UNDER THE RADAR with Host Frank Fear: Recent Episodes
Frank Fear
Dennis (Denny) Brown had a fabulous career spanning multiple pursuits. He was a star high school athlete, an All-Big Ten quarterback for the Michigan Wolverines, a UM assistant coach, WVU Defensive Coordinator/Assistant Head Coach, Arizona State Defensive Coordinator, high school head coach and administrator, and U of Michigan assistant athletic director. Denny Brown was a difference-maker no matter what he did or where he did it. Mentored along the way by giants of the game--including Bump Elliot, Bo Schembechler, and Don Nehlen--Denny Brown helped elevate average programs, and he transformed successful programs into great ones.
Denny Brown, difference-maker.
Cover photo of Brown in 1981 as WVU DC, courtesy of Denny Brown and Scott (Dave) Voithofer.
We are pleased today to welcome Christopher Snyder, professor of history and founding dean of Mississippi State’s Honor College, who is joining us from the University of Oxford, where he is a visiting research fellow and working on a book manuscript associated with today’s topic.
Professor Snyder will speak today on the principles of a liberal arts education, drawing in his talk on an article published by Inside Higher Education in October 2023, entitled, A Liberal Arts Education in Name Only. The article is a response to administrative actions being taken across the country that are remaking what it means to use the words higher education, college, university, and what a college education is for. Too much is at stake to permit this trend to continue.
We are also pleased to welcome discussant Adrian Lenardic, professor in the Department of Earth, Environment, and Planetary Sciences at Rice University, who has written extensively on neoliberal influences in higher education and is a frequent contributor to Future U. Also offering commentary today are Ruben Martinez, professor and director emeritus, Michigan State University and founder of FutureU; and Nathan Rousseau and Lewis (Terry Dibble), professor and senior lecturer, respectively, at Indiana University Purdue University Columbus.
Today's forum is hosted and produced by Frank A. Fear, Michigan State University professor emeritus and FutureU's Managing Editor.
Follow FutureU: Conversations about Values and Change in Higher Education.
The Forum was taped on Friday, November 24, 2023.
In 2020, I referred to Samuel H. Johnson as a Renaissance Person. By that, I mean a person with wide-ranging interests/knowledge who draws on both attributes to create new and valuable things for public consumption. That description fits Sam to a "T." He has been a radio host, award-winning public TV producer, Hollywood actor, activist, trailblazing Federal staff writer, and (in retirement) a novelist and author of children's books. His ability to pivot from one endeavor to another--and do each well--is one reason (among many) why I hold Sam in high regard. Today, Sam discusses his personal background, including the impact of his collegiate years at Miami University (Ohio). He then talks about his book writing projects (two in particular), The Cherokee and the Slave (2013) and Gabriel's Favorite Angel(2018), before focusing on the centerpiece of today's program, HBCUs The Living Legacies, Historically Black Colleges and Universities(2022). (All three books are available on Amazon.com.) I know you will enjoy getting to know Samuel H. Johnson. (You can read my review of his HBCU book here.)
The title of this episode was written by today's guest, Jim Holland. The words are drawn from the end of his memorable autobiography, My Fortunate Detour: Making a Right Turn into a Baseball Career Among the Mountains of West Virginia. The book describes how Holland made a "fortunate detour" from a general business career into an executive management career in minor league baseball. In one sense, his is a baseball book. But as my recent book review emphasized, it's about that and much more. The autobiography tells us much about Jim Holland and what makes him tick, and I found the sports-personal narrative connection incredibly appealing. I hope you will too. You can purchase Jim's book at Amazon.com with Kindle and paperback options available.
Cover photo: Jim Holland's photo as enshrined in the Appalachian League Hall of Fame (2019), lauded (among other things) for serving as General Manager of the Princeton, WV Appalachian League franchise for 24 years, earning the League's Award of Promotional Excellence five times, and being named Appalachian League Executive of the Year in 1993.
Thousands of West Virginia University sports fans know the name Mark Parsons because they see his name just about every day in their Facebook newsfeeds. That's because Mark is a prolific poster on various Facebook pages and groups of news, views, and commentary about WVU sports. While many fans know him by name, many aren't as familiar with the person behind the feed. That's the purpose of today's podcast. Greg Crist, host of Courtside with Coach Crist on the New River Network, joins me in an entertaining 45-conversation with "The Person Behind the Feed," Mark Parsons. (Video produced for The Sports Column by Frank Fear.
Our guest today is Professor Ellen Schrecker, and she will speak on highly concerning issues in higher education today--the impacts of fiscal austerity, political repression, and the diatribe regarding academic freedom.
For over fifty years, American higher education has been attacked by a powerful right-wing network of libertarian billionaires, ideologues, and ambitious politicians engaged in rolling back its efforts to provide the inclusive, high-level public education a democratic society requires. At the same time, because the academy has also had to cope with the austerity brought on by a neoliberal polity that seeks to defund the public sector, its leaders adopted corporate practices that have undermined the university’s ability to defend itself against the current culture wars. This presentation explains how this situation developed and how the academic community can fight back effectively against the most serious threat it has ever faced.
Professor Emerita Ellen Schrecker of Yeshiva University is one of America’s most persistent and determined voices on the described matters. She has written extensively about McCarthyism, political repression, and American higher education. Her latest book is The Lost Promise: American Universities in the 1960s (2021). Earlier work, especially No Ivory Tower: McCarthyism and the University (1987) and Many Are the Crimes: McCarthyism in America(1998), resonates today. Her forthcoming publication, The Right to Learn: Resisting the Right-wing Attack on Academic Freedom, is a collection of essays co-edited with Valerie C. Johnson and Jennifer Ruth and will be published by Beacon Press in 2024.
Today, she is joined by Professor Jennifer Ruth, film professor at Portland State University’s College of the Arts. FutureU’s founder Dr. Rubén O. Martinez, Michigan State University professor emeritus and FutureU's founder, hosts the forum.
Today's program was produced by Emeritus Professor Frank Fear for FutureU, Conversations about Values and Change in Higher Education.
Greg Crist is one of the most recognizable names in West Virginia sports, the host of COURTSIDE WITH COACH CRIST on the New River Network @newrivernetwork5468, and a member of the West Virginia Sports Legends Hall of Fame. Greg was gracious enough to promote efforts surrounding the publication of Frank Fear's Band of Brothers, Then and Now: The Inspiring Story of the 1966-70 WVU Football Mountaineers.
It's now a time when turnabout is fair play. WVU football alumni Mickey Plumley, Charlie Fisher, and Dickielee Roberts join host Frank Fear in this entertaining and informative session with Greg. (60 minutes).
newrivernetwork #Courtsidewithcoachcrist #wvufootball
bandofbrothersthenandnow #wvsports
Our guest today is Professor Kirsty Morrin. Rather than view entrepreneurship as a uniformly positive concept/practice, something that is beyond the need for investigation and evaluation, Professor Morrin critically examines a subject matter and approach that has become a movement (if not rage) in higher education. Today, colleges and universities worldwide offer entrepreneurship majors, minors, and programs. However, analysis reveals (as Dr. Morrin puts it) that "entrepreneurial agendas conceal precariousness and reproduce inequalities." She argues against the current discourse for entrepreneurial initiatives in education and suggests the need for a critical conversation about its repeated failures.
