State and financial pressures are reshaping university governance. The South Dakota Board of Regents adopted a post‑tenure review policy under sharp criticism from faculty who say the move threatens traditional tenure protections and academic freedom. At the same time, financially strained Saint Augustine’s University agreed to remove at least two trustees after a lender conditioned emergency financing on board changes. The lender’s demand illustrates how fiscal distress can force governance turnover and accelerate institutional shifts in oversight priorities. Trustees and state regents argue the measures increase accountability and protect institutional viability; faculty leaders counter that rushed governance changes imperil shared governance and institutional autonomy. Both developments underscore how funding shortfalls and political pressure are driving rapid governance changes across the sector.