clearly passionate about literature and the environment. The only thing I would suggest is not so much reading from the slides.

♣♣♣♣ Incredibly interesting course— in respect to content and subject—cool Professor. Suggestion: lectures could be more engaging if variation was added—pictures on the slide, videos, that kind of thing. Over all, really enjoyed it and gave me a new perspective on the environmental issues faced today.

♣♣♣♣ Try not to get too political.

♣♣♣♣ Hiltner needs to be more strict about iClicker and attendance. Material is intriguing but he doesn’t explore/discuss the readings enough.

♣♣♣♣ Interesting class! Would not have thought to read into literature through an environmental perspective.

♣♣♣♣ Very interesting take on the environment using literature.

♣♣♣♣ Some readings irrelevant/difficult to understand. Professor too quiet the first half of the quarter.

♣♣♣♣ Chill class. Boring but all classes are so its okay. Overall, pretty good class.

♣♣♣♣ Very interesting take on literature.

♣♣♣♣ Enjoyed this class. Reading wasn’t hard and it was interesting.

♣♣♣♣ Good instructor, very passionate about environmental issues. Material was kind of boring. Take Rivers and Tides off the syllabus PLEASE!!

♣♣♣♣ Walden is not fun, but Silent Spring is amazing. Appreciate the posted lectures.

♣♣♣♣ I really liked this class.

♣♣♣♣ I loved the course!

♣♣♣♣ Good work.

♣♣♣♣ Good stuff

♣♣♣ I felt like the lecture was very boring. A lot of repetition. Speak with more enthusiasm. Andy Goldsworthy is the most boring movie I’ve ever watched. And unfortunately now I’ve watched it twice. Long paragraphs were very hard to follow… could never write down valuable info in time.

♣♣♣ Professor set up an interesting course and was well organized, but could improve as a lecturer by being more animated and making some jokes.

♣♣♣ Very interesting course with multiple points of views and perspectives. A great place where you are encouraged to speak your mind and learn about the world around you. The instructor is very understanding, and the work load is small. The course material is very understandable and interesting.

♣♣♣ The instructor knows the material that he teaches, however, he reads off the slides and doesn’t add anything extra. Since the slides are online, coming to the lectures seem slightly pointless.

♣♣♣ Interesting class! Environment is so important—teacher so passionate and very well educated. Should try to make this more interactive, more engaging so the entire class isn’t just him regurgitating the paragraphs written on the PowerPoint. Great class—learned a lot. Not a lot of readings—good, just keep up and read before lectures!

♣♣♣ I enjoyed a lot of the material that was presented and taught in this class. I think, however, that the teaching was not 100% up to par with the material. It is obvious that Prof. Hiltner is passionate about the subject, but it was a little frustrating because he only read from the slides, so the only real reason is to come to class was for the iClicker.

♣♣♣ Readings interesting but sometimes difficult to read. But overall. A very eye-opening class.

♣♣♣ Interesting class. Liked it. Not boring. The class could be more engaging besides iClicker. Overall: Good class.

♣♣♣ Very interesting. Climate change should be the number one most important issue to tackle for the U.S. and the world.

♣♣♣ The course was really interesting and I learned a lot and would love to continue to learn about the subject. However, Hiltner only repeats what’s on the slides. There is no incentive to pay attention. Perhaps try fill-in-the-blank slides so students have to pay attention.

♣♣♣ This class WAS life-changing, don’t get me wrong. Prof. Hiltner is passionate and informed and it shows in his work. Sometimes consistent references to “if you had been here” can be somewhat unwelcome, however it didn’t affect the quality of the class as a whole. Perhaps literature and its analysis just don’t excite me personally—but thank you for opening my eyes. Sincerely, the baby vegetarian.

♣♣♣ Helpful that we have PowerPoint online. Interesting movies. Passionate teacher.

♣♣♣ I enjoyed most of the films shown in class—very enlightening!

♣♣♣ Too much reading. Lectures are quite boring and a lot of material. Course is made hard for no reason.

♣♣♣ Could include updated texts to make the class more interesting. I think more people would be involved during lecture.

♣♣♣ Kind of boring and doesn’t make the information interesting. It is good material but is kind of dry with his presentation and delivery. Study guides would be great but not necessarily of utmost importance.

♣♣♣ Very detailed lecture.

♣♣♣ Too many tangents.

♣♣♣ Very boring. Not a lively class.

♣♣♣ The material was interesting.

♣♣ I was expecting a literature course, but this class is more about environmental protection. I am sure some will find this appealing but as an English major student I was expecting more discussion of literature instead of whether we should eat meat or how many children we should have.

♣♣ He will pronounce America like amuricah a few times. This is arguably the only interesting feature of his voice. Beyond this is the rest of the class is rather interesting. The readings are important, and the lecture slides are quite well constructed.

♣♣ More close reading, more in-depth interpretations of the text; lectures were repetitive.

♣♣ The material is interesting but the teacher needs to be more stimulating and use better presentation skills.

♣ Dull class with lectures that served to waste student time. Only take this course for an easy A. Lectures drag on and turn into rants on irrelevant tangents on issues unrelated to course material. Professor forces their political views on the class without regard for the student’s own views, course, or time and takes away from learning.

♣ Material is decent, but the teacher lacks any presentation skills. Lectures are dry and lifeless. I would sleep in class, cause his monotone voice is so lifeless. I would sleep in class, cause his monotone voice is so lifeless it humms the class to a lawl.

♣ Boring lectures. Just read from the slides. Boring readings. Movies were pointless. The class had so much potential and was instead very poorly taught. Worst class I have taken at UCSB.

No rating Excellent content, well organized course material. Knowledgeable professor! Enjoyed this class immensely, but it was hard to stay focused during lecture. Perhaps composing thought-provoking iClicker questions throughout lecture and requiring occasional write-up assignments submitted to GauchoSpace would help! Loved the course themes and takeaways. Good luck with getting an LE minor going!

No rating 10/10 would recommend. Very easy. Pretty interesting. Movie once per week. Some reading, but not too bad.

No rating Very informative and interesting. I enjoyed how in depth the lectures are, and relating environmental problems to both the past, present, and future.