Faculty governance and state lawmakers are clashing over the scope of academic freedom and curriculum control. The University of North Carolina Faculty Assembly proposed a formal definition of academic freedom that explicitly states it is not absolute—language that the state AAUP has criticized as narrowing protections for faculty speech and inquiry. Across statehouses, lawmakers are pursuing bills to reshape general‑education requirements, governance systems and permissible classroom content, with Iowa legislators proposing broad changes to public‑university curricula and oversight. Trustees, faculty groups and university leaders warn that such moves could limit institutional autonomy and academic inquiry. The developments reflect a nationwide push to redefine the boundaries of campus speech and curricular control, forcing trustees and presidents to navigate legal, political and accreditation risks while preserving faculty governance.