Savannah Fritz, a sophomore, reading about the professors’ protest in The Harvard Crimson, the student newspaper, called the law professors’ protest “a step backward.”

“It just seems like they’re defending those who are accused of sexual assault,” Ms. Fritz said. “Harvard is trying to create these policies to protect those who need defending.” She said the policy was not perfect, but called it “a step in the right direction.” MaryRose Mazzola, a public policy student at the Kennedy School of Government and a member of Harvard Students Demand Respect, said she would like to see an even tougher sexual misconduct policy. Her group was among those that have started a petition to add an affirmative consent provision to the policy, similar to one recently adopted in California, requiring both students to consent actively to each sexual act.

“We’re deeply concerned with the sentiments of the letter,” Ms. Mazzola said. “But it’s important to note that the letter is from some law faculty, but doesn’t represent the whole school or the university or the students. There’s disagreement on both sides.”

Members of another student group, Our Harvard Can Do Better, said in a statement that they were “deeply disturbed” by the letter. “By implying Harvard should disregard its legal obligation to protect all of its students and ensure a safe and antidiscriminatory environment, this piece displays a callous lack of understanding of sexual violence and its effect on survivors in educational institutions,” the members wrote.

Jessica Ewald, a junior studying environmental engineering, said she backed a policy that supports victims, but had concerns about the ramifications of a wrongful conviction. “Sometimes I wonder how far you can push the line before someone gets unfairly slapped with a label,” she said. “It’s life-changing to have the label of rapist put on you.” Still, she said, it was important to have a policy that supported alleged victims.

The Harvard law professors are not the only ones pushing back against the policies that have resulted from the Department of Education’s more aggressive enforcement efforts. An article in the Oct. 27 issue of The New Republic magazine argues that many college students accused of sexual assault are having their rights trampled. Its author, Judith Shulevitz, cited 20 pending lawsuits by students who said they had been treated unfairly.