Fall 2026

Human Geography: Space, Place, Society, and Politics

GEOG 101 introduces human geography by exploring the dynamics that drive spatial interrelationships and divisions in space, society, and politics.

offering recorded4 credits
Recorded instructors · Fall 2026 Jenna Loyd2.3/5Andrea Del Pilar Guzman GiuraJane Krohn +3 more

Summary

1 / 7

Students report a heavy workload with frequent large assignments and weekly quizzes. Quizzes are described as unnecessarily difficult, subjective, and containing confusing short-answer questions that require significant writing.

Grade history

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average GPA
letter grades
A
AB
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BC
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All recorded terms · compare terms & instructors

Prerequisites

Course map

None

  • None
GEOG 101 used by

“Used by” includes alternatives; linked courses may have other requirements. This is a best-effort interpretation; check the catalog requirements above.

Prerequisite text tree
  • None

Professors

Fall 2026

Jenna Loyd

/5Adjusted rating
/5RMP difficulty
captured reviews
About this rating

Raw average: 1.61/5 from 44 quality ratings. The adjusted rating blends this with the UW review average (3.66/5), weighted as 20 additional ratings. Smaller samples stay closer to that average. Each captured review is counted once in the prior; this does not correct who chooses to leave a review.

For this course: 1.4/5 raw quality · 3.7/5 difficulty · 31 reviews

RMP profile ↗ · All captured review dates; profile matched by name.

Jenna Loyd receives consistent criticism for boring, disorganized lectures and a lack of preparation, with reviewers noting she fails to post slides or provide clear assignment guidelines. Students describe her delivery as monotone and disconnected from course materials, creating a frustrating learning environment.

One reviewer offers a contrasting perspective, noting that while the class is not fun, expectations are clear and extra credit opportunities exist to improve grades.

Recent recorded grades — Fall 2023: 3.31 GPA, 68.0% A/AB (n=172 letter grades); Fall 2024: 3.32 GPA, 65.7% A/AB (n=169 letter grades); Fall 2025: 3.27 GPA, 69.2% A/AB (n=143 letter grades).

Historical instructors & teaching patterns

Current instructor Jenna Loyd has no reviews. Historically, Robert Kaiser receives mixed feedback for clear organization and humor versus boring lectures and dense slides, while Keith Woodward is praised as easy and interesting but criticized for tangents and unclear testing. William Gartner is passionate yet hard to follow, and Kara Dempsey is approachable.

JENNA LOYD is recorded teaching in Spring 2023, Fall 2023, Fall 2024, Fall 2025. Recorded history may be incomplete and does not establish a future schedule.

KARA EILEEN DEMPSEY is recorded teaching in Fall 2009. Recorded history may be incomplete and does not establish a future schedule.

KEITH WOODWARD is recorded teaching in Spring 2010, Spring 2011, Spring 2013, Spring 2014, Fall 2014, Spring 2017, Spring 2018, Spring 2019, Spring 2020, Fall 2020, Spring 2022, Spring 2024, Spring 2025. Recorded history may be incomplete and does not establish a future schedule.

ROBERT KAISER is recorded teaching in Fall 2007, Fall 2010, Fall 2013, Spring 2015, Fall 2015, Spring 2016, Fall 2016, Fall 2017, Fall 2018, Fall 2019, Fall 2021. Recorded history may be incomplete and does not establish a future schedule.

WILLIAM GARTNER is recorded teaching in Spring 2012, Fall 2012, Fall 2022, Spring 2026. Recorded history may be incomplete and does not establish a future schedule.

Recorded history may be incomplete and does not establish a future schedule.

Calendar & sections

Fall 2026

Schedule loads here as you scroll.

SectionModeEnrolled / capacityWaitlist
LEC 001Classroom Instruction148 / 1641
DIS 301Classroom Instruction17 / 140
DIS 302Classroom Instruction13 / 140
DIS 303Classroom Instruction17 / 171
DIS 304Classroom Instruction15 / 170
DIS 305Classroom Instruction2 / 00
DIS 306Classroom Instruction12 / 170
DIS 307Classroom Instruction17 / 170
DIS 309Classroom Instruction17 / 170
DIS 310Classroom Instruction7 / 170
DIS 308Classroom Instruction17 / 170
DIS 311Classroom Instruction12 / 170
DIS 312Classroom Instruction2 / 00

Times are Central. Select a meeting for details; export includes recorded dates for the selected sections. Enrollment reflects scan time.