Professor Morrin is a lecturer in sociology at the University of Liverpool, England. Her research explores social inequalities and focuses on public-private partnerships in state education. Kirsty has published on many issues, including educational inequalities, entrepreneurship education, social inequalities (race, class, and gender), and critical social theory. She is a co-author with Christy Kulz and Ruth McGinity of Inside the Education Lab: Critical Ethnographic Perspectives on the Academies Experiment (Manchester University Press, 2022). Dr. Morrin is also the author of the forthcoming Academies, Entrepreneurship, and Inequality: The Politics of Successful Failure, scheduled to be published by Bristol University Press in 2024.
Joining Professor Morrin today is Professor Rubén O. Martinez, professor emeritus of sociology and director emeritus of the Julian Samora Research Institute at Michigan State University, and FutureU’s founder. Professor Martinez is today's program host. Dr. Nathan Rousseau, professor of sociology at Indiana University Purdue University Columbus and frequent FutureU contributor, will serve as the session discussant.
Today's program was produced by Emeritus Professor Frank Fear for FutureU, Conversations about Values and Change in Higher Education.
We welcome guest speaker John W. Traphagan to our audio series. Today's presentation, Neoliberalism and the Quantification of Quality in Higher Education is based on his recently published FutureU commentary, So You Want to be a University Administrator?
Professor Traphagan analyzes the ongoing infusion of metrics into all aspects of “measuring” quality in higher education. From course surveys to rubrics, the overarching approach is to quantify all aspects of higher ed around a simple equation: good metrics —> good optics —> marketing opportunities.
Dr. J. W. Traphagan is an anthropologist and a Visiting Professor at the Center for International Education at Waseda University in Tokyo. He is also a Professor Emeritus in the Program in Human Dimensions of Organizations at the University of Texas at Austin. His research has appeared in numerous scientific journals. His most recent books on Japan include Cosmopolitan Rurality, Depopulation, and Entrepreneurial Ecosystems in 21st Century Japan (2020) and The Blood of Gutoku: A Jack Riddley Mystery in Japan (2021). His popular podcast series, How to Be Wrong, is available on the New Books Network.
Joining Dr. Traphagan today is Forum host Rubén O. Martinez, professor emeritus of sociology and director emeritus of the Julian Samora Research Institute at Michigan State University, and FutureU’s founder. George Styles a biochemist with broad-ranging interests, including critical thinking, philosophy, and science, offers commentary as a discussant. Dr. Style’s podcast, The Socratic Method, is available on YouTube. Lewis (Terry) Dibble, a humanities professor at Indiana University Purdue University Columbus, offers comments.
Frank Fear produced the program for FutureU on June 20, 2023. The cover graphic is courtesy of Curatti.
For those of us who have long been concerned about the neoliberalization of North American and other universities, now is a particularly disheartening time. Not only do longstanding issues of managerialism, commercialization, audit culture, surveillance, precarity, and others persist, but there are renewed assaults on tenure, academic freedom, and the discussion – let alone remediation – of inequality and social injustice. After so many years of dealing with, critiquing, and challenging neoliberalization, why our resistance is so seemingly ineffective is worth asking. In this talk, I answer this question by critiquing our general approach to making change and highlighting an important missing piece in our activism. I also encourage collective discussion of alternatives to enhance our resistance’s scope and effectiveness.
Today's guest and speaker is Professor Claire Polster. Dr. Polster is a Sociology and Social Studies Professor at the University of Regina. Her research focuses on the ongoing transformation of Canadian (and other Western systems of) higher education and its implications for the public interest. She has published widely on, and worked collectively with others to redress, various higher education issues, including government policy and policy-making related to universities, the privatization and commodification of academic research, and the erosion of university autonomy, democracy, and collegialism. Along with Janice Newson, she is co-editor of Academic Callings: The University We Have Had, Now Have, and Could Have and co-author of A Penny For Your Thoughts: How Corporatization Devalues Teaching, Research, and Public Service in Canada’s Universities. She was also a co-founder of the University of Regina Faculty of Arts’ Community Research Unit. Dr. Polster may be reached at claire.polster@uregina.ca.
Rubén O. Martinez hosted today's program. He is a professor emeritus of sociology and director emeritus of the Julian Samora Research Institute at Michigan State University. Dr. Martinez launched FutureU in 2015. Nathan Rousseau, professor of sociology at Indiana University Purdue University Columbus and frequent FutureU contributor, served as the session discussant.
READINGS:
Thomas Frank, What's the Matter with Kansas? How Conservatives Won the Heart of America.
James Hillman and Michael Ventura, We've Had a Hundred Years of Psychotherapy and the World's Getting Worse.
Kevin Kumashiro,Surrendered: Why Progressives are Losing the Biggest Battles in Education.
The Res-Sistas Manifesto, taken from I’m an Early Career Feminist Academic: Get Me Out of Here?” Encountering and Resisting the Neoliberal Academy, published in Rachel Thwaites and Amy Pressland, Being an Early Career Feminist Academic: Global Perspectives, Experiences, and Challenges.
Frank A. Fear produced today's program for FutureU. The cover graphic (STOP Neoliberalism) is reproduced courtesy of KBOO, Portland, Oregon's volunteer-personed, non-commercial, and listener-sponsored community radio.
(This program was recorded on Friday, May 19, 2023)
The Political Right has Public Higher Education in its sights. A series of actions undertaken by Governor Ron DeSantis and the Florida Legislature lead the way, and similar actions are underway in North Carolina, Virginia, Texas, and Ohio, among other states. The legislative overreach includes reconstituting governing boards, restricting/delisting campus-based Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) initiatives, and Critical Race Theory (CRT). A proposal before the Ohio Legislature would mandate what and how American history is taught to all state public university students. The incursion is akin to what is happening in K-12 education. School board races have become one of America’s most highly contested political sectors, and battles rage nationally about censoring books in public libraries. There is much to discuss, and we are pleased to have a panel of experienced educators with us today. Marty Ambrose completed her M.Phil. at the University of York (England) and has taught English at Florida Southwestern State College for over three decades. Her specialty is nineteenth-century British literature, and she has authored many historical fiction books set around the Byron/Shelley circle. Roger Barbee, a retired educator from North Carolina, has extensive experience as a public and private school English teacher and administrator. He has contributed to the Washington Post and Birmingham Arts Journal, and his poetry chapbook, Applewood Street (2022), was published by Plan B Press. Cindy Banyai earned a bachelor’s degree from Michigan State University and graduate degrees (master’s and Ph.D.) from Ritsumeikan Asia Pacific University. A program evaluator, community developer, and community organizer, she has served as president of the international Community Development Society and was a candidate (Democratic Party) for the U.S. House of Representatives (FL-19) in 2020 and 2022. Banyai was an outspoken critic of the Trump Administration and is now speaking out against the DeSantis Administration. Nathan Rousseau is an associate professor of sociology at Indiana University Purdue University Columbus. He has published widely on various topics associated with social change, emphasizing neoliberalism's impact on individuals and society. He is the author of the forthcoming book, Between Past and Future: The Struggle to Transform Race Relations in the United States. Rubén O. Martinez will host today's program. A professor emeritus of sociology and former director of the Julian Samora Research Institute at Michigan State University, his scholarly interests include environmental justice, neoliberalism, academic freedom, and institutional and societal change. Frank A. Fear, emeritus professor at Michigan State University, produced today's program for FutureU, Conversations about Values and Change in Higher Education. (The program was taped on March 29. 2023)
The drive for attention is central to the quest for success as colleges and universities compete for students, faculty, and funding. The branding/marketing mania is reaching into the faculty, too. Many colleagues feel increasing pressure to generate attention and visibility for their work, and they find that intellectual humility has become a hindrance. Academic work has always been based on balancing individual and community interests, and the need for attention is fostering hype, overselling, and the need to publish "sellable" research output. Today's discussion will focus on how a drive for attention is reshaping the purpose of higher education, including academic practice, how contemporary forces are undermining public trust in higher education and science, and what can be done to restore intellectual humility and community balance, both of which are central to the pursuit of knowledge.
