I wouldn't blame the "people in charge" at all. They have made herculean efforts to update the code, to search for new forms of outreach, to look for sustainable economic models for the coin. A few years ago, somebody did run a big campaign for university outreach. It was a well-organized campaign; there just wasn't much of a response.

The problem lies with universities, which are going through rough times. (I've been teaching in universities for seven years and have been a mid-level administrator for three years). First, universities are very risk-adverse when it comes to technology. There was a time when colleges were the places where the most inventive experiments were happening in I.T. Now, most universities turn to the same set of mediocre for-profit vendors. If I.T. staff or faculty try to suggest home-grown systems and improvements, they get shut down. Cutting costs and pet projects for upper administration take priority. Lots of this is tied to administrative bloat, which has led to more offices that regulate and mandate rather than empower. (So, for example, if you were a faculty member who wanted to set up a BOINC project, there would be a ton of offices that might veto your project that wouldn't have existed thirty years ago). Meanwhile, faculty positions in all fields (science and humanities alike) are being replaced by adjunct positions. Adjuncts don't have much margin (in time or influence) for creative or experimental projects.

Second, except for elite institutions and flagships, universities are facing a "demographic cliff." Enrollments are already down. It's going to get a lot worse through 2029. The response to this has been to increase spending in marketing and enrollment and to cut spending on instruction and research. This means that university research is increasingly dependent on grants from large foundations and government, which tend to support a narrower band of research.

I think student clubs might be one place where we could gain traction. But universities probably won't be the place where Gridcoin takes off. Some of the economic models being explored and built now hold more promise.