College of Charleston Spanish Professor Devon Hanahan is the sixth highest rated professor in the nation, according to the annual list by mtvU’s RateMyProfessors.com. Different from typical college rankings, this list is generated entirely from the input of the students themselves – providing an authentic overview of daily life at each respective school. The full lists for all categories are included below and can be viewed here.
RELATED: Learn more about Hanahan in this spring 2014 College of Charleston Magazine article
Hanahan ’87 has been a part of the Department of Hispanic Studies since 1995. She teaches 
Spanish 101, 102, 201 and 202, and she finds it “to teach a skill that anyone can use, no matter what their major or discipline.” She was also among the top 10 best-rated ratemyprofessors.com professors in 2013, and in 2012, Hanahan was named one of “The Best 300 Professors” according to The Princeton Review who teamed up with RateMyProfessors.com.
“So many people are afraid of learning languages. I want each and every student to believe that he/she is capable of learning Spanish and using it in the real world,” says Hanahan. “I also want him/her to be excited about the prospect of speaking Spanish, because that excitement is what motivates them.”
RELATED: Discover Hanahan’s tips for acing your classes
Students rate professors on several dimensions: clarity, helpfulness, easiness and rater interest (interest level prior to attending the class). However, a professor’s overall quality rating (which informs the highest rated professor list) is determined by an equal weighting of only two criteria: clarity and helpfulness. 5 is the highest rating and 1 is the lowest rating for each of the above-mentioned dimensions.
RELATED: Check out this video profile of Hanahan
Hanahan is teaching several sections Spanish 101 and 202 during the fall 2014 and spring 2015 semesters.
