HIST 3281

I cannot recommend this class enough! Despite the obviously grim nature of the class, Prof Rossman is an amazing lecturer, and I found myself highly engaged in every single class. My only complaint is that sometimes he goes a little faster than my notetaking (handwritten) can't keep up. He has been teaching this course for a long time, and as a result, he has figured out the most confusing parts of each case study and how to best explain (this is especially important for Yugoslavia and Rwanda). The class goes over 8 case studies, each of which usually has 1 week devoted to them. This means that a large portion of the class is actually themes such as why genocides happen (enlightenment; imperialism/colonialism; nationalism; social psychology; etc) and I would actually say this and the class files/assignments he gives are the MOST important part to study for exams. On that note, there is one midterm, which consisted of 8 paragraph-length short answers referencing class files and one essay, all in 75 minutes online, and one final. The final historically was set up like the midterm except with two essays at the end, but due to cheating in the last semester, he changed it to just 3 essays and no short answer (you're given 4 prompts to choose from). In addition, you also have to write 3 two-page papers throughput the semester. I also took History of Russia since 1917 with prof Rossman, which was set up in the exact same way. Based on both, if you read the class files (the textbook does not matter as it is not included in exams, although it was nice to skim for more background information), go to lectures, and don't procrastinate the papers, you should be able to do excel in the class (I got an A).

This was the first history class I took at UVA and it is an excellent introduction to the department. As a general history course, you get to cover a wide range of time periods and geographical areas. Despite the incredibly grim nature of the subject matter, Prof. Rossman is a very engaging and enjoyable lecturer. The basic points of the lectures are all covered on the slides he posts, but he adds helpful commentary during lecture that is key to succeeding in the course—don't let yourself get in a habit of skipping lecture. For the papers, you will have to complete three in the semester. You'll get a list of topics for paper A that correspond to the material covered that week, and you need to choose one and submit by about a month into the course. Same goes for the other two. They're pretty short, but responding to detailed prompts in 600 words is harder than you'd think. Great medium-effort history course. #tCFFall23

The most interesting and useful class in the history department, congrats to professor Rossman for how he decided to craft this class. A lot of reading, but useful for the exams nonetheless

This class is one of my favorites!! Rossman is so intelligent, and you learn so much about many different genocides across time. I can understand why some might find him pretentious, though I've never felt that. He does tend to ramble sometimes, but everything he has to say is just fascinating information that I don't even mind. I love how he breaks down the definition of genocide in the beginning before we got into cases each week.

It is quite a bit of reading, but you could skim and it'll be fine. If you have a good TA, you'll end up with a good grade. I got an A-, and my papers weren't polished or anything. They were just my thoughts put into paragraphs. I agree the exams might be picky, but they get better as you understand how to take them after the first one. It's really not too much to worry about.

My TA was Laura, and she's amazing!! She's so nice, and discussion was quite fun, as it wasn't just recaps or summaries of class, it was lively group discussions. Sometimes, we'd watch things like some Stanford Prison Experiment documentary or fictional rendition. Although Thomas TAed us one time, and he was much more structured, and we sat in a circle and he went through the lecture, asking us questions and we would elaborate on things. His style helped me understand the lectures much better and streamline what I was learning, whereas with Laura, I was learning more content, though it was more disorganized in my head, but I should've just gone to OH for that. It just depends on how you learn better.

The content was interesting... did not love the professor. With an asynchronous class, there was no communication from him really. Lectures were posted late every week.

I took the class because I thought it was going to be interesting instead of professor Rossmans was very boring and I couldn't focus in class. Additionally, he is very pretentious, and in one of his lectures, he referred to indigenous peoples as Indians which made me very uncomfortable. Your GPA for the class depends on how your TA grades. The tests are very specific and do not give you enough time. I do not recommend this class. It's possible to get an A but it's not worth it.

This has been by far my favorite class at UVA. Professor Rossman is oddly humorous for the topic, but his lecture style kept me engaged in the material. The class is incredibly organized so every week you study a new genocide (with a few exceptions). This structure prevented the class from being too rambly, because there's simply too much information for every lecture so you 100% have to do the readings or else you will get nothing from this class. I've heard students say this was hard but my TA Wu was a pretty mild grader, though you had to participate to do well in discussion. Overall I would definitely recommend this course to anyone who is interested in the history of genocide, or even the development of human rights. Also, do not take this class if you won't do the readings because there are so many expensive books that while enriching, will waste your money if you don't take advantage of them. The last note on the books is that they all cover different topics so it's not like it's repetitive. Finally, the "papers" are 600 words so if you love history but don't want to write (or are inexperienced/ first year nervous about a 3000 level HIST class), this class would be perfect for you.

