St. John’s University announced it will no longer recognize two longstanding faculty unions—effective immediately—saying collective bargaining constrains the institution’s Catholic mission and academic flexibility. University leaders told staff the decision followed protracted negotiations and that the administration will honor its last offer on raises while ending further bargaining. Faculty leaders called the move unlawful and vowed to challenge the decision; union‑commissioned financial analyses dispute the university’s claims about fiscal distress. The action adds to a national wave of strained labor relations on campuses, where administrations are increasingly confronting pension, benefits and salary pressures. In a separate development, Virginia State dismissed six professors—five tenured—without written explanations and issued no‑trespass orders; faculty and governance observers described the move as a due‑process crisis that will likely prompt legal and accreditation review.