State and campus decisions over tenure oversight and due process are producing immediate campus consequences. The South Dakota Board of Regents adopted a statewide post‑tenure review policy framed as increased accountability; critics argue it will hollow tenure protections and chill academic freedom. At the same time, a high‑profile tenure due‑process case ended with a $500,000 settlement and reinstatement of a tenured theater professor at Austin Peay State University after the institution failed to follow required termination procedures. The two developments together illustrate a widening tug-of-war between boards and faculty governance: states and executives pressing accountability reforms, while faculty and academic lawyers press for due‑process safeguards. University leaders must now weigh legal exposure, collective‑bargaining terms, and the reputational risk of tenure disputes when crafting disciplinary or dismissal actions. Why it matters: Changes to post‑tenure review and lapses in procedural protections could reshape faculty recruitment, retention, and governance nationwide.