Two governance-focused developments signaled heightened expectations for trustees and accrediting practices in 2026. The Association of Governing Boards issued a president-and-CEO update urging boards to treat fiduciary duty as continuous education, recommending integrated board development and stronger president-board partnerships. Separately, an AGB 'Ask the Expert' session outlined how 2025 accreditation changes and federal transparency expectations are forcing institutions to adapt board engagement and oversight. AGB’s guidance names specific trustee actions — recurring training on fiduciary obligations, integrating governance at key decision points, and aligning board development with strategic priorities — as essential responses to evolving federal scrutiny. The accreditation briefing highlighted new standards tied to student learning outcomes, board accountability and evidence of institutional impact, and warned boards to treat reaccreditation as strategic rather than merely compliance-driven. Taken together, the AGB advisories and accreditation updates push governing boards to increase active oversight on finance, student success metrics, and legal compliance; boards that fail to act risk heightened regulatory exposure and trouble during reaccreditation reviews.