MSU's Residential Colleges Host Teach-In/Learn-In in Response to Nassar Scandal
April 9, 2018
- Faculty and staff from the three residential colleges felt it was imperative to create a forum for expression and conversation
- James Madison College (JMC), Lyman Briggs College (LBC), and the Residential College in the Arts and Humanities (RCAH)
- Attended by more than 500 students, staff, alumni, and faculty
In order to help begin the healing process and build a fundamentally different, "more just MSU," the University's three residential colleges — James Madison College (JMC), Lyman Briggs College (LBC), and the Residential College in the Arts and Humanities (RCAH) — banded together to host a day-long Teach-In/Learn-In on Tuesday, February 27, in the MSU Union.
The Michigan State University community was deeply shaken by the sexual abuse tragedy in which hundreds of young girls, athletes, and MSU students were assaulted by MSU physician Larry Nassar. Although Nassar will spend the rest of his life in prison, many Spartans remain affected by the victim impact statements dozens of survivors made in court, as well as by the deeply problematic culture and flawed institutional structures that allowed Nassar to operate freely over the course of decades.
Faculty and staff from the three residential colleges felt it was imperative to create a forum for expression and conversation.
Attended by more than 500 students, staff, alumni, and faculty from these three (and many more) colleges, the event was organized by MSU professors Megan Halpern (LBC and RCAH), Alyse Collins (LBC), Eric Aronoff (RCAH), Tama Hamilton-Wray (RCAH), Sharlissa Moore (JMC), and Linda Sayed (JMC), as well as students from the three colleges.
Discussion topics and breakout sessions for the teach-in included a morning community forum and open discussion and afternoon sessions on university governance; consent; intersectional justice; student voices and protest; and Building Community: Resisting Hate, in response to the rise of the "alt-right" and the looming visit by Richard Spencer to MSU. A day-long Designing for Social Justice art studio and self care and wellness spaces also were provided for participants.
Click here to read an article about the Teach-In/Learn-In: Building a Just MSU featuring RCAH professors Lisa Biggs, Megan Halpern, Tama Hamilton-Wray, and Dylan Miner.