Summer Viewing Guide
Transformative Documentaries for HigherEd Pros
This summer, there’s a wealth of HigherEd-themed content available to stream. While I’ll be dedicating a future column (and possibly a live stream) to the R-rated comedy “Overcompensating,” for now, I want to highlight two documentaries that are essential viewing for #HigherEd professionals.
“Deaf President Now!”
In 1988, a presidential transition at Gallaudet University became a national news story. Gallaudet, founded in 1864, is the world’s only barrier-free university for the deaf and hard of hearing. The documentary “Deaf President Now!” [Apple TV+] chronicles the activism that swept the Washington, D.C. campus when trustees appointed a hearing president over qualified deaf or hard of hearing candidates. The campus erupted, leading to a student-led shutdown.
The filmmakers skillfully weave together news footage, archival materials, and interviews with former students at the heart of the strike to capture the energy and strategy behind the protests. These interviews, now viewed through the lens of middle age, offer a nuanced perspective on the lived experiences of the activists. Particularly compelling is how the documentary explores the broader societal views of deaf and hard of hearing people at the time, and how those perceptions influenced media coverage and public reaction.
As campuses today grapple with the ripple effects of the 2024 wave of activism, this documentary offers valuable insights into what motivates and organizes student movements. It’s especially striking to consider that the Gallaudet activists operated without the internet or the ability to easily collaborate with or emulate other movements; their strategy was shaped by their unique campus identity and circumstances.
“Surviving Ohio State”
On ‘Resist Twitter,’ much of the discussion about the George Clooney-produced documentary “Surviving Ohio State” [HBO Max] has centered on Ohio Representative Jim Jordan (R), who served as an assistant coach for the university’s storied wrestling team during eight of the more than twenty years that Dr. Richard Strauss was sexually assaulting male athletes and students in various campus roles (team doctor, health services director, etc.). After watching the film, it’s clear that Jordan was just one of many individuals who failed—and continue to fail—the survivors of Strauss’s decades of predatory behavior.
Anyone involved in campus Title IX practices should consider this film essential viewing. In fact, it should be a required component of campus training. Hearing first-hand accounts from survivors of sexual assault is always powerful, but listening to male-identifying, mostly varsity athletes share their stories is especially paradigm-shifting. By the end of “Surviving Ohio State,” I felt deep anger and disappointment—not only toward Ohio’s flagship university, but toward the academy as a whole.
Whether you’re an administrator, faculty member, or student affairs professional, these documentaries provide critical perspectives on campus leadership, activism, and accountability. They serve as powerful reminders of the stakes involved in our work and the enduring impact of student voices and survivor advocacy in shaping the future of higher education. For myself, both “Deaf President Now!” and “Surviving Ohio State” will find their way onto one of my syllabi this next academic year.
