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Professor Ratings & Grade Distribution Data for Steven McCornack

Steven McCornack

Professor (2008 – 2012)
Michigan State (MSU)
Communication

Rate Professor

Overall rating

Rated by 215 students

2.82

Avg GPA

across 4 classes

Fall 2012 Schedule

No classes for this semester.

All Classes

COM 100

COM 225

COM 391

COM 425

COM 490

COM 494

COM 855

COM 890

Most Helpful Favorable Professor Review

Most Helpful Critical Professor Review

COM 225 - An Intro to Interpersonal Comm

I've noticed that there are pretty mixed reviews regarding Steve and COM 225 so I'm going to be as honest and unbiased as possible. Initially I too was one of those people that felt like Steve was cocky and inappropriate and almost dropped the class but soon my opinion completely changed. COM 225 was hands down the best class I've EVER taken at MSU thus far. If you want to do well in this class then do the following:

1. Actually GO TO CLASS. This does not mean relying on your friends for notes, expecting the notes to be posted on ANGEL, or getting by with just reading. I really don't understand why people DIDN'T go to this class because the lectures are EXTREMELY relevant, creative, and interesting. My class just barely got through all the material because people had so many comments and questions, proving the material and the way this class was taught is effective. A ton of the questions on the exams are straight from the lectures, again I really don't understand why people wouldn't go to the lectures. This is the only AM class I've been able to stay fully awake in and they even given you a break highway through.

2. READ THE BOOK and TAKES NOTES. I had so many friends complain about doing poorly on the tests simply because they didn't read the book well enough. You can't just sit there and skim through the reading, Steve and Kelly will pull questions from stats you think are irrelevant, charts, case studies, and just simply things you wouldn't expect to be tested on. I found that reading a day or two before the exams was most effective, not because I am a procrastinator but because the exam questions are so detailed that reading them a day or two before the test would mean the material is new in your head. I would literally outline pages and pages of material, reread it, and construct it into note cards.

3. ASK FOR HELP. If you ever need help or have a simple question, Steve is MORE than willing to help. There are also a million TA's you can get help from.

This class is by no means difficult, I would say challenging but not impossible. I four pointed every single exam but it's because I never missed a class, took notes, and always read. It's a shame this class is getting negative reviews because I learned more in this class then in any other I have taken here at MSU. I honestly love this class and if I could take it over I would.

I'm sure people dislike Steve because they see him as trying to come off as "cool" or "cocky" but that is not the case. Steve knows his material extremely well, he's done research for years, and could honestly care less about being "cool." Yeah, he's not your typical professor in that he sends you emails urging you to boycott Coldplay, links to youtube videos, and using phrases like "hook up" but I think that's what makes him Steve. Honestly, take this class because there isn't any other like it.

Professor rated by: Student on 5/10/09

Helpful Rating?

YES

+5 Helpful

COM 225 - An Intro to Interpersonal Comm

Very easy class and occasionally mildly entertaining, but completely useless information. It is basically a pseudo-psychology class. You might as well just just take Psych 101 and learn something applicable to a career.

Pros: Very easy

Cons: Completely useless

Professor rated by: Biological Science Student on 4/25/12

Helpful Rating?

YES

+2 Helpful

Student Ratings 1 - 20 of 215

COM 225

An Intro to Interpersonal Comm

Professor rated by: Student on May 10, 2009

Helpful Rating?

YES

COM 391

Verbal, Intercul or Gender Com

This class is so awesome! I am in love with this course. When I saw the course topic which is verbal I thought it would be boring. I am taking it during the summer and there are 3 exams all worth 50 points each. There is no hw and if he does assign some it won't be graded. Steve is an excellent professor who breaks down everything that he is explaining and he is very open to answer questions. The exams are very straight forward and sometimes he may throw in a bonus question. He is very passionate about the material that he teaches. If you can take COM 391 with him.

Professor rated by: Comm Arts & Sciences Student on June 28, 2011

Helpful Rating?

YES

COM 225

An Intro to Interpersonal Comm

Pros: Very easy

Cons: Completely useless

Professor rated by: Biological Science Student on April 25, 2012

Helpful Rating?

YES

COM 225

An Intro to Interpersonal Comm

I'm not going to argue the fact that COM 225 was an incredible experience and that I consider myself lucky to have taken it. However, with that being said, I truly believe that most of the class' amazingness comes from Professor Morrison, and not so much McCornack. This guy is so full of himself it's not even funny. He seems to think he's the smartest guy ever. He takes pride in the fact that he wrote the class' book himself, but I seriously think he should consider getting a new copy editor. The book has almost as many grammatical errors in it as the guy makes when he speaks aloud. He uses the word "irregardless" all the time- oh problem! That's not even a word. That "word" has a negative prefix and a negative suffix, making the word itself a double negative. Meaning he's saying "With regard to" instead of "Regardless." He also seems to think that "penultimate" means SUPER ULTIMATE, as that's how he uses it... It really means "next to last"... so he's not even close.

