I am pleased to welcome Professor Andrew Zimbalist, Robert A. Woods Professor of Economics at Smith College. Dr. Zimbalist is a national leader in studying and writing about the money side of revenue-generating college sports—an enterprise that has migrated over the years from an amateur to a professionalized status with pro-like commercialization. His book titles include Unpaid Professionals: Commercialism and Conflict in Big-time College Sports (1999), Equal Play: Title IX and Social Change (2007), Unwinding Madness: What Went Wrong with College Sports and How to Fix It (2017), and most recently, Whither College Sports: Amateurism, Athlete Safety, and Academic Integrity (2021, Rutgers University Press). Dr. Zimbalist is also president-elect of The Drake Group, a national network dedicated to defending academic integrity in higher education from the corrosive aspects of commercialized college sports. Michigan State University colleagues Ruben Martinez and Steven Miller join Dr. Zimbalist and me in today's program. (The program was produced in collaboration with FutureU: Conversations about Values and Change in Higher Education.)

While much has been written and discussed regarding the impact of neoliberal philosophies/practices on contemporary higher education, far less available are compelling interpretations of the circumstance linked directly to practical responses. That is where Professor Clyde W. Barrow and his work stand out. Barrow's impressive array of scholarly contributions includes the 2019 book, The Entrepreneurial Intellectual in the Corporate University (Palgrave Macmillan).

In a series of essays, Professor Barrow offers a contrarian take to dominant views of how to attack institutional neoliberalism in higher education. Barrow argues that it is necessary to stop viewing college/university institutionally as the focal point for change efforts. That’s because bureaucratic structures and cultural practices–endemic to the corporatization and politicization of higher education–“thwart and suppress” those efforts. Instead, Barrow contends that faculty should conduct a good share of their work in self-organized/-governed enclaves situated beyond the boundaries of traditional structures, such as schools, departments, and colleges. While actualizing that outcome requires boundary-spanning leadership (skill, creativity, persistence, and administrative endorsement), Barrow’s own experience at UMass Dartmouth shows that it can be done successfully. In addition, that approach “does not require a massive social movement to initiate.”

Professor Barrow chairs the Department of Political Science at the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley. He received his Ph.D. in political science at UCLA and served earlier (1987-2014) in various academic/administrative roles at UMass Dartmouth. 

Barrow is joined by dean and vice president Fred Poston, emeritus, Michigan State University. Known for creating space for interdisciplinary and cross-campus initiatives, Poston focuses in this session on work associated with spearheading MSU's sustainable campus initiative. 

The program is hosted by Professor/Director Rubén Martinez. Professor emeritus Frank Fear serves as discussant. 

(This program was organized and produced by FutureU, Conversation about Values and Change in Higher Education).

Over fifty years ago, a group of coaches and players changed the course of WVU football, migrating the Mountaineers from the Southern Conference to a national-level program that today is in the Top 20 of all-time wins among major college teams. But their story is more than a football story. It’s about a group of men who bonded, achieved, and remain connected to this day. First players. Then brothers. Mountaineers always. Listen as they talk about what it was like during this pivotal era in the annals of Mountaineer football and an important time in their personal lives, too. (This oral history features the voices of Phil Callicutt, John Hale, Ken Juskowich, Tom Kucer, Mickey Plumley, Mike Sherwood, Dick Roberts, Danny Wilfong, and Bob Zitelli, and was produced for the WVU Alumni Association, Fort Myers Chapter)

Politically motivated donors are exerting undue influence on K-12 and higher education. UnKochMyCampus is responding by seeking to protect education from those who seek to privilege private interests over public good. Learn about how and what with Jasmine Banks, Executive Director, and collaborator Professor Sharon J. Kirsch, Arizona State U. and Save our Schools AZ. Professors Nathan Rousseau and Zach Kaiser join the conversation. Today’s program, co-hosted by Frank A. Fear and Rubén Martinez, is an educational offering of FutureU, Conversations about Values and Change in Higher Education. 

Whenever Bobby Bowden’s name comes up, you often hear a Bobby Bowden story. Here’s mine. (The text version of this recording is available at The Sports Column.)