In 2022, famous young entrepreneur and founder of the student financial aid startup Frank was charged with fraud and conspiracy, facing up to a 100 years in prison. How did this wunderkind turn into an alleged con-artist, and how did America's largest bank get duped?

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

Poe Hall, an academic building on NC State’s campus, shut its doors abruptly. It later emerged that the building was contaminated with PCBs, a known carcinogen, and had been for decades. Faculty, staff, and former students say they raised alarms after developing cancer, only to be ignored.

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

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

They were ambitious students at Cambridge University who went on to climb the ranks of British government and intelligence. But they had a secret. All the while, they were working for the Soviet Union.

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

The story of the New College of Florida becoming a pawn in Ron Desantis' campaing for president, and what happens when a school is reshaped by force and against the will of students and faculty.

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

In 1950, the City College of New York pulled off one of the greatest Cinderella stories in sports history, winning both the NIT and NCAA tournaments in the same season. The team, made up largely of Black and Jewish players, became a symbol of possibility. Within months, a point shaving scandal shattered that legacy.

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

In the first weeks of Donald Trumps second term, the Department of Government Efficiency ransacked the federal government. One student at Brown University decided to take the same approach and bring DOGE to campus.

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

What was supposed to be a light workout during football orientation ended in tragedy. Calvin Dickey, a freshman with sickle cell trait, collapsed and died days later. His parents say Bucknell failed to follow basic safety protocols and then withheld what really happened.

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

The fight at Utah Valley University over whether or not to install a memorial to Charlie Kirk after his assassination on campus
Read Matthew's work: https://www.uvureview.com/author/matthewfranke/

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

Sorority recruitment has grown increasingly competitive, with more applicants and the same limited number of spots. A new industry has emerged to meet the pressure: sorority rush consultants. For thousands of dollars, they promise to coach students through every step of the process.

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

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