Norma Carr-Ruffino

I had the unfortunate experience of signing up for her MORNING class. Don't get me wrong, as long as you are actively engaged in the (in-class) material, you won't be bored and just might learn some very important stuff about yourself and the kinds of people you'll be working with later on in your career.

Prof. Carr-Ruffino is very adept in the material she teaches for the Creativity & Innovation course (MGMT 655). She was able to answer all the questions that me and my classmates had about the materials. She is also very open about how we interpret the stuff from her book and has a great sense of humor. She even showed us some neat videos... some that are very profound, inspiring, and unforgettable.

So yeah, the CLASSROOM experience was great.

However, you really must prepare yourself for the lengthy paper assignments, the presentations, the projects, and the journals. Those took the most time out of my day; all these at-home activities can be made 'fun' if you really get into them. If you want to take this class, I suggest you take it as one of the last 2 or 3 classes during your last semester at SFSU.

Her grading policy is fair and straight forward. She gives most weight to the projects, presentations, and exams. Daily assignments and group activities are 2nd on the list. Attendance and participation (class discussions) have the least weight. However, if you miss more than 5 assignments, that's an automatic 'F' in the course.

In case you're wondering, the reason for the 'C' grade I received from her was simply because I did poor on the first exam, didn't do one of the major projects, and didn't turn in one journal. I turned in everything else, participated in class discussions, and had a perfect attendance.... and from the looks of it, did well on the final.

She is very good about getting papers and tests graded by the next class period. She is a little strict about attendance, so don't take the morning class if you know you're gonna be consistently late or if you feel that you'll just get tired of getting up out of bed in the wee hours in the morning later during the semester. If she ever makes an afternoon section for this course available, then that would be your best option.

You must be active in class! Make sure you do not have a different opinion than hers!

I could not believe that I ACED this class (A's in all homework, tests, and did the extra credit) and she gave me a A-! She told me to skip the final cause I got A's in everything and then gives me an A-. I went to her office and she told me there was nothing she could do. Would you be upset if this happened to you?

My female buddy who was not a native English speaker and NEVER spoke up in class got C's and D+'s and she got a final grade of B+. ????

My other friend (male) who was also not a native English speaker had similar grades as the female above and received an "F". The only "F" of the class.

Here's my advice if you are going to take her class: Participate but make sure your opinion is similar to the professors, do your homework (she allows you to rewrite papers). MOST importantly, she needs to know your name and like you. If you are a female, you already have an edge!

Lack of familiarity with basic econ concepts as well as low tolerance for different opinions. The whole course we talked about hippie socialist theories of ideal world without any proof. What a waste!

Exams: There will be 2 exams and at least 2 presentations based on the projects/essays.

Homework: Assigned and due on a daily basis.

Lectures: Well organized.

Speaking Skills: She has a wonderful southern accent. Although I don't understand some of her jokes, just listening to the way she speaks is enough to make me laugh.

exams - midterm & final (she gives you pointers on what to study for each chapter)

homework - A LOT of reading involved but honestly, the readings are interesting & you'll learn a lot from them

lecture - she elaborates on the assigned readings

personality - she could be scary & intimidating at times but most of the time, she has a smile on her face

projects - you need to save time to work on her projects (only two for the MANAGING DIVERSITY course) but its great that she gives a chance for students to do re-writes to boost up their grades

Always consistent. I had her for both Managing Diversity and Creative Thinking. In Creative Thinking meditation was cool and different for a business class. The projects were fun and a real self realizing activity. Managing Diversity gave me insight and experience with other ethnicities and cultures. Overall a great professor and good person.

I love Norma. She's very enthusiastic about teaching, and she knows a lot about her field of study. She is very fair in terms of grading, and her tests (you only have one midterm and the final)are multiple choice questions, short and sweet. She has a very cute Texas accent when she talks, and that makes her even more attractive. I would recommend this instructor and the course to any BUS major who needs to take management electives.

Dr. Carr-Ruffino is one instructor who is willing to help students in many ways. Her philosophy on teaching is very straightforward and she draws tremendous interest in students. The only problem taking Dr. Carr-Ruffino is that she takes attendance and if you are not around, your grade will go down.

However, I like to recommend her as an instructor because she make management interesting and a unique challenge.