Robert C. Nickerson

nickerson is by far the worst professor i've had in the mba program. he is ridiculously anal and expects you to memorize every single word and example that was ever mentioned in class, the notes and the textbook. we had about 300 pages of notes, plus had to read about 500 pages from the book. 1 exam is given right before the final project is due and they each count for about half your grade. so if you screw up even a little on either of them, you are basically screwed. the timing is all off because your group will be rushing to finish your project (because it is massive and demanding as hell) and then he gives you that sadistic exam which is comprehensive to the most insane degree - like definitions of little terms you probably won't remember and then solving huge database problems that you normally got/needed 2 weeks to work on for homework (4 assignments count for 10% of your grade when, timewise, they should count for 25%). he also talks non-stop for the whole 3 hour lecture. unreal. every assignment comes with about 2 pages of rules for how the final product should LOOK, which are way too long and confusing. he always seems to be testing students for if they can follow rules or not; it's like that's all he cares about. i actually got an "A" in his class, but wanted to warn others that, unless your other classes are easy and/or you are not working, then avoid him at all costs. i spent tiwce as much time on his class alone than all of my other 3 graduate isys classes combined.

he never answers questions in a helpful way, and going to his office hours is a joke. he'll waste your time and never give you help.

and to paint the picture more clearly, i have to take him for isys 895 and he has a handbook that is basically 50 pages of guidelines, deadlines, and bullshit. he's so crazy that there are like 4 documents that you kind of have to mentally put together to get a grip on all his rules and compile all the dates/deadlines into one calendar. he is a freak who wants you to suffer.

Prof. Nickerson has an amazing ability to teach a subject that a lot of people are initially intimidated by with a friendly and easy style. May students may feel a somewhat intimidated by taking a class on Information Systems because they may not have extensive computer experience. Prof. Nickerson has exactly the right style and body of experience to make these types of students feel more at ease. He is friendly, approachable and a really great professor. So much so, that I will be seriously considering asking him to be my thesis advisor/reader when that time comes.

Professor Nickerson puts in a lot of effort, and really seems dedicated to the students. The teaching of Excel and Access is done adequately, although it can be quite boring to those who are familiar with those programs. No complaints here, except I feel that something is missing about the information systems material/lectures...

I heard before that Nickerson would be a good teacher to take, so when I saw he taught ISYS 464 in the Spring, I jumped on the chance. Even though I passed the class with a decent grade, I truly enjoyed his professionalism with students. He assigned homework (which really helped for the tests), gave a midterm, project, and final exam. His slides were very clear, and he made sure to ask if students were understanding the material. If you get the chance to take Nickerson for ISYS 464, or any other class, I recommend him because he is structured, organized, and knows how hard students work in the class.

I'm gonna try hard to be fair about Nickerson. I know we are reviewing his teaching skills here. But it's impossible not to judge someone's skills outside the classroom. First in class, he's not the friendliest person and I don't think he's very bright. He teaches old material and expects too much from the students. Sure we're here to learn but would it kill the professors to give us a hand once in awhile. Overall it was a dull experience. This I have to share with people; waiting to talk to another professor that day next to Nickerson's office, I witnessed a foreign student asking him to review her final paper because she would lose her status if she didn't get a B from the class. He refused to relook at the exam and when she insisted he called the campus police. 2 big guys came in no time and dragged a crying girl out of his room. I was stunned no need to say. Way to go Nickerson.

Professor Nickerson is a typical engineer/computer science type teacher (although he is in the business department). You can say that he is a little "anal" and "by the book." As a former engineer myself, I can understand his position. However, "anal" and "by the book" do not mean that he is a bad professor. Actually, he is real easy to talk and has a good sense of humor.

His lectures are cut and dry. His homework assignments are relevant to the class material. His tests are fair, but require a good knowledge of detail from the course text (which is not always followed in class lectures). If you are a non-native English speaker, you may find his tests a little time-consuming and may be pressured to finish within the class period. If you are a native speaker, then his tests shouldn't be a problem.

If you take his class, I don't think that you will be disappointed. Nickerson is an effective professor. But if you decide to take another professor, you won't be missing anything special. Nickerson likes to teach and that may be his best asset.

I enjoyed this class and professor Nickersons teaching style. He explained concepts clearly and I learned a tremendous amount from him. The class covered alot of material. He expected students to know alot of detailed information for the exams. The expectations were mostly very clear and attainable. I enjoyed this class.