Aside from these things, he knows the material well. But, at the same time, Professors Morrison & McCornack expect you to know it well too. Yes, the class is great, but that doesn't mean it's an easy 4.0. You really do have to work for your grade in this class. Also, the first exam is about 234x's easier than the other three, so don't get cocky after a great score on the first one.

Professor rated by: Student on May 21, 2010

Helpful Rating?

YES

COM 225

An Intro to Interpersonal Comm

This was, by far, my absolute favorite class I have taken at MSU. I took this class as an elective after a friend recommended it and it was just an amazing experience. I will admit, Steve DOES come off as cocky sometimes, but he is EXTREMELY knowledgeable. He knows his stuff, and it's things that are actually relevant- family, friends, and relationships. These are things that you WILL use and you can relate to. It also helps that Steve incorporates examples, which only made it easier (for me, at least) to remember.

However, his exams are a little tricky. You do need to attend class. That is EXTREMELY important. His lectures are included in the exam in detail, and he does not post them online. Luckily, I never had a boring class, so this wasn't as bad as it could have been.

TAKE NOTES ON THE EXAMPLES! They do come up on exam. Do not disregard him when he tells you they will be on the exam. They definitely are.

Read the book! He includes a lot of the tables, the beginning, and the focus on culture sections. You will need to know it, and I swear the exam questions he asked on them were made to trick you if you didn't know the material.

Also, take note when any kind of statistic is mentioned. He WILL quiz them on you. That was the most difficult thing for me.

Just spend time studying and going to class. If you do, it's an easy 4.0.

Professor rated by: Student on May 4, 2010

Helpful Rating?

YES

COM 391

Verbal, Intercul or Gender Com

i don't know what people are so pissed about steve. if he makes you know specific things it's because it's relevant not because he's being an asshole. he is the best teacher i have ever had. he was funny and you actually learn something and enjoy going to his class. he really cares that his students do well too and sends out nice emails tell you to "rock" the exam. he always is very straight forward with what is going to be on the exam telling you what topics there will be and the break down of how many questions per topic. the examples that he shares can be a bit vulgar at times, or they involve ex girlfriends but come on how do you NOT remember them then? he knows what is going to stick in college kids heads and he's not afraid to embarrass the hell out of himself to do it.

definitely not a blow off class. you have to do the readings because he puts things on the exams straight from them. all in all they are interesting though. you also have to attend every class and write down all examples that he says because he always puts his examples on them.

it is possible to 4.0 though, i did it, this is just a class that you actually have to do the work in to deserve the grade!

Professor rated by: Student on December 16, 2009

Helpful Rating?

YES

COM 225

An Intro to Interpersonal Comm

COM 225 is a great class and Steve and Kelly are amazing to take it with. You learn a lot of interesting and relevant information that you can apply to everyday life. They tell great stories that actually have to do with the material and they really help you to remember the information when you're taking the exams. This class is easy if you go to the lecture. Anyone who got less than a 3.5 only did so because they skipped class. The exams are mostly on lecture material, which isn't always in the book (and vice versa). The only thing I didn't like about the exams was that there were always a couple random questions about statistics and percentages from one paragraph in the book- so if you just skimmed over that part, you wouldn't know the answer.

All in all, it's a good class and easy if you go to the lectures, take notes, and study a couple nights before the exams. 4 exams, 50 multiple choice questions, nothing cumulative.

Professor rated by: Student on January 6, 2009

Helpful Rating?

YES

COM 225

An Intro to Interpersonal Comm

This class is great. Its kinda early so I just go whenever I wake up for it. I read the chapters once during the 3 or 4 weeks between exams and then again the night before the exam. If you don't mind spending a good 5 hours total reading then take this class. I haven't gone in over a month and I'm sitting on a nice 4.0. Steve and kelly are great. Who cares if they wanna talk about their lives or whatever else? Even if they test you on it, how hard is it to remember that steve's ex girlfriend was a bitch or that kelly got blown off by some dude at a party? That shit is easier to remember than anything in the textbook. This class is great. If you want an easy elective take this, fuck com 100. This class is about a quarter as hard and about twice as interesting.

Professor rated by: Student on November 10, 2008

Helpful Rating?

