Latest news with #Kornbluth
Yahoo
7 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
MIT announces plans to wind down DEI office, eliminate equity VP job
MIT has become the latest in a string of elite American universities — including Harvard — to distance itself from the idea of diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) as President Donald Trump continues his anti-DEI agenda and attempts to rein in colleges and universities who resist it. MIT President Sally Kornbluth announced plans to 'sunset' the university's Institute Community and Equity Office and remove its vice president for equity and inclusion position in a letter to the school community last week. The office's 'core programs' will continue, but under the purview of other offices. Read more: 'Willing to capitulate': Cracks emerge in Harvard's resistance to Trump over DEI The decision comes as a result of an assessment of the office's programs and whether they are 'effectively serving campus needs,' Kornbluth wrote. Former Vice President for Equity and Inclusion Karl Reid began this assessment in January 2024, but stepped down from his position in February 2025. Following Reid's resignation, Kornbluth asked 'a working group of senior faculty and staff' to continue the assessment, she wrote. It presented its findings to MIT's Academic Council — which is made up of the university's most senior leaders — last month. 'At a high level, the working group found real appreciation for the programs administered by the Institute Community and Equity Office (ICEO) and reported that our community remains deeply committed to the pursuit of inclusive excellence,' Kornbluth's letter reads. 'But the working group also reported a broad desire to rethink how this work is done in practice; a common refrain, matching what I'd heard myself, was that community is best built locally rather than top down.' The decision to wind down the equity office and vice president position was made based on the recommendations of the working group, Kornbluth wrote. MIT also plans to implement several other changes at the advice of the working group. Read more: Harvard renames its DEI office, conceding on Trump demand Firstly, the university plans to create a new, staff-led Standing Institute Committee that will serve as a 'mechanism' through which people doing 'local-first community building' can easily collaborate with and offer suggestions to MIT leadership, according to the letter. Secondly, it plans to clarify the responsibilities of 'professionals focused on community and belonging efforts' and ensure their work is addressing the needs of the local community by working with MIT's human resources department and local leaders. Finally, as students in affinity groups told the working group that they'd value greater access to university leadership, Kornbluth has tasked Chancellor Melissa Nobles and her team with working with student leaders to determine how best to achieve that goal over the next several months. 'MIT is deeply committed to fostering a campus environment that is free of discrimination and harassment,' she wrote. Read more: Northeastern scrubs most DEI language from website after Trump executive order In making these changes, MIT is following in the footsteps of other Massachusetts universities, such as Northeastern University, which scrubbed DEI-related language from its website in January after President Trump signed an executive order that ended federal diversity, equity and inclusion programs and placed federal DEI staffers on paid leave. Despite its rhetorical and legal rebukes of the Trump administration's attempts to influence colleges and universities, Harvard University made a similar change in April, announcing that it was renaming its DEI office. Harvard affinity group graduations held off campus amid 'capitulation' to Trump Harvard commencement speaker says it's fitting to 'hear from an immigrant like me' Many foreign students already fleeing Harvard University due to Trump order Protesters pack outside Harvard commencement as families focus on their graduates Trump admin starts 30-day countdown on Harvard foreign students Read the original article on MassLive.
