Mohammad H. (Behrooz) Tamdgidi, Ph.D.

Selected Student Evaluations

(representing studnt experiences at UMass Boston, SUNY-Oneonta, and SUNY-Binghamton, present to past)

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"I just finished reading Human Architecture. I want to extend my deepest thanks for your amazing work in putting together this journal. It was a deeply enriching experience to read through the students reflective writing and the articles that both you and Jorge [Capetillo-Ponce] contributed. I was impressed with the range of issues covered in this edition --> Substance abuse, ethnic/religious identity, gender issues, cultural assimilation - a plethora of the most important issues we face. During my first semester at UMB, I took an introductory English class that placed great emphasis on peer editing. This was one of the most exciting classes I took that semester. I absolutely loved reading other students' writing and was always amazed to see the level of passion and commitment students put into their work. The most poignant pieces in that class were very similar to the articles in Human Architecture - writing pertaining to people's most challenging, personal, and emotionally engaging issues. A good friend of mine wrote about kicking his heroin habit, another friend wrote about his experience as a refugee - These stories - like the stories published in this journal - drew me as close as I could be with the writing. I was intrigued by each student's work to incorporate sociological concepts and see their relation to them in the realm of praxis. It was wonderful to see student's taking concepts that often stay fixed in an abstract and theoretical realm and to apply them to the stories they know best - their own. ... Above all, the quality of the writing and the reflection students display in this journal is amazing. With each sentence you can see the level of effort and time people put into their work. ... I think a lot is to be learned with student's insight/reflection and that the example you have set with this journal is a model from which can all learn from. I would love any information/documents you have related to this workshop. It is a great topic and I am curious to see the course it took. Behrooz, I thank you again for sharing this journal with me. It has been a wonderful experience and I am looking forward to continued work on this project ..."

"He was able to get me to finally take or seek action for a personal issue."

"Outstanding, .... It stimulated my thinking and encouraged me to criticize certain [of my] behaviors."

"Professor knows subject matter better than any professor I've ever had ... always well-prepared."

"He has an extensive knowledge on social theory ... Yes, he promoted class participation ... He was always well-prepared"

"Excellent grasp of subject matter ... outstanding .... Yes, encouraged dialogue ... Very successful. Thank you for making the class stimulating and interesting. Very fair. Thank you for the fair criticism on my paper and for encouraging me to deepen my inquiry on self and life. Excellent class. The school should have more instructors like Prof. Tamdgidi; challenging but it is worth it. [What I liked best about the course were] his lecture format and tying self and the global and the films that were viewed in class."

"Outstanding, always well-prepared. ... This class goes well beyond a class at UMass. It's a course that will travel with me throughout life."

"Excellent above and beyond... Always prepared... I found the whole semester was stimulating... Would take another class w/ this instructor."

"He was open to meet anytime and went to his office hours. He was helpful."

"Excellent. His lectures were jam-packed with relevant info.... Excellent--he explained everything fully and clearly... Always well-prepared... Very successful [in stimulating interest]... The reading was heavy, however we only met once a week so considering that makes a difference. Most of the readings were from very educated sociologists so some of it was a bit advanced for me. Very fair and somewhat lenient. It is an excellent course. Truly perked my interest in sociology.[What I liked best about the course were] the Prof.'s lectures. They were very stimulating."

"Excellent understanding of the subject matter, able to access other important information and link to the class discussion.[What I liked best about the course were] the teacher and structure of the course work."

"Excellent... It was a great learning experience."

"He was extremely fair & gave opportunities to better our grades. [What I liked best about the course was] linking the movies to theories we learned in class."

"Behrooz, ... Last week I finally picked up the journal! Muchas gracias. I read the first article, by Ayan Ahmed ... what a great essay. I am looking forward to reading the rest."

"Dear Behrooz, thanks for the notice -- and publishing my work! Now I can say I'm a published author. Thank you for opening up my eyes to see beyond my own little world. Thanks for teaching me so well."

