In this sobering and timely episode of Hotel Bar Sessions, co-hosts Leigh M. Johnson, Rick Lee, and Talia Mae Bettcher tackle the existential crisis facing higher education in the U.S. and beyond. Nothing is off limits in this conversation!  From the increasing defunding of universities to their alignment with neoliberal capitalism, we’re looking at the deeper values and societal roles that universities are meant to serve—and how far many institutions have strayed from that mission.  

The metastasis of administrative bloat. The erosion of shared governance. The complicity of universities in sketchy politics and business. It’s all on the table. Talia laments the pressure to sell philosophy as a vocational asset;  Rick draws a poignant line from medieval liberal arts education to today’s hyper-quantified outcomes-based models;  Leigh reminds us that universities are increasingly inaccessible, both financially and ideologically, especially for those who have been sold college as the “next step” with little clarity on its value or purpose. All three of our hosts are also here for a critique of recent state interventions in University operations, of course, particularly those tied to the elimination of DEI programs and the suppression of student protest. 

In a climate where both the left and right are disillusioned with Higher Ed, we’re asking the hard questions: Is the university still worth saving? And if so, what would it take to rebuild it from the inside out? From indictments of NCAA excess to calls for renewed commitment to general education and moral formation, this episode dares to imagine what universities should be—and who they’re really for.

References and Additional Readings

• Peter Fleming, Dark Academia: How Universities Die. (Pluto Press, 2021)

• Michael Walzer, Spheres of Justice: A Defense of Pluralism and Equality. (Basic Books, 1983)

• Immanuel Kant, Groundwork of the Metaphysics of Morals. (Cambridge University Press edition)

• John Stuart Mill, Utilitarianism. (Penguin Classics, 2004)

• John Rawls, A Theory of Justice. (Harvard University Press, 1971)

• Aristotle, Nicomachean Ethics. (University of Chicago Press, 2011)

• Benjamin Novak, “Hungary’s Leader Dismantles Democracy, and Trump Cheerleaders Applaud.” The New York Times, March 3, 2020.

• Bianca Quilantan, “Trump pledges to defund colleges over antisemitism, DEI.” Politico, April 30, 2024.

• AAUP, “Statement on Government of Colleges and Universities”. (1966/rev.)

• American Philosophical Association, “The Value of Philosophy Majors”

• David Graeber, Bullshit Jobs: A Theory. (Simon & Schuster, 2018)

• The Muppet Show (TV Series, 1976–1981)

• Sesame Street (TV Series, 1969– )

• Hotel Bar Sessions, Season 13, Episode 1: “Academic Assessment”

• Hotel Bar Sessions, Season 13, Episode 2: “Parrhesia”

Recent News Events Relevant to the Discussion

• “Harvard University puts $250 million to shore up research hit by Trump freeze on grants”. Reuters, May 14, 2025.

• “US slashes another $450 million from Harvard, deepening $2.6 billion standoff over campus politics”. The Times of India, May 14, 2025.

• “Trump cuts to ‘DEI,’ green energy among 25 terminated awards at UH”. Houston Chronicle, May 14, 2025.

• “Campus protests flare on a smaller scale than last spring, but with higher stakes”. Associated Press, May 13, 2025.

• “A surge of DEI cuts hits colleges across the US”. Higher Ed Dive, February 27, 2025.

• “Judge blocks Trump push to cut public school funding over diversity programs”. PBS NewsHour, April 24, 2025.

• “How Trump’s college crackdown is raising concerns about free speech and academic freedom”. PBS NewsHour, May 7, 2025.

• “University of Washington faces federal review after pro-Palestinian protest”. The Guardian, May 7, 2025.

• “Ohio State University Discontinues Office of Diversity and Inclusion”. Diverse: Issues In Higher Education, February 28, 2025.

• “Harvard expands lawsuit after Trump cancels $450 million more in grants”. Reuters, May 13, 2025.