Grade depends wholly on your TA. Exams ask way too specifically. Not recommend.

This is a really interesting class, but I would only recommend it to History majors, or people very interested in the subject. Rossman is a good professor, although he rambles a bit. You can tell he really loves the class though, and he makes lectures interesting. There's a TON of reading assigned, but as with many history classes you can skip a lot of it and do ok. The grade comes from three essays, midterm, final, and participation in section. The TA Tom was less than stellar and a really harsh grader, but hopefully he won't be back.

Great course. You first have some thematic background about utopian ideologies, then you move into case studies covering: Native American genocides, Armenia, Stalin, Nazi Germany, Mao's China, Pol Pot, Yugoslavia, and Rwanda. The course finishes with more thematic lectures about topics such as international justice.

The course is graded on a) discussion participation b) three short papers c) a midterm and d) the final. Discussion participation is straightforward. The short papers are annoying but you will get the hang of it. The midterm and final are standard for a history class, IDs and some essays.

Rossman is a great lecturer although he tends to fall behind a bit. There are no real surprises on the tests. The biggest problem with the course is you end up spending a lot of money on books that you only partially read, and ultimately they are not necessary. Overall, great course and really important topic.

I thought this course was superficial in that it did not dive beneath the surface on any of the case studies.

This professor is so intelligent and the class is really well-run. The professor does go off on a couple of tangents that put us a little bit behind schedule during the class but I think these little distractions are still helpful because he knows all of the ins and outs of every subject possible in this subject. This class is definitely very challenging but it's also probably my favorite class this semester. You get out of it what you put into it. So if you do all of the reading (there's a lot), you'll probably do fairly well in this class. Also, it's a lot of information so it's important to review as you go and to take notes on what he's saying, not just on lecture slides. It's the hardest class I've taken at UVA so far but I definitely really recommend it, especially if you're interested in human rights.

took this class cause i thought it would be pretty interesting to learn about. Prof Rossman is super pretentious and you can barely even understand half the things he says, also super monotone so difficult to pay attention to. he also has 0 relevance to the class other than just giving lectures. doesn't do grading, barely holds office hours. also had the worst TA of all time, Tom Butcher. there was 1 TA for a 180 person so it took him light years to grade anything. didn't receive one grade before add/drop or withdrawal deadline so I had no idea how I was doing in the course. consists of 3 paper a midterm and a final. he's a super hard grader and also pretentious af just like Rossman. you basically have to teach yourself everything in this course by doing all of the 20 readings assigned per lecture. also had to spend what felt like over $500 on all of the books this class requires. definitely would not recommend.

Rossman is the best! He made so many references to what is going on in politics today (with the election) and related it to history. He is so interesting and I would recommend any class with him. Unfortunately the TA was a very harsh grader and I think it made my grade worse than it could've been. Would definitely recommend though!

Incredibly interesting class. Rossman tends to ramble and go on tangents during lecture, but overall does a good job at relaying a hard topic. There is quite a bit of reading in this class, but it is manageable. The midterm and final can be a bit tricky- but as long as you study your notes from lecture and the reading you will be fine. The last part of your grade is determined from discussion participation- which includes brief writing assignments based on the readings. Not terribly difficult, and very enjoyable.

This class was my favorite class this semester. Although there are quite a lot of readings and the assignments (three essays, one midterm, one final) seem to be difficult to do well in, the material makes it worth it. It is a history class and you cover about 8 case studies, but you also cover different ideologies (race, nation, class, utopia, etc) at the beginning and other aspects (social psychology, denial, remembrance, justice) at the end that pertain to the issue of genocide as it applies to our world today. It is a very compelling, difficult course not just academically, but also personally and morally, and I think that not getting the best grade is still worth taking this class. Also, participation in discussion section is worth 30% of the course grade, which can really help boost your grade, so make sure you take advantage of that and sign up for an evening, rather than morning discussion (it's pretty hard to actively engage at 8AM). I would honestly take this class again in the sense that these kind of classes are hard to find, but worth so much.

