The original idea of holding a Teach-In at GVSU in Winter 2014 was motivated by a number of campus indicators that prompted the desire to improve inclusion and equity outcomes on campus,  including the 2011 Campus Climate Study and ongoing reports of bias incidents on campus. Early Teach-Ins were so well-received that the University Academic Senate and Student Senate voted unanimously to sponsor this event on a yearly basis.

The purpose of Teach-In is for mutual education among students, faculty and staff and is intended to address topics related to inequality and systems of oppression, as well as social justice and liberation. The broad learning objectives of Teach-In: Power, Privilege, and Difficult Dialogues are to raise awareness, inform, create dialogue, and motivate action. We encourage contributions with an intersectional framework that takes into account the various ways that race, class, gender identity, sexual orientation, religion, etc. impact lived experience. We welcome collaborative faculty/student/staff/community sessions that involve educational frameworks for opening dialogues, workshops, and engaged pedagogies - and especially value inclusion of  students as co-presenters or panelists.