The challenge of being a public scholar is not just in being accountable for your words to a vast, diverse audience; it’s in being responsible for demanding that the vastness and diversity be preserved in the face of pressure to close it off for the profit or comfort of the elite.
Goldrick-Rab received harsh backlash for criticizing the institution she works at. While that may be deemed unprofessional I think that people should have the right to speak up about the wrong-doings that are happening in front of their face. I think that because of all the hate she received from this, others who are in similar situations will be more fearful of speaking their mind.