MIT President Sally Kornbluth seen here testifying before the House Education and Workforce Committee in December of 2023. Kevin Dietsch, Getty Images.
Dear Commons Community,
The Chronicle of Higher Education has an article this morning entitled, “What Could MIT’s Rejection of Trump’s Proposed ‘Compact’ Mean for the Rest of Higher Ed?” It quotes MIT President Sally Kornbluth on MIT’s decision to reject Trump’s intimidation of higher education by requiring colleges to sign a compact in order to receive federal funding. Here is an excerpt:
“The compact “includes principles with which we disagree, including those that would restrict freedom of expression and our independence as an institution,” Kornbluth wrote in a public letter explaining her decision. “And fundamentally, the premise of the document is inconsistent with our core belief that scientific funding should be based on scientific merit alone.” An MIT spokesperson said the institute would not comment further.
Some MIT faculty members had feared that agreeing with the compact would affect their ability to conduct research, as well. “Anybody who followed the scientific method, followed the facts where they led us, might find ourselves reaching conclusions that were not what the administration wanted to hear, and this compact would give them a means to clamp down,” White said. She gave examples: What if MIT economists came to unflattering conclusions about the U.S. economy? Or if engineers at the university invented something that threatened the businesses of those close to President Trump?”
Despite some of the strong support for Kornbluth’s decision within and outside of MIT, at least one stakeholder offered a more tepid reaction. “I hope that the letter that President Kornbluth has sent will not be interpreted as a blanket rejection of any possible response to government preferences with respect to funding of research,” said Ian H. Hutchinson, a professor emeritus of nuclear science and engineering at MIT. “I think there are parts of many universities that have become captured to ideological positions. I think MIT can and will reform some of these areas and encouragement from the government is not entirely inappropriate.”
Hold your ground, Sally!
Tony
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