Overview

• MIT President Sally Kornbluth told Education Secretary Linda McMahon the compact conflicts with academic freedom and MIT’s view that research support should be awarded on scientific merit.
• The 10-point proposal would cap international undergraduate enrollment at 15%, mandate standardized tests, bar consideration of race or sex in admissions and hiring, and require binary gender policies for campus life and athletics.
• Enforcement described in the document includes Justice Department findings that could trigger loss of federal student aid, grants, and contracts for at least a year, plus repayment of federal funds and potentially returned private donations.
• Brown, Dartmouth, Penn, USC, Vanderbilt, Arizona, and UVA said they are studying the memo, while the University of Texas signaled it is eager to engage with the administration.
• State officials warned of consequences for signing, with California’s governor threatening loss of state funding and Virginia Senate Democrats cautioning budget repercussions for UVA, as universities draft feedback due Oct. 20 ahead of a Nov. 21 decision window.