Dr. Chase Spears sits down with Dr. Herbert Riedel, former community college president and author of Silenced, to discuss the pressures of maintaining moral and intellectual integrity in today’s higher education environment. Riedel shares his experience leading institutions, confronting institutional conformity, and the personal and professional costs of resisting woke ideology. They explore how cultural Marxism influences campuses, accreditors, regulators, and professional associations, and why even red states are not immune. The conversation covers critical race theory compliance failures, gender ideology enforcement, and the challenges of reforming entrenched bureaucracies. Riedel also outlines his vision for Clymer College, a new institution grounded in classical education, true academic freedom, and whole-person development rooted in American founding principles. A candid look at institutional rot in education and paths toward renewal.

00:00:00 – Introduction

00:01:15 – Career Path and Challenges

00:03:08 – Silenced Book Overview

00:05:59 – Vision for Clymer College

00:10:15 – Location and Timeline

00:14:11 – Classical Liberal Arts

00:18:21 – Community Colleges Role

00:22:49 – Northeast Iowa Experience

00:28:55 – Administrative Pushback

00:34:18 – Doing the Right Thing

00:41:22 – Advice for Educators

You can find out more about Clymer College at https://www.clymercollege.org/

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