YES

COM 225

An Intro to Interpersonal Comm

Steve literally wrote the book on Interpersonal Communications, so he definitely knows his material. Watching Steve and Kelly team teach is entertaining enough to make a long lecture both bearable and eye-opening. He's a pretty funny guy, although he gets a little overpowering at times. He gets some major cool points for sending the class an email with the youtube link to "Business Time" from Flight of the Conchords before our exam on romantic love. He's a very good professor.

Professor rated by: English Student on December 9, 2009

Helpful Rating?

YES

COM 225

An Intro to Interpersonal Comm

I really enjoyed this class. Steve and Kelly were great. And here is the bottom line: class was FUN to go to, I learned a lot, and I got a 4.0 got the ol' GPA, what the hell else do you want out of a class than a good time, good info, and a good grade????? I guess I will also address the naysayers of the class. Yes they do use personal information in lecture, but it is all relevant to the topic, they will present a theory and then an example for their lives, usally a humorous one, which makes it that much easier to remember the theory. The other big complaint seemed to be %ages on the exams, there were a few, I think the final had the most with probably about 5 of the 50 questions being on %ages, i think most college students have the cognitive capacity to remeber a few percentages. You need the lecture notes to do well in the course, so make a friend in the class or take it with a friend if you dont want to go all the time, also you need to do all the reading to do well, but there isn't a lot, maybe about 40-55 pages a month. Thats all you need to know.

Professor rated by: Student on December 21, 2004

Helpful Rating?

YES

COM 225

An Intro to Interpersonal Comm

Pros: This class is really interesting. It is vital that you go to class to get all the information needed for the exams but you will want to go to lectures! McCornack and Morrison are great lecturers. They're good at talking to college age students.

Cons: Your grade is based on only four 50 question exams. The chapters in the book are kind of long but the text book is much easier to read than the usual text book.

This rating is for both McCornack AND Morrison. Morrison was better at explaining points; she got straight to the point and used good examples. It just sucks that Steve always talks more. He had a lot of stories to reinforce points and was knowledgeable but he talks more than necessary. Honestly, I just think he wants people to hear about how many girls he has dated in the past and wants to show off how much he knows. But compared to how great of a class it is it doesn't even matter. I'd suggest it.

Professor rated by: Psychology Student on May 2, 2011

Helpful Rating?

YES

COM 225

An Intro to Interpersonal Comm

Steve and Kelly as teachers for COM 225 were INCREDIBLE!

This is by far the best class I have taken at MSU. It is like going to watch a comedy show for an hour and twenty minutes twice a week. The information that they are providing us with is knowledge that you can use everyday for the rest of your life, and help to make your life better.

The class is based off 4 exams, no attendance, no quizzes, no homework, and NO extra credit. The exams are 50 questions each with NO final, just the last exam. The exam material is taken directly from class lecture and the book (which you must have). They give you a study guide before every exam that tells you exactly what to study. MEMORIZE any statistic or percentage. It WILL be on the exams. This is an easy 4 point for someone who is interested, will go to class, and can put in the effort to read the 2 chapters for each exam.

Great class, take it!

Professor rated by: Student on December 14, 2010

Helpful Rating?

YES

COM 225

An Intro to Interpersonal Comm

Anyone who says Steve is a Narcissist clearly either a) never took the class or b) never paid attention in it. This was the best class I have ever taken. Some of the things people said are right; he does tell some adult stories and make jokes, so if you think you can't handle it, don't take it. But, just as a reminder, you are in college, and you have probably lived on a college campus at some point in your life, and the things you see, hear, and do there are ten times worse than him. I learned so much in this class and Steve was an awesome guy who genuinely cared about how you did, as long as you were willing to put the work in. Don't listen to the people who gave him zeros, they obviously were too wrapped up in their own lives to really listen to what he was saying. And who the hell rates a teacher based on what their friends said? Take the fucking class moron. Jesus Christ...

Professor rated by: Student on April 23, 2007

Helpful Rating?

YES

COM 225

An Intro to Interpersonal Comm

Com 225 was overall a decent class, I found the topics to be pretty interesting and most of the lectures were somewhat enjoyable. However, you need to go to the lectures if you expect to do well in the class, because most the notes do not come from the book and they are not posted online. The tests were fairly easy as long as you completely memorize your lecture notes, which is what the majority of the tests is based on. Also, if you want to 4.0 the class, read the book and memorize any numbers, dates, percentages, etc... because a lot of the test questions are very specific. The only thing I really didn't like about the class was that a lot of the stories that Steve would tell seemed to be made up, or at least were stretched A LOT. All in all though, this class was pretty interesting and I would recommend it, but be ready to actually have to study and go to class.