Yahoo
29-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
MIT is shuttering DEI office amid Trump administration's push to end diversity programs
The Massachusetts Institute of Technology has announced it will shut down its DEI office, joining a raft of universities scrambling to scale back their diversity, equity and inclusion programs amid President Donald Trump's anti-diversity push. In a letter on its website last Thursday, MIT President Sally Kornbluth said the institution will 'sunset' its Institute Community and Equity Office (ICEO) as well as a vice-president role charged with overseeing inclusion programs. Kornbluth insisted MIT is not abandoning efforts to ensure a diverse community but said the university will 'shift focus to community building at the local level' and that the ICEO's signature programs will be taken up by other departments on campus. 'MIT is in the talent business. Our success depends on attracting exceptionally talented people of every background, from across the country and around the world, and making sure everyone at MIT feels welcome and supported,' Kornbluth wrote. The decision to close the DEI office follows a months-long review of the university's diversity programs. The assessment was led by Karl Reid, the last Vice-President for Equity and Inclusion, who stepped down in February after barely one year in the job. Kornbluth's letter did not mention the exact dates the changes are meant to take place. CNN has reached out to MIT for comments. In recent weeks, universities across the country have been scrambling to comply with Trump's anti-diversity push in the hopes of holding on to hundreds of millions of dollars in federal grants, which fund critical medical research in areas such as cancer and maternal health, among an array of scientific fields. Last month, the Trump administration threatened to cancel medical research funds and to pull the accreditation of universities that have diversity and inclusion programs or boycott Israeli companies. Just hours into his second term, Trump signed an Executive Order declaring diversity, equity and inclusion efforts discriminatory, doubling down on one of the controversial policies he pushed during his first presidency. MIT is among 45 universities targeted in an investigation launched in March by the Department of Education's Office for Civil Rights for 'allegedly engaging in race-exclusionary practices in their graduate programs.' MIT's decision to shutter its DEI office comes as the White House escalates its fight rows with the tech school's neighbor, Harvard University. This week the Trump administration moved to cancel all of Harvard's remaining federal contracts, which total around $100 million, in addition to several billions in grants already canceled or frozen. A week ago, the administration banned Harvard, the nation's oldest and richest university, from enrolling international students, but a federal judge temporarily halted the ban after Harvard sued the next day. The university is also locking legal horns with the government in a bid to unlock $2.2 billion in federal grants frozen by the administration for failing to implement its policy demands.
Yahoo
28-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
MIT closes DEI office amid Trump's dispute with Harvard and other schools
The Massachusetts Institute of Technology closed its DEI office last week, following an 18-month assessment of the department's work. The school confirmed that it closed its Institute Community and Equity Office, known as the ICEO, which described its mission online as "stewarding MIT's values and their interconnections." MIT will also eliminate the role of the vice president for equity and inclusion, who led the department, according to a university spokesperson. MIT President Sally Kornbluth made the announcement last Thursday, following an 18-month "comprehensive assessment" of the ICEO's work, an MIT spokesperson said in a statement to CBS News. While President Trump has taken aim at DEI — diversity, equity and inclusion — in government, business and academia, MIT's review began before his return to office. In January 2024, Kornbluth asked staff to advise her "where we're succeeding in supporting our community and where we're falling short." "MIT is in the talent business," Kornbluth said in a notice to the MIT community. "Our success depends on attracting exceptionally talented people of every background, from across the country and around the world, and making sure everyone at MIT feels welcome and supported, so they can do their best work and thrive." The closure comes amid a battle between the Trump administration and nearby Harvard University, which intensified this week as the White House took new steps to screen and restrict international students who wish to study in the U.S. The Trump administration has frozen over $3 billion in research grants and contracts to Harvard. The White House has accused Harvard of discriminatory hiring practices and not doing enough to address antisemitism on campus. It has also leveled similar accusations at Columbia University and frozen hundreds of millions of dollars in federal research grants and other funding to the school. Harvard has filed a lawsuit against the Trump administration challenging the funding freeze. President Trump has also called for K-12 public schools to eliminate DEI initiatives across local school systems. In April, 19 states sued the Trump administration, alleging that it is unlawful to withhold federal funding from public schools for not complying with his mandate. CBS News' Jared Hill and The Associated Press contributed reporting. SpaceX loses contact with its Starship, spins out of control Attorney for Todd and Julie Chrisley on why Trump pardoned the couple Judge rejects mistrial request at Sean "Diddy" Combs trial
