Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) President Sally Kornbluth expressed strong opposition on Friday to a memo sent by the White House to nine prominent US universities, detailing the policies they must adopt to receive preferential federal funding.
Kornbluth, in an open letter addressed to US Education Secretary Linda McMahon, argued that the proposals in the memo would infringe upon MIT’s autonomy and its commitment to freedom of expression.
Kornbluth criticized the document’s premise, stating it contradicts MIT’s core belief that scientific funding should be solely based on merit. The memo proposed policies such as limiting international undergraduate enrollment to 15%, prohibiting the consideration of race or gender in hiring and admissions processes, and defining gender based on biology.
The memo warned that universities failing to comply with these directives could lose federal benefits, while those that adhere would receive preferential treatment.
MIT became the first university to publicly reject the White House’s memo, which follows similar moves by former President Donald Trump, who sought to use financial leverage to push top universities to align with his administration’s policies, especially regarding free speech and what is taught on campuses.
Other institutions, including Brown University, the University of Virginia, and Dartmouth University, are still considering how to respond. Some universities have already signaled their discomfort with the provisions in the memo, particularly around free expression and the restrictions on diversity initiatives.
The White House has defended the memo, with spokesperson Liz Huston claiming that the administration is merely calling for an end to discrimination. The administration has made its position clear that universities rejecting the memo are not serving the best interests of their students.
The memo also called for the transformation or abolition of university units that, according to the administration, suppress conservative views, while offering no similar protections for liberal ideologies. Additionally, it recommended incorporating the Classic Learning Test (CLT) as an alternative to the SAT and ACT for college admissions, a move backed by some conservative groups.