"Professor, I was truly surprised to get your email because I was not that happy with my paper upon handing it in; I actually believed that you made a mistake.  I am very happy that you thought so highly of it because due to either more clarity from not editing it for hours,or due to your compliments (more likely), I am actually kind of proud of it now. ... Please know that I was a little skeptical about putting it in the journal, and when I decided that I would I debated on a pen name.  I realized that doing either of these things would be a large step backward however, and you are partly to thank for that.  I thank you for your openness with me while I was writing this paper and also for making me feel extremely comfortable in the process.  I don't think that I could have been so emotional with my writing had it not been you that would be reading it. (I finally allowed ---- to read it last night; she was impressed (even though she understood little of the theories) and was very happy when I decided to submit it for the journal)."

"... I wanted to thank you for a great semester. I had a good time in your class and learned a lot. I went into that class thinking it was going to be boring and I would just get it out of the way and I left having really enjoyed it and coming away with more than I thought I would."

"I have truly enjoyed the class and the journey I have gone through writing this paper."

"Thank you very much for the great semester. I was very skeptical of the class in the beginning, but you did an excellent job in helping me get through the tough topics. Thank you."

"I would like to thank you for this semester, it has truly been inspirational. I just wanted you to know that I have enjoyed the format of the class, and although I thought that it was going to be impossible, it was possible. I would also like to thank you for giving us the opportunity to write about a topic that we cared about because if I had not, I would have never truly understood the complexity of my situation. Thank you again ..."

"I need up to 4-5 sentences on your experience here as a Professor for UMASS and as to why you believe I choose you to participate. (Because you're the best professor I ever had). I also need to find out when it best for you today, so I can take your picture which will be accessible on the web. Thanks, Professor and please respond, ASAP."

"Thanks for a stimulating semester. I thoroughly enjoyed the class."

"Always saying hello. There are some professors who have a seriously strong influence on their students. These individuals leave a certain imprint that never quite leaves a person. They become a slightly salient voice in a person's social structure (intrapersonal). That is the reason that I am writing to you now... You have provided a different structure for me to see the world at large. That means something to me. When I begin to do serious writing, I will always ask you about your opinion on it. I hope that if there is anything else that I can do for you, you only ask. For some reason, I value your opinion. For some reason, I believe that you can continue to teach me, even beyond the classroom. Your classes have changed the way that I view the world, for that, you have my lasting respect and deference.   I just want you to know that I am out here, doing my thing, consciously, with love. I would ultimately like to become an advocate for women, and children in the legal system. I hope that I can teach others as well. This is my goal. I will be speaking to you soon. Be cool."

"Hello, I received the journal and I want to say thank you for seeing something special in my story. Various people have approached me and said that it was touching. I greatly appreciate this opportunity."

"I learned more in this class than in my last two years in Oneonta combined. Dr. Tamdgidi is a great teacher."

"I also wanted to tell you that I thoroughly enjoyed doing the paper for your class. It was refreshing to research something that really means so much. Unfortunately, it is rare to get that feeling from a course. I think you for that!"

"I really enjoyed this class and the way it was taught."

"He is an excellent prof. If you can just keep up with the readings then you can score excellent grade in the class."

"Mr. Tamdgidi is an enthusiastic teacher who is eager to help students get involved and learn & understand material. I am sorry to see you leaving [SUNY-Oneonta], but you made this class very interesting and informative."

"I found this class to be a very positive experience for me. The work was reasonable and though the 15 page paper was time consuming, it was not the end of the world. Overall I enjoyed this class and would recommend Tamdgidi to another student if he was returning [to SUNY-Oneonta]."

"I always enjoy Dr. Tamdgidi's classes [at SUNY-Oneonta]. He has a way of stimulating students to want to learn more about themselves and the world around them. Sociology students will miss him next year."

"This class helped me to learn sociological theories and to develop a different view of the world."

"You opened many eyes to "real" sociology and its application to each and all. Thanks for the chance to know you. Keep up your search for self and stay well."

