Through the lensTensions, Epistemic-Democratic of contemporary student activismStudent Activism and institutional response, this chapter explores the complex interplay between truth and voice, which underlies the tension between epistemic and democratic aspirations within academic institutions. It examines how universities navigate these tensions, how their responses reshape their identities, affect trust within academic communities, and redefine the contours of academic freedom in a world marked by volatility and polarization. Building upon the theoretical foundations of Strategic DriftStrategic Drift introduced in Chapter 1, the analyses that follow interrogate whether current frameworks are adequate for balancing academic freedom with institutional order, and whether new models are required to sustain the university’s credibility and social license in an age of polycrises.