Grand Valley State University hosted its annual Teach-In Nov. 12-13, bringing together students, faculty and staff for two days of programming centered around the theme of ‘Power, Privilege and Critical Conversations.’
The event was designed as a cross-campus effort to bring together disciplines, confronting difficult issues and sparking change through plenaries, poster sessions and workshops. Since its inception in 2014, the Teach-In has focused on the belief that communities can learn better when members are willing to ask hard questions, listen across differences and reflect on institutional structures. This year’s theme built on that foundation by encouraging participants to examine how power and privilege operate within classrooms, communities and broader social systems.
The opening plenary framed the two-day event as an opportunity to critically examine whose voices are centered in academic spaces and how institutions can reinforce or challenge inequity. Presenters emphasized that the Teach-In is not a passive experience; it requires active engagement, openness to discomfort and a willingness to confront assumptions.
The Teach-In’s keynote address was delivered by Emmanual Guillory, the American Council on Education’s senior director of government relations. His talk, ‘The Future of Higher Education: Peril or Potential,’ took place the morning of Wednesday, Nov. 12 at the City Campus. Guillory’s address explored how the evolving political landscape reshapes questions of value, access and accountability in higher education. He drew on his experience with federal legislation, including the Higher Education Act, student aid, institutional accountability and equity in access. Guillory encouraged keynote attendees to consider the importance of how institutions and communities respond to external pressures and internal inequities.
In addition, poster presentations throughout both days showcased student and faculty projects addressing topics connected to power, identity and community justice. One poster, created by Associate Professor Brianna Chesser, was titled ‘Son of a System.’ This depicted an artistic representation of her lived experiences as a mother navigating foster care, healthcare, educational institutions and legal systems. The poster centered around Chesser’s original poem, placed prominently in red and black text to illustrate how overlapping systems of power can create harm and constraint. Her research summary emphasized the emotional and structural weight of navigating institutions.
Another project, ‘Basic Needs Aren’t Basic: A Conversation with Replenish Staff,’ was presented by Mimi Sperl, assistant director of the Center for Women and Gender Equity, and Benjamin Ohene, graduate assistant at the center. Their work examined food insecurity among college students in West Michigan, highlighting how community partnerships can reduce disparities in access to nutritious meals. The presenters framed food access as both a social responsibility and a reflection of broader inequities affecting student well-being.
The event concluded with a closing plenary featuring panelists Darcy Luis, Tom Johnstone, Brianna Miller, Annah Stang and Genna Wright. The panel, comprised of student leaders, focused on sustaining critical conversation beyond the sessions, and the role of examining power and privilege in building a more equitable campus culture.
“Critical conversations don’t work if we only talk to people who think exactly like us,” said Luis, a student worker at the Milton E. Ford LGBT Resource Center. “Real learning happens when we’re willing to sit with someone else’s perspective, even when it challenges our own.”
Luis added that students who want support navigating difficult conversations can always reach out to campus resources or speak with a trusted professor who can help guide them.
Similarly, Miller reflected on the role of campus resource centers in supporting dialogue.
“It’s really beautiful to see the conversations that spark between students who come into spaces like the Office of Multicultural Affairs and other resource centers,” Miller said. “They’re not just places to sit and do homework, they’re places where you can find someone to talk to, someone who listens.”
As the University community reflected on this year’s Teach-In theme and corresponding sessions, participants were reminded that democratic learning continues long after the end of a conversation. The Teach-In served as both a moment of reflection and a call to action, inviting the campus community to build spaces where all voices can be heard and where meaningful change can take root.
