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Podcasts | Intellectual Diversity

Carolyn Rouse’s Vanderbilt Report Meltdown

August 11, 2026

The “Vanderbilt Report” criticizes the field of anthropology as allowing politics to shape its research. How did Carolyn Rouse, a Princeton professor and president of the American Anthropological Association, respond to the criticisms? In this episode of Radio Free Campus, co-hosts Steve McGuire and Justin Garrison analyze Rouse’s masterclass in obfuscation, ad hominem attacks, whataboutism, and just plain weird comments during an interview with the Chronicle of Higher Education about the report’s claims. The RFC hosts also discuss the enduring blockheadedness of viewpoint diversity opponents, and they talk about the University of Chicago Law School’s classroom laptop ban. Finally, Steve and Justin announce Jeffrey Collins, associate director of academic affairs the University of Florida’s Hamilton School, as this episode’s “Hero of the People” and, you guessed it, Carolyn Rouse as RFC’s “Apparatchik of the Month.”

Note: Please check any quotations against the audio recording. A transcript is available upon request. The views expressed by guests on this podcast are their own and may not necessarily reflect those of ACTA.

Radio Free Campus is offered by the Campus Freedom Initiative™ at the American Council of Trustees and Alumni.

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