# Joel Ballivian — Courses & Reviews | UW–Madison

[View on UW Courses](https://uwcourses.com/instructors/JOEL_BALLIVIAN--instructor_e1c23b3540df97757f35ea33)

## Dataset

### revision

e243353dcb7d79b7247ced91d69443ef4c2a6349

### repository

twangodev/uwcourses

### schema version

6

### importer version

7

### projection id

85abe9ff8837c2c5a134368dcc4cfc85eb723524b21ddeb3d2e953887d2f0c8f

### observed at

2026-09-07T15:55:43.033547+00:00

### built at

2026-09-11T07:45:51.576183+00:00

### courses

8951

### current instructors

5754

### limited

false

### terms

* 1272
* 1264
* 1262
* 1254
* 1252
* 1244
* 1242
* 1234
* 1232
* 1224
* 1222
* 1212
* 1204
* 1202
* 1194
* 1192
* 1184
* 1182
* 1174
* 1172
* 1164
* 1162
* 1154
* 1152
* 1144
* 1142
* 1134
* 1132
* 1124
* 1122
* 1114
* 1112
* 1104
* 1102
* 1094
* 1092
* 1084
* 1082
* 1074
* 1072

### term

1272

### departments

| subject   | count |
| --------- | ----- |
| AAE       | 90    |
| ABT       | 20    |
| ACCTIS    | 36    |
| ACTSCI    | 14    |
| AFAERO    | 10    |
| AFRICAN   | 87    |
| AFROAMER  | 71    |
| AGROECOL  | 21    |
| AMERIND   | 53    |
| ANAT\&PHY | 7     |
| ANATOMY   | 2     |
| ANESTHES  | 8     |
| ANSCI     | 57    |
| ANTHRO    | 95    |
| ART       | 125   |
| ARTED     | 10    |
| ARTHIST   | 121   |
| ASIALANG  | 129   |
| ASIAN     | 109   |
| ASIANAM   | 28    |
| ASTRON    | 38    |
| ATMOCN    | 69    |
| BIOCHEM   | 51    |
| BIOCORE   | 10    |
| BIOLOGY   | 14    |
| BIOMDSCI  | 18    |
| BME       | 66    |
| BMI       | 41    |
| BMOLCHEM  | 10    |
| BOTANY    | 69    |
| BSE       | 44    |
| C\&ESOC   | 73    |
| CBE       | 48    |
| CHEM      | 101   |
| CHICLA    | 52    |
| CIVENGR   | 133   |
| CLASSICS  | 47    |
| CNP       | 10    |
| CNSRSCI   | 50    |
| COMARTS   | 137   |
| COMPBIO   | 15    |
| COMPLIT   | 11    |
| COMPSCI   | 138   |
| COUNPSY   | 78    |
| CRB       | 19    |
| CS\&D     | 71    |
| CSCS      | 40    |
| CURRIC    | 193   |
| DANCE     | 93    |
| DERM      | 8     |
| DS        | 88    |
| DYSCI     | 35    |
| ECE       | 155   |
| ECON      | 145   |
| EDPOL     | 114   |
| EDPSYCH   | 97    |
| ELPA      | 70    |
| EMA       | 53    |
| EMERMED   | 17    |
| ENGL      | 206   |
| ENTOM     | 40    |
| ENVIRST   | 148   |
| EP        | 15    |
| EPD       | 67    |
| ESL       | 16    |
| F\&WECOL  | 60    |
| FAMMED    | 22    |
| FINANCE   | 50    |
| FOLKLORE  | 40    |
| FOODSCI   | 43    |
| FRENCH    | 63    |
| GEN\&WS   | 145   |
