MIT Faculty Newsletter

October 2025Vol. XXXVIII No. 2

MIT’s Faustian Bargain

There are many ways for a university to lose its soul. Some do it slowly, by trimming values until only the trimmings remain. Others do it quickly, with a pen.

For MIT and Country

On October 1st, the administration in Washington invited MIT and eight other institutions to sign a “compact” that would offer favorable governmental treatment in exchange for our commitment to “pursuing Federal priorities with vigor.”