ADRIAN LENARDIC teaches modeling & design, skateboard videography, visualizing nature, and planetary science at Rice University. He was born in Zagreb, Croatia (he rarely misses a Croatian soccer match). His undergraduate degree is from UW-Madison, where he started as an art major before switching to physics (he still co-teaches a class in the art department). His Ph.D. is from UCLA, where he was introduced to planetary science (as well as learning to surf). Before coming to Rice, he was a president's postdoctoral fellow at UC Berkeley (the snowboard days). Adrian's scientific research relates to understanding interactions between the Earth's interior and surface environment, model development and uncertainty assessment, and multiple tangent meanderings. He is part of a first prize-winning art-car team and the recipient of the mayor's award, from the Jamail skate park, for the most improved skateboarder over 30.
Today's forum, sponsored by FutureU at https://futureu.education/, is hosted by Ruben O. Martinez, and the audio was produced by Frank Fear on behalf of FutureU.
A book project is keeping me away from the microphone. With luck, I’ll be back in October. Until then, be well and thanks for listening. Frank
Jim Carlen, head football coach at West Virginia, Texas Tech, and South Carolina, 1966-1981) is on this year's ballot for induction into the College Football Hall of Fame. Leadership set Jim Carlen apart, not just leadership in the football sense, but in terms of leadership writ large. Carlen was adept at doing the things that great leaders do, including visioning, personnel selection/deployment, establishing/reinforcing group norms and performance expectations, and day-to-day-management. Being a consummate leader translated into Jim Carlin being a great football coach (career record of 109-67-6). This audiocast is designed to offer testimony to that assertion, voiced by those who played under and coached with him at West Virginia University from 1966 to 1969. Those you'll hear include John Hale, Tom Kucer, Dick Roberts, Mickey Plumley, Phil Callicut, Richard Bell, Ken Juskowich, and Danny Wilfong. This 30-minute audiocast is a companion piece to the article, COMMENTARY: Great Leadership Set Jim Carlen Apart, published in The Sports Column. (Cover photo courtesy of WV Sports Now)
Mike Balow will be on the November 2022 ballot in Michigan (statewide) as a candidate for the MSU Board of Trustees. In this 40-minute podcast, Mike talks about his background, why he decided to run, and what he hopes to accomplish should he be elected. Mike has lived most of his life in Michigan. He is a U.S. Naval Academy graduate and a military veteran who served overseas. A family man, businessperson, and community servant, he is dedicated to helping MSU be the best university it can be. His daughter, Sophia, is an MSU undergraduate student. Learn more about Mike Balowat his website and on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
(This program was hosted by Frank Fear and produced for FutureU, Conversations about Values and Change in Higher Education. The cover photo is courtesy of The State News.)
It is impossible to describe Cassidy Krug without using the word "success." A high-profile athlete in the sport of diving, Cassidy was an All-America (high school and college), a 10-time national champion, a member of Team USA, and a participant in the 2012 London Olympics. But when you listen to Cassidy talk about how and why success came her way, you will be hard-pressed to hear the word "me." Instead, "we" is her word choice--her parents, coaches, teammates, and others with whom she engaged, and all those who supported, mentored, and enabled her development. Listen as Cassidy talks about her life and other issues, including her thoughts about the status and future of Olympic-style college sports. She also briefs us about her interviews (for a book) with former Olympians, and what she has learned regarding their transition from the intensity of training and competing to post-Olympic life. Uplifting and inspiring--that is Cassidy Krug.
(This program was produced by Frank Fear for The Sports Column. The cover photo is courtesy of the U.S. Olympic Diving Team)
character #swimminganddiving #TeamUSA #Olympics #collegeathletics #Stanford
When it comes to social issues, America isn't willing to do what needs to be done. Instead, America puts individual rights over social responsibilities and elevates "me" over "we." Even trying to change that formula elicits calls of radical, socialist, and un-American. So we have racism, a gun problem, and segregated cities--three things that came together in Buffalo, New York, and a murderer took ten lives. (cover photo courtesy of The Buffalo News)
With sociopolitical identities on steroids these days, the overarching proposition is usversus them, and heaven help those who seek to bridge the political divide. How did we get here and what can be done? We'll tackle that question with the help of Cassandra and an Old Testament story, the Tower of Babel.
Here is my review of the film Master (2022), written and directed by Mariama Diallo, produced by Animal Kingdom/Big Indie Pictures, and distributed by Amazon Studios. Starring Regina Hall, Zoe Renee, and Amber Gray the film focuses on the cutural and social dynamics facing three African American women at an elite college. "It is a tricky proposition to be "in" but not "of" an oppressive culture—to derive benefits without absorbing toxicity, interpreting everyday life as "normal," and (perhaps) becoming a cheerleader or (worse yet) an active agent." You can read the text version of this audiocast at Hollywood Progressive. Go here.
Larry Busch delivered this keynote address at the conference Neoliberalism and Public Higher Education, which was held at Michigan State University on March 27-28, 2015. Professor Busch, who held the title of distinguished professor, passed away in December 2019. “Thank you for all the moments that have made my life an excellent one.” Larry wrote a few days before he passed away. We say the same thing to Larry, He will continue to teach and inspire us. "His ideas and love of humanity are carried on by those who knew him." wrote Professor Ruben Martinez recently. Martinez organized and convened the 2015 conference.
