New research and court rulings are putting governing boards at the center of higher‑education outcomes and political conflict. The Association of Governing Boards released a study showing strategic, sustained board engagement can materially improve access, retention and completion at four public institutions; the report lists concrete practices and governance frameworks for boards seeking impact on student success. Meanwhile in Virginia, the state supreme court declined to review a lower‑court injunction that blocked some of Governor Glenn Youngkin’s board appointees after a Senate committee rejected them. The decision sends the dispute back to trial court and leaves board vacancies and governance deadlocks in place, with immediate operational impacts—such as George Mason University operating without a quorum. The juxtaposition of a governance best‑practices report and high‑profile litigation highlights two pressures for trustees: the expectation to be proactive stewards of student success, and the political risk of appointment fights that can freeze institutional decision‑making. Board chairs, presidents and system leaders will need to strengthen processes for nomination, ensure transparent committee procedures, and adopt the AGB’s recommended practices to tie governance more directly to measurable student outcomes.