If you are in Poli Sci, take Dan Bousfield. Literally. I’ve taken his classes since second year, including Politics of AI 3290, 3210, third-year courses, and even a fourth-year course while I was still in third year. He is genuinely one of the best profs I’ve had at Western. His classes are so well organized, the content is actually interesting, and he gives students different ways to show their skills instead of making everything feel rigid or impossible. He is also super knowledgeable about AI, technology, politics, and current issues, so the classes always feel relevant and fresh.
What I appreciate most is that Dan makes your life easier as a student. Not because the courses are a joke, but because everything is clearly structured, fair, and built in a way that helps you succeed. His syllabi, OWL pages, instructions, expectations, and grading opportunities are all so organized. He gives options like revise and resubmit, participation opportunities, and different ways to improve your grade, which makes such a huge difference.
Personally, I had a lot going on in my own life while taking his courses, including health/disability-related challenges, so I don’t think I always performed as well as I could have. But that honestly made me appreciate his teaching style even more. His courses are designed in a way where, even if you fall behind sometimes, there are still fair opportunities to recover and do well if you listen, follow the instructions, and use the chances he gives you.
He is extremely responsive, understanding, and accommodating, and you can tell he actually cares about students doing well. If you stay on top of the work, follow his guidance, and take the revise/resubmit opportunities seriously, you can genuinely do exceptionally well in his classes. I’ve taken multiple courses with him now, and anything with Dan has been great.
Honestly, if I had known about him in first year, I would have taken his classes every year from first to fourth. I’m going into fourth year and still planning to take more courses with him. Everyone in Poli Sci needs a prof like Dan. Once you take Dan, you really can’t go back. Best Poli Sci prof, f take his class.