In this episode, Distinguished Professor Emeritus Levin (University of California, Riverside) draws on his work, including his article with Aida Aliyeva, “Embedded Neoliberalism within Faculty Behaviors," published in The Review of Higher Education, and his book with Marie C. Martin and Ariadna I. López Damián, "University Management, the Academic Profession, and Neoliberalism" (SUNY Press). The program was hosted by Professor Rubén Martinez with Amy Jamison and Frank Fear serving as discussants. This program was produced by FutureU, Conversations about Values and Change in Higher Education at https://futureu.education/
When it comes to March Madness, I focus exclusively on Mid-Major teams that might spring first-round upsets. Here’s how I did this year. (Cover photo, Getty Images; basketball stats cited in this audiocast courtesy of NCAA NET, ESPN, and Caesars Sportsbook)
Terry Gallagher, community developer and activist, cared deeply about County Mayo Ireland and its people. I was blessed to work and learn from him. Terry passed away in February 2022 at 89 years, a month shy of his 90th birthday. This audio was to have been part of Terry's birthday celebration. Now it is my memorial to him. So here are my reflections on Terry's life--a life lived with purpose, passion, and perseverance--dedicated to putting people first, especially small farm, non-farm rural, and village families in the Irish West.
Just when you think you've seen more than enough money and commercialization in major college football and basketball -- in what was intended to be amateur competition — you see even more money and commercialization enter the system. The line gets crossed again and again. To explore this subject and to address what might be done in response, FutureU is pleased to welcome a panel of knowledgeable and distinguished guests. Jason Kelly is associate editor of the Notre Dame Alumni Magazine, and he serves as acting director of Notre Dame's journalism school. His recently published "The (Next) Line that Can’t Be Crossed" ends with a quote from ND's Athletic Director, Jack Swarbrick: "We better be asking what we want college football to be, and how we make sure it still fits inside a university environment." Ellen Staurowsky, a professor in the Roy H. Park School of Communications at Ithaca College, is a nationally prominent author. A fellow of the North American Society for Sport Management, her co-authored book with Allen L. Sack, College Athletes for Hire: The Evolution and Legacy of the NCAA’s Amateur Myth, is a seminal contribution to the literature. Jared Good, a third-year law student at Penn State Law (Penn State University), is keenly interested in legal and ethical issues associated with college and professional sports. He has written a number of articles on the Olympics, Formula 1 racing, the NFL, college sports, and other topics. Our panel also includes legacy college athletes — Mickey Plumley, Dick Roberts, Charlie Fisher, and Bob Zitelli -- who played football at West Virginia University during a different time and era, the late 1960s. They are adept at comparing the game played then with the game played today. The program is hosted by Frank Fear, professor emeritus, Michigan State University, and managing editor of FutureU.
I love screening not-so-big colleges that might spring upsets in the opening round of the NCAA men's basketball tournament and then sharing the outcomes of my research. I've been doing it for about five years with fairly good results, and I'm back at it again in 2022. This is the first of two takes. The second take will come at conference tournament time in late February/very early March.
The film invites us to answer an all-important question: How will I respond? The answer is for each of us to do the responsible and constructive thing, each in our own way. It requires us to do both of those things now — before the proverbial comet hits.
Andrew Yang announced recently that he was leaving the Democratic Party. In a crisply written piece entitled “Breaking Up with the Democratic Party,” Yang declared, "I believe I can reach people who are outside the system more effectively. Making partisan arguments—particularly expressing what I often see as performative sentiment—is sometimes uncomfortable for me. I often think, 'Okay, what can we actually do to solve the problem?' I'm pretty sure there are others who feel the same way I do." To understand more about Yang’s substantive trajectory, I picked up a copy of his new book, Forward: Notes on the Future of our Democracy(New York: Crown, 2021). I found it to be an excellent read, especially for Progressives. Here's why.
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.)
Professor Juan Pablo Pardo-Guerra, the University of California, San Diego, discusses his forthcoming book, The Quantified Scholar (Columbia University Press, 2022). The Quantified Scholar provides a compelling account of how scores, metrics, and standardized research evaluations altered the incentives of scientists and administrators by rewarding forms of scholarship closer to established disciplinary canons. In doing so, research evaluations amplified publication hierarchies and longstanding forms of academic prestige to the detriment of diversity. Slowly but surely, they reshaped academic departments, the interests of scholars, the organization of disciplines, and the employment conditions of researchers. This FutureU presentation was hosted by Dr. Zachary Kaiser, Associate Professor of Graphic Design and Experience Architecture, Michigan State University. Dr. Ruben Martinez, Professor of Sociology, and Dr. Frank Fear, Professor Emeritus, both of Michigan State University, served as discussants. Dr. Fear produced the program for FutureU.
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)
The juxtaposition of an iconic American love song playing in the background with contestants falling dead, murdered as part of a 'game,' should tell us all we need to know about this nasty brew. But for every person who tells me they have clipped the program from their viewing schedule, another says they'll keep viewing. In Squid Game, the camera is on us.
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 ofFutureU, Conversations about Values and Change in Higher Education.
Playing to be 'the best' in college football is a futile game because only a few schools (and, I would argue, only one conference, the Southeastern Conference) are primed to win. The SEC's acquisition of Oklahoma and Texas, and the decision to form a 'football alliance' among the PAC-12, Big Ten, and Atlantic Coast conferences (leaving out the Big 12), illustrate why.
Listen to co-authors Daniel J. O'Connell and Scott J. Peters discuss their new book, In the Struggle: Scholars and the Fight Against Industrial Agriculture in California. O'Connell and Peters are joined by discussants Raymond A. Jussaume, Jr. and Adalberto Aguirre, Jr. Jim Bingen and Joe Scrimger also offer comments. (This audio was produced by FutureU and was hosted by Ruben Martinez and Frank Fear. Cover photo Ernesto Galarza courtesy of AFL-CIO.)
Chairperson Kim (Sandra Oh) and Professor Dobson (Bill Duplass) are faculty members, first and foremost, even when that choice comes with personal and professional costs. Neoliberalism loses in The Chair. The Collegium triumphs.
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.)
Recent condemnation of Critical Race Theory, including imposing restrictions about what can be taught in schools about America’s history, represents a major obstacle to truth-telling, an infringement of free speech, and an insult to academic freedom. It is another signal that democracy is in peril. Thankfully, many Americans seek truth and justice, including today's guests. MARK MCCORMICK is Director of Strategic Communications, ACLU of Kansas. A New York Times best-selling author, Mark has 20-plus years of experience as a reporter, editor, and columnist. His books include "Some Were Paupers, Some Were Kings: Dispatches from Kansas." MARTHA BIREDA directs the Blanchard House Museum of African American History and Culture in Punta Gorda, FL. Her most recent book, "A Time for Change: How White Supremacy Ideology Harms All Americans," was published in June 2021. RUBEN MARTINEZ is professor and director of The Julian Samora Research Institute, Michigan State University. His extensive publication record on circumstances/issues affecting Latinos includes a recent essay, "Divisive Concepts and the Problem of Racism." This video was produced and hosted by Frank Fear for FutureU FutureU, https://futureu.education. (Cover art, courtesy CNN)
Michigan St. U. peeps may remember John Magee. John held several positions at the U, including Exec Staff Assistant, College of Arts and Letters, and staff assistant in Ag & Nat Resources. Today, John serves as Assistant VP & Chief International Officer at Madonna University, Lavonia, MI. John and I continue to get together (he introduced me to his brother Jim along the way), and we talk about a range of issues. One issue (the focus here) is what John and Jim (also an internationalist) have learned about working internationally. "It's not about the deal," they argue, and it's certainly not about mining other countries for money and students. Rather, it's about establishing meaningful relationships and creating partnerships that benefit all parties involved. Not earth-shattering, you say? Well...ego, hubris, arrogance, and institutional self-centeredness (what another colleague calls "The Organization First" syndrome) make it more difficult (than easier) to put into practice. So here are John and Jim on "It's Not About the Deal."
