Federal civil‑rights scrutiny is rising and institutions should brace for enforcement under Title VI and related authorities. AGB aired guidance for trustees from a former OCR attorney on what to expect if campuses are investigated, including a growing focus on shared‑ancestry claims. The session outlined investigative timelines, document preservation duties, and practical steps boards can take to shore up compliance. At the same time, a federal judge blocked the administration from using civil‑rights probes as a pretext to freeze University of California research funding, ruling that the government’s tactics imperil academic freedom and exceed statutory authority (see court order). The twin signals — expanded enforcement and judicial pushback — underscore a volatile policy environment for research universities and trustees who must balance compliance, campus climate and legal risk.