University of Toronto’s Rotman School dean Susan Christoffersen announced she will step down at the end of her term and shift into a presidential advisory role focused on innovation investments, the school said. Her tenure saw curriculum changes and new one‑year business degrees; the university will begin a search for her successor. At Nassau Community College, trustees voted to authorize a lawsuit after the State University of New York’s Board of Trustees rejected the college’s presidential nominee, Maria Conzatti. The contested disapproval — the first of its kind at SUNY — exposed deep governance tensions between campus trustees, the system board and faculty unions. Both moves highlight growing governance stress across institutions: succession planning, board‑system friction and faculty‑administration relations are front‑of‑mind for senior leaders. Boards and search committees should prepare for more litigated or politicized presidential searches and prioritize transparent processes to avoid protracted disputes.