"I think the course was a valuable learning experience and the professor did a great job of engaging students and learning opinions and different points of view."

"Dr. Tamdgidi is a very good instructor. He explains ideas effectively and is passionate about his field. His greatest asset as a professor, I think, is his sincerity. He genuinely tries to make a difference in his students."

"Professor T. did a great job as instructor for this course. He explained sociology really well."

"Extensive amount of required and suggested reading. Class was a challenge but I like to be challenged. Dr. Tamdgidi was very helpful during office hours and classes. Dr. Tamdgidi is very intelligent and an incredible asset for any learning institution to have. He will be missed [at SUNY-Oneonta]."

"I just wanted to let you know that you were one of the few sincere, and helpful professors that I had here at SUNY. You have provided me an excellent example for my future teaching endeavors."

"Yes I did receive the journal. I was really impressed with the format of the journal and variety of essays that were published. Thank you so much for all your work and time that went into having all of our essays published."

"I also wanted to say thanks for everything this semester. "The Awakening" is now one of my favorite movies I just ordered it online! ... I want to say that it was probably the most important research I have done in school because no matter what my grade I really did learn a lot about myself and my surroundings. I found answers to a lot of questions that I never even thought I had."

"At first I dreaded this paper. I just wanted you to know that it turned out to be very therapeutic and helped me with the issues I was dealing with. Thank you."

"I did enjoy the book we used for this course. The movies were also very good. I enjoyed the class. I wish more people spoke up in class, it would be more interesting."

"It was nice to have a class where the instructor encouraged a lot of group discussion, instead of just being a lecture. I enjoyed this class."

"I found the course to be a very enlightening and interesting learning experience. And while the material was rather difficult, it was helpful just knowing the instructor was always available to help."

"I personally felt, from being a transfer student that I would have learned more in the past if in fact I had more classes such as this. His methods were simple, he would ask open-minded questions and students were able to answer open-minded as well. He allowed us to preach our philosophies ... I show much gratitude to his teaching."

"The class was enjoyable and was good at making us think. It was better than a class in which students learn boring, irrelevant facts."

"I just wanted to let you know that this paper was a really great learning experience for me. It really opened my eyes up and changed my perspectives on a lot of things. I hope that everyone else got as much out of this as I did."

"He enlightened me and others to new ideas and ways of looking at life. His class taught me the fundamentals of many governments that exist today. The instructor also allowed us to carry out debates in class which was a great learning experience. Overall his class was highly effective and I have learned a great deal from it."

"I really enjoyed this class. Dr. Tamdgidi did an excellent job and was always open to suggestions as to how to make the class a better learning experience. This is an important attribute of an instructor, which unfortunately, is the exception, as opposed to the rule."

"I felt overall that the class was a good learning experience. The topics covered in class were difficult but professor Tamdgidi eloquently expressed the terms in a simpler fashion making the concepts much easier to grasp. Overall I feel as if I am taking away a lot of knowledge from this course."

"I thought this course provided a valuable experience. There were many interesting topics. Having this teacher a second time, I think student reports are interesting and helps break the class up. The paper provides a highly valuable experience in one's life. The two papers I have done have helped me out immensely."

"The class was a lot better than I had thought it would be. The Professor allowed students to voice their opinions on all topics, creating time for students to participate."

"I really enjoyed taking this course, it was interesting and I felt I learned a lot about sociology. I'm very glad I got to take it with this instructor. He explained all assignments well and was always happy to answer any questions."

"This course was like no other I have taken in college! The professor took this course in a direction of self-exploration. I learned not only about myself but a great deal about sociology. I re-took this class to better my grade and my experience was 100% better. Not many teachers realize teaching is about self-exploration. Not a textbook."

"This course was very interesting. The teacher was always on time and he always made sure that we were occupied. This course has taught me a lot about sociology in its art form. I really enjoyed this class."

"I enjoyed this course and feel I will walk away using the information I have learned. Thank you."

