A new Center for American Progress report and industry guidance call attention to politicized board behavior and recommend steps to protect institutional autonomy. The analyses catalog recent instances of board overreach—appointments driven by political agendas, curricular interventions and tenure disputes—and urge limiting board authority over academic matters, depoliticizing trustee appointments and removing post‑tenure review powers that enable politically motivated faculty removal. Higher‑education governance organizations have also published frameworks advising boards on best practices to safeguard academic freedom while fulfilling fiduciary duties. The recommendations emphasize retaining faculty control over curriculum and tenure, recruiting trustees with higher‑education expertise, and establishing independent appointment processes. Why it matters: with trustees increasingly central to campus politics, presidents and faculty senates must realign governance policies to defend academic standards and reduce legal exposure. The proposed reforms could influence state statutes, appointment procedures and board bylaws at public institutions nationwide.