Shared governance on public campuses is again in the crosshairs. The University of Arizona’s president refused to sign a traditional shared‑governance memorandum, setting up a public clash with faculty and state lawmakers over who controls academic decision‑making. Arizona’s case reflects broader political pressure in several states to revise long‑standing governance arrangements. At Dartmouth, President Sian Beilock’s diagnosis for higher education has sharpened debates on campus about leadership, mission and strategy. Administrators and trustees pushing rapid change are meeting faculty scrutiny and campus division, illustrating how leadership transitions and reform agendas are testing governance norms across selective and public institutions alike.