Meeting source records
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Student experience

the class

Jenna Loyd’s GEOG 101 receives criticism for boring lectures and unclear expectations, though one student found expectations clear. Reviewers describe the course as difficult and advise against taking it unless required.

Recent recorded grades — Spring 2025: 3.65 GPA, 88.0% A/AB (n=150 letter grades); Fall 2025: 3.27 GPA, 69.2% A/AB (n=143 letter grades); Spring 2026: 3.53 GPA, 81.1% A/AB (n=122 letter grades).

difficulty & workload

Students report a heavy workload with frequent large assignments and weekly quizzes. Quizzes are described as unnecessarily difficult, subjective, and containing confusing short-answer questions that require significant writing.

Loyd does not post slides, hindering study, though one student noted clear expectations and extra credit. Reviewers describe lectures as disorganized, with one noting they are disconnected from readings and require mandatory attendance.

Topics

  • Economic, political, social, cultural, and technological dynamics
  • Experiences of connection, disconnection, and place
  • Meanings of space in contexts like sport, social media, and travel

Skills

  • Explore economic, political, social, cultural, and technological dynamics driving spatial interrelationships and divisions
  • Analyze multiple meanings and experiences of space through diverse contemporary contexts

Grades

Historical instructor

Fall 2026 · Projected

Before grades are released

– average GPA

Approximate 80% prediction interval

About this estimate

The course’s semester-average GPA, not an individual student’s grade. The center uses 5 same-season terms, weighted toward recent results.

The range uses the finite-sample 80th-percentile rank of absolute errors from earlier same-season forecasts. Each forecast uses only records from earlier terms. At least four forecasts are required; bounds are rounded outward and limited to 0–4. This is an empirical estimate: changing instructors or grading policies can reduce its coverage.

8 earlier forecasts · 0.14 GPA average error.

Grades over time

Through Fall 2026

More grade details Grade mix, volume & source data

Where this course fits relative to

Latest available grades · Spring 2026 · all course levels

GPA

Higher than % of other courses in this group.

Course GPAs · red marks this course’s range

letter grades

More recorded grades than % of other courses in this group.

Typical course in this group: letter grades.

About this comparison

1283 courses over the same term, each with at least 30 recorded letter grades. Cross-listed courses count once. GPA is not a measure of difficulty or teaching quality. The typical course is the median by recorded grade count; tied values are not counted as lower. Grade counts describe course scale, not unique students or typical section size.

Descriptions compare GPA with this group’s average: at least 0.20 higher or lower; otherwise close to average. Section size uses median recorded enrollment: small up to 30, mid-sized 31–99, large 100+. Lectures and discussion/lab sections are described separately.

Sources & history

UW–Madison

Catalog & offerings

Descriptions, prerequisites, and recorded course offerings.

Catalog observation history

Observations at scan time; dates do not imply when a catalog change took effect.

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Selected offering source records
GEOG 101 · Fall 2026

Human Geography: Space, Place, Society, and Politics

Recorded 2026-09-07
Raw records
[
  {
    "run_id": "20260907T155543-ce3781c4",
    "semester": "1272",
    "observed_at": "2026-09-07 15:55:43.033547+00:00",
    "offering_id": "1272:416:008189",
    "course_id": "GEOG 101",
    "course_uid": "course_123bc1da6521fa3f2e3a0637",
    "term_id": "1272",
    "source_course_id": "008189",
    "source_subject_id": "416",
    "title": "Human Geography: Space, Place, Society, and Politics",
    "credits_min": 4,
    "credits_max": 4,
    "typically_offered": "Fall, Spring"
  }
]
Rate My Professors

Student reviews

Original comments behind the course and instructor summaries.

Read original reviews
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Madgrades

Grade history

Recorded grade distributions by term, section, and instructor.

Explore recorded grades
Dataset & model

Recorded 2026-09-07

Download the original dataset
Model outputs & technical records
nvidia/Qwen3.6-35B-A3B-NVFP4
LLM outputs across runs
Download part 1
Full model traces

Recorded model configuration, reasoning, and tool conversations.

Download part 1
Model & dataset provenance
{
  "model": "nvidia/Qwen3.6-35B-A3B-NVFP4",
  "model_revision": "1355db6a052410cfd62085d94b58866fd0f2c3c5",
  "task_version": "14",
  "output_id": "e8870883c4fac6c5712e9752f6c5ebd1b84bbbddb1efbdc6785bb781440fa484",
  "requirements_status": "valid",
  "dataset_revision": "e243353dcb7d79b7247ced91d69443ef4c2a6349",
  "observed_at": "2026-09-07 15:55:43.033547+00:00"
}