That is terrible. The University should have helped her instead of kicking her out. Imagine you have a student in the brink of suicide, who feels his/her life is worthless…and to add to their troubles, you kick them out of school? Are you f-ing kidding me? What more motivation would someone need to fully commit the act?

I am sorry to hear about your friend. Do you know if she threatened to harm other students? That is the only reason I can understand her getting expelled.

Seeing your friend in crisis like that. The thing is…if UCSB Counseling Services or other mental health activists were to get funding for preventative measures, maybe your friend would have known the 24/7 counseling number and her attempt could have been avoided. The absolutely last thing that UCSB wants to do is have a student leave, but if the situation is severe enough administration does WHAT IS BEST FOR THE STUDENT. It is not the standard policy of UCSB to immediately suspend or expel a student because of a mental health "disability". How feasible is it to treat a severe mental health issue while continuing to be a top scholar? After being diagnosed with depression last year it was tough enough to continue the rigorous workload here, I can’t imagine being a Regents Scholar while struggling with bipolar disorder. Attempting to take your life is a very serious issue, one that should be addressed by a mental health professional. Obviously your friend has gotten the support and help that she needs, and instead of focusing on getting top grades, she is focusing on something that means so much more, herself. Isn’t that, ultimately, the best thing for her?
So lets be honest, the way that you are negatively portraying mental health services at UCSB is pushing other students away from getting the help that they desperately need…because they are afraid of getting expelled. This negativity is highly unproductive, maybe in the future you should "communicate" with professionals before stating blatant facts about the issue, have a little "compassion" for those who work long hours with students in crisis, and please, have a little "tact" when it comes to criticizing those who have done so much to ensure your well being.

Did you know that 1 out of 10 college students have made a suicide plan? Did you know that 4 out of 5 people are affected directly or indirectly by mental health issues? Did you know that the Counseling Center now offers 8 hours of crisis appointments everyday (in addition to normal appointment hours)….and they are ALWAYS filled by students who walk into the counseling center in need of an emergency appointment? Did you know that mental health disabilities are going to be the most prevalent health issue by the year 2020?

I understand that you are worried about your friend and I’m sure she is, as you said, a brilliant young woman. I also know that the mental health professionals are doing what is best for her. And yes…I know you’ll just answer back saying that it’s selfish of them. Would it also be selfish for the school to send someone home if they fractured their spine? Isn’t that just another short-term disability? The truth is that this campus has put so much money, time and dedication into mental health services that it’s an insult to have you be so negative. I understand that most people are not privy to the bigger picture. If you research the statistics and read Dr. Michael Young’s report of mental health you might begin to see what a huge deal mental health is. It would upset me to know that, because of your article, students were too scared to come forward and get the help that they need. There are massive amounts of people on this campus living with "mental health disabilities", as you call them, that have been able to function normally. Just like having a mental health disability doesn’t define you, neither does a title like Regents Scholar. With all due respect to the scholars on our campus, I think that having your friend take time off of school and focus on herself and her own wellbeing is the best thing for her. Anybody seeing this situation from the outside can see that as a friend, you should be encouraging her to get herself back on her feet instead of being bitter and pissed off at the "system". Unfortunately, the stigma that surrounds mental health is never going to go away with people like you taking a stab at the efforts of our campus. Please take some time to reflect on your article, and maybe reevaluate your stance on mental health. It might even change the way you help your friend.