This class is very intense. Professor Rossman is great, but speaks very fast. For good notes, instead of just writing the slides and then listen to him, write only as he talks. The class is a lot of reading. The midterm covered heru, Armenian Genocide, and Stalin, but could be different each semester. Make sure to take notes from the reading and talk about what the author said in discussion. Discussion is a big part of your grade. The midterms and tests were a lot of writing. They generally included Identification words, where you define the significance of a word and then essays. Memorizing dates and names aren't as important as applying concepts from reading and notes to the case studies. Interesting course overall, just a lot of reading and 3 short papers throughout the semester.

Professor Rossman was a solid, albeit dry, lecturer. The subject is very interesting and Prof. Rossman clearly knows his stuff, but he doesn't necessarily give riveting narratives with his lectures. That said, he's a very nice and very smart guy. There are 3 2-page response papers, a mid-term, and a final. Participation in sections also counts for 30% of the grade, which is a grade booster if you attend and speak a few times each section. I put in A- effort and got an A- so I think the grading is relatively fair. I would recommend taking this if you want to learn about the subject (which you should). Maybe not if you want to be blown away by the lectures.

This was a pretty good class, but not as interesting as I had expected. The beginning of the year was really boring, but as the class picked up and got into case studies of genocide it became more interesting. Professor Rossman is a good teacher and clearly knows the subject very well, but his lectures can be really dry, and you really need to be at every one to get a good grade in the class. I would take this class if you are really interested in history, but if you are just looking for a fun/fascinating history requirement this is not the one to take.

This course is awesome - I learned so much and Rossman is one of the best lecturers I've ever had at UVa. There is a lot of reading, but no more (I thought) than your average upper-level history class and if you're smart about it, you can get away with not doing all of it. Overall, I thought the workload was very manageable. That being said, I'm a 4th year history major...if you have no background in any of the areas covered in the case studies (Holocaust, Stalin, Mao, Yugoslavia, etc...) this class may be significantly more difficult. The three 600 word papers take no time at all if you attend lecture and do the reading for that week - if you answer the questions directly you should be fine. There is quite a bit of information covered on the final, so start studying in advance. Overall, I'd certainly recommend this course because its fascinating and more relevant to "modern times" than most history courses, but it's definitely not easy.

Professor Rossman is great, and even though genocide is a really depressing topic he makes the class interesting. There is a lot of reading in this class. I am a history major and I have taken various classes dealing with some of the class subject matter, but If I came in with no background information and had to learn everything from scratch I can see how this class could be VERY overwhelming. Participation is a big part of the grade, so be sure you have something meaningful to contribute to each discussion. The final was 40% of our grade, which is a little daunting, but if you start reviewing little by little a week in advance it's not as bad. That all being said, I would still recommend this class, but I wouldn't recommend it to anyone who has not taken a history class at UVA before, unless you like a challenge.

This course was extremely interesting and the readings are enjoyable. That being said, there are a TON of readings assigned and unless you are a history person (unlike myself) you will feel overwhelmed by the amount of reading you have to do. There are three papers that you have to write throughout the semester and those aren't bad. There is only one midterm which was ID's and one essay so definitely manageable. The final is extremely overwhelming because there is only one midterm so you have to review a ton of information. The actual test wasn't too terrible though. Discussion is 30% of your grade so DO NOT TAKE AN 8am FRIDAY DISCUSSION. REPEAT DO NOT!!!! This will ruin your life and ruin your Thursday's and do not lie to yourself and think "I'll just push through it". NO. Do not attempt this. I worked extremely hard throughout the semester, did most of the readings, studied for many many hours and am hoping to get a B for the semester. Not worth it unless you enjoy history, death, and a shit ton of reading.

Hands down the best class I've ever taken at UVA. I wish that I could take it again, Rossman is a fantastic and incredibly knowledgeable professor. You must go to lecture (not sure why you wouldn't want to as he is probably the most captivating professor I've ever had), cause that's a good amount of what is on the exams. Readings and lectures were always interesting. It is not an easy A at all, but if you are at all considering taking this class, I would urge you to do so.

