AGB’s March/April Trusteeship edition and related guidance emphasize trustees’ role in protecting academic freedom while preserving campus inclusivity. Senior AGB contributors laid out practical governance steps for boards facing high‑profile expression conflicts, urging regular trustee education on constitutional principles and pre‑planned speech policies. Michelle N. Deutchman, director of the UC National Center for Free Speech and Civic Engagement, urged boards to prepare policies before controversy erupts and to invest in training across trustees, presidents and campus leaders. The guidance underscores the tension between protecting constitutionally protected ‘‘ugly’’ speech and maintaining an inclusive campus climate. Board members are advised to document decision processes, broaden constituent input during policy creation, and rehearse crisis decision‑making. The recommendations arrive amid rising political scrutiny and high‑stakes incidents that are testing board independence and faculty governance frameworks.