Students rate Harper faculty among best in nation

Given the choice, few college students would voluntarily sign up for a class that meets at 8 a.m. on Mondays and Fridays.

But exceptions might be made when that time slot is taught by a professor known for being engaging or kind with the grading curve.

The student-fueled Web site RateMyProfessors.com - a particularly popular resource when picking a class schedule - puts Harper College's faculty with the best in the nation. Professors at the Palatine school place seventh overall among two-year institutions on the site's annual rankings, which were released earlier this month.

Associate psychology professor Helen Burroughs, who boasts one of the highest scores, has a theory why students regard her colleagues so highly.

"I have never met a teacher at Harper College who doesn't have the same the goal as I do, which is success for students," the Barrington woman said. "There's a positive and supportive culture throughout the campus."

Owned by MTV, RateMyProfessors.com has more than 6.8 million student-generated ratings of more than 1 million professors from 6,500 colleges. Students anonymously post comments and assign scores on a 5-point scale based on attributes such as helpfulness and clarity.

The only other Illinois school to make the list was Moraine Valley Community College in Palos Hills at No. 4.

Burroughs has been teaching full time at Harper for 12 years, but her first experience on campus was as a student in the late 1980s. She was a pediatric nurse looking to change careers and said professors at Harper inspired her and put her at ease.

She's tried to recreate that culture in her classroom, and it seems to be working. Her overall quality score on RateMyProfessors.com is 4.9 points, and many of the 90 or so students who posted comments lauded her passion for psychology and interesting lectures.

"I don't want anxiety in the classroom because it can interfere with the learning process," she said. "You can't retain information in the brain if you're frightened."

Also rating high with 4.8 points is philosophy professor Charles Brown, who came to Harper in 1995. He said his style is to first outline an issue very clearly and then allow the lesson to evolve into a discussion.

The Forest Park man is hesitant to put much stock in the Web site, but isn't surprised by the results.

"There are all kinds of professional development opportunities designed to help teachers at Harper do their job well," he said.