Black Studies

I love taking Introduction to Black Studies with Daniel Silva because he is knowledgable and well-verse on the topic. He comes to class very passionate about the subjects we're tackling in class and I find them to be all applicable to my life outside of Middlebury.

Through the numerous classes that I have taken at Middlebury, I have never had a Professor ruin my learning experience like Viola Huang. Her initial kind and understanding demeanor is quick to change when she believes that you do not care about the material. That belief stems from her own personal judgment that is rooted in unfairness and unconscious biases. Given that she is a professor in the Black Studies department, it is incredibly ironic that she seems to undervalue her classes when they are composed mostly of Black students. Her flipped classroom approach initially appears to foster a proactive learning environment, but it ends up doing the opposite, marked by rigid expectations, a lack of openness to differing opinions, and preferential treatment toward students who echo her exact viewpoints. These same expectations extend to her grading of papers, for which she does not clearly communicate her standards to students. Even if you discuss your ideas with Viola beforehand, she may later critique aspects of your work that she initially failed to identify or address. Considering the recent development of the Black Studies Department, it is especially disheartening that a professor like Viola Huang is allowed to undermine something so important and hard-won.

Through the numerous classes that I have taken at Middlebury, I have never had a Professor ruin my learning experience like Viola Huang. Her initial kind and understanding demeanor is quick to change when she believes that you do not care about the material. That belief stems from her own personal judgment that is rooted in unfairnes …Read more

Putting this into words isn't easy, but I believe there's a fundamental disconnect between Professor Viola's teaching methods and how she communicates expectations. While undoubtedly brilliant and well-intentioned—with innovative approaches that aim to redefine traditional classroom dynamics—the course suffers from never establishing clear objectives. Her kindness and grading leniency, though appreciated, don't compensate for this lack of direction. The horizontal learning environment she advocates for, while theoretically empowering, often falters in practice. Like many Midd courses, students naturally prioritize their workload, engaging minimally when expectations remain unclear. The semester progresses with little guidance on how to properly engage with material—until suddenly, collective effort is deemed insufficient despite never having established clear standards. This "free form" approach initially appears liberating, but when ambiguous expectations surface mid-semester (while maintaining the facade of complete openness), it creates a frustrating paradox. The professor believes she's fostering independence, but in reality leaves students without the necessary framework to succeed. What makes this particularly disheartening is how criticism of this method is often misinterpreted as an attack on the integrity of her values, which are clearly rooted in genuine care for students. Students bear the burden of the course's shortcomings, as the professor positions them as co-creators of the learning experience—despite maintaining ultimate authority over expectations and evaluation. The problem compounds with poorly defined assignments and inconsistent grading. When seeking clarification on feedback, I was told I hadn't made a "real attempt"—after investing sincere effort and openly expressing confusion, repeatedly. The ever-present smile—evidently sincere in its intention—and encouraging words, rather than helping, made the experience feel dismissive. I considered my academic career because of this class.

Putting this into words isn't easy, but I believe there's a fundamental disconnect between Professor Viola's teaching methods and how she communicates expectations. While undoubtedly brilliant and well-intentioned—with innovative approaches that aim to redefine traditional classroom dynamics—the course suffers from never establishing …Read more