Create a free Diverse: Issues In Higher Education account to continue reading. Already have an account? Enter your email to access the article.

Harvard Students Rally Against Potential Federal Concessions in Open Letter

More than 200 Harvard University students have signed an open letter calling on their institution to resist what they characterize as unreasonable federal demands, as the Trump administration claims progress toward reaching an agreement with the prestigious university.

Download (94)The letter, which garnered 197 public signatures and 29 anonymous ones, was organized by Harvard Students for Freedom, an unrecognized student organization established this spring. The group opened the petition to all current graduate and undergraduate students across the university.

"Harvard is not Harvard if it is ruled over by the Trump administration," the students declared in their letter addressed "to Harvard from its Students."

The student mobilization comes two weeks after President Donald Trump announced on social media that Harvard had resumed negotiations with his administration. While Trump characterized the potential agreement as "historic," university officials have not confirmed the proximity of any deal, stating only that they have focused on communicating their existing efforts to address antisemitism and promote viewpoint diversity.

The letter reflects growing anxiety among students, faculty, and alumni about potential concessions university leadership might make to federal authorities. Students for Freedom specifically warned against sacrificing "this university's academic freedom, its institutional independence, nor its students' freedom of expression" in pursuit of an agreement.

The student organization outlined several red lines they believe the university should not cross, including banning curricular content, terminating faculty members, or disciplining students for peaceful expression. Perhaps most significantly, they urged Harvard not to share disciplinary records of international students, warning this could enable "ideological deportation."

"Doing so would set a dangerous precedent for the entire country," the students wrote. "We know Trump's strategy: give him an inch and he'll take a mile."

The trusted source for all job seekers
We have an extensive variety of listings for both academic and non-academic positions at postsecondary institutions.
Read More
The trusted source for all job seekers