| GENBUS    | 72    |
| GENECSLR  | 17    |
| GENETICS  | 60    |
| GEOG      | 113   |
| GEOSCI    | 83    |
| GERMAN    | 82    |
| GLE       | 48    |
| GNS       | 38    |
| GREEK     | 27    |
| HDFS      | 41    |
| HEBR-BIB  | 13    |
| HEBR-MOD  | 10    |
| HISTORY   | 233   |
| HISTSCI   | 56    |
| HONCOL    | 13    |
| ILS       | 43    |
| INFOSYS   | 9     |
| INTEGART  | 7     |
| INTEGSCI  | 22    |
| INTER-AG  | 18    |
| INTER-HE  | 11    |
| INTER-LS  | 22    |
| INTEREGR  | 16    |
| INTLBUS   | 21    |
| INTLST    | 50    |
| ISYE      | 83    |
| ITALIAN   | 53    |
| JEWISH    | 56    |
| JOURN     | 88    |
| KINES     | 128   |
| LACIS     | 26    |
| LANDARC   | 61    |
| LATIN     | 24    |
| LAW       | 120   |
| LEGALST   | 48    |
| LINGUIS   | 35    |
| LIS       | 89    |
| LITTRANS  | 78    |
| LSC       | 52    |
| M\&ENVTOX | 7     |
| MARKETNG  | 62    |
| MATH      | 153   |
| MDGENET   | 8     |
| ME        | 130   |
| MEDHIST   | 43    |
| MEDICINE  | 60    |
| MEDIEVAL  | 32    |
| MEDPHYS   | 39    |
| MEDSC-M   | 29    |
| MEDSC-V   | 41    |
| MHR       | 68    |
| MICROBIO  | 45    |
| MILSCI    | 16    |
| MM\&I     | 22    |
| MOLBIOL   | 6     |
| MS\&E     | 59    |
| MUSIC     | 165   |
| MUSPERF   | 126   |
| NAVSCI    | 20    |
| NE        | 44    |
| NEURODPT  | 11    |
| NEUROL    | 7     |
| NEURSURG  | 4     |
| NTP       | 11    |
| NURSING   | 111   |
| NUTRSCI   | 65    |
| OBS\&GYN  | 18    |
| OCCTHER   | 39    |
| ONCOLOGY  | 14    |
| OPHTHALM  | 5     |
| OTM       | 43    |
| PATH      | 34    |
| PATH-BIO  | 29    |
| PEDIAT    | 26    |
| PHARMACY  | 31    |
| PHILOS    | 77    |
| PHMCOL-M  | 11    |
| PHMPRAC   | 45    |
| PHMSCI    | 60    |
| PHYASST   | 37    |
| PHYSICS   | 88    |
| PHYSIOL   | 3     |
| PHYTHER   | 37    |
| PLANTSCI  | 52    |
| PLPATH    | 35    |
| POLISCI   | 192   |
| POPHLTH   | 58    |
| PORTUG    | 33    |
| PSYCH     | 101   |
| PSYCHIAT  | 22    |
| PUBAFFR   | 54    |
| PUBLHLTH  | 23    |
| RADIOL    | 11    |
| REALEST   | 41    |
| RELIGST   | 90    |
| RHABMED   | 9     |
| RMI       | 24    |
| RP\&SE    | 102   |
| S\&APHM   | 17    |
| SCANDST   | 73    |
| SLAVIC    | 89    |
| SOC       | 149   |
| SOCWORK   | 87    |
| SOILSCI   | 46    |
| SPANISH   | 83    |
| SRMED     | 21    |
| STAT      | 94    |
| STDYABRD  | 52    |
| STS       | 8     |
| SURGERY   | 25    |
| SURGSCI   | 33    |
| THEATRE   | 91    |
| URBRPL    | 60    |
| UROLOGY   | 5     |
| ZOOLOGY   | 89    |

