On Friday, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology rejected an offer from the Trump administration for preferential treatment for funding if it agreed to a laundry list of partisan demands.
MIT was one of nine universities to receive the letter and compact for consideration and the first to reject the offer.
In a letter to U.S. Education Secretary Linda McMahon, the school president said that MIT in many ways exceeds the standards outlined in the document. However, she said, the compact also included principles for which they disagree including the core belief that scientific funding should be based on scientific merit.
“In our view, America’s leadership in science and innovation depends on independent thinking and open competition for excellence. In that free marketplace of ideas, the people of MIT gladly compete with the very best, without preferences,” wrote Sally Kornbluth, president of the school. “Therefore, with respect, we cannot support the proposed approach to addressing the issues facing higher education.”
The University of Virginia was offered the same agreement that laid out conditions related to transgender students, faculty representation, international enrollment restrictions, admissions, hiring practices and more.
UVA has assembled a working group to review the compact, according to Interim President Paul Mahoney.
ICYMI
- State Senate leadership demands UVA reject Trump compact, likens it to political extortion
- UVA may not have made a decision on Trump compact, but faculty strongly oppose it
- White House offers reward to nine universities, including UVA, that agree to toe the party line
Virginia democrats got tough with UVA this week. In a letter, Senate leadership warned UVA that if it signed the compact, there would be “significant consequences.”
“As the leadership of the Senate with responsibility for appropriations affecting higher education, we will work with our colleagues to ensure that the Commonwealth does not subsidize an institution that has ceded its independence to federal political control,” wrote Sen. Scott A. Surovell (D-34), Sen. L. Louise Lucas (D-18) and Sen. Mamie E. Locke (D-23)
UVA has no plans to abandon the principles of Thomas Jefferson which includes “self-governance through the pursuit of truth,” it replied to the senators.
In addition to MIT and UVA, seven other schools received the letter including Brown University, Dartmouth College, University of Arizona, University of Pennsylvania, University of Southern California, University of Texas and Vanderbilt University.
The administration asked for feedback on the compact by Oct. 21. A final decision is required by Nov. 21.
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Chris Graham
