Current instructor

Florence Vatan

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

Raw average: 4.73/5 from 11 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.

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

What students say

Original student reviews · all captured dates

FR348 · course not matched
Quality 5/5Difficulty 3/5
Florence is a GEM. She is the nicest human and cares so much about her students. Her class is challenging, especially the exams, but it's worth every second because of her warm nature. Do take her class and respect her, she deserves it.
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FRENCH 348
Quality 5/5Difficulty 4/5
Tough grader, but super nice and caring in class if you have any questions. Definitely one of the harder french classes I've taken (and i'm fluent) but Professor Vatan taught me some really interesting material!
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FR348 · course not matched
Quality 5/5Difficulty 2/5
Tremendous professor. Super kind and always happy, really cares about her students and what they're learning. Not a difficult class - have to do a presentation and a few short papers and tests but probably my easiest class of the semester. Take her 10 out of 10 times.
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FR348 · course not matched
Quality 5/5Difficulty 3/5
Mme Vatan is easily the best professor I've ever had at UW. She's incredibly kind and helpful, and genuinely cares about her students. My French improved more in one class with her than with any previous professor, because she knows how to balance challenging materials and required participation with encouragement and flexibility.
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FR348 · course not matched
Quality 5/5Difficulty 3/5
Florence is an awesome teacher. She really cares that all of her students do well. French is normally a very participation heavy class, but if you are shy or don't feel comfortable she gives you infinite ways to make up those points (same goes if you miss class). She is amazing at giving back feedback and is always available through email.
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FRENCH 321
Quality 4/5Difficulty 3/5
Mme Vatan is clearly engaged in her teaching, and I enjoy her intensity. She is generally a helpful professor. She is probably one of my favorite professors in the French department!
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Personal experiences, not a representative survey. Profile matching and captured coverage are shown in the source details.

Classes with Florence Vatan

Introduction to important literary works of modernity from the French Revolution to the twenty-first century, taught in French.

Offering recorded · Fall 2026

Recent recorded grades — Fall 2017: 3.55 GPA, 77.3% A/AB (n=22 letter grades); Spring 2022: 3.79 GPA, 100.0% A/AB (n=12 letter grades); Fall 2022: 3.60 GPA, 80.0% A/AB (n=25 letter grades).

historical GPA · grades

Spring 2022–Spring 2026

FRENCH 799 is an independent study course arranged with a faculty member.

Offering recorded · Fall 2026

historical GPA · grades

Spring 2022–Spring 2022 · limited sample

Recorded teaching history

Explore courses taught by this instructor →
Browse recorded courses
TermCourseTitle
Fall 2026FRENCH 322Modern French and Francophone Literature
Fall 2026FRENCH 681Senior Honors Thesis
Fall 2026FRENCH 799Independent Study
Fall 2026FRENCH 990Individual Research

Teaching history may be incomplete. Course pages contain course-specific feedback and citations.

Instructor identity & provenance
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