State-level demands for course materials and legislative moves to curtail faculty governance are colliding with national faculty defenders. A legislative office requested Middle East studies syllabi and course materials from the University of Arkansas, prompting faculty confusion and concern about academic freedom and precedent. The request mirrors a pattern of state scrutiny over curricula and donor‑sourced pressures that campuses nationwide report. The American Association of University Professors released a report defending shared governance and urging institutions to resist legislative encroachment. The AAUP warns that laws in several states that reduce faculty bodies to advisory roles threaten curricular authority and could invite politicized interference in hiring, tenure and program decisions. Boards, presidents and trustees are advised to review governance charters and prepare legal responses as state actors increase oversight demands.