Politically motivated philanthropy can influence who gets hired, who is awarded tenure/promoted, and what is taught/researched. Subject-matter priorities include promoting the primacy of free-market capitalism and safeguarding the ethic of American Exceptionalism. Recent efforts have focused on restricting teaching the legacy of racism in America, including rejecting Critical Race Theory as a legitimate framework for interpreting U.S. history. Thankfully, academics across the country are responding to these pernicious activities. We feature two of those colleagues in today's program--ISAAC KAMOLA, Trinity College, and BETHANY LETIECQ, George Mason University. Kamola’s recent article in Inside Higher Education, "Where Does the Bizarre Hysteria About CRT Come From? Follow the Money!," has received nationwide acclaim. Kamola’s new book (out in November), "Free Speech and Koch Money: Manufacturing a Campus Culture War" (with Ralph Wilson), examines how the Koch donor network funds the student groups, campus provocateurs, think tanks, litigation organizations, and the right-wing media outlets responsible for manufacturing the so-called ‘campus free speech crisis.’ Letiecq is a faculty activist at one of America’s most infiltrated universities. She serves on the GMU Faculty Senate and is president of the campus chapter of the American Association of University Professors (AAUP). In her GMU-AAUP role, she partnered with student leaders and worked to expose undue donor influence at GMU, and she has also challenged the privatization of presidential searches and working conditions of contracted workers during COVID. Letiecq wrote about GMU and donor influence in "George Mason University’s Donor Problem and the Fight for Transparency," which was published in AAUP’s Academe. (This podcast was produced by Frank Fear for FutureU, July 2021, and was transcribed for transmission here.)
There is a lot of pressure in leadership circles these days to beat the competition and score 'big wins.' Because of that emphasis, we can sometimes set aside the importance of what author David Brooks calls Eulogy Virtues, things like doing the right thing, being courageous in the face of political pressure, and figuring out ways to balance performance and integrity. In this program, James Votruba (president emeritus, Northern Kentucky Univesity) joins me in celebrating the life of one of Jim's mentors, Paul Miller, a person who embodied Eulogy Virtues in spirit and practice. Our conversation is more than a remembrance. It is a plea for emphasizing the importance of Eulogy Virtues when we use the word 'leadership.' To learn more about Paul Miller's life and work, read Remembering Paul A. Miller: Leadership for the Public Good. (Today's program is brought to you by FutureU and LA Progressive.)
Nobody defends America's political divide, and most call it out emphatically. And yet, it not only persists, but it is arguably getting wider, deeper, and hotter. One reason is that millions of Americas make a habit of contributing to the divide. Dysfunctional? ‘Understandable’ is another way of looking at it. Here's why and what we can do to heal America--before it is too late.
What are they thinking? How many times have we heard ourselves or others speak those words? A lot, I'm sure. But what we don't say or hear as much is this: “I’m not sure why they believe and act as they do. I need to understand.” An exploration of the phenomenon 'stupidity' says that would be a good idea.
The five-decade-long evolution from institution to industry widened and accelerated during the Age of Trump–an era that persists–and the outcome has changed what higher education represents, how it operates, and what it offers. Drawing on their book, Neoliberalism and Academic Repression, co-editors Erik Juergensmeyer and Anthony J. Nocella II discuss the impact and consequences of higher education in the Age of Trump and comment on what can be done to reverse this pernicious shift. Erik and Anthony are joined by discussants Jason Del Gandio and Amy Jamison. Co-hosted by Frank Fear and Ruben Martinez. This audio brought to you by FutureU: Conversations about Values and Change.
America's indefensible storyline includes mass killings of African Americans—not by police, but by fellow Americans. One such event--in Tulsa, OK--took place a century ago this week. The story didn't end there; it continues, and very differently from how it started. What happened in Tulsa a century ago was disgraceful. What’s happening today in Tulsa gives hope.
We all devote time and attention to affiliations, and there is great joy and fulfillment to be experienced that way. By the same token, there are times when it is important to step back, raise questions, and take counter-positions to prevailing choices. “It's harder to do than it sounds,” wrote Jennifer Finney Boyton recently. Here's why.
Agatha Christie observed human nature in its various forms and proclivities. She wrote using an unpretentious platform—the mystery novel--too easily viewed for its entertainment value and too easily sold short as a portrait of human behavior and society. Today, I'll focus on the portrait.
That distorted picture, which mocks the purpose of athletics in higher education, privileges intercollegiate athletics in commercialized and quasi-professionalized forms. It's time to put an upside-down system right-side up.
The year is 1981 and two colleagues—Wallace Shawn and Andre Gregory—play themselves in a loosely based autobiographical enactment. The film’s theme is basic but elusive: a person can benefit from spending time with a fundamentally different person. That theme is as relevant today as it was four decades ago.
Each year I wager a guess at which mid-major men's college basketball teams might surprise during the opening weekend of March Madness. Here are teams to watch this year. (Cover photo, Grand Canyon's Asbjorn Midgaard as published in the Arizona Republic)
A viable Independent candidate may enter Florida's 2022 gubernatorial race. He is David Jolly, formerly elected to the U.S. House of Representatives, who left the Republican Party with fanfare. While an Independent running for statewide office rarely makes headline news, this time it is. Here's why and what it could mean for Florida and beyond.
Each year I wager a guess at which 'mid-majors' might surprise during the opening weekend of March Madness. Here are teams to watch this year.
Nothing. Silence from the public Left about Cuomo is no different from silence from the public Right re Trump's transgressions.
Omar H. Ali’s, In the Balance of Power: Independent Black Politics and Third-Party Movements in the United States, could carry the title, “What We Should Have Learned in High School, But Didn’t.” And you can engage Professor Ali virtually on Sunday, February 21, 7 p.m. ET, when he talks about his book at The Politics for People Book Club. Register here to participate (no-cost).
It’s easy to get carried away with rankings, but I don’t think that posture applies this time. I’m talking about America’s international standing in 2020 as measured byThe Social Progress Index. We’re ranked #28 in the world. Why are we falling in the rankings? What can be done to reverse it? Here's what I think.
It's not a government program, and it's not a non-profit offering either. It's the product of citizen resolve--The Edgewood Village Scholars Program. Starting in elementary school, students living in resource-limited households are prepped for college. Launched in 2008, the program is yielding college graduates. Located in the Lansing, MI area, the program is assisted by Michigan State University and funded by various means, including local philanthropy. In Part 1, you met founder John Duley and three other program principals--Donna Kaplowitz, John Melcher, and Judy Gardi. Today, get to know Makela Rodgers (University of Southern California), Audriyana Jaber (Michigan State University), and Mohammed Fattah (University of Michigan) as they talk about the program. Learn more about The Edgewood Village Scholars program.
