Two governance flash points this week underscore how trustee decisions are driving campus leadership turmoil. Morris Brown College reinstated President Kevin James days after firing him, saying the board’s initial separation didn’t comply with contractual procedures and citing broader workplace concerns. Separately, Virginia’s new governor named 27 board picks on day one, triggering immediate resignations at the University of Virginia and George Mason University under scrutiny. Morris Brown credited James with regaining accreditation and boosting enrollment since 2019; the board’s reversal acknowledged fiduciary missteps and signaled ongoing personnel and culture issues. In Virginia, the wave of appointments and resignations reflects partisan realignment at state higher‑education boards and has renewed questions about political influence on university governance. Trustees, presidents and faculty governance groups say these events will alter campus leadership succession planning and could accelerate calls for clearer board‑president contracts and governance protocols. Observers expect legal reviews and renewed faculty‑board negotiations to follow.