"The way the class was formatted around discussion was a very positive way to teach/learn sociology. The films were very good, but also a good learning tool for the course."

"Professor Tamdgidi provided a wonderful learning experience this semester. His clarification of terms was helpful in getting the full benefit of class lectures. He showed respect for all students and valued everyone's participation. He encouraged critical thinking and problem solving. The knowledge attained here in his class will certainly help in other academic endeavors."

"The instructor was excellent in this course. I like the way he mixed movies into class time. Although I was not used to the heavy writing assignments because in my past college I never had any, I still liked this course a lot."

“Your class has had a positive influence on me and has changed not only the way in which I see myself, but also the way I see and think about everything in my life.”

“I can never thank you enough for what you have given me. It will be difficult to know what to do when the instruction ends. Instruction, readings, discussions can only take one so far. What we learn here is life, and it will never be two dimensional. The understanding that will be taken with me from this room will never leave me. The gift of self-remembering/actualization is not the common material to obtain in a college classroom. The lessons learned will have everlasting consequences in the life of this student. The work of liberation from complacent dissolution will never end. From the freedom from habituation, communication of the unconscious will be the true self.”

“More Social Science classes at Oneonta should be taught like Dr. Tamdgidi teaches. Most students find his classes challenging. Great teacher to have on campus! I have grown tremendously in my person and my studies which all started with a little coaxing from him. This guy goes way out of his way to help students learn.”

“I must say that I enjoyed this class. The laid back conversation teaching method made it easy for students to get involved and comfortably accept their surroundings. Tamdgidi is a professor that I don't want to fail, making my effort that much more real.”

“It may have been better if one type of utopia was more carefully looked at instead of looking at all. The instructor was very understanding and always willing to help students.”

“This class was probably the most interesting in my college career. Dr. Tamdgidi makes you explore things that you would have never thought about before. He encourages you to think critically, in an organized manner. ...”

“I found the course interesting and insightful. I learned new things about the world and myself. The readings were interesting.”

"This course has had a tremendous impact on my life. I have learned much about myself through this class. I have not taken any other course like this. It's very interesting. Yes, I definitely would recommend this course to others. I have gained much from it."

“I've seen two masters degrees, 3 teaching credentials, 6 colleges, 2 junior colleges and 13 years of public school and I never had a real lesson until this class. Dr. Tamdgidi taught a lesson in life long learning and perception that will never be forgotten. Super job.”

“This course was a little different than I had expected. I was very pleased though. The content of the class was very informative and educational. It opened up different view points and ways of thinking. The course was very well organized and covered many different Utopian views. We focused a lot on self-exploration which I think was very beneficial overall. I enjoyed the professor's method of teaching tremendously. I would recommend this class to others.”

“This class has taught me so much about those 'selves' that boil up underneath the surface and how they interact with society and other 'selves'. I have been looking forward to a class such as this one and am glad to have been through it as a student and as a person interested in sociology.”

“Text was great help in final paper. Class discussion very helpful. Awakening film very good and relevant to class and subjects discussed. Some other films like Patch Adams and Good Will Hunting were good movies. ...”

“Professor Tamdgidi is a valuable asset to the teaching community. He was well prepared for each class and accomplished all of the goals outlined in the syllabus. I believe his requirements were fair and tolerable. I also feel this was a valuable personal experience as I got to explore an issue of some importance to me from a sociological perspective.”

“In my opinion this class was truly exceptional. Few class have ever helped me as an individual like this one did. Every student at SUCO would be better off if they took this class at some point while they are here. He is an excellent teacher with a truly sincere personality.”

“I think this course was very valuable in the search for self knowledge. My only problem w/it was that we were often retained after the class period was over. I liked the way the people in the class interacted w/one another.”

“I thought this was an excellent course. We are taught about so many things in college yet are never really taught to learn about ourselves. This course has made it possible for us to learn the most important thing, ourselves...”

“I learned a lot from being in this class. I found out a lot about myself that I was really not aware of. The class is very beneficial.”