I think it is important to note that Ms. Weaver’s letter did not require knowledge of suicide rates and statistics, the under-funding of counseling services, nor pointless trivia about the year 2020.
Ms. Weaver, as those who actually read the article would notice, instead argued against the hypocrisy and blatant discrimination of the school ADMINISTRATION, whether or not the aforementioned administration was (likely) advised by counseling services.
I agree that students should not be scared off by this article and should seek help if they find themselves in need of it. I also believe that providing as many resources as possible to help students is in their best interest. However, this letter had nothing to do with any of that.
For one, we cannot make assumptions about what would be best for any given situation without first knowing more about it. It may be, as I suspect, an incredible feat of stupidity to remove a person’s enrollment in this situation. Many students, especially those (as I dare to lump Regents’ Scholars in with) who are particularly focused on their studies, actually take pleasure, relief, and even gain stability from staying in school. I’ve just looked up crime statistics. Guess what? Crime rate goes up when young adults aren’t in school, even according to official U.S. government statistics, and notably so when cross-referencing the crime statistics with population statistics. Your argument that removing this young lady from school is unfounded and absurd, friend.
Also, I find it incredibly close-minded of those people who jump to assume that all remarks and grievances "against the establishment," as the idiom goes, are clearly out of line and need to be suppressed. Get your head out of your ass. It takes people with impressive courage, like Ms. Weaver, to stand up for what they believe in, and support those in need against an overwhelmingly ignorant mass of zombies following the latest bureaucratic white papers.
Also, we are not, as a population, as blind to the "bigger picture" as you assert. We are well aware of the impact and dangers of mental health issues—many of us are indeed dealing with them. The fact of the matter is that a decision was made based on a student’s disability. It is not like a spine injury; mental issues often last a lifetime and cannot even be remotely considered temporary. The student with this disability, as quite apparently alluded to at the end of this letter at hand, does not seem to have been strongly communicated with during this process, and was dislodged from her last shreds of stability forcibly. It seems to me that the administration, or whoever was directly responsible for the illegal discrimination surrounding this issue, instead took matters into their own hands. And, as I suspect due to my previous encounters with our high-and-mighty rulers, they did so without taking the full story into consideration. I strongly doubt those responsible thought of the consequences of their rash actions, nor did they likely think about the damage it could do to a student.
Suicide is suicide folks. Let’s not dance around the issue here. This young woman is clearly plagued by something humblingly devastating, no matter how socially despicable. Yes, I am very glad that professional help is finally being found for this young woman. However, do not confuse professional help with "professionals" saying "bullshit" to cover their own asses by taking shortcuts. I’m starting to believe that this troubled young woman has been given a new opportunity, in a different form; she can cut and run. Get the hell out here while you can.

But all I’m trying to say is that the people who work ON THEIR WEEKENDS talking to families and friends of those who have attempted suicide are trying to do whats best for the student. Most cases of attempted suicide don’t lead to expulsion/suspension, etc. unless the student breaks a UCSB Code of Conduct, which is handled by judicial affairs. I think your battle is with them, friend. Please know the facts before disrespecting people who only have your best interest at heart.

I’m glad you’re so interested, InterestedParty.
The girl Crystal referred to in this article was my roommate. There was no such discrimination present in her case. She was suspended from school because she did not voluntarily leave. She was asked to voluntarily leave because her "humbling devastating" illness manifested in a clear and present danger not only to her life, but to at least 5 other people.
There is no conspiracy. UCSB did its job, protecting her life, my life, and the lives of my other roommates. My former roommate is now able to receive the care she needed and REFUSED prior to her manic breakdown.
Before you become so impassioned about subjects that are none of your business, please make sure you are better informed.

Thank you all for your comments. They have been quite interesting, and excellent food for thought. Precisely what an opinion article is all about, don’t you agree?

To those who are upset and feel that I am pushing students away from UCSB’s mental health services, I assure you this was not my intention. The people in Counseling services are, I’m sure, quite kind and dedicated people who are just trying to do the right thing. They DO put in long hours dealing with extremely difficult situations, and I am so grateful that they are there for our students in need.

However, "knowledge is power," and students need to know that an attempt at suicide might lead to suspension/ expulsion. (Until this event, I had no idea that this was true.) Previously, I had assumed that students who went through such things were taken care of (possibly including a SHORT leave of absence, but not an expulsion) and brought back as valuable members of our campus. Though this is probably what usually happens, it’s important for students to be aware of the exceptions.

To gm24, I don’t consider bipolar disorder to be a short-term injury. It is something that needs to be dealt with in such a way that the student may continue functioning in society, not sent home indefinitely. Also, I don’t mean to define my friend with a title like "Regents Scholar." I simply meant to convey that she is a highly valued student, by most standards. As a friend, I actually HAVE been encouraging her to "get back on her feet." Bipolar disorder is treatable, and with some adjustments she has been doing amazingly well. Which is precisely why I found her indefinite suspension so upsetting. Now that she’s recuperating and even better than before, why shouldn’t she be allowed to continue her education here? THIS is what bothers me about "the system." She’s up. She’s on her feet. Pretty soon she’ll be ready to go. But she still likely won’t be allowed back at UCSB.

