Aside from being a world-famous author of historical novels (to the chagrin of the Literature department), Prof. Judith Merkle is one of the only professors at CMC who teaches administrative theory (organization, management, etc.- [MBA stuff]) at the undergraduate level. Peculiarly, they were unsure of where to put her, so they put her as a Government prof, and there she stays to this very day. Even if Peter Drucker weren’t across the street, Prof. Merkle’s wonderful lectures and classes would not lose their hilarity. If you are an aspiring writer, gossip, or just would like to have a great person to talk to, visit Prof. Merkle. Now, the truth is that most students taking her classes take them because they hear that her classes are relatively easy classes and require little to no effort. This perception may be because she has a take-home final, and allows open-book midterms. Whether the ease of her class is true or not, one should never enrol in a class solely on its easiness. There is nothing wrong with balancing out your course load with different classes (e.g. not taking four econ classes in one semester), but it is always important to take classes that genuinely interest you. Contrary to popular belief, students have received Cs, Ds, and even Fs on their midterms, papers, and finals. If you’re interested in management or organization of companies, then you can learn a lot and receive a good grade in this class. With that said, let’s get down to business. Professor Merkle’s class is one of those classes where you begin with an A, and it will be up to your performance to make that grade go down or stay the same. Her class consists of class attendance, one midterm, one final, a research paper and presentation on management/organization. If you do bomb a test, chances are that you won’t be able to get an A, but you might be able to pull off the B+ or the A-, if you work hard on the final and the research essay/presentation. The tests are mainly short essay, and she wants authors (from lecture and readings) referenced within the short essay. Here are some study materials that may help you: Lecture/Class Notes- These have all the class notes up till the presentations. Midterm Study Guide Final Study Guide Don’t forget to ask Prof. Merkle about her “centerfold,” the “evil” management student who used Hawthorne effects and other stories about CMC in its early days.