“Dr. Tamdgidi is very thorough and passionate about this subject. I enjoyed his class immensely.”

“Course was well organized. Material was explained and followed thru. I learned a lot. Wonderful teaching. Made a not so interesting class very interesting.”

“He was a good teacher but graded rather difficult. I found the class harder than I anticipated. He gave extra work for missing class but was more than it should have been.”

“I felt Dr. Tamdgidi was a very good teacher. I would definitely recommend Dr. Tamdgidi for another student to take him.”

“This course will provide excellent references later in my career as a teacher. The professor was a good instructor and knew what he was talking about.”

“I felt that the teacher was well prepared for this course and very informative.”

“Thank you for making me reevaluate my own thinking and biases. Paper made me think.”

“I enjoyed the class. It helped me to understand more about real people living in the world.”

“I really appreciate learning about the many aspects of society. I enjoyed that everyone had their own opinion and that there were not tests or quizzes. The movies were great insight to society and showed how many people live and face hardships. Have a great summer!!!!”

“Prof. Tamdgidi was an excellent instructor and should be used in more of an effective way than this course. The material wasn't as relevant to us as ed majors as much as other courses. He is understanding and very thorough. I enjoyed the course and would gladly take another w/him.”

“This class has by far been the most worthwhile class I’ve taken in 4 years here. Dr. Tamdgidi has an excellent way of instructing and making material understandable. I have learned more in this class than I have in any other. Yes, I am extremely happy and pleased that I have taken it. I've learned a lot about myself. No other class that I have taken compared to this class. This has been my favorite class ever.”

“After the paper I began to see things in a different light. I never took a course that forced it’s way into my mind and thought as much as this one did.”

“It has made a difference. Our way of problematizing our existence, has given me a somewhat new outlook on my life, as well as social life, since there is no difference between the two. This course approaches the depths of sociological theory. It is more conceptually difficult, but is intrinsically important in the study of social/your life. Fuck yes. This course should be made available regularly, I recommend it to everyone. Whether or not someone is a student of social life, the concepts addressed in this course pervade social life, and like it or not we live social life.”

“Yes, it helped me cope with issues I hadn’t been able to before. This course is more conducive to learning than most I’ve taken.”

“This was the 1st time I really studied myself, and it was good.”

“The readings presented entirely new concepts to me which I will never forget. I made valuable self-discoveries as suggested by the readings.”

“This is a unique course. ... It helps students develop. At college you are at an impressionable age where you are not sure about yourself and who you are. However, taking a class like this helps you understand life’s problems and helps you understand things better.”

“It forced me to define a large part of “who I am” —This is useful due to my graduating next week. I feel I am going out into the world with a much firmer grasp of my goals, expectations, and abilities due to this course.”

“This is the first time I took a course that had to do with learning about myself. There aren’t many courses out there like this and I think it’s important for many young adults.”

“... it has given me the opportunity to look at my life in other ways. If it was not for this class I would have kept my true feelings inside. Other courses just give you information to remember, this course relate the information you learn to yourself.”

“This course, I believe enables the student to contemplate on their entire life. Not many classes can even compare to that. I would highly recommend this class, and I am baffled why it is not offered regularly.”

"I enjoyed this class because of various reasons. Most important reason is that it helped me deal with a certain situation in my life through a different approach than in the past. I am very glad I took this course."

"It has changed my way of thinking about myself! Even looking at how I contradicted myself in my paper. I don't really know who I am, but I'm starting to think about it now."

“This class has prolonged and reinstated my wanting to find the meaning of life. The search for truth and the ways that I can make my life and the lives of others better through education and action. I want to reach my highest potential so that my contributions to society can be remembered and used to make it better for future generations. I have never taken a course like this before and this has been one of my favorite classes I’ve taken here in my four years. How can one not like a class that focuses on yourself and how one can improve his/her life. This course should be taken by everyone on campus or a similar class like this. If we can get everyone on all campuses to take this class then we would have a higher number of people with the potential to become aware and in turn affect society positively.”

