It's odd to my ear and yours, but it's not dangerous to faith or morals. Both words come from things from things that happen to a cart (Latin carrus). In American usage over time, careen (turning sideways in a hapless manner) started to encompass the meaning of career (speeding madly and out of control).
Transmission of ideas isn’t supposed to be some exercise in scholarly obtuseness. It is a method to transfer knowledge on important matters to the largest group possible, particularly if one is trying to make some effect on politics.
If the use was meant to be ‘career’ then it was academic puffery and/or elitism in my opinion.