Mile Higher Ed Podcast
Mile Higher Ed Podcast
Podcast Description
Higher education today faces challenges. We are reckoning with a legacy of discrimination and exclusion, moving through a global health pandemic, adapting to technological advancements in teaching and learning, and grappling with questions about the cost and even the value, of a college degree. Here at the Higher Education Department in the Morgridge College of Education at the University of Denver, our faculty, students, and alumni are working to address these challenges head on.
In Mile Higher Ed, we will shine the spotlight on the work DU higher ed faculty and alumni are doing to advance higher education. We will bring you the latest stories from our department--from compelling research findings to innovative practices to leadership in the field. Whether you are a DU higher ed alum or prospective student, or a higher ed researcher or practitioner, we invite you to learn from our community as we work to make higher education more effective and equitable.
Mile Higher Ed is a production of the Higher Education Department at the Morgridge College of Education at the University of Denver.
Follow MCE on Instagram: @morgridgeatdu
Podcast Insights
Content Themes
The podcast explores critical themes in higher education, including equity and access, faculty development, student experiences, and innovative practices. Specific episodes cover topics such as the value of inclusive environments in academia, the path to success for Latina students, and the role of open educational resources in promoting equity. Additional discussions happen around critical race theory in civic engagement, indigenous-centered educational practices, and challenges faced by transfer students.
Higher education today faces challenges. We are reckoning with a legacy of discrimination and exclusion, moving through a global health pandemic, adapting to technological advancements in teaching and learning, and grappling with questions about the cost and even the value, of a college degree. Here at the Higher Education Department in the Morgridge College of Education at the University of Denver, our faculty, students, and alumni are working to address these challenges head on.
In Mile Higher Ed, we will shine the spotlight on the work DU higher ed faculty and alumni are doing to advance higher education. We will bring you the latest stories from our department–from compelling research findings to innovative practices to leadership in the field. Whether you are a DU higher ed alum or prospective student, or a higher ed researcher or practitioner, we invite you to learn from our community as we work to make higher education more effective and equitable.
Mile Higher Ed is a production of the Higher Education Department at the Morgridge College of Education at the University of Denver.
Follow MCE on Instagram: @morgridgeatdu
Have you ever wondered what a higher education class at DU is like? Then you won’t want to miss this! For our Season 3 finale, we are featuring the Higher Ed in Film and TV Seminar and its students. Dr. Marc Johnston Guerrero joins Sarah and Caitlyn to talk about the seminar course he taught in winter quarter, how he developed the syllabus, and what the Higher Ed Seminars are all about.
Then, we bring you a special debrief conversation several students in the class had in March as the quarter concluded. We talk about our takeaways from the course and why examining depictions of higher education in film and TV matter.
About our guests:
- Marc Johnston Guerrero is Professor of Higher Education at the University of Denver. He is an accomplished scholar in the interdisciplinary fields of Higher Education & Student Affairs and Critical Mixed Race Studies and a seasoned higher education leader.
- Adela Smith is a second-year PhD student and the Registrar for the Graduate School of Social Work. She is excited to study the animal that is higher education due to her deep commitment to examining the systemic injustices that shape higher education.
- Alex Prusator is a first-year higher education doctoral student and graduate admissions specialist in the Morgridge College of Education. When she’s not doing school things, you can find her sipping coffee from her collection of mugs that represent fictional companies from TV shows.
- Annie Ngo is a second-year PhD student in Higher Education with research interests centered on student access, support, and institutional structures. She works as the Manager for Academic and Student Affairs in the Morgridge College of Education.
- Jully Dong is a first-year higher education PhD student and the Program Coordinator for First-Generation Experience at DU. She is interested in exploring Asian American student experiences at predominantly white institutions.
Here are some links to scholars, creators, and work we discuss in this episode:
- Lori Patton Davis and her seminar on Examination of College Life Through Film
- Pauline Reynolds and her course Representing U: Popular Culture, Media, and Higher Education
- Katherine Ramsland
- Brynna Howard of HoneyWell Films
- John E. Conklin (2008). Campus Life in the Movies: A Critical Survey from the Silent Era to the Present. McFarland & Company, Inc.
- Pauline J. Reynolds (2014). Representing U: Popular Culture, Media, and Higher Education. ASHE Higher Education Report, 40:4. John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
- The Things We Imagined Documentary
- “Featherstone University,” an ad for Colorado Mesa University
Here are the films and TV shows we discussed in this episode:
- 3 Idiots (2009)
- Admission (2013)
- All-American: Homecoming (2022-2024)
- Animal House (1978)
- Bama Rush
- The Chair (2021)
- College Hill: Celebrity Edition (2022)
- Community (2009-2015)
- Dear White People (2017-2021)
- Gilmore Girls (2000-2007)
- Gossip Girl (2007-2012)
- Greek (2007-2011)
- Higher Learning (1995)
- Jim Thorpe: Lit by Lightning (2025)
- Joe’s College Road Trip (2026)
- The Kissing Booth 3 (2021)
- Miseducation (2023-present)
- Mixed-ish (2019-2021)
- Monsters University (2013)
- My Oxford Year (2025)
- The Novice (2021)
- Sex Lives of College Girls (2021-2025)
- Surviving Ohio State (2025)
- The Social Network (2010)
- The Sopranos (1999-2007)
- Spinning into Butter (2007)
- Tres Idiotas (2017)
- Van Wilder (2002)
- Whiplash (2014)
__
**Listeners! We want to hear from you. Please take our listener survey to help us plan for Season 4!**
Thanks for listening to this episode of Mile Higher Ed. Mile Higher Ed is produced within the Morgridge College of Education at the University of Denver by Dr. Sarah Hurtado and Caitlyn Potter Glaser. Our theme music is “Summer” by Liborio Conti.
Are you interested in a master’s or doctoral degree in higher education? Come join us! If you’re ready to start the conversation use this link to request information. Ready to apply? Complete the admissions application here.
Follow our podcast on Instagram at milehigheredpodcast. Follow Morgridge College of Education at MorgridgeatDU.
Keep up the good work everyone. See you next time!
Disclaimer
This podcast’s information is provided for general reference and was obtained from publicly accessible sources. The Podcast Collaborative neither produces nor verifies the content, accuracy, or suitability of this podcast. Views and opinions belong solely to the podcast creators and guests.
For a complete disclaimer, please see our Full Disclaimer on the archive page. The Podcast Collaborative bears no responsibility for the podcast’s themes, language, or overall content. Listener discretion is advised. Read our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy for more details.