Comments:JOU 2303 - Dr. Owens is a great man! He has so much experience in politics and reporting on elections it's hard to even know where to start when asking questions. He really wants his students that show passion for journalism to be in his classes and really supports those that want to pursue the career. Definitely take him if you're interested in politics or election reporting, you'll get sparse information from him.  - Grade In Class:A

Comments:JOU 3376 - While Dr. Owens is a kind man, he is not that great of a professor. He is incredibly unorganized and rants most of the class about random stories. You can definitely learn a lot from him, but I'm not sure what. This is the only course I've had him for, so I don't have the best read on him, but this class was really hard to get through. He was understanding in terms of grading but was not sympathetic when my grade tanked due to a silly mistake. He is kind in the end and really experienced, but just not a professor for everyone!  - Grade In Class:A

Comments:JOU 2303 - I made an account just to leave this review. This is probably the best professor I have had at this University. He is not a professor that is going to throw stuff on a board and tell you to write it down. He is going to talk a lot, but he never just does it to hear his own voice, what he says is helpful and valuable knowledge for the class and for real life experience. He has an absurdly long office hours window twice in the week and once on Sunday on zoom, and the hours aren't fillers. If you need something he will be there within two minutes. If you have any question, whether you forgot something, were sick, or just didn't understand the material and what another way to think of it, he will sit there until you understand and answer everything you need. The workload is sometimes a bit much, but it is usually around the midterm or departmental exam, and he gives you the day off right after them as a reward. If he sees the effort, if you put in the time, or just show that you care, he will do the same for you with your grade.  - Grade In Class:A

Comments:1303 - Worlds worst class. Horrible teacher.  - Grade In Class:C

Comments:JOU/FDM 1303 - Dr. Owens was very messy with his lectures and didn't really point to what would be on the exams, therefore you are required to take notes over everything he talks about if you wish to do well. The textbook is quite long and can be interesting at times but often repeats a lot of information and overall has a decent amount of fluff. Your grade is based on 3 exams along with a final. The exams are easy to pass but difficult to get an A on because there are a few incredibly specific questions. Does include his political ideology in lectures quite often so be prepared for that.  - Grade In Class:A

Comments:JOU/FDM1303 - He rambles on about off topic matters a lot. His lectures are loosely related to the powerpoints. If this class is not required, I do not recommend taking. He is probably a good professor for upper level journalism classes, but NOT this class.  - Grade In Class:A

Comments:2303 - I made an account on this website just to leave this review. I've never had a worse professor in my time at Baylor. He is arrogant, unhelpful, and doesn't know how to teach. All he does in class is ramble on about nothing and the lectures are useful about 1/10 of the time. He acts like he's God's gift to mankind. He also refers to non journalists as civilians which again, extremely arrogant. His feedback is useless and I feel like I haven't improved my writing at all. It didn't help that he expected everyone in the class to have some journalistic experience but I had none (I had a journalism minor in an effort to improve my writing but I dropped it because of him) and I told him about that and he said he would be accommodating but was anything but. He never responded to my emails about assignments and when he would I would be more confused than before. He also updated the syllabus almost weekly, making it impossible to plan for when to do work. He also talks about the Lariat (he is the faculty advisor)far too often. Speaking to people who had him, both current undergrad and alumni, none had a good thing to say about him. He also assigns things without really explaining them and just assumes students in an intro level class know how to write news stories. Overall avoid taking Owens at all costs.  - Grade In Class:B

Comments:JOU 1303 - His lectures were pretty terrible. He often rambled and would get distracted while he was talking and go down rabbit trails that had nothing to do with the lectures. The only grades for this class was the 3 tests and a final. The tests were fairly hard. He was very opiniated and his lectures rarely followed the book. You were assigned about a chapter every couple days which was a lot of reading if you actually kept up with it.  - Grade In Class:A

Comments:JOU 1303 - This is Owens' first year teaching JOU 1303. His tests are 50% from the textbook, 50% from his lectures, but his lectures tend to be a bit scatter-brained and deviate from the book. It can be hard to tell what is important for the test and what is not within his lectures. Honestly, it is not that hard of a class IF you read the book AND PAY ATTENTION. My main gripe with him is that he feels the need to include his liberal ideology, whether that's him talking about "plantation mentality" or some other BS. It can become annoying. He's a smart guy, but I don't care to hear about his politics.  - Grade In Class:A

