Some students say they won't walk near campus alone after dark anymore. A petition criticizing administration officials has garnered more than 2,000 signatures. And a top university official was reported to have questioned a decision not to alert students after a disturbing nearby crime.

Since a former Rutgers University student was killed near campus last month, an atmosphere of anxiety has gripped the New Jersey public school and highlighted the issue of what higher-education institutions should tell their students about...