Teaching in Troubled Times

Held on December 8, 2016, this event was collectively organized by OSU faculty in the departments of African American and African Studies, Comparative Studies, English, Geography, History, History of Art, and Women’s, Gender and Sexuality Studies to address the climate of intimidation, fear, and harassment that arose in the wake of the 2016 presidential election. It featured several OSU faculty and staff as speakers and brought together approximately 150 attendees to discuss their experiences in breakout sessions. It also led to the formation of the OSU Solidarity listserv as a means for coordinating efforts around immigration, education, and academic freedom.

The Open Letter to The Ohio State University, published in late November 2016, acted as a statement of “opposition to the recent wave of intimidation and violence on campus” and of “support [for] the most vulnerable among us.”

For additional context leading up to the teach-in, see Leslie Alexander’s letter to upper administration describing a student speak-out on November 11, 2016, as well as Pranav Jani’s “The President-Elect Exploits a Tragedy” (December 12, 2016).