Darby, I actually worked at MIT for about a dozen years and have worked in various other academic and research institutions before and after. The atmosphere and method of "teaching" that you so eloquently describe in this post does indeed prevail in most of these institutions. It is not about "learning" or "proving" or "discovering" or "research" as much as it is about parroting back the establishment's dogma and re-confirming what they already believe. If some one does indeed come up with something truly different or inventive, or that deviates from the mainstream establishment belief, they are indeed treated like heretics and may face consequences for their actions ranging from ridicule and snickering all the way to being nearly forced out of their positions or not getting tenure. I've seen this. In fact, we can ask Larry Summers of Harvard how he now feels about having challenged the orthodoxy of his school about male/female biology, education and choice of careers.
What department in what building at MIT, in what role?