Ralph is super passionate! The topics covered are very heart breaking but aren't usually taught other places. One reader, 3 books, a few films and great speakers. Midterm was 5 IDs one essay. Final was 5 IDs two essays. One long paper assigned plus TA section work. Not an easy A but I recommend the class.
I had him for CHIC 1A. It was a easy class. Definitely would recommend it. We had some very inspirational speakers.
Love, love , love Prof. Ralph. Hands down the best Professor on campus. Really helps place a lot of issues into perspective. Be prepared to be amazed by is lectures and warm embrace. He radiates love and compassion.
Professor Ralph is extremely helpful and truly inspiring. He creates an environment that is so welcoming to all the students. Take his class!
At first I was really excited to be in this class, but became less so throughout the course. There is a r i d i c u l o u s amount of reading; four novels, a course reader, and extra articles thrown in for fun (even his emails tend to be multiple pages in length). He shows required movies outside of class, which is a pain.
Ralph is an amazing professor! He shows his passion for his career and his passion for wanting his students to learn. He inspires some to become involved in social activism. His classes are always so interesting and the books that he had us read as well. This class was based on essay reflections, midterm take home essay and a final take home essay.
Ralph is by far one of the best professors at UCSB! His lectures are very inspiring! Chicano Studies 1A is a very easy A! The class is based on Midterm, Final, Section & Essay. The essay is an autobiography & all the material for the midtermfinal are given at lecture. He cares about all his students & really wants all to pass! Great class!
Ralph is the cutest professor ever, an emotional teddy bear. However, if you don't agree with his views your opinion might be different. The class had me on the verge of tears frequently. Super easy A.
I really enjoyed this class. Yes, he does cry occasionally, but it's because he's so passionate about what he's teaching. He assigned us four books and articles to read during the quarter. I highly recommend studying with groups for this class. Someone might have caught something you didn't, and it helps discussing the topics.
He likes to be called Ralph, and he is such a wonderful human being - so smart and caring. He gets really passionate during his lectures, but it's a good thing. Sometimes you may be puzzled throughout the quarter, just talk to you TA. Thought I was going to bomb the midterm and final, ended up getting Bs on them.
He is very passionate about ch st. He also cares a lot about his students. You have a midterm, final (he gives study guides for both) , and an essay (they grade easy so easy A) about your life and how it relates to some of the characters in the readings he assigns. I looked forward to going to this class every day. There is a lot of reading.
Hands down one of the kindest, most down to earth professors I have ever had. He is a fantastic lecturer and is so passionate about immigration reform and equality in general. The midterm and final are both all-writing, but the subject matter is pretty easy. Pay attention in class, do the readings, and participate in section and you'll get an A.
He is a very passionate person and it shows through his lectures which makes it much more interesting. He genuinely cares for his students. I spoke to him twice and he recognized me and remembered my name. He truly does his best to reach out to you. If you do the study guide and put in effort, it should be an easy A.
He is good teacher and a nice person, very passionate about CHST. If you are not passionate about the subject, you won't really enjoy the class. He brought politics into the class often, and I felt that my moderate political views weren't welcome. It has A LOT of reading, and it may be hard to get by without reading. Essays on tests, hard.
He is passionate about the subject. There are many extra credit opportunities and the reading is pretty easy to go along with. You write two essays for the mid-term and final, but they're fairly because he gives a study guide. This is probably the easiest class I've taken.
A class I'd recommend for everyone, no matter what background you're from. Gives out very inspirational lectures as he speaks from the heart and not from a book. Passing the class means being caught up in all the readings and watching the films for they decide how well you do in the tests and the research paper.
Wow! So dedicated to his students, answers every email or question. Super passionate and really cares about the subject. 3 papers and group discussions. The class is not hard if you can balance writing both academically and with your heart. It's not easy to reveal so much of yourself, but it's kind of necessary with this class. Love the guy!
there was not one lecture where he didn't cry. He's an emotional guy. Regardless, you can truly see the passion he has towards the chicano movement and the class. It's an easy class but requires a lot of reading.
Where to start? Prof. Ralph is definitely one of my favorite professors, and he is much more than that, he is a mentor. The readings weren't too bad, I actually didn't read 2.5 of the books and did fairly well. We watched inspiring movies and just had to discuss them. Not much work, he just wants to engage students to think beyond themselves!
BEST PROFESSOR EVER! He is so passionate about what he teaches. Go to his office hours, get to know him. He is by far, the most dedicated professor I've met/had. Course material was a lot, but it was interesting. If you have any questions, he is more than happy to help. Hope to take more classes with him in the future.
Professor Armbruster changed my life, he truly is passionate about the class and his students. If you're considering this class just stop and take it. Pay attention in lecture and you'll be inspired to change.
He may be the most dramatic teacher ever, but truly the easiest. Couple papers which are more about you than the readings. A couple novels that are all explained online. If you 'open' up about yourself in your papers your getting an A!!! So easy.
This professor was really nice and passionate about the material but I think that was his flaw. He gets too carried away & doesn't necessarily teach (he cries mostly all the time). He's more concerned about starting a "revolution" than actually informing people of what is going on. Overall, it was an okay class.
worst experience I ever had going to this class. I took it when the SB 1070 Arizona Immigration law came about and he cried trying to get people to fight against it. Every class felt like a revolution meeting with unintelligent students shouting out like it was a revolution. I literally felt uncomfortable in class.