Spring 2022 Course Evaluations

Additional comments

I had a great semester and if Professor Borison wasn’t just visiting I would recommend him + Trusts and Estates to friends. I can’t say I wish I didn’t take this class because I’ve learned a lot. I hope Professor Borison is open to criticism because his instruction could be even better. He is the best Professor I’ve ever had. Professor Borison did his best, its a hard topic. He consistently tried to ensure that students understood the topics discussed and tied it back to MA/Bar questions. He is straightforward on what the exam will be like. And was available to answer questions both in and outside of class. He also brought in a practicing lawyer who explained the real life application of trust and estates. I just found this class very difficult, something that I struggled wrapping my head around (I have no idea why!!) I paid attention in class, I did all of the readings and took good notes, I just found this class more difficult than usual and couldn’t explain to you why. - You made light of a spouse’s suicide in a case early in the semester – shame on you. In 2019, the last year reported, 47,511 people died of suicide in the United States. https://afsp.org/ suicide-statistics/. “Suicide and suicide attempts affect the health and well-being of friends, loved ones, co-workers, and the community. When people die by suicide, their surviving family and friends may experience shock, anger, guilt, symptoms of depression or anxiety, and may even experience thoughts of suicide themselves.” Facts on Suicide | CDC https://www.cdc.gov/ suicide/facts/index.html. Statistics show that for every suicide, six people who knew the deceased suffer severe trauma, depression, and anxiety as a result of every suicide. Shneidman ES, Cain A, editors. Survivors of suicide. Springfield (IL): Charles C. Thomas; 1972. This means in 2019 alone, 285,000 people suffered the effects of a friend, loved one, or associate’s suicide. However innocuous you felt your joke was, you are a professor with a captive audience in a professional setting, not an amateur standup doing a tight-fifteen. Your condescension towards students’ questions on topics you thought had been covered tells me you are not suited for instruction. Students learn at different speeds, they cover materials at different times, they make connections between material at their own pace. To embarrass and berate students for good-faith questions is a badge of an era in profession that is thankfully dying out; you are a last hold-over of a worse time. I know you are visiting professor, and as such are likely unconcerned about one student’s perception of you or reflections on this class. However, the University will be lucky to be rid of you. Thank you to Professor Borison for spending the semester with us. I learned a lot and appreciated him spending the time away from his home/family to teach this course.

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