Upside Down Stanford | The University of Austin

Upside Down Stanford | The University of Austin

Author: Audacy May 13, 2026 Duration: 28:53
For the last decade at least, the question of free speech has been the defining issue of American higher education. One school set out to tackle those problems head on, but appears to have lost its way in the process, struggling to define itself even before opening its doors. Read Evan's piece: https://www.politico.com/news/magazine/2026/01/16/civil-war-university-of-austin-bari-weiss-00729688 For a transcript of this episode: https://bit.ly/campusfiles-transcripts To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Behind the ivy-covered walls and storied traditions, American universities guard a hidden world of controversy and concealed truths. Campus Files: Scandals, Secrets & Crimes at American Universities, from Audacy, pulls back the curtain on this unsettling reality. This isn't about lecture halls or football games; it's a deep, documentary-style investigation into the systems that fail and the dark deeds that thrive in places of supposed higher learning. Each installment serves as a standalone case file, meticulously examining the gritty details of a different institutional breakdown. You'll hear about the mechanisms of rigged admissions that privilege wealth over merit, the toxic cultures behind tragic hazing rituals, and the multimillion-dollar corruption that can upend collegiate sports. The podcast also grapples with the intense battles over free speech and ideology that define modern campus life. Rather than accepting the glossy brochure version, this series acts as your essential, unofficial tour through the shadows. It connects the dots between reputation, power, and the very human costs when scandals erupt. For anyone fascinated by true crime, social structures, or the complex mythology of college itself, this podcast offers a compelling and often unsettling listen.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 76

Campus Files: Scandals, Secrets & Crimes at American Universities
Podcast Episodes
Operation Free Kick [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 31:23
The operation we now know as Operation Varsity Blues didn’t begin the way you might expect. It was uncovered by chance. Prosecutor Eric Rosen takes us behind the scenes of how investigators discovered—and ultimately pros…
Who Speaks for Loyola? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 28:00
In 2016, Loyola University welcomed a new president, sparking excitement on campus — the first woman and the first layperson ever to lead the school. But the honeymoon didn’t last. Soon, the student paper found itself fa…
Bessie on the Dome [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 33:52
Pranks are a legendy part of life on campus in America. There's one campus in particular that has a unique tradition of it's own. This is the story of how Bessie, a 300 pound fiberglass cow, found her way to the top of t…
Higher Ed for Sale [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 32:40
Mills College, the first all-women’s college west of the Rocky Mountains, had a rich history of social justice and women's leadership. That is, until the school shocked everyone by announcing it was going bankrupt and wo…
The D [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 30:06
For years, Dartmouth’s student newspaper quietly struggled to stay afloat. Then in 2021, a student uncovered a case of massive financial fraud that would shake the paper to its core. For a transcript of this episode: htt…
The Harvard Morgue [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 29:32
Few people know that most of our modern medical knowledge is based on centuries old research using human remains, often stolen. While those practices are thankfully gone today, the market for human remains is as strong a…
The Machine [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 31:39
It’s been called the most powerful—and most secretive—fraternity in America. For decades, a shadowy group known as The Machine has controlled student government at the University of Alabama through intimidation and backr…
For Profit - Part 3: The Evidence is Clear [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 38:10
The future of for-profit schools, and the millions of students who have attended them hangs in the balance as a key legal protection is under threat from the courts and the Trump administration. For a transcript of this…
For Profit - Part 2: Thrown to the Wolves [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 39:32
Ashley Pizzuti fell in love with photography from an early age, and found what felt like the perfect opportunity to start the career of her dreams. She would soon learn that her school was part of an industry designed to…
For Profit - Part 1: The Pain Funnel [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 35:29
For the last 30 years, a group of schools have targeted America's most vulnerable students, saddling them with mountains of debt and a poor education, all for the sake of profit. Mike DiGiacomo fell victim to two of thes…