Professor rated by: Student on April 9, 2008

Helpful Rating?

YES

COM 225

An Intro to Interpersonal Comm

First off, the people making a big deal about book signings forgot to mention he does this because kids were emailing him asking him to sign their book. Anyway, COM225 was one of the best classes I've taken at MSU. I learned and carried so much away from that class and aply it daily to my relationships, improving them greatly. Steve uses real life examples to back up his lectures, but I think that makes the point more memorable and fun. As far as the test, there are a few questions about his examples, but if you understand the concept you can easily figure out what he is looking for. Four tests is all, no homework nor attendance. He sends out many emails, but I did not think they were annoying, they all had some purpose. Kelly did not teach my class, so I can only rate Steve, but I say this class is definitely worth taking.

Professor rated by: Student on December 15, 2007

Helpful Rating?

YES

COM 225

An Intro to Interpersonal Comm

Steve and Kelly rock!! They really do. COM 225 was one of the most enjoyable class I have taken here, one of the most useful one too. You know how some classes just teach you stuff that you probably won't even need to know in life, well, this class isn't one of those. It teaches people the raw hard truth about interpersonal communication. Taking the class with Steve and Kelly made whatever they are teaching believable because of all the stories that they tell. Ya, some of you hate those, but those of the essence of the course itself. They illustrate the points clearly, helps in understanding the material, and who doesn't love some funny stories to wake you up in the morning. The tests aren't difficult if you take their suggestion of reading the book and the notes. The breakdown for each tests are lifesavers too.

Professor rated by: Student on December 14, 2007

Helpful Rating?

YES

COM 225

An Intro to Interpersonal Comm

Honestly, I thought this guy was pretty funny at times. I like the team lecture thing; the lectures were NEVER boring. I 4.0'd every exam, go to class, take down the powerpoints, read the book and take notes. After the about the second exam, you should begin to realize the unimportant shit that they ask questions about on the test. Example: What percentage of people never have fallen in love? A.13%, B.14%, C.15%, D.16%. Just begin to take down any numbers you see in the readings; they will more than likely be on the test! I honestly don't get the point of testing people on these really unimportant percentages. OUTLINE THE READINGS....suck it up and do it if you want a 4.0! Steve is an arrogant guy, but I actually liked Kelly. Interesting class, don't take it if you want a blow off elective though.

Professor rated by: Student on April 16, 2009

Helpful Rating?

YES

COM 225

An Intro to Interpersonal Comm

i read all of these awesome review of this class, so i took it and couldn't believe how annoying it was. steve is the hugest narcissist i've ever witnessed. if you take this class, i hope you like being spammed three times a day about his myspace and his band and other completely random topics.

he made me feel pretty uncomfortable with his stories, it was like he was trying to be vulgar to impress us. (?) and i can't believe how much he talks about his ex girlfriend! he tells story after story about her, making her out to be a total monster while he is always the angel. he talks shit about everyone in his life and he is NEVER the one who does any wrong! it was pretty insulting that he tests us on details from his personal life. i didn't sign up for his class to hear him talk about himself the entire time.

Professor rated by: Student on April 18, 2007

Helpful Rating?

YES

COM 225

An Intro to Interpersonal Comm

this class is sweet. i took it as a sr. for an elective and it was exactly what i wanted, an easy 4.0. i actually learned a ton and its useful stuff too about relationships of all kinds. it has def. helped when ive been in fights with the gf, has made things better/easier to resolve.

my only regret is i skipped so many classes cause i thought the lectures were interesting, but its at 1020 and i slept in about 3/4 of the time. you have to have the notes for the exams, but i copied them from other people and i would read over the chapters the night before (at most 3 per exam) and my worst exam was 47/50. and everyone whining about %'s is just an idiot, there were some to remember but it was obvious which ones bc of the review sheets and there were never more than 4 to remember.

its an easy 4.0

Professor rated by: Student on December 14, 2008

Helpful Rating?

YES

COM 225

An Intro to Interpersonal Comm

So here's the deal...I just had steve and yes his class is interesting, yes his class was pretty funny most of the days, and yes he does care about his students...but u def. do have to cram/study for each of his four non-com. exams if u want to get a 3.5-4.0 which about 75% of my class recieved. U also need to buy the book because at least half of each test questions come from it.... what sucks is u must read every frickin word in the chapters the test is on because evrything could be a question. But at least he does lay the test completely out for u by giving u an overview and he does comunicate great with the students. So I would def. recomend this class but be warned u do need to put at least 2 hours into studyin for each of the tests!

Professor rated by: Student on August 19, 2007

Helpful Rating?

YES

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