Radio Free Campus

In this episode of Radio Free Campus, co-hosts Steve McGuire and Justin Garrison discuss the tragic assassination of Charlie Kirk and what his murder might mean for the future of free expression in higher education. They interview ACTA President and CEO Michael Poliakoff about the perils we face and how we can all help de-escalate the tensions roiling America. Steve and Justin introduce ACTA’s new Virginia Report Card, a systematic analysis of policies and survey data on the free speech and intellectual diversity climates at George Mason University, James Madison University, the University of Virginia, Virginia Commonwealth University, and Virginia Tech. You don’t want to miss these results! They also preview ACTA’s upcoming 30th anniversary celebration and announce their latest “Hero of the People” and “Apparatchik of the Month” awards. Radio Free Campus is offered by the Campus Freedom Initiative™ at the American Council of Trustees and Alumni. Email us at radiofreecampus@goacta.org! ACTA’s 30th Anniversary: https://www.goacta.org/event/anniversary/ Virginia Report Card: https://www.goacta.org/campus-freedom-initiative/va-report-card/ Michael and Steve’s Statement on the Assassination of Charlie Kirk: https://www.goacta.org/2025/09/on-the-assassination-of-charlie-kirk/ Website: https://www.goacta.org/ Campus Freedom Initiative™: https://www.goacta.org/campus-freedom-initiative/ Steve McGuire: https://www.goacta.org/staff/steven-mcguire Justin Garrison: https://www.goacta.org/staff/justin-garrison/ Michael Poliakoff: https://www.goacta.org/staff/michael-b-poliakoff  

In this episode of Radio Free Campus, co-hosts Steve McGuire and Justin Garrison talk with MIT philosopher Alex Byrne about efforts to cancel him for thinking differently about gender and sexuality—and then having the audacity to lend his expertise to the Department of Health and Human Services! Also, they discuss Columbia’s settlement with the Trump administration, Attorney General Pam Bondi’s recent memo on DEI, and a tale of two university presidents in Virginia. Finally, RFC announces its latest “Hero of the People” and “Apparatchik of the Month” awards.   Radio Free Campus is offered by the Campus Freedom Initiative™ at the American Council of Trustees and Alumni.

In this discussion, Jennifer Frey, a Philosophy Professor and former Dean of the Honors College at the University of Tulsa, dives into the challenges facing liberal education today. She addresses the dismantling of the honors college and its emotional toll on students and faculty. The conversation highlights the disconnect between administrators and the academic community, advocating for a renewed focus on the value of liberal arts. Frey also draws parallels to historical disasters, underscoring the need for greater accountability and diversity of thought in higher education.

In this episode of Radio Free Campus, co-hosts Steve McGuire and Justin Garrison discuss Trump v. Harvard as well as . . . DEI for conservatives? Also in the episode, Steve and Justin welcome Eric Kaufmann of the University of Buckingham to discuss viewpoint diversity in higher education, as well as the need to support heterodox social science teaching and research. Finally, RFC announces its latest “Hero of the People” and “Apparatchik of the Month” awards. Radio Free Campus is offered by the Campus Freedom Initiative™ at the American Council of Trustees and Alumni.  

In this episode of Radio Free Campus, co-hosts Steve McGuire and Justin Garrison discuss the amazing work done by the University of Michigan Board of Regents to improve campus freedom. They also talk about the most recent campus protests at Columbia University and beyond. They also welcome John D. Sailer of the Manhattan Institute to discuss the DEI pipeline in faculty hiring. Finally, Steve and Justin give their first “Hero of the People” and “Apparatchik of the Month” awards. No idea what that last bit means? Listen and find out! Radio Free Campus is offered by the Campus Freedom Initiative™ at the American Council of Trustees and Alumni.