A spate of faculty dismissals last fall has exposed weakening tenure protections at several campuses, sparking debate over academic freedom and governance. Recent cases involved rapid terminations tied to public controversies and political pressure, prompting scholars and governance experts to question whether tenure safeguards are being effectively upheld. The coverage traces how institutional financial stress, political scrutiny, and shifting definitions of misconduct have converged to make tenure less secure in practice. Tenured faculty and shared-governance bodies report growing uncertainty about procedural protections and the capacity of senates to enforce academic norms. For academic affairs officers, the trend underscores the need to review faculty-handbooks, grievance procedures, and documentation practices. Trustees and presidents will face renewed pressure to clarify the balance between institutional reputation management and long-standing tenure commitments.