College of Charleston Spanish Professor Devon Hanahan is the second 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 at toplists.ratemyprofessors.com.
Watch a video profile of Devon Hanahan.
Devon Hanahan ’87 has taught in the Department of Hispanic Studies at the College since 1995. Her classes include Spanish 201 and Spanish 202, and she finds it enthralling “to teach a skill that anyone can use, no matter what their major or discipline.” 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.”
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.
Read Hanahan’s 8 pieces of advice for students and teachers beginning their careers here.
Each year, RateMyProfessors.com compiles Top Lists of the highest-rated professors, hottest professors, and top schools in the U.S. based on ratings from students.
Hanahan can be reached at hanahand@cofc.edu.
