Faculty groups at Elon and Indiana raised alarms this month over governance and free‑speech disputes. Elon’s AAUP chapter demanded formal faculty roles in the proposed combination with Queens University of Charlotte, saying faculty were blindsided by merger announcements and asking for elected representation on integration teams. Meanwhile, Indiana University’s administration fired a student‑newspaper adviser and barred a homecoming print edition, prompting criticism over censorship and campus free‑press norms. Faculty and student advocates called the action a breach of shared governance and journalistic freedom. These incidents underscore rising tensions between boards, senior administrators and faculty councils at institutions navigating mergers, budget stress and political scrutiny—issues that trustees will confront as they oversee integration, accreditation and risk management.