Comments:3325 - I honestly cannot fathom how all of these people are so in love with this man. He is TERRIBLE. He is condescending and conceited. He has no idea what he’s doing in regard to photoshop or premier, if you were planing on learning anything about either of those programs you’re at a loss. His syllabus is confusing. He gives loose and hard to follow instructions. I can’t tell you how many times I had to wait for at least an hour outside of his office when he was supposed to be there. He gives you about 60 pages of reading between each class that goes with an insanely difficult quiz. Save yourself and take the other professor. The only thing this class is good for is learning Indesign and if you aren’t planning on doing magazine or newspaper layout as a career, save yourself the headache.  - Grade In Class:B+

Comments:3325 - This class is a lot, I won't lie, but I don't regret taking it. Owens is a little disorganized from a teaching perspective, and I think my biggest complaint is that he gives vague outlines he gives for assignments and then grades harshly. However, you do get to "box" (it's just his word for re-do idk why he calls it a box) most assignments for full credit. I feel like I learned more from this class than any other class I've taken, but it was because I bought in and made the most of the opportunity. Owens has favorites, but all it takes to be a favorite is HARD WORK and actually caring about the class. He's actually a super nice guy, go into his office hours (which are super frequent and convenient)and ask for help and you'll get it. The final project is a lot but also amazing for your resume. Show him as many drafts of it as possible. All in all this class will kick your butt, but it'll be worth it. Don't get caught up in frustration and ask for help when you need it.  - Grade In Class:A

Comments:3325 - This class was stressful, but very worth it. While Owens is notorious for being a harder professor for editing, the skills you will learn in his class vs. any other is worth it. In this class, you WILL learn how to do copy editing, how to create and edit videos, how to edit photos, and how to use InDesign. You are assigned a partner and get a client and get real world experience creating a newsletter and video for your client to use in real life, as well as being able to add it to your portfolio for the future. I\\\'m not going to lie, this class is a lot of work. There are readings nearly every night and lots of quizzes. However, the quiz questions aren\\\'t insanely hard and he will grade a bit easier on assignments at the beginning of the semester, as he recognizes that many students won\\\'t know these skills yet when starting out. Overall, I think it\\\'s worth taking him over any other professors, because you will learn more skills and have more to put in your portfolio at this end of this class than you would with any other professor.  - Grade In Class:A

Comments:JOU 4380 - Law and ethics was hard. It was a LOT of reading accompanied by a LOT of reading quizzes. That being said, you will be okay. The first day of the class I was absolutely terrified, but when Owens says he considers his students like his own children, he means it. He was super helpful for my partner and I on our presentation and by the end of the semester I can say that I'm proud of the work I did in this class because Owens pushed me to actually care about the subject. Definitely hard, but an A is not impossible.  - Grade In Class:A

Comments:4398 - I'm not saying this class will change your life....but this class will change your life. Each time he teaches it is bound to be different, so all I will say is that if you want to be a better journalist/politician/writer/thinker/worker/human, you should check this out. The material he assigns is all so enthralling and class is always relevant to what is happening in politics. He caters the course to what the students are interested in and really lets the discussion rule the class. Owens himself is so passionate and willing to put his heart on his sleeve about politics and the state of things, which isn’t something I’ve encountered before in academia. The class will challenge and change you in the best ways - I wish I had it every semester.  - Grade In Class:A

Comments:JOU 3325 - This class terrified me for a number of reasons. I had heard horror stories about Owens as a professor and the class in general, but something in me just told me not to risk sitting on a waitlist for another professor and to just suck it up and take Owens. Honestly, thank God that I did. In this class, you WILL work. You WILL be intimidated by him as a person and the workload at first. But you WILL be okay. Owens appreciates genuine effort-- and by that I don't mean just doing what's expected, but always striving to do more than your share. That means asking questions, re-doing 'boxed' assignments (you'll really grow to appreciate those boxes, trust me), working your ass off to improve on your editing quizzes, visiting his office hours, etc. Many people get on his bad side, and the best way to avoid that is to simply put your head down, pay attention, and get to work-- he will take note of your efforts and ensure you are rewarded appropriately. But there is no hiding the fact that you will have to WORK for the grade you want. It's a class that very easily weeds out those who would not make it in the journalism field (whether you're News Ed or PR or New Media), and you will come out of it a well-seasoned and better-prepared version of yourself.  - Grade In Class:A

