The South Dakota Board of Regents approved a post‑tenure review policy billed as accountability reform, but faculty and critics argue the measure effectively undermines tenure protections. Regents framed the change as a way to improve performance oversight and align faculty responsibilities with institutional goals. Opponents contend the policy creates pressure points for discipline and dismissal that will chill academic freedom and jeopardize long-term faculty recruitment. The vote follows broader national debates about tenure’s scope and public accountability, and it could become a model for other states seeking mechanisms to hold tenured faculty accountable amid fiscal and political scrutiny.