Historical instructor

TIMOTHY PAUSTIAN

Adjusted rating
RMP difficulty
captured reviews
About this rating

Raw average: 3.12/5 from 104 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

MICRO100 · course not matched
Quality 1/5Difficulty 5/5
Do not take. Take any other gen-ed. Way too hard for an easy credit.
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MICRO100 · course not matched
Quality 1/5Difficulty 4/5
This is not a great gen-ed class, and i would NOT recommend it. Professor Paustian is extremely rude and dismissive in his replies. Quizzes were kinda difficult, and would include stuff outside of the assigned readings.
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MICROBIO 100
Quality 1/5Difficulty 5/5
Where do I even start. First, he requires you to buy his own self-published textbook which barely loads half the time. Questions in class are barely answered. The quizzes are a complete guessing game, the wording is deliberately vague. Very unforgiving. Get one thing wrong on his terms and you're penalized, full stop.
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MICROBIO 100
Quality 1/5Difficulty 5/5
This course was nothing as expected. Much more difficult than an introductory course and many of my peers felt the same. He was not respectful or nice when questions were asked and you have to BUY his own textbook for the class. He is also not forgiving and is extremely strict. Would not recommend to take.
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MICRO100 · course not matched
Quality 4/5Difficulty 3/5
It's a fairly easy class, tbh I didn't use the textbook all that much and still did fine. Each week is 1 or 2 assignments, usually one writing assignment or discussion post and one quiz. Quizzes are tricky at times so you have to read questions and answers carefully. Instructions on writing assignments can be confusing but rubrics have more info.
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MICRO100 · course not matched
Quality 3/5Difficulty 4/5
The content of the class itself is very interesting and the professor seems nice enough. However, I agree with other comments that he can be insensitive/backhanded towards student questions and shows little flexibility unless it's an urgent emergency. Probably would not take again or recommend to other students unless absolutely necessary.
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Personal experiences, not a representative survey. Profile matching and captured coverage are shown in the source details.

Classes with TIMOTHY PAUSTIAN

No teaching recorded in Fall 2026.

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Recorded teaching history

Distinct courses recorded per term

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Browse recorded courses
TermCourseTitle
Spring 2026MICROBIO 100The Microbial World
Spring 2026MICROBIO 303Biology of Microorganisms
Fall 2025MICROBIO 527Advanced Laboratory Techniques in Microbiology
Spring 2025MICROBIO 100The Microbial World
Spring 2025MICROBIO 101General Microbiology
Spring 2025MICROBIO 304Biology of Microorganisms Laboratory
Fall 2024MICROBIO 101General Microbiology
Fall 2024MICROBIO 150Microbiomes and Microbiology - First-year Seminar
Spring 2024MICROBIO 150Microbiomes and Microbiology - First-year Seminar
Spring 2024MICROBIO 303Biology of Microorganisms
Spring 2024MICROBIO 304Biology of Microorganisms Laboratory
Fall 2023MICROBIO 100The Microbial World
Fall 2023MICROBIO 303Biology of Microorganisms
Spring 2023MICROBIO 303Biology of Microorganisms
Spring 2023MICROBIO 551Capstone Research Project in Microbiology
Fall 2022MICROBIO 527Advanced Laboratory Techniques in Microbiology
Spring 2022MICROBIO 551Capstone Research Project in Microbiology
Fall 2021MICROBIO 303Biology of Microorganisms
Fall 2021MICROBIO 304Biology of Microorganisms Laboratory
Fall 2020MICROBIO 303Biology of Microorganisms
Fall 2020MICROBIO 304Biology of Microorganisms Laboratory
Spring 2020MICROBIO 303Biology of Microorganisms
Spring 2020MICROBIO 304Biology of Microorganisms Laboratory
Fall 2019MICROBIO 527Advanced Laboratory Techniques in Microbiology
Spring 2019MICROBIO 551Capstone Research Project in Microbiology
Fall 2018MICROBIO 303Biology of Microorganisms
Spring 2018MICROBIO 303Biology of Microorganisms
Spring 2018MICROBIO 551Capstone Research Project in Microbiology
Fall 2017MICROBIO 304Biology of Microorganisms Laboratory
Fall 2017MICROBIO 699Special Problems
Spring 2017MICROBIO 303Biology of Microorganisms
Spring 2017MICROBIO 699Special Problems
Fall 2016MICROBIO 527Advanced Laboratory Techniques in Microbiology
Spring 2016MICROBIO 303Biology of Microorganisms
Spring 2016MICROBIO 551Capstone Research Project in Microbiology
Spring 2016MICROBIO 699Special Problems
Fall 2015MICROBIO 304Biology of Microorganisms Laboratory
Spring 2015MICROBIO 102General Microbiology Laboratory
Spring 2015MICROBIO 303Biology of Microorganisms
Spring 2015MICROBIO 699Special Problems
Fall 2014MICROBIO 299Independent Study
Spring 2014MICROBIO 303Biology of Microorganisms
Spring 2014MICROBIO 551Capstone Research Project in Microbiology
Spring 2014MICROBIO 699Special Problems
Fall 2013MICROBIO 399Coordinative Internship/cooperative Education
Fall 2013MICROBIO 527Advanced Laboratory Techniques in Microbiology
Spring 2013MICROBIO 299Independent Study
Spring 2013MICROBIO 303Biology of Microorganisms
Spring 2013MICROBIO 304Biology of Microorganisms Laboratory
Spring 2013MICROBIO 699Special Problems
Fall 2012MICROBIO 304Biology of Microorganisms Laboratory
Fall 2012MICROBIO 699Special Problems
Spring 2012MICROBIO 304Biology of Microorganisms Laboratory
Spring 2012MICROBIO 551Capstone Research Project in Microbiology
Fall 2011FOODSCI/MICROBIO 324Food Microbiology Laboratory
Fall 2011MICROBIO 527Advanced Laboratory Techniques in Microbiology
Spring 2011MICROBIO 551Capstone Research Project in Microbiology
Fall 2010MICROBIO 527Advanced Laboratory Techniques in Microbiology
Spring 2010MICROBIO 304Biology of Microorganisms Laboratory
Spring 2010MICROBIO 375Special Topics
Spring 2010MICROBIO 699Special Problems
Fall 2009MICROBIO 304Biology of Microorganisms Laboratory
Fall 2009MICROBIO 699Special Problems
Spring 2009MICROBIO 551Capstone Research Project in Microbiology
Spring 2009MICROBIO 699Special Problems
Fall 2008FOODSCI/MICROBIO 324Food Microbiology Laboratory
Fall 2008MICROBIO 527Advanced Laboratory Techniques in Microbiology
Spring 2008MICROBIO 304Biology of Microorganisms Laboratory
Spring 2008MICROBIO 699Special Problems
Fall 2007MICROBIO 527Advanced Laboratory Techniques in Microbiology
Fall 2007MICROBIO 699Special Problems
Spring 2007MICROBIO 102General Microbiology Laboratory
Spring 2007MICROBIO 299Independent Study
Spring 2007MICROBIO 304Biology of Microorganisms Laboratory
Spring 2007MICROBIO 399Coordinative Internship/cooperative Education
Spring 2007MICROBIO 699Special Problems
Fall 2006MICROBIO 304Biology of Microorganisms Laboratory
Fall 2006MICROBIO 399Coordinative Internship/cooperative Education
Fall 2006MICROBIO 699Special Problems

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

Instructor identity & provenance 
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