Tim Randolph

Students in the School of Engineering and Applied Sciences at Columbia use a 5-point scale to rank their instructors on course evaluations. Below, I've reproduced student scores on key evaluation categories for my most recent semester of teaching along with selected write-in feedback provided by my students.

"He is the most organized professor I've ever had - the entire flow of the semester is neatly laid out from the very beginning, and this includes clear expectations and comprehensive course resources."

"All of the resources are available online! The website is so comprehensive and there are so many ways to recap/review concepts!"

"The organization, thoughtfulness, and execution of this course was exceptional - likely the best I’ve seen at Columbia."

"Your course webpage is far and away the best looking/functioning that I've seen in academia, and having that supplemental review material up on YouTube is awesome."

"Professor Randolph was always extremely thorough in his delivery and explanations and made time in classroom break time, after class, and at office hours to help elucidate questions students had. He provided a wealth of material and references to make sure the material was well-understood, ranging from notes from class, to Youtube videos he made going into more depth on specific examples."

"The lightning review videos are AMAZING. A.M.A.Z.I.N.G."

"My favorite part of the class is how we are given 10 minutes to try things on our own during class time... I love how we do active learning in our class."

"Tim’s pedagogy. The level of thoroughness and thoughtfulness out into this course and making sure all the detail is understood while keeping the bird’s eye in view is on par with [Senior Lecturer Jae Woo Lee]’s ability to do the same. Definitely will be a highlight of my time at Columbia. I also think Tim’s prioritization of understanding over drilling is so crucial and I wish other classes took this approach because it allowed me to learn so much more."

"I didn't expect to like this course, but the professor was so approachable and kind that I felt more motivated to learn the materials. I was surprised to find myself actually enjoying the class because I always thought that I was not mathematically-inclined enough to understand proofs and tackle challenging concepts in CS. I was very touched when the professor said that there were no such things as difficult materials and that it's a matter of trying to understanding and learning them in different ways. Thank you for creating such a safe, nonjudgmental, and fun space for students in this class!"

"Professor Randolph went above and beyond to create such a welcoming space for his students. I am terrible at math and I dreaded taking this class, but his approach and personality were exceptional and I felt very comfortable attending office hours and asking questions."

"How Tim has been accepting and understanding any kinds of questions (even when I couldn't really articulate my question myself, he would understand what the confusion comes from) was super helpful. I usually can’t really ask questions in class being shy, but this encouraged me so much."

"Timothy Randolph is one of the most caring instructors I have ever met at Columbia. He has a passion for teaching and always takes good care of his students."

"This was the best class I've ever taken."

"I enjoyed the challenge problems in class A LOT...anything to make it more collaborative and to get hands-on with it, while we can get it explained right after, is great."

"Tim is the best instructor I have ever had. He is passionate about what he teaches and he teaches it well, and he inspires passion and interest in his students. He genuinely cares about the students learning the topics. Sometimes I have wondered if he has a single mean bone in his body. I'd take him for every class if he taught it!"

"I love Tim with all of my heart. He's kind, understanding, and an incredible teacher. Not only were his explanations of concepts intuitive and simple, but he also clearly has a deep passion and joy for the subject material."

"I never expected to enjoy theory, but I enjoyed learning it with you."