Like a professor with tenure, Ben Folds has reached the stage in his career when he can pretty much do whatever he wants — and he does.

Having firmly established his fan base with alt-classic albums like “Whatever and Ever Amen” and “Rockin’ the Suburbs,” Folds just seems to be having fun these days.

In 2006, he produced and arranged William Shatner’s album “Has Been.”

Last year, he released a fake Internet “leak” of his album “Way to Normal” with bizarre — and hilarious — reinterpretations of the real songs.

And this year, Folds presents a greatest hits album of sorts. The catch? It’s made up entirely of arrangements of his songs performed a cappella, or without any instrumentation.

Folds called for university a cappella groups to post versions of his songs on YouTube, then selected his favorites for “Ben Folds Presents: University A Cappella!”

“I check his Web site every few weeks and was incredibly excited to see that this kind of contest had been posted,” said family and human development junior, Katie Paschall.

Paschall is the director of ASU Pitchforks, an a cappella group on campus.

ASU Pitchforks had been performing a version of Folds’ song “Gone” since fall 2006 and posted it on YouTube as an entry in the contest.

The group’s song wasn’t picked for the album, but Paschall said the contest submission raised the group’s profile by increasing traffic on their YouTube page.

The 16 tracks on “Ben Folds Presents: University A Cappella!” feature crystal-clear vocals and creative arrangements that showcase Folds’ classic songwriting style and wry lyrics.

At its best, the album allows fans to hear an old favorite song again for the first time.

In the toe-tapping version of “You Don’t Know Me,” Folds’ sardonic breakup lyrics, sometimes covered under his piano, really pop.

“Army” and “Fair,” older tracks from the Ben Folds Five era, sound loose and playful.

Folds even recorded two a cappella versions of his own, and his surreal version of “Effington” — he does all the harmonies and the lead vocals — is hilarious.

Folds’ songs also transcend genres.

Ever want to hear Tom Collins from “Rent” sing Ben Folds?

“Brick,” possibly Folds’ most popular song, shines here with a sensitive interpretation from the Ohio University Leading Tones.

Eventually, the gimmick does start to wear thin.

Not all of Folds’ songs work in choral style.

“Evaporated,” essentially a song about isolation, sounds overly slick when sung by more than one voice.

Part of the problem is song choice.

Folds’ ballads are overrepresented here and the album doesn’t highlight his whole range as a songwriter.

The album could have benefited from a jazzy interpretation of “Kate,” or, even better, “Song for the Dumped.”

Who doesn’t want to hear the refrain, “Give me my money back, you b---h,” in four-part harmony?

Despite a few shortcomings, the album is a fitting tribute to Folds’ long career, as well as the excellent music being made on university campuses across the U.S.

It took me back to the days when I first heard “Whatever and Ever Amen” in — gasp —junior high.

Many talented songwriters from the ’90s have either stopped making music or gone into creative hibernation.

Luckily for his listeners, Ben Folds refuses to do either of those.

Reach the reporter at erin.hutchinson@asu.edu.