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Audacy

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: 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.

Gangster Capitalism

The story of Mark Welsh III, the beloved president of Texas A&M who was dramatically forced out as part of a conservative backlash to academic freedom in higher ed.

Read Kate and Nico's Reporting: https://www.texastribune.org/2025/12/10/texas-a-m-mark-welsh-regents-abbott-fired/Read Jessica Priest's Reporting on Melissa McCoul's firing: https://www.texastribune.org/2025/09/19/texas-a-m-welsh-firing-professor-gender-mccoul/

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
 
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A Tale of Two Presidencies | Texas A&M Caught Up In Culture Wars

For decades, freshman orientation came with an unusual requirement: students had to pose for a photograph - completely naked.It wasn’t a fringe practice. Colleges across the country, including several Ivy League schools, did it.Why? And what happened to all those photos?

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
 
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Naked Orientation: When Yale Freshmen Were Photographed Nude

Last season, we brought you 35 stories from American colleges. Stories of drug rings, fraternity hazing, stolen body parts, campus cults and more. And now, Campus Files is coming back for another season, at a time when universities are all over the news. Starting March 11th, we’ll have a new episode every week. Listen to and follow Campus Files wherever you get your podcasts.

 
To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy
 
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Introducing Campus Files Season 2

In our last episode of the season (season 2 is in the works), we look at MIT's Media Lab, which long dazzled the public with its bold ideas and groundbreaking projects. But behind that reputation was a secret: much of the lab’s funding traced back to Jeffrey Epstein.

Read Noam Cohen’s reporting: https://www.wired.com/story/for-jeffrey-epstein-mit-was-just-a-safety-school/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

Epstein & MIT

Cornell's oldest and most historic a capella group was suddenly shut down in 2017 when allegations of severe hazing came to light.

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
 
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Cayuga's Waiters

Most Chinese nationals at Stanford never intended to be intelligence assets. But under Chinese law, if the government demands information, they must comply. Two student journalists investigate the sprawling espionage campaign taking place on their own campus.

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
 
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Espionage at Stanford

Just a few years ago, colleges across the country were pouring resources into Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) programs. Today, many of those same offices are being dismantled. In some states, the pressure runs so deep that professors are stripping DEI from syllabi and renaming courses—steps they feel are necessary to avoid scrutiny, and to safeguard their jobs.

For a transcript of this episode: ⁠https://bit.ly/campusfiles-transcripts⁠

Read Erin’s reporting: https://www.theassemblync.com/education/higher-education/series-nc-dei-universities-colleges-diversity-equity-inclusion/

Korie Dean contributed reporting for this episode. You can read more of her work here: https://www.newsobserver.com/news/local/education/article301199094.html

 
To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy
 
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Goodbye, DEI

Since World War II, America has led the world in science and medicine by making an unusual choice: instead of keeping research in government labs, it invested directly in universities. That partnership fueled decades of discovery and breakthroughs. But today, that pipeline is under serious threat, and nowhere is the impact clearer than at Harvard. This week, Dr. Joan Brugge, director of Harvard’s Ludwig Cancer Center, joins us to explore what’s at stake for scientific progress and for America’s place on the global stage.

 
To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy
 
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Harvard's Funding Freeze

Lately you’ve probably been hearing about the Department of Education a lot as the Trump administration moves to dismantle it. For many, this move feels shocking and unprecedented. In reality, it's just the latest chapter in a long-running battle over who controls education in America.

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

Breaking Deadlock

A student reporter uncovers troubling rumors about misconduct at University of Washington's prestigious Robinson Center, a school for students as young as 14.

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

The Robinson Center

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
 
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The Machine

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