Campus Files: Scandals, Secrets & Crimes at American Universities

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.

Episodes

Mentioned books

Mar 25, 2020 • 44min

Gangster Capitalism S1: The College Admissions Scandal I Bonus Episode: The Price to Be Paid

With sentences starting to be handed out to those who’ve plead guilty in this scandal, some cases are coming to a close. Others who’ve plead not guilty may have an uphill battle, despite their potential argument that Rick Singer followed the steps of any good con, which are explained in this episode. Any real sense of closure and long term change will require changing the narrative, both for the parents and for the academic system at large. 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

Jun 18, 2019 • 40min

Gangster Capitalism S1: The College Admissions Scandal I Ep 6: Watershed Moment

An argument is made that just because we are repelled by the indicted parents’ behavior, that doesn’t make it criminal. In fact, one opinion is that the parents may face no punishment. Some solutions are presented, but a mother and a son show us that any real change must come from within. 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

Jun 11, 2019 • 39min

Gangster Capitalism S1: The College Admissions Scandal I EP 5: Where You Start is Where You Finish

A Singer parent negotiates a deal for her son to have the ACT taken for him, without him even being in the same state, and a college admissions insider reveals the a la carte menu that wealthy parents have when donating to schools, also known as “The Backdoor.” But as it turns out, paying top dollar for access to admissions offices can start as far back as preschool. This episode looks at the legal ways in which parents get their kids into college, no matter how dubious they may seem. 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

Jun 4, 2019 • 44min

Gangster Capitalism S1: The College Admissions Scandal I EP 4: Ricky

A best friend, a mentee, and a former coworker provide an intimate account of Rick Singer’s transition from the boy determined to transform himself, to the coach who refused to accept failure, to the man whose obsession with wealth would be his ultimate undoing. These people, and their stories are being heard for the first time, and a new picture of who Rick Singer really is, finally emerges. 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

May 28, 2019 • 32min

Gangster Capitalism S1: The College Admissions Scandal I EP 3: The Dominoes Fall

Federal agents make an arrest for securities fraud, and get much more than expected. They are offered information that leads to a man they’d never heard of - Rick Singer, and the biggest scandal in education history. Once Singer is caught, he brings everybody else with him through conversations that shed light on the world of those involved, and their sense of entitlement. 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

May 21, 2019 • 42min

Gangster Capitalism S1: The College Admissions Scandal I EP 2: The Bumper Sticker Mentality

Rick Singer’s “Side Door” has another, more expensive option that clients like actor, Lori Loughlin opt for. The scam? $500,000 to get your kids accepted to college as Division 1 athletes - even if they never actually played the sport. Race and status are explored, as this scandal forces all of us to confront uncomfortable subjects. 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

May 14, 2019 • 39min

Gangster Capitalism S1: The College Admissions Scandal I EP 1: The Side Door

Through transcriptions of wiretapped conversations between Rick Singer, Felicity Huffman, and others, Episode 1 brings to life just how dirty these schemes were. We also hear from a student who cheated on his SAT, a psychologist who deals with students and parents trying to game the system to get more time to take the SAT and ACT, and Jenks breaks news by finding the ringleader, Rick Singer, in an unlikely place. 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

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