Advertise on podcast: Campus Docket

This week on Campus Docket, hosts Scott Schneider and Eric Kelderman welcome back repeat guest Neal Hutchens, a professor at the University of Kentucky, for a wide-ranging discussion on the legal battles currently reshaping higher education. From the Trump administration's "Compact 2.0" and intense new scrutiny over international student visas, to Title VI investigations at Duke and Harvard, the conversation explores the unprecedented tactics driving modern conservative policy shifts.

Are accreditors about to become the federal government's civil rights compliance cops? That's the tension running under the latest episode of Campus Docket, where hosts Scott Schneider and Eric Kelderman work through recent legal developments before sitting down with Maria Toyoda, President of the WASC Senior College and University Commission, to unpack what's really changing in higher ed accreditation. Together, they explore how robust due process, financial stability, and new federal civil rights mandates are redefining quality assurance in higher education.

In this episode of Campus Docket, hosts Eric Kelderman and Scott Schneider are joined by attorney Jackie Wernz to explore major legal developments affecting higher education. The conversation covers the evolving implications of Title IX for transgender athletes, the intersection of Title VII and affirmative action, and the growing legal scrutiny around diversity initiatives. They also discuss the role of disparate impact theory and why universities are struggling to navigate shifting federal guidance and political pressures.

Campus safety has become one of higher education’s most complex responsibilities. In this episode of Campus Docket, Scott Schneider and Eric Kelderman are joined by attorney John Graff to examine the legal frameworks shaping campus safety today—from the Clery Act and compliance expectations to the evolving role of campus police and crisis management.

In this episode of Campus Docket, co-hosts Scott D. Schneider and Eric Kelderman talk with FIRE’s Zach Greenberg about the state of free speech in higher education. Greenberg unpacks the chilling effect of self-censorship, the pressures facing faculty, and why protecting controversial expression is vital to preserving academic freedom.

In this episode of Campus Docket, hosts Scott Schneider and Eric Kelderman welcome Paul Liebman, Chief Compliance Officer at Vanderbilt, to explore the intersection of compliance and crisis. From Exxon Valdez to Baylor’s Title IX reckoning to federal oversight in higher ed, Liebman shares lessons learned from decades of navigating institutional risk.

In this episode of Campus Docket, Scott Schneider and Eric Kelderman discuss Columbia University’s fast-tracked Title VI settlement, Harvard’s continued legal fallout from the SFFA decision, and a new executive order aimed at college athletics compliance. Together, these developments paint a picture of a sector under unprecedented legal and political scrutiny. From speech and protest to DEI and athletics, no corner of campus is off-limits.

In this episode of Campus Docket, Courtney Bullard, founder of Institutional Compliance Solutions, breaks down the evolving landscape of Title IX and Title VI in higher ed. From federal investigations to shifting expectations, she shares what institutions need to know about balancing legal risk, fairness, and fast-moving compliance demands.

What happens when university hospitals become the financial engine for higher ed institutions and legal risk management starts driving decision-making? In this episode of Campus Docket, Neal Hutchens joins Scott Schneider and Eric Kelderman to unpack the legal, political, and cultural forces reshaping higher ed governance.

In this episode, Campus Docket unpacks how the Department of Justice is using the False Claims Act to target higher ed institutions over civil rights and DEI policies. Guest Zachary Cunha joins the show to explain the legal mechanics, potential fallout, and what campus leaders need to know as compliance enters a politically charged new era.

College sports are in the middle of a legal and financial overhaul. In this episode, Tulane law professor and associate provost for NCAA compliance Gabe Feldman joins Campus Docket to unpack what NIL, athlete pay, and the House settlement really mean for the future of college athletics.

For many small colleges, surviving today’s higher ed landscape feels like walking a tightrope in a windstorm—balancing shrinking enrollments, rising compliance costs, and cultural flashpoints that threaten to pull them off course. In this episode of Campus Docket, Marjorie Hass, president of the Council of Independent Colleges, joins hosts Scott D. Schneider and Eric Kelderman to unpack what’s keeping college presidents up at night.

When Walter Kimbrough says leading a college today is “like riding out a hurricane,” he means it—literally and figuratively. As a seasoned HBCU president and current interim leader at Talladega College, Kimbrough joins Campus Docket co-hosts Eric Kelderman and Scott Schneider to talk crisis leadership, navigating culture wars, and how higher ed can foster civic dialogue in a post-truth world.

Colleges are staring down federal funding cuts, DEI crackdowns, Title IX battles over transgender athletes, and a looming shake‑up in big‑time college sports. Attorney Scott D. Schneider and writer Eric Kelderman break down the legal storms reshaping higher ed and explain why the stakes have never been higher.