Comments:JOU 3325 - This is the best class I have taken so far at Baylor (I'm a junior and this is for my PR minor). Odds are you are on BUBooks because somebody scared you about Dr. Owens and his classes, but if this class fits into your major course of study you should absolutely take it. Owens is upfront about all the tools you need to succeed in this class from the very beginning. His office door is always open and he encourages you to come see him frequently to discuss grades you have received and current assignments. I learned more from this class in one semester than I ever thought possible and I enjoyed the work that I created in his class. All you have to do is complete the readings which is generally packets he hands out in class or a chapter from the textbook and then complete other assignments on time. Everything you work on in this class has a purpose and Owens is going to make you think and redo things until you have given your best work. In this way, Owens teaches you about the class topic of editing and about how you can enjoy the fruits of your labor. Talk to Owens about whatever you need because at the end of the day, he will fight for you if he sees that you care about his class. Do not be afraid of this class!  - Grade In Class:A

Comments:3325 - Yes, he's a nice guy but at the end of the day the nicest professor won't get you an A in the class. In class, make sure you take notes like crazy. Write down everything he says because it will come back up on the tests. Even details that seem miniscule.  - Grade In Class:B+

Comments:3325 - Editing - Dr. Owens's editing class is no joke. I considered dropping it the second week of class because it was so overwhelming with the amount of reading and lectures he wanted you to listen to. However, the workload is crazy in the first two months, but once you start working on your client projects, the quizzes and lectures decrease and he gives you time in class to work on them. He is really adamant on learning the material, because his tests are hard if you don't study for them. He REALLY cares about his students and will go out of his way to help you out.  - Grade In Class:A

Comments:JOU 2303/3325/3375 - Dr. Owens is great. That being said, he's also quite possibly one of the scariest professor at Baylor. Take notes compulsively in his class. He quizzes you on stuff he says during class, and it's a good habit to develop as a journalist. These classes are not a joke, but he literally spells out in the syllabus what you need to do to make an A. Is it a lot? Yes, but if you're taking it, it's most likely your chosen profession. In his class, you'll learn quickly whether or not journalism is for you. It's not an insult, it's just the fact of the matter. He's really helpful, and has amazing office hours. I've heard he isn't super helpful in his office hours, but I've never experienced that. He is rough around the edges, but ultimately he wants what's best for his students and he wants to see them succeed in this challenging career. Easily one of the best professors at Baylor.  - Grade In Class:A

Comments:3325 - Oh editing...this class is no joke. He makes you work for your grade. As much as I hated this class, it really prepared me for other PR classes I had to take. Don't be afraid to ask him for help. Go to his office hours and re do anything you can. The written midterm has a lot of info so study in advance or just keep up with the reading. Good luck!  - Grade In Class:B+

Comments:3385 - Advanced Reporting- If you can at all help it, do not take Dr. Owens. He is the most toxic professor I have ever encountered at Baylor University, or anywhere else for that matter. If you slip up even once in this class he WILL STOP AT NOTHING to make your life a living hell. He is devoid of sympathy for students who make just one honest mistake and you will feel extremely discouraged upon every (mandatory) office meeting with him. If you must take this course, get on his good side- and STAY on it, no matter what.  - Grade In Class:B

Comments:. - At the beginning of the semester, I wanted to crumple up my quizzes and throw them at Owens. They were so subjective and unfair. But we mysteriously stopped having quizzes, and I started to actually do the reading, and the class got pretty fun. Owens gave a lot of reading assignments but they were interesting and manageable. Not that much work actually due - one presentation, a couple big papers. Cool guy who likes to discuss a lot. I can dig it.  - Grade In Class:B

Comments:3325 - Dr.Owens defiantly makes you work for your grade. That said he is also the most unhelpful inconsiderate professor I have had at Baylor. I often went in to get help and he would tell me to fix it myself. He also told me multiple times to be prepared to take his class again and he was always condensing. Get on his good side and you should be fine, but if not be sure to get help.  - Grade In Class:C+

Comments:3325 - Dr. Owens knows what he's talking about. He'll teach you more than you ever wanted to know about editing, but you HAVE to put in a big effort. Study for the quizzes, read the news, pay attention to every word he says. He'll mention something briefly once and expect you to remember it forever. He's great, but the class is very stressful.  - Grade In Class:B+

Comments:3325 - Yes, you do have to work in this class for your good grade. Owens works from his syllabus and if you don't read it religiously it is likely you could miss an assignment. Editing quizzes and production exercises can be made up for better grades. He has unbelievable office hours and you can find him up there almost any time you need him. For the first few weeks of class there are a lot of reading assignments. Take good notes. The editing quizzes seem like a nightmare but you learn from them quickly. The tests are difficult but managable. I was thankful to have him as a professor when the departmental exam rolled around.  - Grade In Class:A

