SHIPPENSBURG, Pa. (WHTM) — Hundreds of Shippensburg University students are demanding a change in the school’s COVID-19 protocols. However, faculty members say they have many open lines of communication to help student needs.

A student petition was created just a couple of weeks ago and is asking for 500 signatures and so far, more than 450 students have signed the petition asking the campus to be more supportive for those who are in quarantine with COVID-19 but the faculty says there are many ways to accommodate.

“I was really concerned once I first found out that I had to quarantine because I just didn’t know how it was going to be handled,” Shelby Williams said.

Williams says in the second week of the semester she had to isolate/quarantine for ten days, per the school’s COVID policy. Williams also says she reached out to her professors to see what she could do so she won’t get behind in her studies.

“We like to have options for students and not a strict protocol,” Dr. Lynn Baynum said.

The university says faculty members have the flexibility on how to handle COVID quarantine/isolation protocols. This includes recording classes, sending notes, to even virtual meetings, and faculty are not required to do but share their recommendations.

“And actually, my students have my cell phone number, they know that they can text me and I am comfortable with that level of communication and so are many faculty here,” Dr. Baynum said.

Williams says she was able to even reach out to her peers and follow up with professors.

“Overall, all of the teachers, like I really felt like if I needed something, I could reach out to most of them what they offered me and supplied me with was enough to make me feel like mostly keeping up,” Williams said.

Shippensburg University faculty members also say for students who are not receiving much feedback from certain professors, students can reach out to another faculty member in that same department to even the dean’s office.