Instructor evaluations are routine during the closing weeks of a semester at Sacramento State, but one professor wants students to evaluate him before they take his Abnormal Psychology class.

Professor Martin Rogers makes his students’ end-of-semester comments available in the reserve book room to anyone who wants to read them.

“Students should be informed consumers,” Martin said. “They have limited information when they sign up for a course, like the name of the professor, the time of the class and not much more except for what they hear from other students.”

Rogers even takes a few minutes at the start of each semester to read student evaluation comments, both positive and negative, to his class.

“I want students to get a flavor for the range of opinions about the course, even if they don’t go to the library reserve.”

The anonymous comments cover everything from Rogers’ “entertaining and informative lectures” and “clear and humorous way of presenting the material” to his “hideous” classroom accommodations and tendency “to let know-it-alls talk for way too long.”

And one student saw a resemblance between Rogers and a famous New Yorker.

“He sorta reminded me of Woody Allen, which made the class more enjoyable.”

According to reserve book room attendant Eva Jimenez, Rogers’ public self-disclosure is unique.

“I haven’t seen any other instructor leave evaluations,” said Jimenez.

Rogers thinks that other professors should consider putting their evaluations in the library, although he said that neither his colleagues or the university administration know of his policy.

Rogers has long been known for his unorthodox methods.

In his Interpersonal Relations class he has his students walk a mile together before the first class starts to allow students to get to know each other while doing a “not so normal” first day activity.

Rogers, a Sac State professor for more than 30 years, received his doctorate from Case Western Reserve, an independent research university in Ohio.

He teaches abnormal and clinical psychology, psychotherapy, homophobia, gay/lesbian life style and holistic health courses.