Comments:JOU3325 - At the beginning of the semester, I hated Owens' guts. He seemed impatient, confusing, and very demanding. But as the class moved on, I started to see that behind his tough and cocky facade is a person who is genuinely interested in his students' well-being: both in the classroom and outside of it. While he has very high standards and will frequently box assignments (meaning you have to do them over again), he tries to be available and helpful when you have questions and don't understand things. You will get from this class what you put into it. Yeah, there's a lot of reading, assignments, and quizzes that will take multiple HOURS between classes, but you will learn things and benefit in ways that will save you HOURS once you're in the workplace. If you're serious about journalism and prepared to work your butt off to make a good grade, I highly recommend taking this prof. At the end of the semester, our entire class loved him.  - Grade In Class:A

Comments:JOU 2303 - Dr. Owens is very condescending and likes to hear himself talk and will go off on tangents for the whole class that are not even related to journalism. He lost several of my papers for over a month and I had to bust my butt to edit them and get them all back in before the semester ended. I wouldn't recommend taking him because I worked ten times harder on this class than my other classes and still did not receive an A to make it worth it. He says on the syllabus that there will be a quiz every day but there were only about 7 quizzes the entire course so I wasted a lot of time studying for quizzes we never had. I do not recommend him and if you have to take him I recommend waiting until your junior year when you are used to upper level classes even though this is a sophomore class because this was my only sophomore level class all my others being junior level and it was the most challenging by far.Unless you know for sure you are going to be a news reporter, don't take this class.   - Grade In Class:B+

Comments:3387 - Dr Owens does require some work. But you have to expect this from an upper level class. Don't think that you can get a free ride anywhere. His class is interesting though and you come out learning something. If you put the effort in your grade will reflect it. I consider myself terrible at writing but his class helped me improve and when I first strated I did not expect at all to get an A in there. Just put the time in, stay awat from Scruff's and you will do just fine! :)  - Grade In Class:A

Comments:2325 - when people say Dr. Owens' class is very difficult, they are not kidding. Be prepared to work your butt off. I probably spent most of my time this semester doing something for this class, but it paid off. Owens is a very interesting person. He likes communication with him outside of class. Also, be sure to start the newsletter as early as possible because it is a lot of work. I learned so much more in the class than any other journalism classes that I have taken. If you really want to become a great journalist, you should definitely take Dr. Owens. He is also extremely knowledgable about the field of journalism. This class is definitely not an easy A but it is the A that I am most proud of this semester.   - Grade In Class:A

Comments:FAS - This professor was very condescending to his class in the class I took with him. The entire class felt horrible when they left. He likes to hear himself talk and thinks he knows all answers to any questions and barely lets anyone ask a question to start with. He should be avoided unless a person likes to feel incredibly icky after class. He will treat you as if you were fifth grader.  - Grade In Class:B+

Comments:Intl Communication - Owens is a nice guy and clearly enjoys every aspect of this class. He's very smart and knowledgable. However, I swear he loves to hear himself talk. Most of the time he will keep you past class time and will go on and on on a tangent completely unrelated to the subject matter for 30 or more minutes. It was never clear exactly what he wanted from you, and he definitely had favorites. There's a LOT of reading in this class (I swear he killed tons of trees printing out packet upon packet of material). Take this class when you don't have a lot of reading/homework for other classes.  - Grade In Class:B

Comments:editing - Dr. Owens is amazing. At first he comes off as cocky and rude, but give him a chance. He's GREAT! He taught me more in one class than I've learned in all of my other classes put together. Be ready to work hard. He's not joking when he tells you on the first day to treat his class like a part time job. Stay on top of your "boxes"- don't let them pile up or you'll regret it. Reading quizzes are redic. Try and get to know him, he's def a prof with many connections, and if you work hard, he'll do anything for you in return.  - Grade In Class:B+

Comments:Int'l Comm. - Owens is not an acquired taste and he's not a particularly hard prof if you show you care about the class. The only thing he doesn't tolerate is apathy, either in life or in his class. If he thinks you're floating through the class, he'll punish you for it. I walked away from Owens' class with an appreciation for so much more than it originally offered. Owens is one of those profs that, if you care about learning anything, you'll remember long after you leave college. If you take him at face value you'll probably miss half the things he's trying to teach. He's only going to come halfway... you're going to have to do the rest, which I liked. I'm by no means an overachiever, but I found myself wanting to give solid effort in his class. Rarely does that happen, and I'm a senior. I actually read the stuff he gave us and most of it was pertinent... none of it was really slogging stuff. I think the people who say he played favorites were the ones that either didn't give a concerted effort to the class or showed some kind of lack somewhere. He's pretty fair. Anyhow, if you're looking for a semester that could possibly change your outlook on things, take his Int'l Comm. class. I swear that if you open your mind, it will either change, bolster, complement or supplement your world view. It's pretty cool. He's got his deficiencies but I'd rank him in my top 3 of profs in my time at Baylor.  - Grade In Class:A