It's not a government program, and it's not a non-profit offering either. It's the product of citizen resolve--The Edgewood Village Scholars Program. Starting in elementary school, students living in resource-limited households are prepped for college. Launched in 2008, the program is yielding college graduates. Located in the Lansing, MI area, the program is assisted by Michigan State University and funded by various means, including local philanthropy. Today, founder John Duley joins three other program principals--Donna Kaplowitz, John Melcher, and Judy Gardi--in talking about this very important program.
Kadin McElwain of Murfreesboro, Tennessee, joins me in reflecting on 2020 and what we might do to make 2021 a better year for ourselves and others. We draw on thoughts authored by somebody famous--Charles Dickens--and somebody not, Vera Hogan of Fenton, MI. Both offer wise observations, indeed.
Caryl Churchill’s play, Top Girls, was written in the early 1980s and first performed in 1982. An outstanding piece of socio-cultural satire, it was also a timely response to Neoliberalism. When Churchill wrote the play, Neoliberalism was being foisted full-stop on Britain by its enthusiastic practitioner, Margaret Thatcher. That was then. Today, her critique continues to stand tall.
In today's podcast, I draw on the work of 20th Century dramaturgist J.B. Priestly in his mid-century play, An Inspector Calls. Published in 1945 and set in 1912 Britain, it’s one of Priestley’s best-known works. As a social commentator, Priestley puts a mirror before us and asks, “What do you see?” Although written during a very different era, Priestley’s portrait applies today. It’s one reason why the BBC adapted it in the 2015 eponymously titled screenplay written by Helen Edmonson. Priestly gives us much to think about and, perhaps more so, tells us why it's so important to serve the public good--as Barbara Sawyer-Koch has done throughout her life.
Shared governance and faculty voice--then, now, and for the future--is a panel presentation/discussion hosted by Ruben Martinez. Topics and panelists are: 'History Erased' with Frank Fear, professor emeritus; 'Faculty Voice in Shared Governance” with Andaluna Borcila, associate professor; and '“Rebuilding Shared Governance” with Stephen Gasteyer, associate professor. Drs. Martinez. Fear, Borcila, and Gasteyer are all affiliated with Michigan State University. The video includes commentary by Anna Pegler-Gordon and Janice Beecher, who are also MSU affiliated. The audio was produced by Future U, and it's also available for viewing on YouTube.
What began with economic liberalism--rooted in Adam Smith’s 18th Century classic book, The Wealth of Nations--has evolved and morphed well beyond economics, first to public policy and, today, to the socio-cultural sphere. Berkeley’s Wendy Brown asserts that Neoliberalism has become a 'saturating reality principle in society.’ Much has been written about the impact of Neoliberalism on higher education, and a recent example is Professor Rousseau's article, The Sociological Imagination, Neoliberalism, and Higher Education (published in Social Currents, 2020). Today, we'll hear from Nathan, discussants Ruben Martinez and Amy Jamison, and other colleagues, as they explore this important subject. (Today's program was produced by FutureUandis also available in audiovisual form on YouTube, "Neoliberalism in Higher Education with Professor Nathan Rousseau.")
Music is entertainment and more. For social activists, music is an anthem for change. It also inspires, stimulates, educates, galvanizes/connects people, celebrates, agitates, truth-tells, and does much more. In this video, Paul Babladelis and Jennifer HudsonPrenkert join Frank Fear to discuss music as change agent. They illustrate the discussion with four of Paul's performances: My Own Two Hands (written by Ben Harper), and three songs that Paul composed, What They Do Best, When We Gonna' Wake Up?, and The Not So Pure Michigan Blues. NOTE: This audiocast is an introduction to the full discussion and music presentation, which is available on YouTube either by clicking the link or by searching "Music as Change Agent" at YouTube. Enjoy!
It’s a force that few in the general public recognize and even fewer call it by name. But the 'it,' Neoliberalism, has changed society. And as Neoliberalism keeps evolving and morphing, it becomes increasingly destructive, encroaching on democracy and on many other issues/matters that progressives hold dear. I make the case drawing on Wendy Brown's recent book, In the Ruins of Neoliberalism
Times change. Human behavior? That’s another story. Never seen anybody like Donald J. Trump? Well, there have been others. In 1875, British novelist Anthony Trollope wrote about one of them in his classic, The Way We Live Now. The character’s name was Augustus Melmotte.
Welcome everyone to “Bailey at 20,” celebrating the 20th anniversary of the launch of the Liberty Hyde Bailey Scholars Program at Michigan State University. In the mid-1990s, Dean Fred Poston asked faculty to design a program that would complement and supplement students' undergraduate majors. What emerged was the Bailey Scholars Program. In this podcast, you'll hear multiple reflections about the program. Thank you, Monica Glysson Craven, Emma Albrecht, Marquita Chamblee, Howard Person, the Halsted family (alumna Kristen Halsted Marks, her mother Lois and father Lee Halsted, and grandfather George Greenleaf), Carl Schwartzkopf, Kent Workman, John Duley, Angelica Forde, Paty Jaimes, Glenn Sterner, Fred Poston, and Kelly Millenbah. We close with thoughts from the current director, Jeno Rivera, and current academic adviser, Dustin Petty, about Bailey present and future. I hope you enjoy listening to 'Bailey at 20' as much as I enjoyed producing it.
Have I snarked? Mea culpa! It's one reason I decided to write this essay, which is an attempt to elevate understanding of what has become a ubiquitous but poorly understood phenomenon. America isn’t divided when it comes to 'snark.' Right, Center, Left ... Republican, Democrat, Independent, Other ... Urban, Suburban. Rural .... East, West, North, South ... Profession or trade... It doesn’t matter. All education levels, too. There is snark. And snark exacerbates the political divide. #NoMoreSnark
With the global rise in Populist activity, it's a good time to get a better handle on what Populism means, including who Populists are, what they believe, and what they do.
Review of a new book: Katherine M. Gehl and Michael E. Porter, The Politics Industry (Boston: Harvard Business Review Press, 2020).
Authored by Professor Amos N. Guiora and published by American Bar Association Publishing (2020).
For years, storylines about sexual assaults have focused on perpetrators and victims/survivors--and for very good reasons. There's a related storyline, too. It's about institutional affiliates who either observe or know about sexual assaults but do not take appropriate action on the victims' behalf. Omissions make it easier for perpetrators to get away with assaults, for assaults to continue, and for institutions to cover up what happened. Joining me today to discuss this important issue are Professor Amos Guiora (University of Utah), whose new book, Armies of Enablers, is a major contribution to the field, and Elizabeth Abdnour, Lansing, MI-area attorney, who is an advocate for survivors and outspoken on the issue of institutional enablement. (NOTE: This program is sponsored by FutureU, a network of colleagues concerned about the status and future of higher education.)
Tom and Diane have speaking roles on 'Duley Acknowledged,' but it only seemed right to offer them extended time so that they could express their admiration and thanks to John Duley, whom they've known for 50 years. Here are Tom and Diane Emling.