Also, just as there are two sides to every story, I’d like to point out that I wrote my article based on the perspective of my friend. Writingmyownworld wrote her comment from her perspective as my friend’s former roommate. Both sides of the story agree on ONLY ONE point: that she was suspended from school because she did not voluntarily leave. Such discrepancies are, no doubt, significant. Hopefully in time the truth will come to light.

An attempt at suicide will not lead to suspension/expulsion. Directly endangering the lives of others, however, is a different story, especially if you refuse to take time off to receive the help that you need.

How can you be so sure that your friend is really "doing amazingly well," and that she is "up and on her feet?" Are you a professional? Are you capable of assessing a mentally ill individual’s progress in recovering from a manic break down and an attempt at taking his/her own life? Yeah, didn’t think so. Those who have PhDs in Psychology—those who have seen situations like the one you wrote about and patients much like your "friend" say that a mental illness such as bipolar disorder can take extended amounts of time to recover from. According to PROFESSIONALS, bipolar disorder cannot simply be cured with medications and short bouts of therapy. Rather, it is a serious mental disorder that often takes years for those who suffer from it to be "ready to go," as you claim.

Forgive me if I’m prying (though you seem pretty fond of meddling in other peoples’ business, yourself), but I can’t help but wonder what you hope to gain from turning people away from UCSB Counseling Services? Moreover, what do you suggest students suffering from mental illness do instead? The truth is, students will not be "expelled" for asking Counseling Services for help when dealing with suicidal thoughts. According to writinginmyownworld (your friend’s former roommate), whose perspective, quite frankly, hold’s more weight than a mentally ill student’s perspective on HER OWN mental health, your friend resisted the voluntary leave offered to her by the university. Is this not an indication that she has not accepted her mental disability? And is acceptance not a fundamental part of recovering from a mental disability?

Making UCSB the enemy does not help anyone. There is no conspiracy. There is no "covering of asses." Counseling Services does all that it can to make students aware of the services they provide and to makes sure that everyone is as safe and healthy as possible. In actuality, Counseling Services couldn’t suspend a student even if they wanted to. It is Judicial Affairs (NOT Counseling Services) that makes decisions regarding suspension (NOT "expulsion") of students. Please get your facts straight before you go lumping every UCSB entity together in this "UCSB monster" you have fabricated.

I understand that there are different viewpoints and I appreciate that we have gotten to hear a couple of them. The only thing I don’t understand is why we keep going back to linking attempting suicide with being expelled/suspended. These cases are obviously looked at individually but now that her roommate has posted what happened, it’s clear that she was "indefinitely suspended" because a Code of Conduct was broken by endangering another students life. It has nothing to do with the actual attempt. I just really don’t want people to think that because they attempt suicide they will automatically be suspended. There are a lot of other variables in the situation. I just really would rather not have people think that it’s a direct link. In light of the recent happenings, I at least appreciate that this topic has been brought to awareness. I just hope that in the process, some things have been cleared up about administration policy. I, from the bottom of my heart, hope that your friend is doing well and I wish her the best of luck.

This is such a terrible opinion article to have posted.
You are basically warning mentally ill students that they can potentially be kicked out of school if they say something.

I was diagnosed my sophomore year at the UCSB health center with bipolar disorder, generalized anxiety disorder, and ADD. I have tried to commit suicide countless of times and 1 time about a year ago, I was taken to the psychiatric unit at Cottage Hospital by the UCSB ambulance. At this time, too, I was seeing a psychiatrist at the UCSB health center and he knew everything that was going on. I’m telling you all this to just explain the extent of my mental illness and involvement with UCSB. AND THEY DIDN’T KICK ME OUT. It was definitely brought up by my psychiatrist that I always had the OPTION to withdraw or anything if I needed, but it was never ever something that was forced upon me.

I don’t know exactly how much your friend’s illness affected the people around her, but if the school wanted to expel her, then it is obvious she must have been a danger to not only herself, but others. That is the only reason why the administration would ever consider that option—if that person can potentially harm others.

And another strange part of this story is, how exactly did the administration hear about this? There is a confidentiality agreement within all hospitals and they have no right to release any information unless they are a minor. The administration is NOT just going around waiting and watching every suicide attempt to find out and expel them.

Before you say something like this, you should get your facts straight and not be so biased. This whole article is hurting those who need help by tainting the views on the health center. Yeah, your friend might be hurt or not understand why this drastic action was taken, but know that that must have been an EXTREMELY special case concerning the welfare of OTHERS. The school would never expel you if your mental illness just affected yourself.