The University of North Carolina system’s board of governors unanimously approved a new systemwide definition of academic freedom after contentious debate and faculty protests. The policy affirms faculty rights to pursue teaching, research and scholarship while clarifying limits — saying academic freedom “is not absolute” and linking protected activity to disciplinary relevance and pedagogical connection. The board revised language after public feedback, narrowing some restrictions and adjusting alignment language, but the AAUP and faculty groups remained opposed. The change will shape grievance handling, curriculum oversight and classroom disputes across the multi‑campus system and could serve as a model for other states reconsidering academic‑freedom policies.