UTA College of Education Ph.D. Students Explore the Politics of Education Through New Podcast Series
How do political decisions influence what happens in classrooms, school districts and universities? Who holds the power to shape educational policies, and how do those decisions affect educators, students and institutions? Five doctoral students at The University of Texas at Arlington (UTA) are exploring these important questions through a new podcast series that brings research, expert perspectives and real-world education governance issues to listeners.
Navigating Education Governance in These Political Times officially launched September 22, 2026, featuring five episodes developed, recorded and produced by students in the summer Ph.D. course Politics and Governance in Education. Taught by Dr. Meredith Billings, Ph.D., assistant professor in the Department of Higher Education, Adult Learning, and Organizational Studies in the UTA College of Education, the course challenges students to examine the relationships between politics, policy and decision-making across the educational landscape.
Rather than limiting their learning to traditional research papers and classroom discussions, students took their work a step further by creating a podcast mini-series intended to serve as a resource for educators and the public. The project allowed students to investigate timely issues in educational governance, engage with experts in their fields and share what they learned through an accessible, engaging format.
Throughout the course, students explored how political ideologies, governing boards, government institutions and other stakeholders influence education. To bring these topics to life, each student researched a topic, interviewed experts and produced an episode for the podcast series. The five student creators — Cadie Allen, Brenda Harris, Andrea (Andy) Jenkins, Quinton Lane and Janet Oloyede — each appear in the episode they developed, sharing research and perspectives beyond the classroom.
For Quinton Lane, M.S., the project offered an opportunity to examine the political dynamics behind university presidential searches and help listeners better understand how leadership decisions are made.
“From the podcast, my hope is that readers gain a better understanding of the institution president search and how politics play a role in shaping institutional research," Quinton Lane said. "Many can draw on their experience in the job search process, but many don't know the details of the search process that leads to an appointment of a university president. Leading an institution of higher education has become increasingly politicized and this shift has led to increased influence from benefactors outside the education system that directly impact the outcome candidate appointment.”
Lane’s episode explores how university presidential searches extend beyond selecting a qualified candidate, examining how institutional priorities, governance structures and outside stakeholders can influence leadership appointments. Through research and expert interviews, he aims to give listeners a clearer understanding of the political forces shaping higher education leadership.
Producing a podcast required students to go beyond research and interviews, developing skills in episode planning, audio recording and editing. Through a collaboration with UTA Libraries, students gained hands-on experience with podcasting equipment and digital storytelling, exploring new ways to share research with broader audiences.
The project combined academic research with practical media production, highlighting how campus resources can support innovative teaching and learning. Each student took ownership of an episode, connecting course concepts with expert perspectives to create a finished resource for listeners beyond the university community.
For Dr. Billings, the project demonstrated the value of giving students opportunities to transform academic research into meaningful public conversations.
“I was impressed with the diversity of topics that the students chose to focus on and how they weaved together research, their narration, and their expert interviews to tell a compelling and informative story to help us grapple with the current issues facing education,” Dr. Meredith Billings said. “It is our hope that the podcast mini-series inspires more dialogue on these issues and future research to better understand the nuances of these topics.”
The five-episode series explore how politics and policy shape educational institutions, from university leadership to broader governance issues. Each episode reflects the doctoral students’ research, critical thinking and conversations with experts in the field.
Through their work, UTA’s doctoral students bring complex education governance topics to a wider audience, encouraging educators, policymakers and the public to look beyond the headlines and better understand the people, policies and decisions shaping the future of education.
All five episodes were released simultaneously on September 22, making the complete mini-series available for listeners to explore at their own pace.
Listeners can find Navigating Education Governance in These Political Times on:
• RSS.com
• Apple Podcasts
• Spotify
• Amazon Music
Whether you work in education, study education policy or simply want to better understand the political forces shaping schools and universities, the series offers an opportunity to hear expert perspectives and explore important questions about educational governance.
Through this project, Billings and her students demonstrate how innovative classroom experiences can bridge academic research and public conversation. By turning their research into a five-episode podcast series, these UTA doctoral students are sharing their learning with a broader audience and inviting listeners to think more deeply about the political decisions shaping the future of education.