[What was good about this course?] "Learning about myself and how other people view the world. Also learning about different theories and how they affect people in our society." [What was bad about the course?] "Nothing Really." [How can the course be improved?] "May be less reading outside of class. If you have other course or other responsibilities." [What was good about the instructor?] "His passion and knowledge for what he was teaching." [What was bad about the instructor?] "Nothing." [How can the instructor improve?] "I liked the instructor very much. I thought that he was great." [Has this course made any differences in your life?] "Yes. It's made me see myself differently." [How do you compare this course with other courses you have taken on this campus before? Have you taken a course such as this before?] "This was a great course. It really forced me to look at myself. No. I've never taken a course like this before but I would definitely take it again." [Do you think this course deserves to be offered regularly? Why? Would you recommend this course to others if it was offered?] "Yes, I feel that if more instructors were like Mr. Tamdgidi people would really stop and try to reevaluate themselves and others." [What do you recommend to the instructor in improving his offering of this course in the future (readings, organization, teaching style, syllabus, etc.?] "Change the title of the course and recommend less outside readings (may be)." [Give the instructor a piece of advice and the reason for your advice?] "Keep being who you are. I think you're great. Get into teaching seminars. What a great mind."

[What was good about this course?] "The way there were constant opportunities to participate." [What was bad about the course?] "Nothing." [How can the course be improved?] "More movies—they brought out greater dialogue." [What was good about the instructor?] "He was open to different opinions, he was unbiased." [What was bad about the instructor?] "Nothing." [How can the instructor improve?] "Speak a bit more assertively." [Has this course made any differences in your life?] "Yes. It has opened my eyes to self-awareness. I was always apathetic about my behavior towards others and myself. However, this course and its many dialogues on interpersonal relations and self-analysis made me see that there was indeed another facet to life, that not everything was so as it seemed." [How do you compare this course with other courses you have taken on this campus before? Have you taken a course such as this before?] "It was different to say the least. When YOU are the focus, things get turned around and it feels good to have a different setting such as this one. No." [Do you think this course deserves to be offered regularly? Why? Would you recommend this course to others if it was offered?] "Yes, It would offer students insight on introspection and how to evaluate themselves." [What do you recommend to the instructor in improving his offering of this course in the future (readings, organization, teaching style, syllabus, etc.?] "Everything was fine. May be a bit more group work." [Give the instructor a piece of advice and the reason for your advice?] "I think you should be louder just b/c we are students and sometimes it is difficult to "stay tuned" when a prof. is so soft-spoken. Other than that, I think you (prof.) were a wonderful instructor."

[What was good about this course?] "Interesting reading material." [What was bad about the course?] "20 page paper—felt like as pages went on the quality of my work went down." [How can the course be improved?] "Instead of having a 20 page paper, have several papers on different ideas." [What was good about the instructor?] "Very knowledgeable, open to discussion and different viewpoints." [What was bad about the instructor?] "Did not move around room enough making for wandering minds less interest." [How can the instructor improve?] "Move around. Loosen up." [Has this course made any differences in your life?] "It has helped me answer some questions about my life. It has helped me explore in reading comp. skills." [How do you compare this course with other courses you have taken on this campus before? Have you taken a course such as this before?] "This is a unique course. Having no real exams made me more interested in actually understanding the material presented and not just memorizing stuff for a test." [Do you think this course deserves to be offered regularly? Why? Would you recommend this course to others if it was offered?] "Yes. It helps students develop. At college you are at an impressionable age where you are not sure about yourself and who you are. However, taking a course like this helps you understand life's problems and helps you understand things better." [What do you recommend to the instructor in improving his offering of this course in the future (readings, organization, teaching style, syllabus, etc.?] "Teaching style. Open the class up more. It's about self-knowledge, not I told you so knowledge." [Give the instructor a piece of advice and the reason for your advice?] "Stick with this! You are an exceptional professor. I criticize only constructively."