Higher‑education leaders are organizing to defend institutional autonomy as political pressures rise. A new Alliance for Higher Education launched to resist government overreach and advocate for academic freedom, governance norms and institutional independence. The move coincides with leadership change at AGB, where Ross Mugler was named president and CEO after serving in an interim role; AGB framed the appointment as strengthening board governance support for colleges during a fraught political moment. Together the alliance and AGB leadership change signal a coordinated push by trustees and presidents to protect shared governance and institutional prerogatives.