Welcome to a special recording, ‘Duley Acknowledged,” acknowledging John Duley on his 100th birthday. You'll hear a variety of voices talking about John's life and work. You'll hear expressions of admiration and respect for what John has meant to them and how he has served the public good. Thank you, Ann Kammerer, Judy Gardi, Lynn Jondahl, David Hollister, Bob Green, Elaine Davis, Diane & Tom Emling, Kent Workman, Donna Kaplowitz, Steve Esquith, Mary Edens, and Dwight Giles. Well done! Know that ‘Duley Acknowledged” is part of a two-part recording. ‘Duley Noted’ is John talking about his life’s journey—his values, convictions, and various engagements over the years. 'Duley Noted' is available here.
In the 2 hours that follow, John Duley shares thoughts about his lifelong commitment to serving the public good. John's work spans his formative years as an Ohio State student, seminary education in NYC, sabbatical at Cambridge University, campus ministry work in Kalamazoo, Columbus, State College, and East Lansing. student development work at MSU & nationally, and in a variety of efforts undertaken over nearly 40 years since retiring from full-time employment. Among other things, John fought for open housing, participated actively in the Civil Rights Movement, and lead national efforts in student field experiential education and service-learning. Today, John continues to have an impact. An example is The Edgewood Scholars Program, which John describes in this recording. Framed beautifully in an overview delivered by East Lansing's Ann Kammerer, 'Duley Noted' bears witness to the power of civic engagement. (cover photo courtesy of ELi, East Lansing Info)
Nearly a century and a half ago, the major parties put partisan interests before country and, in the exchange, dealt African Americans a vicious blow. Because hyperactive party politics and racial intolerance are as alive today as they were back then, could America revisit history later this year? Here's what happened nearly 150 years ago, what might happen this year, and what we can do in counter-response.
It's rare to see public stakeholders/constituents involved in the decision-making process these days. Instead, executives announce decisions and then turn to public relations to ‘spin it’ in a positive direction. Engaging stakeholders has become a leadership exception rather than a leadership rule. Democratic Professionalism is a much-needed alternative.
1939 and 2020 seem so far apart, but they aren't when it comes to living in the Land of Oz. "Lions and Tigers and Bears, oh my!"
The literature has helped me better understand the political realities of living in 21st Century America. I've already discussed two books in this podcast series, Anand Giridharadas' 'Winners Take All' and Joseph Stiglitz's, 'People, Power, and Profits.' I'll discuss another book in this podcast, Isabel Wilkerson's recently released, 'Caste.' But as I read books like those I'm also struck by how similar messages have been in the public domain for years. I pick two for discussion in this podcast: Rev. Fulton Sheen's popular network TV program of the 1950s, "Life is Worth Living,' and George Carlin's 2006 comedy album/special, 'Life is Worth Losing.' What do Sheen and Carlin have to say? Why did they say it? And what does it mean for today? Listen on as I talk about 'The United States of Plutocracy.'
Every time I think something is new, it isn’t. Sure, the characters change, and the plot twists aren’t the same, but there’s thematic similarity. Today’s back and forth is about public health in the face of a pandemic, but more than a century ago it was about government inaction to ensure food safety. Dr. Anthony Fauci meet Dr. Wiley—Dr. Harvey Washington Wiley, that is—a government scientist who took on America’s food industry and its sundry political backers.
Two of my favorite historical figures--Lucy Burns and Alice Paul--were protagonists in one of my favorite stories in politics--how women activists pushed and pushed to secure women's right to vote. 70+ years it took, from start to finish. Burns and Paul weren't involved at the beginning, but they sealed the deal at the end. Along the way, they took on a sitting president...and won. In today's podcast, we'll focus on Lucy Burns--an incredibly gifted citizen-activist who has flown under the radar far too long. (Recorded in honor of my spouse, Kathleen Lucille Burns Fear)
2020 and 1963 aren't far apart. (Excerpts from Dr. Martin Luther King's 'Letter from a Birmingham Jail,' April 1963)
You’ve heard it said hundreds of times, ‘It’s worth fighting for.’ It's a reference to something that's really important—deep and personal—and something from which you can’t turn away. A cause is also worth fighting for--like hunger, which you can see; intolerance which you can taste; and sexism, or homophobia, or racism which you can feel. Some causes require valor, including the possibility of giving your life for the greater good. And that's what happened in the two stories I share here.
I prepared this podcast for three reasons. First, Neoliberal is a cumbersome/dense concept. So I look at Neoliberalism in a way that's easier to understand—Margaret Thatcher’s TINA (‘There is No Alternative’). Second, I describe an alternative to Neoliberalism/TINA/-Progressive Capitalism—an approach advanced by Columbia University professor and Nobel Prize-winning economist, Joseph Stiglitz. Using market and other reforms, PC makes Capitalism work for all people, not just for a few. Finally, PC is relevant in this year’s national election. Elizabeth Warren embraces its tenants (not all candidates do). For those familiar with her work, it’s easy to see why.
Jason Feirman (co-host of '3rd & 3' podcast) and Bill Rizzo (prof emeritus, U. of Wisconsin) join Frank to talk about the uncertain state of America's sports. From COVID-19 to systemic racism in sports/society to whether there should be sports this year, it's a conversation you won't want to miss.
Browsing through my library collection the other day, I came across Malcolm Gladwell’s 2000 book, The Tipping Point. Back then, Gladwell used an epidemiological model to describe and explain social change. It dawned on me that America is currently experiencing two pandemics--one is disease-related and the other is a people’s movement—and both are being spread by person-to-person contact. The natural and social worlds share characteristics.
"Positivity" is a word Kadin likes to use. "My purpose in life is to spread positivity in a negative world," he wrote recently. Kadin uses writing and music as tools to build that world. I Kadin through his writing. He writes just about every day, and he always has something important to say--about drug use, violence, responsibility, and doing the right thing. Today it's your turn to meet 16-year-old Kadin McElwain.
America has awakened! But it's only the first step in the long road of change. Citizen protests--as important as they are--only go so far. Institutions need to change, too, and that’s no easy matter. And change is especially difficult when circumstances have become hardened--socio-culturally and institutionally--where longstanding demographics and institutional lethargy come into play. There's a way through the maze, of course. At issue is how to get through it. John Lewis has advice about how.
Tom Edens of Bellaire, Michigan died March 15 2020 at the age of 80 after a courageous battle with Lewy Body Dementia. Professor Emeritus, Michigan State University, Tom was a true north compass to his spouse, children, grandchildren, and lifelong friends. He was a brilliant collaborator, thoughtful listener, resourceful problem solver, and tinkerer. His subtle and dry sense of humor was everpresent, even in the most challenging of times. People gravitated to him. Modest and understated, we celebrate Tom and the impact he had on us. This audio remembrance is an expression of our love--Mary Edens, Norm Sauer, Richard Bawden, Jim Bingen, Rich Merritt, David Wright, Russ Edens, and Chris Le Pottier with Frank Fear Sr. (producer) and Frank Fear Jr. (host).
