The Association of Governing Boards (AGB) announced a national governance framework intended to strengthen higher education board effectiveness, accountability, and public trust. The Higher Education Governance Integrity Initiative focuses on nonpartisan governance practices and leadership stability. AGB said trustees face heightened external pressure and uncertainty about the boundaries of their authority. It cited AGB research showing 43% of trustees do not feel fully confident in their fiduciary and governance role clarity. The policy framework includes recommendations on trustee selection, trustee training, strengthening lines between governance and management, and improving ethical leadership and onboarding. AGB leadership positioned the framework as structural rather than partisan, aimed at preserving institutional independence. For public systems and boards facing politicization pressures, the framework signals a push toward more standardized board education and governance process expectations—potentially influencing how new trustees are recruited and how boards respond to leadership instability.