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Campus Files

Cadence13

College holds a mythic place in American culture—hailed as the best four years of your life and revered as a beacon of integrity and excellence. But behind the polished campus tours and glossy brochures lies a far more complicated reality. Each episode of Campus Files uncovers a new story, exploring everything from rigged admissions to sports scandals, free speech, and hazing. Consider this your unofficial campus tour. Do you have tips or story ideas? Send us an email at campusfilespod@gmail.com‬. For additional stories on scandals that have rocked American institutions, check out seasons 1-3 of Gangster Capitalism in this feed: Season 1: The College Admissions Scandal Season 2: The NRA Season 3: Jerry Falwell Jr. and Liberty University Campus Files is an Audacy original podcast.

Location:

United States

Networks:

Cadence13

Description:

College holds a mythic place in American culture—hailed as the best four years of your life and revered as a beacon of integrity and excellence. But behind the polished campus tours and glossy brochures lies a far more complicated reality. Each episode of Campus Files uncovers a new story, exploring everything from rigged admissions to sports scandals, free speech, and hazing. Consider this your unofficial campus tour. Do you have tips or story ideas? Send us an email at campusfilespod@gmail.com‬. For additional stories on scandals that have rocked American institutions, check out seasons 1-3 of Gangster Capitalism in this feed: Season 1: The College Admissions Scandal Season 2: The NRA Season 3: Jerry Falwell Jr. and Liberty University Campus Files is an Audacy original podcast.

Language:

English


Episodes
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Bessie on the Dome

7/2/2025
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 the Great Dome at MIT. 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

Duration:00:36:52

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Higher Ed for Sale

6/25/2025
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 would soon be absorbed by a new owner, leaving its storied legacy hanging in the balance. 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

Duration:00:35:40

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The D

6/18/2025
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: 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

Duration:00:33:06

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The Harvard Morgue

6/11/2025
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 as ever. In 2023, the public got a glimpse into that world when the Harvard Morgue was implicated in the illegal trade of human remains. 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

Duration:00:32:32

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The Machine

6/4/2025
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 backroom deals. And it matters—because its influence stretches far beyond campus and into national politics. 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

Duration:00:34:39

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For Profit - Part 3: The Evidence is Clear

5/28/2025
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 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

Duration:00:41:10

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For Profit - Part 2: Thrown to the Wolves

5/21/2025
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 prey upon students like her, and that legislators were key to finding relief. 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

Duration:00:42:32

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For Profit - Part 1: The Pain Funnel

5/14/2025
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 these schools. 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

Duration:00:38:29

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Weed in the Garden of Academe

5/7/2025
Half of all college students and 73% of social fraternity members experience hazing. As it turns out, hazing has a long and deadly history in the United States and we know about this history in large part because of the hard work of one man, Hank Nuwer. 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

Duration:00:35:02

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USC's Drug Peddling Dean

4/30/2025
In 2016, a woman overdosed on meth in a Pasadena hotel room. The man who provided the drugs: Dr. Carmen Puliafito, the dean of USC’s Keck School of Medicine. As one reporter at the Los Angeles Times fought to expose the truth, he encountered a power structure that made publishing the story all but impossible.Read Paul's book about this story: https://us.macmillan.com/books/9781250824103/badcity/ 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

Duration:00:38:49

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Food Science?

4/23/2025
Cornell's Brian Wansink was at the top of his field, renowned for translating behavioral science into practical tips for improving eating habits. He famously popularized the notion that we tend to eat more when served in large bowls. But, when skeptical researchers and journalists exposed Wansink for manipulating data, his fall from grace led to the dismantling of Cornell's entire food psychology department, and raised questions about the state of scientific research as a whole. 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

Duration:00:30:12

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Trojan Course

4/16/2025
In 2010, USC launched a fully remote version of its prestigious social work program. According to USC’s website, it offered the same professors, curriculum, and career services as the on-campus version. However, those who enrolled—at a cost of over $100,000—soon discovered that the program was far from what it claimed to be. In fact, it wasn’t even being run by USC. 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

Duration:00:35:03

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Introducing: What We Spend

4/14/2025
Imagine if you could ask someone anything you wanted about their finances. On What We Spend, people from across the country and across the financial spectrum are opening their wallets—and their lives—to tell you everything: what they make, what they want, and—for one week—what they spend. 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

Duration:00:11:03

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Carolina Way - Part 3 | Carolina's Favorite Son

4/9/2025
Holden Thorp was the chancellor of UNC when the university faced the worst atheltic scandal in its history. This week, he opens up about his experience—revealing what he knew, what he kept hidden from the public, and what he would do differently if given the chance. 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

Duration:00:33:48

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Dogmatic Slumber

4/2/2025
In 2019, after nearly two decades at Duke University, one of its most popular—and controversial—professors was abruptly ousted. For the first time, Evan Charney reveals the untold story behind his departure. 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

Duration:00:34:57

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Dissension in the Ranks

3/26/2025
In 2022, Columbia University math professor Michael Thaddeus published a 21-page analysis accusing his own university of submitting flawed data to U.S. News & World Report. His findings would cause the entire academic world to question the legitimacy of college rankings. 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

Duration:00:31:56

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The Party Never Ends

3/19/2025
In 2016, police uncovered a multi-million dollar drug ring operated by fraternity brothers at the College of Charleston. The police report reads like a Breaking Bad episode, complete with firearms, grenade launchers, and hundreds of thousands of dollars in hidden cash. Read Max's book about this story: https://www.harpercollins.com/products/among-the-bros-max-marshall?variant=41509299290146 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

Duration:00:32:16

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The Hazing of George Desdunes

3/12/2025
In 2016, police uncovered a multi-million dollar drug ring operated by fraternity brothers at the College of Charleston. The police report reads like a Breaking Bad episode, complete with firearms, grenade launchers, and hundreds of thousands of dollars in hidden cash. Read Max's book about this story: https://www.harpercollins.com/products/among-the-bros-max-marshall?variant=41509299290146 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

Duration:00:37:05

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Hot for Chancellor - Part 2

3/5/2025
In 2023, Joe Gow, the long-serving chancellor of the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse, began posting pornographic videos featuring him and his wife, revealing a double life the couple had long kept hidden. This revelation ultimately cost him his job. In this episode we visit Joe and his wife, Carmen Wilson, at their home to hear their side of the story. This episode contains references to pornography and sex and may not be suitable for younger listeners. 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

Duration:00:37:01

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Hot for Chancellor - Part 1

2/26/2025
In 2023, Joe Gow, the long-serving chancellor of the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse, began posting pornographic videos featuring him and his wife online, revealing a double life the couple had long kept hidden. This revelation ultimately cost him his job. Through interviews with a journalist who covered the story, a former coworker, and archival audio, this episode explores the boundaries of free speech within higher education today.This episode contains references to pornography and sex and may not be suitable for younger listeners. 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

Duration:00:32:29