I would highly recommend this class! Rossman is nice and very knowledgeable. He's sort of a serious guy, but the topic is so serious and interesting that you're pretty captivated during his lectures. I would definitely recommend going to his office hours and talking about the material because he has some good perspectives to add. There is quite a bit of reading, but you can get away with not doing it all and just skimming the non-textbook readings enough to contribute to discussion. Everything on his exams is from the lectures, although the readings are good to further elaborate on what he says in lectures. Even if you don't do that great on the exams, your grade can easily be brought up by doing well on the discussions and papers (neither of which are too hard). Overall the class is fair and the material is really interesting. Not only do you learn about the facts about the case studies, but you learn a lot about humanity and human nature that you can apply to other topics in your life.

Rossman is a great professor. Though he does have power points you do have to listen to what he says because most of the concepts that are very important are spoken. There are only three 2 page papers due a semester and 1 mid-term. The TA's kind of blow but Rossman is so into the class he makes it better

This was an extremely interesting class. Rossman has clear and organized lectures. You have to write one paper per 4 weeks which is only 2 pages long. The final can be a little overwhelming because it is based off most of the class and there are tons of terms that you need to memorize without really being a list of what may be on the exam. THe discussions weren't really helpful- they were just used for people to talk about their own feelings and opinions but the lectures were fantastic. Rossman is very knowledgeable.

Interesting, enjoyable class. However, participation is 30% of grade so be ready for discussions. Grading on tests are based on a curve. I'm not a history buff so this class was fairly challenging for me.

Haven't completed the class yet but it's definitely not overly challenging. Subject material for the most part is very, very interesting though sort of morbid at times. Lectures start out pretty slow- ie genocide and why we study it, where the term came from, how it relates to war, etc.. But the case studies are fascinating in my opinion. There are a total of 8 case studies that you will study chronologically. Reading is about 100 pages a week but you don't need to do all of it. Attending lecture is a must. Rossman puts powerpoints online with the most basic structure of his lecture but you'll miss out on a lot if you don't go. He's not what I would call a particularly entertaining professor but the subject matter is serious so you don't really miss the lame professor jokes. There are movie screenings in Clemons every so often on Monday nights and while he recommends them, they aren't totally necessary. There are only 2 TA's and the one I have is extremely nice, her name is Anne Daniels. My section is pretty chatty so it's never a drag having to go. Midterm was to define 5 of 10 ID terms and to write about 1 of 2 essays topic which we were given a few days to prepare. Overall, I have a B+/A- in this class right now and I did so having read about 2/3 of all material.

Professor Rossman is a great professor and his lectures are really engaging. There is a midterm and a final as well as 3 two page response papers throughout the semester. If you put in the time, then you're guaranteed at least a B but an A is attainable if you put in the extra work. I loved this class!

Brilliant class, very eye-opening, makes you passionate about the subject.

Great Class. Highly recommend

Topic is interesting, both midterm and final are relatively easy if you go to lecture and take good notes. Skim the readings so you have something to say in discussion, they're not really needed for midterm/final of you go to class.

Good class. Lots of reading but it's not necessary to really learn it, just get a general idea. It gave me the impression all the way through that the final would be really tough if you didn't do ALL the readings or go to ALL the lectures - it's really not that bad though.

Underwhelming

GREAT class! Readings are interesting and exams are extremely straightforward. Midterm had IDs and essays. Final had IDs, matching, and essays. You are also responsible for 3 2-page papers which were not bad at all. Michael Caires was a great TA!

Very interesting class. It covered other subjects and events I have learned in politics courses but looked at these things from a new perspective. Highly recommended. Mike was a great TA who pushed each student to participate and understand.

this is a really good class in terms of subject and material assigned, but I think that the grading is way too hard for the time that we are allotted to write our exams.

my ta graded really hard, but he was a nice guy. lectures go by fast and rossman is a great lecturer

Amazing course, amazing lecturer. James wilson is a phenomenal TA. Highly recommend.

Really good class with interesting material. I actually thought Victor was one of the best TAs I've ever had. He made it easy for a lot of people to participate and helped clarify key concepts. The discussion section actually went by really fast for an 8:30am.

good class, interesting. rossman lectures right off power point which can be annoying

Rossman was a very engaging and easy-to-understand lecturer. I would also suggest not taking Victor as a TA.

Rossman was a good professor and it was a good class and you can tell he has studied a lot about the topic. However, if you have a choice to take Victor or any other TA take the other TA. Victor was the worst TA I have had and I have had some pretty terrible ones.

This was a great class-- there's a lot of reading but I would definitely recommend this class to anyone