Current UTC students can find course materials on Canvas.
Courses
I am currently, or have been, an instructor for the following courses:
- Military Law and Politics (Spring 2027, UTC)
- American Politics (Spring 2027, UTC)
- Comparative Legal Systems (Fall 2026, UTC) – Syllabus
- American Constitutional Law (Fall 2026, UTC) – Syllabus
- Introduction to Judicial Process (Fall 2025 & Fall 2026, UTC) – Fall 2026 Syllabus
- Supreme Court Politics: The Court and its Justices (Spring 2026, UTC)
- Civil Liberties (Spring 2023 & Fall 2023, WVU; Spring 2026 & Spring 2027, UTC) – Spring 2026 Syllabus
- Research Methods (Fall 2025, UTC)
- Empirical Political Analysis (Spring 2024 & Spring 2025, WVU)
- American National Government (Fall 2024, GSU)
- Law & The Legal System (Fall 2020, Spring 2021, Fall 2022, & Fall 2024, WVU)
- Introduction to Public Administration (Fall 2021 & Spring 2022, WVU)
In addition to being a solo instructor for the above courses, I have also assisted with the following courses:
- Comparative European Legal Systems (Summer 2022, Summer 2023, Summer 2024, and Summer 2025)
- Assistant Faculty Leader
- Study Abroad in Strasbourg, France
- Politics of the European Union (Summer 2022, Summer 2023, Summer 2024, and Summer 2025)
- Assistant Faculty Leader
- Study Abroad in Strasbourg, France
- Empirical Political Analysis (Spring 2020)
- Teaching Practicum
- Introduction to Public Policy (Spring 2019)
- The Politics of Economic Policy (Fall 2018)
About my teaching
Teaching is my passion, and I strive to use that passion to instill a passion for learning in my students. I believe education is not just about transferring knowledge but about inspiring students to think critically, engage deeply with the material, and develop a lifelong love for learning. My goal is to create a dynamic and inclusive classroom where students feel empowered to explore and debate ideas, ask questions, and challenge themselves. Because I continue to learn as a teacher, I treat this philosophy as a work in progress and revise my courses based on evidence of what works.
A key aspect of my teaching is fostering critical thinking by asking students to apply what they learn to real legal and political problems rather than memorize definitions or dates. In my public law courses, this takes the form of a case-brief–centered approach: in Civil Liberties and Constitutional Law, students brief cases every week and discuss them in class, where I call on them to explain and evaluate the Court’s reasoning. This builds the analytical habits that law school and legal practice demand. In Supreme Court Politics, a culminating Supreme Court simulation immerses students in the roles, constraints, and strategic choices that shape judicial decision-making, and in Judicial Process, guest speakers from the local legal community connect course concepts to students’ future careers. I grade in a way that allows students to explore answers without feeling pressured to find a single “correct” response.
I believe it is essential to have clear expectations for students. As a former student, I found it frustrating when professors did not clearly communicate their expectations, so I have made transparency a priority. My syllabi lay out how grades are determined and the weight of each graded item, and from the first day students know all due dates, exam dates, and course policies. I keep a consistent weekly structure so students always know what is expected of them, and I provide study guides for exams in my introductory courses to help students learn how to study effectively and use their time efficiently.
I believe accessibility is a cornerstone of effective teaching. I maintain regular office hours and an open-door policy—if I am in my office, my door is open—and I offer virtual meetings for students with scheduling conflicts. I respond promptly to questions and strive to make all course materials accessible to the diverse needs of my students. By being approachable and available, I aim to create a supportive environment where students feel comfortable seeking guidance.
I place a strong emphasis on helping students become better writers, recognizing that writing is a critical skill regardless of career path and is especially crucial for the many students I advise who are pursuing law school. I incorporate small writing assignments throughout the semester, providing timely and constructive feedback so students improve progressively, and my courses build toward substantial written assignments that ask students to synthesize and articulate complex ideas.
Finally, I hold myself accountable for whether my courses achieve their goals. Beginning in 2026, I administer course-specific pre- and post-tests that measure students’ progress on learning goals and on skills that extend beyond my courses, such as reading academic research and explaining the role of the Supreme Court in American politics. I use these results, together with student evaluations and peer feedback from the PSPS Teaching Circles, to revise each course. Teaching is not just a profession for me; it is a calling, and I am excited to continue inspiring and guiding my students on their educational journeys.
Evidence of teaching effectiveness
Below are summaries of my student evaluations for every course where I have been the instructor of record. At West Virginia University, I consistently scored above the university, college, and department averages in all evaluation areas. I have also included a few student comments from recent courses. Together, these provide evidence of my teaching effectiveness.
University of Tennessee at Chattanooga
| Course | Term | Responses | Course Instruction | Course Content & Delivery | Course Learning Outcomes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Civil Liberties | Spring 2026 | 14 of 31 | 6.79 | 6.82 | 6.86 |
| Supreme Court Politics | Spring 2026 | 19 of 19 | 6.79 | 6.53 | 6.82 |
| Intro to Judicial Process | Fall 2025 | 8 of 40 | 7.00 | 7.00 | 7.00 |
| Research Methods | Fall 2025 | 7 of 26 | 7.00 | 6.86 | 6.93 |
West Virginia University
| Course | Times Taught | Overall Teaching Effectiveness | Overall Quality of the Course |
|---|---|---|---|
| Civil Liberties | 2 | 4.85 | 4.81 |
| Empirical Political Analysis | 1 | 4.73 | 4.67 |
| Law and the Legal System | 3 | 4.82 | 4.88 |
| Intro to Public Administration | 2 | 4.79 | 4.89 |
“Dr. Samaha does a very great job explaining law and how it is applied. As someone who has not taken a true law course before, he made the process very interesting and comfortable.”
“The professor is truly the best professor I have ever had. He is so organized and prepared, and he goes above and beyond to make the class easy to understand.”
“Dr. Samaha’s office hours were also super assistive. He tried to work with our schedules when we needed to attend, and he also provided insightful answers to all of the questions that I had for him. He was one of my favorite professors!”
“I really enjoyed our lectures. He encourages everyone to pitch in and is very fun to talk to.”
“Trevor was extremely knowledgeable about course content, and he explained topics very well. The assignments were interesting and the right balance of difficult. He offers many opportunities to improve your grade and meet with him outside of class. He responds to emails very quickly and does everything he can to help students. The course materials were very helpful and informative and I really enjoyed learning about the various cases each week.”
“I really like how passionate professor Samaha has been this semester. I have never met a professor who wanted me to succeed as much as Trevor. I have spent hours this semester talking in office hours and learning a lot, even more than this course covers. He has been very flexible and great about giving feedback that has helped me improve in lots of ways.”
“Professor Samaha is one of the best professors in the political science program. Not only does he care about what he is teaching, but he also cares about if his students are actually learning. His lectures are interesting and I feel as though I am actually taking something away from his class. The study guides were also beneficial in aiding me to learn more about civil liberties.”
“The extensive detail we went over the was great. I have never retained so much information from a class before and the instructor taught it consistently, and offered plenty of office hours for going over the material as needed. (This was the best class I had this semester).”
“This was one of the best/efficiently structured courses I’ve taken. The material was provided in a progressive manner that was easy to follow. I’ve really enjoyed having Trevor as an instructor and would take future courses with him/ recommend his lectures to other students.”
“Professor Samaha is very approachable and provides a great learning environment. He uses this class to provide first–year students with not only legal knowledge, but skills to help them throughout college.”
“Trevor was an amazing professor and really listened to your issues you had with the work. He makes time for his students and his office hours are extremely helpful. His quizzes and tests also related to the course in a really helpful way.”
