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Harvard alumni and an external faculty group sent letters to the University’s leaders on Monday urging them not to compromise their commitment to academic freedom as they resume negotiations with the Trump administration.

The two letters came days after President Donald Trump announced on Truth Social that his administration had restarted talks with Harvard — the latest development in a monthslong feud. The White House has frozen nearly $3 billion in federal funding and attempted to end the University’s ability to enroll international students, before a federal judge temporarily blocked the action in court.

“Standing strong is not merely an operational exercise: it is a moral imperative. The world is watching and needs Harvard’s leadership and courage now,” Crimson Courage, a Harvard alumni group advocating against compliance with Trump’s demands, wrote in a letter.

The second letter was penned by Concerned Jewish Faculty & Staff, a group of Jewish faculty and staff from universities in the Boston area that is against invoking antisemitism to penalize pro-Palestine activism.

“As the university now moves toward a negotiated settlement, its resistance to President Trump’s assault on its core values must continue,” the group wrote.

A Harvard spokesperson wrote that the University is “appreciative of all alumni and friends who support Harvard’s continued efforts to advance knowledge, foster innovation and serve the public good.”

Though both letters urged Harvard to maintain its principles while negotiating with the White House, they diverged in their messaging and tone.

Crimson Courage assured University leaders that they have the backing of alumni in their fight against the White House, writing that Harvard could “persevere” through the Trump administration’s ongoing pressure campaign.

“We alumni will stand strong — alongside you — against any attempt to extort or deny our Constitutional rights or our integrity. We have your back and we trust that you have our backs as well,” the group wrote.

CJFP took a more critical stance toward the University, calling on Harvard to better protect speech on Israel and Palestine, recognize the “plurality of views” that its Jewish affiliates hold on the conflict, and reverse recent shakeups at academic centers across the University. The group specifically condemned the recent dismissal of top leaders at the Center for Middle Eastern Studies and suspension of the Harvard Divinity School’s Religion, Conflict, and Peace Initiative.

“Resistance will only be effective if Harvard applies its defense of academic freedom consistently, and opposes the cynical use of ‘antisemitism’ and ‘viewpoint diversity’ to control and police research and evidence-based discourse on Israel-Palestine,” the group wrote.

Crimson Courage’s letter was addressed to Harvard President Alan M. Garber ’76, the University’s two governing boards, the Harvard Alumni Association, and all 12 school deans. The CJFS letter was sent to Garber, Harvard administrators, and members of the University’s twin task forces on antisemitism and anti-Israeli bias and on anti-Arab, anti-Muslim, and anti-Palestinian bias.

The news that Harvard had met with White House officials — announced, without details, by Trump and then reported in the New York Times later on Friday — caught many faculty and alumni by surprise.

Harvard has been fighting the administration in federal court and the court of public opinion since rejecting sweeping conditions that would have ceded considerable control over its governance to Washington. Cutting a deal with the administration would mark a significant shift in the University’s public stance toward the White House.

Two anonymous sources who spoke to the Times said it was unlikely Harvard would reach a deal with the government this week, despite Trump’s optimism on social media.

Crimson Courage, which was founded earlier this year to encourage Harvard to stand up to the Trump administration’s demands, distributed flyers at Commencement in May and held a webinar ahead of the ceremony rallying support for Harvard’s decision to defy Trump.

In its Monday letter, the group again praised the University’s resistance but warned the leaders that sacrificing academic freedom or Harvard’s independence would seriously damage its reputation and the goodwill it has earned standing up to Trump.

“Harvard’s status as a global leader in higher education would be decimated if Harvard were to compromise on these ideals,” Crimson Courage wrote. “We cannot stand for ‘veritas’ if we refuse to stand up for truth when the moment demands it or if we dilute our values because it is expedient.”

—Staff writer Megan L. Blonigen can be reached at megan.blonigen@thecrimson.com. Follow her on X at @MeganBlonigen.

—Staff writer William C. Mao can be reached at william.mao@thecrimson.com. Follow him on X @williamcmao.