Explore every episode of the podcast Campus Files: Scandals, Secrets & Crimes at American Universities

In January 2011, a camera hidden in a seemingly innocuous closet on the campus of MIT captured a few minutes of silent but fateful footage. For his actions captured on video, the young tech prodigy and activist, Aaron Swartz, faced up to 35 years in prison, fines totalling a million dollars, the loss of his right to vote, and the likely end of his promising career. Two years later, both MIT, and federal prosecutors would come under fire when Aaron Swartz died by suicide.

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

Wake Forest players couldn’t seem to get down the football field. Even their trick plays weren’t working. Some remember thinking it felt like the other team had access to their playbook. It would take years, and an investigation, to confirm that suspicion wasn’t so far-fetched. There had, in fact, been a leak from inside the program.

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

One morning in Lubbock, an isolated town in northwest, Texas. The funeral go-ers are gathering outside one of Texas Tech’s Administration buildings. Behind them, University Regents file into the building, preparing for a Board of Regents meeting. The mourners are protesting the ""end of academic freedom"" at Texas Tech.

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

By day, they were MIT students and working professionals. By night, they played blackjack at casinos. Using mathematics and card counting, the MIT blackjack team found a way to beat the house and walk away with huge sums of money. They were good at it. Maybe too good. And before long, the casinos started to catch on.

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

In the 90s construction crews discovered a small collection of leftover World War I era munitions buried in the ground. This discovery triggered a massive and ever expanding search. The situation was made far more terrifying when researchers learned of a pit where a massive stockpile of chemical weapons was buried. Back in World War I, the Army crews burying these materials nicknamed this spot “The Pit of Hades”, calling it the most feared and respected place on the grounds. But the trouble was, nobody alive knew where this pit was buried.

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

In the mid-20th century, Americans were paying closer attention to nutrition. MIT researchers wanted to determine the nutritional value of oats. But their study required children to eat oatmeal containing radioactive tracers. They found those children inside a state institution.

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

The early 2000s on American University, was a time of political intrigue... at least in student government. Eventually, one former student government member decided he'd had enough and created his own student paper named after the president of the University, Ben Ladner. As a result, he'd end up in court, in an alteraction with secret service, and more.

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

Madeline had always loved animals, so she was thrilled to land a job at UW’s primate lab. But what she discovered inside was nothing like she expected -- and ultimately drove her to fight for greater accountability in scientific research.

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

At the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, one researcher is credited with creating the very first chatbot, a technology that, almost exactly 60 years in the future, would explode into the mainstream, alter the global economy, and raise significant questions about the future. It turns out, that man, Joseph Weizenbaum, would also become one of its earliest critics, seeing it as deceptive, playing upon our natural vulnerabilities.

Read Jeff's book, Inventing ELIZA: https://mitpress.mit.edu/9780262052481/inventing-eliza/

Try ELIZA online: https://anthay.github.io/eliza.html

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

The Karolinska Institute is one of the world’s leading medical universities. When it hired Paolo Macchiarini, it saw a surgeon with a groundbreaking new procedure. But the university ignored warning signs, and patients paid the price.

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

After Mario Savio's historic speech, students occupy Sproul Hall, leading to the largest non-war time arrest in US history to that point. The response from administration begins to turn the tide, but it all comes down to the Regents and the facutly.

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

For decades the entire University of California system had strict rules prohibiting all forms of political speech on campus. But after Freedom Summer, a group of students from across the political spectrum decide it's time to force change.

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

Academics were in classrooms, at conferences, on stages around the world, defending the safety of GMOs and herbicides. They looked independent. They weren't. Some of the most credentialed voices in agricultural science were quietly collaborating with Monsanto, taking money from the company whose products they were defending.

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

Over the last decade, college football has undergone a dramatic transformation. Universities now have a growing financial stake in the game, blurring the line between college athletics and professional sports. Few people embody that shift better than Lane Kiffin. Read Nicole Auerbach’s work: http://www.nauerbach.com/about

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

Baylor is the largest Baptist university in the country. The rules there revolve around scripture. For most of its history, the school banned premarital sex. That meant no policy on sexual assault. No recourse for survivors.

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

In 1997, a young out of town reporter moves from Los Angeles to Minnesota to cover the University of Minnesota Gophers. That year, the Gophers basketball team had made it to the NCAA Final Four in a stunning show of force. Two years later, the reporter broke a story that would throw the state into an uproad, and wipe that Final Four appearance from the history books.

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

AI has arrived on college campuses, and professors and administrators are racing to respond. But there’s no clear rulebook, and the stakes are high. At Ohio State, one professor believes many universities are getting the response all wrong.

Read here: 

https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/2025/11/colleges-ai-education-students/685039/

https://www.nytimes.com/2025/11/25/magazine/ai-higher-education-students-teachers.html

And here: https://www.huffpost.com/entry/students-ai-cheating-solutions_n_6a173aa3e4b062ca52d7e393?hp_auth_done=1#comments

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

Speech on campus is the defining issue of higher education today. Many call for a return to the past when nearly anyone was received with respect. So, this week we look back to a moment in 1965 when the National Party of America, an openly fascist and anti-semitic political party was invited to speak at Reed College in Portland Oregon.

Read Seth's writing: https://rightlandia.ghost.io/

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

Transylvania University houses one of the most valuable rare book collections in the country. In 2004, four college students decided to steal them. In broad daylight.

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

"It’s the middle of a September night at the University of Tennessee Chattanooga and two young men light themselves on fire. Both are later rushed to the hospital. The resulting investigation uncovers alleged hazing, and possible public corruption within the justice system.

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

Pick up any history of women in higher education and you'll find sororities in a footnote, maybe a paragraph. But that's not the whole story. The first sororities weren't social clubs - they were academic lifelines for women. So how did that get forgotten?

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

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

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

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.

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

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

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

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

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.

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

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

As a freshman at Long Beach State, Chele joined a church that was popular with other students. What she didn't know: the group had been accused of cult-like behavior by students nationwide. Years later, she's sharing her story — and warning others about an organization that's still recruiting on college campuses today.

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

In 1965 a group of 5 people broke into a secret Naval base to kidnap a key figure as part of a covert operation. That key figure? A goat named Bill. The kidnappers? West Point cadets.

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

In 2019, the head doctor for Penn State’s football team was fired after resisting pressure from the head coach to clear injured players. His story exposes a deeper crisis in college sports: when wins and revenue are at stake, who’s protecting the players?

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

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 prosecuted—the largest college admissions scandal in American history.

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

For more on Eric’s work, check out: https://www.dynamisllp.com/talent/eric-rosen-white-collar-defense

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 facing an administration determined to protect the university’s image at all costs — even if it meant censoring the press.

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

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

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

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

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