HBCU leaders and governance experts are re‑examining presidential turnover after high‑profile leadership crises, with sector stakeholders convening to craft retention and succession solutions aimed at stabilizing historically Black institutions. At the same time, several small and mid‑sized private college presidents are choosing collaborative partnerships—sharing campuses, pathways and program capacity—to remain competitive in a constrained enrollment and fiscal environment. Those presidents said coordinated academic pathways and shared services can be faster and cheaper than building new programs, especially in high‑cost fields like health care and STEM, positioning collaboration as a pragmatic response to leadership instability and budget pressure.