Harvard University has announced it will not comply with new requirements from the Trump administration, even though the decision could cost the school billions in federal grants and contracts used for research in vital scientific and medical fields. Harvard President Alan M. Garber declared the university’s position in a strongly worded letter sent to the campus community on Monday, emphasizing that government overreach threatens academic independence and violates constitutional principles.
Garber made it clear that the university would not accept a proposed agreement from the federal government, which he says imposes regulations on academic freedom and the ideological orientation of Harvard’s faculty, staff, and students. “No government… should dictate what private universities can teach, whom they can admit and hire, and areas of study and inquiry they can pursue,” Garber stated in his letter.
For more than 75 years, Garber said, the U.S. government has partnered with universities like Harvard by awarding grants and contracts to help finance innovative research in various disciplines. This collaboration, combined with internal university investment, has produced groundbreaking advancements in medicine, engineering, and science. “These innovations have made countless people in our country and throughout the world healthier and safer,” he noted.
However, Garber said that in recent weeks, the government has been threatening to withdraw funding from several academic institutions, including Harvard, accusing them of allowing antisemitism to flourish on campus. He called these partnerships “among the most productive and beneficial in American history.”
Garber highlighted the type of research at risk, citing Harvard’s contributions to developing treatments for Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s disease, and diabetes, along with major progress in artificial intelligence, quantum science, and engineering. He warned that cutting off support would endanger the health of millions and jeopardize national economic and technological strength. “The federal government was risking not just the health and well-being of millions of individuals by retreating from partnerships with Harvard and other universities, but also the economic security and vitality of the country,” he said.
Late last week, the Trump administration issued a revised and expanded list of conditions that Harvard must fulfill to preserve its financial relationship with the federal government. According to Garber, the new list made it clear that the goal was not genuine cooperation to fight antisemitism but rather to control the university’s academic environment. “Although some of the demands outlined by the government are aimed at combating antisemitism, the majority represent direct governmental regulation of the ‘intellectual conditions’ at Harvard,” Garber wrote.
Among the new demands, the administration has asked the university to audit the beliefs and opinions of its student body, staff, and faculty. Additionally, it called for Harvard to reduce the influence of individuals who hold certain ideological positions. Garber found such requests unacceptable and said Harvard had informed the administration through legal counsel that it would not comply.
“We have informed the administration through our legal counsel that we will not accept their proposed agreement,” he declared. “The University will not negotiate over its independence or its constitutional rights.” He further stated that the administration’s demands “go beyond the power of the federal government,” violate First Amendment rights, and surpass the legal authority allowed under Title VI of the Civil Rights Act.
Garber emphasized that Harvard remains committed to combating antisemitism but will do so on its own terms and in a way that upholds its institutional values. He acknowledged the university’s moral responsibility in addressing antisemitism and said the administration’s tactics do not help meet that responsibility. “The administration’s prescription… threatens our values as a private institution devoted to the pursuit, production, and dissemination of knowledge,” he said.
He noted that over the past 15 months, Harvard has implemented various initiatives to address antisemitism on campus and that further actions are planned. Garber stressed the university’s commitment to promoting an environment of open debate and intellectual diversity. This includes respecting freedom of expression and peaceful protest, as long as it does not disrupt academic life. He also expressed a desire to foster a welcoming campus culture that embraces differing perspectives.
“We will continue to nurture a thriving culture of open inquiry on campus and broaden the intellectual and viewpoint diversity within the community,” Garber said. “The university will respect free speech and dissent while also ensuring protest occurs in a time, place and manner that does not interfere with teaching, learning and research.” He added that Harvard would seek legal and appropriate ways to build a community that “exemplifies, respects and embraces differences.”
Garber argued that the responsibility for addressing institutional shortcomings lies within the university, not with federal authorities. “These ends will not be achieved by assertions of power, unmoored from the law, to control teaching and learning at Harvard and to dictate how we operate,” he said. “The work of addressing our shortcomings, fulfilling our commitments, and embodying our values is ours to define and undertake as a community.”
He concluded his message by reaffirming Harvard’s belief in academic freedom and the university’s role in advancing society through independent research and education. “Freedom of thought and inquiry, along with the government’s longstanding commitment to respect and protect it, has enabled universities to contribute in vital ways to a free society and to healthier, more prosperous lives for people everywhere,” Garber wrote. “We proceed now, as always, with the conviction that the fearless and unfettered pursuit of truth liberates humanity—and with faith in the enduring promise that America’s colleges and universities hold for our country and our world.”
The standoff with Harvard comes as the Trump administration escalates its crackdown on antisemitism in higher education. Since October 2023, the administration has suspended federal funding to nearly every Ivy League school, except the University of Pennsylvania and Dartmouth, due to ongoing investigations into anti-Israel demonstrations on campus.
Columbia University was the first to lose federal support, with more than $400 million in funding withdrawn after it was determined that Jewish students did not feel safe on campus. Columbia later complied with administration demands in hopes of having its funding restored.
Earlier this month, a federal task force on antisemitism began reviewing Harvard’s nearly $9 billion in federal grants and contracts as part of an ongoing investigation into how the university has handled antisemitism on campus.
The Trump administration has committed to taking a more aggressive approach to addressing campus antisemitism, criticizing President Joe Biden for what it sees as leniency toward violent campus protests. In addition, the administration has taken steps to identify, detain, and deport foreign students who have been involved in organizing or participating in anti-Israel protests at U.S. universities.