MIT pres: she 'cannot support' proposal to adopt Trump priorities for funding
6 hours ago
- #higher-education
- #political-pressure
- #free-speech
- MIT President Sally Kornbluth opposes a White House proposal requiring universities to adopt Trump's political agenda for federal funding benefits.
- The proposal includes commitments on admissions, women’s sports, free speech, and student discipline, with feedback due by Oct. 20 and a decision by Nov. 21.
- MIT disagrees with provisions limiting free speech and university independence, stating funding should be merit-based.
- Other universities, including Vanderbilt, UPenn, and UVA, received the proposal, with mixed reactions and pressure to reject it.
- Critics, including students, faculty, and conservatives, call the proposal extortion and federal interference.
- The compact demands tuition freezes, SAT/ACT requirements, and elimination of race/sex considerations in admissions.
- It also enforces a binary gender definition and promotes conservative viewpoints on campuses.
- MIT highlights its merit-based admissions and tuition-free policy for families earning under $200k as aligned with its values.