A teach-in focusing on the racial climate at Ithaca College, the no confidence votes in President Rochon and other recent campus issues will be held Nov. 19 in Textor 102 during the noon hour.
Jennifer Jolly, associate professor and chair of the art history department, confirmed that “a call for a Thursday, noon-hour, teach-in has been announced on a faculty listserv, scheduled in Textor 102,” via email.
Peyi Soyinka-Airewele, a professor in the Department of Politics who was involved with a group of faculty responsible for planning the event, said the teach-in will be about how faculty are thinking about the events on campus from their perspective, offering a chance for students and faculty to get together and ask questions about the recent events.
According to the email, faculty are encouraged to tell students and colleagues to attend the teach–in, and come with questions to have a discussion. Soyinka-Airewele said all members of the campus community are welcome, however they specifically encourage people who are not sure about their stance on the issues.
“We have actually been planning to do this teach-in because it has been clear to us that a lot of students, faculty and staff are not sure of all the issues involved in the whole discussion around the crisis happening in the moment,” Soyinka-Airewele said. “Some think it’s just about a few racial incidents and I think faculty have a much deeper historical understanding of why it is the vote of no confidence is going on.”
She also said faculty from many of the schools across campus will be present to share.
“I don’t think the campus has really listened to faculty sharing what it is they have experienced or why they think some of their conversations with administrations have brought us to this moment,” Soyinka-Airewele said. “We are all members of the same community and we should all have a right to be able to have the right information to make decisions for the future.”
Soyinka-Airewele said this event is not the only event being planned, and there is a possibility for an all-faculty meeting in the works for the week after Thanksgiving break.
