The Center for American Progress released a report this week arguing that politicized governing boards have eroded academic freedom and recommends structural limits to prevent trustee overreach. The report documents recent interventions by state-appointed boards in curriculum, tenure and research decisions—citing cases from Florida, Ohio, North Carolina, Virginia and Indiana—and proposes reforms such as narrowing board authority on teaching and research, eliminating post-tenure review powers tied to political aims, and creating independent appointment bodies. Authors call for higher standards for trustee appointments, including a requirement that members possess higher-education expertise. The report frames boards both as necessary stewards of fiduciary health and as potential vectors of political interference; its policy prescriptions aim to rebalance governance toward faculty-led academic decisions. University leaders and state officials will likely face pressure to revise appointment processes and clarify decision-making boundaries.