Roger Barbee's recent article, "Systemic Racism in College Sports is Only Part of the Story," is the point of departure for a panel discussion with Seth Isenberg, owner/publisher of The Journal-Herald (White Haven, PA), Roger, and me on the status and future of big-time college sports--football and men's basketball, specifically.
Screenwriter and author Matthew Paris is also a film producer, director, and actor. His award-winning The Last Catch nabbed the Orsen Wells Award for Best Screenplay at the California Film Awards, and the Golden Reel Award for Best Short Film at the Canadian International Film Festival. As an author, Matthew's resume includes Eight Lanes to Glory, The Eyes on Me, and Two Hearts as One.
We're living a New Gilded Age, not unlike America of the late 19th and early 20th centuries, when people like Carnegie, Morgan, and Rockefeller held sway. With public funding in distress today, we look increasingly to elites to support programs and initiatives. Anand Giridharadas argues for an alternative--for citizen-engaged democratic work undertaken in egalitarian public institutions that serve the public good. In this podcast, I summarize Giridharadas' critique and offer recommendations for achieving the vision he prefers.
In times of crisis, leaders need to act truthfully, decisively, and rapidly. That happened 80 years ago Tuesday. Called 'The Miracle of Deliverance,' bold action saved thousands of lives. Today, America needs its own brand of 'deliverance.' Here's why and how'
Sam Johnson has done so many meaningful things during this life--becoming an Emmy-winning local TV producer, engaging in public outreach work with the Federal government, appearing in Hollywood films, and writing historical and children's books, among many other things. You'll enjoy meeting Sam and learning more about his work and life.
Unrigged is a timely and relevant book, one that electoral reformers and democracy activists/scholars will enjoy reading. David Daley documents the work of everyday Americans who were unwilling to accept the status quo--and then worked to change it.
In 1995, Robert Barr and John Tagg published an article that launched a sea change in undergraduate education. Bob Barr reflects on the experience in this edition of 'Under the Radar.'
Written in 1971 by soon-to-be Supreme Court Justice Lewis F. Powell, it's called The Powell Memo (sometimes referred to as The Powell Manifesto). Powell created a Conservative call to arms. Decades later, you can see Powell's influence in enterprises like Fox News, in the work of the Koch Brothers, in ideas like 'Citizen United,' and in political initiatives like gerrymandering.
In an important book for America, Institutional Racism and Restorative Justice (Routledge, 2020), Professor Emling helps us understand one of America's longstanding problems—institutional racism. She also recommends ways to achieve restorative justice.
Performance politics gets plenty of media attention, and it is a form of entertainment, too. But it replaces serious political discourse with a politically-infused game. What matters—always matters—is substance. FDR knew that.
We're going through an extraordinary, collective experience--a national emergency caused by COVID-19. Thousands have fallen ill and died, and America has shut down. What is this shared experience telling us about America? Listen as three of my colleagues--Michael, Monica, and Steve--talk about this important question.
Medical authorities tell us that people with pre-existing health conditions are more likely than healthier persons to succumb to COVID-19. But just as those conditions challenge physical viability, sociological and cultural pre-conditions affect a society's socio-cultural health. Frank identifies/describes five pre-conditions that affect America negatively.
I’ve worked over the years with many outstanding community development practitioners. Sister Maureen Lally is the 'best of the best.' She is what Professor Albert W. Dzur calls 'a democratic professional.' See what I mean as you listen to her talk about people and her work in County Mayo, Ireland.
Civic activist Susan McGuire works for the public good. An excellent organizer, she has created and led numerous initiatives, and never shies away from doing the heavy lifting. Susan talks about her civic experiences, shares her thoughts about America today, and expresses her hope for America's future.
The NCAA's budget is connected inextricably to revenues it receives from March Madness. The Association then passes on a significant chunk of those revenues to Division 1 conferences and schools. Because March Madness was canceled this year, the NCAA will allocate fewer resources this spring, and the fiscal situation will get worse if college football is affected in the fall. While there are many ways to address an athletic budget crunch, one way--an approach that is already out of hand--shouldn't be the used. What is it? I explain.
Everybody knows how expensive it is to go to college these days. College debt is growing, too. It's no surprise, then, that national surveys show that a significant percentage of American adults endorse policies that reduce public tuition costs and relieve college debt. But the majority of public college/university public presidents and trustees aren't similarly inclined.
The internet has opened up opportunities for citizens to write and share their thoughts with the broader public--beyond writing comments about pieces that others have written. Roger Barbee, my guest today, is what I call a 'citizen journalist.' I'll share a few thoughts about citizen journalism and how it has evolved, and then we'll hear from Roger about why he writes, what he writes, and some of the issues he faces as a citizen journalist.
As Joe Biden was beating Bernie Sanders on Super Tuesday I-III, Biden struggled with one swath of primary voters—Very Liberal, Progressive, and Independent voters, Those votes stuck largely with Sanders. To send a strong message to millions of voters who lean Left and who aren’t leaning his way currently--voters he needs to win in November-Joe Biden needs to name a Progressive VP.
Buddy Campbell retired recently as president and CEO of a large, regional, nonprofit organization, YMCA Buffalo/Niagara. The Buffalo News credited him with leading ‘a remarkable organizational resurgence’ at that Western New York-based organization. Here's why.
In his activist and professional roles, Terry Link values and enables broadly shared leadership. Today, Terry talks about the importance of 'spark' and its connection to enabling leaderful-environments.
Let’s shift the word ‘leadership’ to the word ‘leader-ful.’ If we do that, then we can talk about places, spaces, and circumstances where leadership is shared widely and a group moves forward collaboratively. It's not about he/she, it’s about ‘we.’
Bill is back to give more examples of local residents who worked together to make democracy work as it should. He'll also share guidelines to you can use in your community. (Contact Dr. Rizzo at wsrizzo@wisc.edu.)
There's so much talk these days about democracy in jeopardy and America's political divide. But there are also many examples of democracy working as it should. Guest Bill Rizzo will talk about that today, drawing on decades of experience working with citizens and government officials across the State of Wisconsin. Tune in! (Contact Dr. Rizzo at wsrizzo@wisc.edu.)
Frank bases that assertion on Exit Interviews conducted March 3 and 10 in 16 primary states. Listen to what he found and what it means.
Today’s Under the Radar topic is ‘the professions’—with a twist. It’s about professionals with whom we come in contact regularly, but professionals we really don’t know much about. I can’t think of a job that has been more in the spotlight since 9/11 than U.S. Customs. My guest, Pat Burns, demystifies what's involved in being a Customs Officer, including talking about the many challenges associated with the job.
Did you know that millions of America's voters can't cast ballots in primaries this year? Frank talks about why and what one state is doing to change the way it conducts statewide primaries.
Hi, everyone, and thanks for listening to this opening episode of UNDER THE RADAR. I’m your host, Frank Fear. UNDER THE RADAR isn’t about business as usual. It’s about issues that don’t get discussed enough, if at all; and it’s about people from whom we don’t hear enough, if at all. WeLcome to UNDER THE RADAR.