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Business Standard
23-05-2025
- Business
- Business Standard
MIT to cut student intake, staff jobs due to fund reduction by Trump govt
The Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), US will reduce the number of graduate students it admits and lay off staff because of budget problems caused by less government funding and new tax rules. The announcement has fuelled broader concerns over the future of academic research in the United States. According to a Bloomberg report, MIT will admit about 100 fewer graduate research students in the 2025 academic year. This is an 8 per cent drop from the current year. The cuts are happening because MIT is getting less money from federal agencies like the National Institutes of Health. MIT is also reducing jobs in its administrative departments. A spokesperson, Kimberly Allen, said the university is asking all departments to cut their budgets by up to 10 per cent. However, she did not say how many staff members will lose their jobs. Bloomberg reported, MIT President Sally Kornbluth anticipates more problems in the future. 'There could be more damage to MIT and to universities all across America, and to the entire American research ecosystem,' she said. 'While we do everything in our power to prevent that, we'll also be working to prepare the Institute and our community for a range of outcomes.' Why is MIT cutting admissions and staff? These budget problems are partly due to new policy changes under the Trump administration. One proposal passed by the US House of Representatives would raise taxes on colleges with large endowments. Private universities like MIT could face a 21 per cent tax on investment income—much higher than the current 1.4 per cent rate. MIT's endowment is worth $25 billion, but most of it is already committed to specific purposes. Kornbluth warned that the new tax would be 'a devastating level of taxation' and could cost MIT hundreds of millions of dollars. This money usually supports research and student aid. How is MIT responding to funding challenges? Although MIT is doing better than nearby Harvard University—which has faced even more serious funding issues—Kornbluth said the cuts are still difficult for any research university. 'I truly wish there were another way to do this,' she said about the staff layoffs. MIT has also launched an online campaign to show how important its research is for the country. Kornbluth asked former students to speak up for science funding. 'We need the whole country to appreciate that by investing in university research and educating the next generation of explorers and innovators, the country has reaped, and will continue to reap, tremendous rewards,' she said.
Time of India
23-05-2025
- Business
- Time of India
MIT will enroll fewer grad students as funds from Trump govt dries up
The Massachusetts Institute of Technology ( MIT ) will reduce its graduate student intake and lay off staff as federal funding cuts and new tax rules tighten pressure on the institute's budget, signaling broader concerns for the US research ecosystem. Facing reduced support from key federal agencies such as the National Institutes of Health, MIT will cut enrollment in its research graduate programs by around 100 students for the 2025 academic year, a Bloomberg report said. This represents an 8% drop from the current year, according to MIT spokesperson Kimberly Allen. The move comes alongside job reductions in administrative departments, driven by a university-wide directive to slash central budget allocations to academic and support units by up to 10%. Allen did not specify the number of employees affected. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Use an AI Writing Tool That Actually Understands Your Voice Grammarly Install Now Undo MIT President Sally Kornbluth warned that further disruption may lie ahead. 'There could be more damage to MIT and to universities all across America, and to the entire American research ecosystem,' she said in a statement. 'While we do everything in our power to prevent that, we'll also be working to prepare the Institute and our community for a range of outcomes.' (Join our ETNRI WhatsApp channel for all the latest updates) The cuts reflect growing uncertainty stemming from policy shifts under the Trump administration. Beyond reductions in federal grants, the US House of Representatives has approved a measure to impose a 21% tax on net investment income for private colleges with large endowments. This is a sharp increase from the current 1.4% rate. MIT's $25 billion endowment is largely designated for specific uses and cannot be easily redirected to cover funding shortfalls. Live Events Kornbluth called the proposed tax hike 'a devastating level of taxation' and warned it could cost the university hundreds of millions of dollars—funds that support research and student aid. Compared to neighboring Harvard University, which has seen more severe funding freezes, MIT's position remains relatively stable. However, Kornbluth noted that even limited cuts are creating significant stress on institutions reliant on federal support for research initiatives. 'I truly wish there were another way to do this,' she said regarding the job cuts. MIT has also launched an online campaign to raise awareness of its contributions to national scientific innovation and security. Kornbluth encouraged alumni to advocate for research funding. 'We need the whole country to appreciate that by investing in university research and educating the next generation of explorers and innovators, the country has reaped, and will continue to reap, tremendous rewards,' she said.