Comments:2325 - Owens will not accomodate any type of procrastinator/slacker/etc. He kicks your ass with the workload. What I didn't like is that he makes judgements about his students, and chooses who he likes - early on in the class. You have homework everyday, and often takes a few hours each night. However, if this is what you really love - the nit-picky crap - take him. If you are just taking it as a requirement, and its not really your deal, - RUN. If you half-ass things in the beginning, and show any signs of weakness, he'll rip you apart. Make sure you show alot of work (all the way through, not just at the end) in the final project. I had a terrible situation - my partner dropped the class - I was reassigned - and my new partner didn't bother to tell me anything - went behind my back to owens.. needless to say, I worked my but off on that project and still made a C. I was in there every day (all day - between my breaks from other classes and until 1am., 6 days a week) towards the end of this project - giving him revision after revision - and he still gave me a C. I would come into his office, and he would pick these ridiculous things out to fix, and I never saw half of those things on his "favorites" (students). So beware - if he has any inclination that you're not an overachieving, ready to please type, (or heaven forbid rebellious), he'll rip you a new one. He made students cry on a daily basis.   - Grade In Class:C

Comments:2325 - I’ve heard of people having to wait semesters to take Owens’ class. It is difficult, but if you keep up with the work from the first day, you will be fine. There is an editing quiz and a reading quiz every week. The best part about the class is that you can re-do almost every grade. If you are willing to put in the time to be a better editor, you will get a good grade. Out of all the classes I have taken at Baylor, I felt like I got the most out of this class. Along with the weekly quizzes, you will have an editing project. You and a partner will create a six page newsletter for an organization. If you pay attention, learning the program (InDesign) is not that difficult. The key is to start early so as to leave ample time for editing the project. If you are interested in print journalism, this is the best primer to the newsroom environment.   - Grade In Class:A

Comments:Editing - Comments prior to this entry listed Owens as "intense" - this description does not fail. The first few days of the course make you instantly familiar with the workload expected of you. If you keep up with that consistently, the semester will go smoothly and you will get an A. Owens respects students who are competent and want to do well on their assignments. This course is designed without a final - but has a large newsletter project.   - Grade In Class:B

Comments:Editing - Dr. Owens has taught me more in one class than I've learned at Baylor. His class is very intense and has a heavy workload, but it pays off. If you work hard in the beginning (keep up with the reading and participate in class discussions), he will respect you. Don't get upset by the boxes for grades-just make them up. The project is way overwhelming, but you don't actually have to work on it for as long as he makes it sound. Don't miss his class either--you'll fall behind so easily. But Dr. Owens is passionnate, intelligent, and so dedicated to helping his students succeed and learn how to do this stuff in the real world. I'd take him again in a heartbeat!  - Grade In Class:A

Comments:Editing - Take Owens. Yeah, the guy is intense, but it's endearing. His heartfelt lectures show his passion for the continued practice of technical and ethical journalism. Be prepared to work. Once the semester is over, you'll feel that you finally got what you paid for (given that the regents quit their money-grubbing scandals).... Plus, Owens is hot.  - Grade In Class:A

Comments:2325 - Awesome teacher!!! When I started the class, I was scared because he seems hard. I promise if you try your best and do all the work, you will be fine. He will help you more than most teachers.   - Grade In Class:A

Comments:Editing - All I can say is that this guy is INTENSE! Be prepared for the most hyper-intensive, coffee-strung junkie at Baylor. One thing I say to you- he's awesome, but I didn't figure that out until the end. If you talk to him throughout the semester and communicate your grades on why you got those cool red boxes, he's up for discussion. If you work hard, he works hard. He will yell, but don't get intimidated, fight back! He respects people with opinion. All in all he's a great guy and he drives to Baylor from Austin every week even though he is retired. DEDICATED teacher who only wants you to get what you paid for.  - Grade In Class:B

Comments:Editing - If you are serious about journalism, take him. He's really a great professor who knows what he's doing. He will make you work, sure. But isn't that what you paid for? He's entertaining and is always ready to help if you are serious about trying. Don't fear the inevitable boxes.  - Grade In Class:A

Comments:Had him for editing. Dr. Owens is fun; down to earth and has a pretty good sense of humor. He really enjoys teaching and will help you with whatever you ask him to. Laid-back, fun class.

Comments:He is a great teacher and a cool person. The assignments are a bit challenging, but I would take him again.