## instructor

### instructor uid

instructor\_e1c23b3540df97757f35ea33

### source

legacy

### identity basis

name\_only

### identity status

unresolved

### name

Joel Ballivian

### email

BALLIVIAN\@WISC.EDU

### first observed at

2025-08-17 05:15:07.788352+00:00

### last observed at

2025-11-16 05:32:31.273726+00:00

### ratings

#### review count

10

#### quality

5

#### difficulty

2

#### quality count

10

#### difficulty count

10

#### profile id

rmp:2378199

#### source url

<https://www.ratemyprofessors.com/professor/2378199>

#### match basis

exact\_name

#### observed at

2026-09-07 16:32:01.027615+00:00

#### courses

##### course badd2b5c09509247a930e344

###### review count

4

###### quality

5

###### difficulty

1.75

###### quality count

4

###### difficulty count

4

#### bayesian quality

4.1064571890310635

#### prior mean

3.6596857835465957

#### prior weight

20

### current

false

### courses

None recorded.

### revision

e243353dcb7d79b7247ced91d69443ef4c2a6349

### instructor url

/instructors/JOEL\_BALLIVIAN--instructor\_e1c23b3540df97757f35ea33

## history

None recorded.

## timeline

None recorded.

## term

1272

## courses

None recorded.

## reviews

### items

```json
[
  {
    "observed_at": "2026-09-07 16:32:01.027615+00:00",
    "run_id": "20260907T155543-ce3781c4",
    "source_review_id": "UmF0aW5nLTQyOTcyMTQx",
    "source_instructor_id": "rmp:2378199",
    "instructor_name": "Joel Ballivian",
    "course_label": "PHIL243",
    "course_id": null,
    "course_uid": null,
    "review_date": "2026-04-29 19:33:32 +0000 UTC",
    "comment": "Good professor that is very receptive to the feelings of the class. Should there be an issue with any thing from how debate is structured to a due date it could be voted on (within reason) to be changed. He knows what he is talking about and how to foster debate and steer things into the right direction. Respectful and fun teacher.",
    "source_url": "https://www.ratemyprofessors.com/professor/2378199",
    "quality_rating": 5,
    "difficulty_rating": 1
  },
  {
    "observed_at": "2026-09-07 16:32:01.027615+00:00",
    "run_id": "20260907T155543-ce3781c4",
    "source_review_id": "UmF0aW5nLTQyMjY2MjI3",
    "source_instructor_id": "rmp:2378199",
    "instructor_name": "Joel Ballivian",
    "course_label": "PHIL241",
    "course_id": null,
    "course_uid": null,
    "review_date": "2025-12-15 21:08:18 +0000 UTC",
    "comment": "One of the best, if not the best professors at UW-Madison. He has so much passion for a topic that I didn't think was going to be to engaging going into it, but he makes the class something to look forward to. Very easy workload and if you need to take a philosophy course, he is your guy. Can't recommend him enough",
    "source_url": "https://www.ratemyprofessors.com/professor/2378199",
    "quality_rating": 5,
    "difficulty_rating": 1
  },
  {
    "observed_at": "2026-09-07 16:32:01.027615+00:00",
    "run_id": "20260907T155543-ce3781c4",
    "source_review_id": "UmF0aW5nLTQxNzk2NTM3",
    "source_instructor_id": "rmp:2378199",
    "instructor_name": "Joel Ballivian",
    "course_label": "PHILOS241",
    "course_id": "PHILOS 241",
    "course_uid": "course_badd2b5c09509247a930e344",
    "review_date": "2025-11-04 01:51:17 +0000 UTC",
    "comment": "Honestly the best professor I've ever had. Super caring about his students. Shows genuine interest and love for the topics. Discussion based class. Makes a very fun and open environment. We have 4 in class written exams, super easy format, pick 1 open ended question to answer. 4 debates in discussion. Show honest effort and you'll do well.",
    "source_url": "https://www.ratemyprofessors.com/professor/2378199",
    "quality_rating": 5,
    "difficulty_rating": 2
  },
  {
    "observed_at": "2026-09-07 16:32:01.027615+00:00",
    "run_id": "20260907T155543-ce3781c4",
    "source_review_id": "UmF0aW5nLTM5MjA5Mzc0",
    "source_instructor_id": "rmp:2378199",
    "instructor_name": "Joel Ballivian",
    "course_label": "PHIL243",
    "course_id": null,
    "course_uid": null,
    "review_date": "2024-04-19 05:03:48 +0000 UTC",
    "comment": "Take a class with this man. He is very insightful and cares a lot about his students and the topics discussed in the course. One of the best and realist UW professors I have had. Attendance is mandatory with some flexibility, but the lectures are enjoyable. No exams, no papers, three group-based debates, small readings, reflections, & participation",
    "source_url": "https://www.ratemyprofessors.com/professor/2378199",
    "quality_rating": 5,
    "difficulty_rating": 2
  },
  {
    "observed_at": "2026-09-07 16:32:01.027615+00:00",
    "run_id": "20260907T155543-ce3781c4",
    "source_review_id": "UmF0aW5nLTM5MjA2MDMz",
    "source_instructor_id": "rmp:2378199",
    "instructor_name": "Joel Ballivian",
    "course_label": "PHIL243",
    "course_id": null,
    "course_uid": null,
    "review_date": "2024-04-18 21:39:30 +0000 UTC",
    "comment": "The goat.",
    "source_url": "https://www.ratemyprofessors.com/professor/2378199",
    "quality_rating": 5,
    "difficulty_rating": 5
  },
  {
    "observed_at": "2026-09-07 16:32:01.027615+00:00",
    "run_id": "20260907T155543-ce3781c4",
    "source_review_id": "UmF0aW5nLTM4NzUzNDkz",
    "source_instructor_id": "rmp:2378199",
    "instructor_name": "Joel Ballivian",
    "course_label": "PHILOS241",
    "course_id": "PHILOS 241",
    "course_uid": "course_badd2b5c09509247a930e344",
    "review_date": "2023-12-20 06:53:39 +0000 UTC",
    "comment": "So appreciative of an enthusiastic, passionate professor. Especially at 8 am lectures, energy never lacking. Bright future ahead, but he is killing it now as a PHD. It is obvious he puts in work, cares about each and every student. I think every student left this class better for having taken it. Easy to tell he is passionate about what he does. ",
    "source_url": "https://www.ratemyprofessors.com/professor/2378199",
    "quality_rating": 5,
    "difficulty_rating": 2
  }
]
```

### total

10

### page

1

### courses

| course\_uid                      | course\_id |
| -------------------------------- | ---------- |
| course\_badd2b5c09509247a930e344 | PHILOS 241 |

### matched

true

## social Image

false