I was honestly scared to take this class because of all of the bad reviews here but after taking the course myself I can say that professor Akudinobi is such an amazing guy and teacher. Theres a good amount of reading but its manageable. Professor Akudinobi really cares about his students, dont be afraid to talk to him!
Prof. A is an awesome guy. Easy going and cares for his students. He's a bit of a character but really does want everyone to succeed. The main issue he doesn't use gauchospace, powerpoint, or visuals. He simply lectures out of the course reader and it isn't very helpful. Did not get out of the class what I wanted. 3 papers, one research of 8 pages.
Dr. Akudinobi is wonderful! Lectures can be a bit hard to follow, but useful and full of knowledge. Attendance 25% so show up. He gives hints about essay topics for midterm&final (take-home); each with 2 essays. Term paper prompt is completely open. Grading is straightforward. If you can write well and go to class, it's a simple A.
One of my favorite professors in UCSB. His subject matter is interesting and his analysis is eyeopening. He is also funny and makes class enjoyable even though it can be early in the morning. Highly recommend taking one of his classes before graduating
Great professor that really cares about students, he definitely round up to the highest grade and wants "his gauchos" to get As. Interesting and fun lectures, he tells good stories and makes jokes along the way! Take him, reading isn't necessary except for citing in your essays and movies are interesting enough.
Genuine Professor. He cares about his students. He gives you the grade you deserve. Easy going and funny. He knows what he is talking about and can answer literally any question you may have. I would recommend him and I would definitely take one of his courses again.
I really enjoyed his course! Learned a lot about colonialism through the perspectives of the authors covered in class. The readings were a lot. You would have to complete a book every week and in total there were 4 essays with a research paper. Overall, I really enjoyed the class!
I may never see films and our representations of other cultures with naivety, again. Truly inspirational and unassuming scholar!
Akudinobi is the man! You will have a great time taking this class and he grades easy. If you show up you'll know everything you need to pass the exams. You might only have to read a whole book for your paper.
He's the chillest teacher ever; he made the class interesting and is a very fair grader! He does take-home testspaper which is really nice.
Very nice, fun, approachable, one of the better black studies professors ( ahemm, Ingrid Banks) and overall a great instructor
A fun guy with a real passion for his subject matter. Was also very helpful when talking to him after class. Only slight complaints I would have is that his lectures could do with a Powerpoint, and some lectures mat be canceled at very short notice.
The professor is a friendly guy who wants everyone to succeed. He is well-meaning, but he can be unorganized. Lecture is mandatory. Take home midterm and final that are straightforward if you pay attention in lecture/section. My TA was awesome so section was fun. I learned a lot in the class and would recommend it
If what you want is a blow off easy class then he isn't what you want because he has mandatory attendance and the essays are pretty tough. If you want a thorough informative class this isn't what you want because he has no slides, no notes to go off of and he barely sticks to the syllabus. The essays will challenge you but you set your own pace.
Easiest class. Never took notes in lecture, only went to sign in. The midterm and final are take home essays and the grading is fair, got an easy A+ in the class.
Great class, introduced me to African cinema and the cultural/political context that influenced film makers message and style. A friendly guy who values interest in the subject matter and participation over prior knowledge.
he was awesome. fun and upbeat. keeps it as interesting as it can. not a hard class. get a good TA
Passes a sign in sheet around lecture every day so attendance is mandatory. Your grade was 33% attendance, 33% midterm, and 33% final. The midterm and final were just a bunch of writing (3 papers each) but the grading was fair and I got an easy A in the class. Lectures are hard to follow as he jumps all over the place but I loved the textbook.
Professor Akudinobi is really great! The material is somewhat difficult/kind of a stretch considering it is a class based on movies, but so far he has tried his best to make it easier to understand. He's very kind and lenient when it comes to being late. Great guy, hard class, but with enough attendance you should be fine.
His classes are NOT as easy as some of the reviews here make them out to be. Attendance is mandatory, with role taken in section and lecture. Some pretty big writing assignments, but doesn't fulfill a writing GE. It really doesn't fulfill any GEs that cant be found in a better class. Please, take another class. You'll regret taking this one.
This instructor has very poor teaching skills and is highly unorganized. Take this course if you like being confused and watching someone try to figure out how to use a projector for the first thirty minutes of every lecture.
Jude is really passionate about the subject and his upbeat character always put a smile on my face. Pretty easy to get a good grade too as long as you spend the time to develop your essays. However, it was often difficult to follow his lectures (no powerpoints/rambles on) so be sure to read the textbook before going to class.
Jude is the man. Easy class, heart-warming accent, passionate about the material covered. I love that he calls his students "gauchos"
Rambles for lecture. Doesn't give out As, but doesn't grade hard. So if you don't care to get an A take the class. But if you need an A this class isn't for you.
