Finding Your Spine
In a time when courage feels increasingly rare, Finding Your Spine challenges the status quo. Hosted by Dr. Chase Spears, this weekly podcast explores how Christians—and even secular conservatives—can stand firm in their values amid the pressures of cancel culture. With insightful commentary and bold conversations, Dr. Spears examines the tradeoff many make between conscience and comfort, reminding listeners that true freedom requires the spine to defend it. Tune in each week for thought-provoking discussions that inspire moral courage in an age of compromise.
Finding Your Spine
Higher Ed's Culture of Conformity
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Dr. Chase Spears sits down with Dr. Herbert Riedel, former community college president and author of Silenced, to discuss the pressures of maintaining moral and intellectual integrity in today’s higher education environment. Riedel shares his experience leading institutions, confronting institutional conformity, and the personal and professional costs of resisting woke ideology. They explore how cultural Marxism influences campuses, accreditors, regulators, and professional associations, and why even red states are not immune. The conversation covers critical race theory compliance failures, gender ideology enforcement, and the challenges of reforming entrenched bureaucracies. Riedel also outlines his vision for Clymer College, a new institution grounded in classical education, true academic freedom, and whole-person development rooted in American founding principles. A candid look at institutional rot in education and paths toward renewal.
00:00:00 – Introduction
00:01:15 – Career Path and Challenges
00:03:08 – Silenced Book Overview
00:05:59 – Vision for Clymer College
00:10:15 – Location and Timeline
00:14:11 – Classical Liberal Arts
00:18:21 – Community Colleges Role
00:22:49 – Northeast Iowa Experience
00:28:55 – Administrative Pushback
00:34:18 – Doing the Right Thing
00:41:22 – Advice for Educators
You can find out more about Clymer College at https://www.clymercollege.org/
You can follow Chase Spears on X @DrChaseSpears. Don’t forget to like, subscribe, and share your favorite episodes to keep the conversation going.
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