Current instructor

Joseph Bowling

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

Raw average: 4.24/5 from 33 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

ENGL 241
Quality 4/5Difficulty 3/5
Lectures were lowkey boring, but not mandatory so it's okay. Super helpful when we met outside of class. But, it's really dependent on what TA you get and how they interpret the rubric, as he doesn't grade any of the assignments.
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ENGL 241
Quality 3/5Difficulty 3/5
ENGL241 is a lot of reading, but has very minimal assignments. Your entire grade is concentrated in a portfolio of reading responses and reflection that can be difficult to revise if your TA is not accessible. Bowling is a lecturer who is very passionate about the material and encourages a classroom that brings multiple interpretations.
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ENGL 431
Quality 5/5Difficulty 1/5
Lectures drone on a bit, but they're interesting enough. Assignments were easy and he gave nice feedback on all of them. It's shakespeare so a lot of the reading is tedious, but you can get youtube explanatories of chapters and it works the same. Super easy A and I think Dr. Bowling is a great guy.
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ENG176 · course not matched
Quality 5/5Difficulty 1/5
Very nice guy. Easy A if you get all the attendance. The lecture was a bit boring though, but he was trying to make it fun.
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Quality 3/5Difficulty 1/5
Lectures are a little monotone and hard to stay interested in for the length of the class. Held class a little late quite often. Grading was labor-based which I see the appeal of, but it can make assignments you're proud of less rewarding since something subpar would have gotten you the same grade.
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Personal experiences, not a representative survey. Profile matching and captured coverage are shown in the source details.

Classes with Joseph Bowling

ENGL 175 explores the depiction and valuation of other academic disciplines in British and American literature, and their intellectual influences on literary works and movements.

Offering recorded · Fall 2026

Joseph Bowling is described as knowledgeable, caring, and flexible, often adjusting schedules to meet student needs. Reviewers note he is quiet but effective, requiring attention for dense material while maintaining a light workload. He actively seeks feedback to improve engagement.

historical GPA · grades

Fall 2022–Spring 2026

ENGL 176 introduces the interplay of literature and film, analyzing how written works are represented and transformed in cinema.

Offering recorded · Fall 2026

Joseph Bowling is reported to teach the course well, selecting interesting films and literature while setting clear expectations early. Reviewers note that weekly assignments, though not always helpful, effectively force engagement with the material.

historical GPA · grades

Spring 2022–Spring 2026

Study of four Shakespeare plays through 1600, with the reading of several others.

Offering recorded · Fall 2026

Joseph Bowling teaches a lecture-heavy ENGL 431 course that reviewers describe as kind, knowledgeable, and caring. He provides flexible assignment deadlines and constructive feedback, though some find the dense lectures and tedious Shakespeare reading challenging. Students appreciate his responsiveness to feedback and the freedom granted in paper topics.

historical GPA · grades

Spring 2022–Fall 2025

Recorded teaching history

Explore courses taught by this instructor →
Browse recorded courses
TermCourseTitle
Fall 2026ENGL 175Literature and the Other Disciplines
Fall 2026ENGL 176Topics in Literature and Film
Fall 2026ENGL 431Early Works of Shakespeare
Fall 2026ENGL 681Senior Honors Thesis in the Major

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

Instructor identity & provenance
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