An audit commissioned by Duke’s AAUP chapter concluded university leaders did not provide sufficient justification for recent program cuts despite the institution’s ample financial resources, raising oversight and transparency concerns. The Howard Bunsis review fueled faculty criticism and follows broader sector budget stress: institutions including Penn and Southern Oregon have announced belt‑tightening measures amid federal policy shifts. The piece also notes large discretionary funding in the Department of Education budget and recent state moves — such as Oklahoma’s elimination of tenure at regional colleges — underscoring heightened political and financial pressures on governance models across U.S. higher education.