Even though its campus sits nearly five miles from the arena hosting the Republican National Convention in Cleveland, Case Western Reserve University on Monday announced a virtual shutdown of its operations next week for the convention’s duration, citing concerns that last week’s shootings in Dallas, Louisiana and Minnesota could provoke a “significant degree of conflict” in the city.

But students believe the decision to essentially close the campus relates to protests over another safety issue — the fear created by having 1,900 armed police officers and National Guardsmen housed in campus dormitories. They are part of an auxiliary force that will assist the Cleveland Police Department during the convention.

Students voiced their objections to the police presence during campus forums last week and in a Change.org petition, “Student Safety During Riot Police Occupation of Case Western Reserve University.”

“The primary concern is the safety of the campus community,” said Taru Taylor, a Case Western Reserve law student from Washington, D.C., and a co-author of the petition. Mr. Taylor, citing police misconduct in Cleveland and across the nation, said he was concerned that by agreeing to house the police, the university was implicitly siding with them.