Student Accuses UoA of Kicking Them Out Over Mental Health Issues

A student posting anonymously on the UoA: Meaningful Confessions page has accused the university of rescinding their enrolment because of ongoing mental health issues.

The poster claimed to be an international student. They said they had been “clinically diagnosed with mental health problems in 2016”, and that they had been “sexually assaulted since mid-2018” by a fellow University of Auckland student. As a result, they had sought treatment for these issues at the university. The poster said that, after they began using the university’s mental health facilities, they were told they “use too many healthcare resources for [their] mental health problems”, and that the university would be unenrolling them from their final semester of courses.

“I find it so painful that a person who has hurt me so badly can have the privilege of graduating and enjoying his life,” the poster wrote, “I cannot bear to give up on my studies at this stage and lose everything. I am writing this email as I really do not want to kill myself to solve this problem. I really, really need some constructive advice, please.”

Craccum has been unable to contact the student to verify the authenticity of their statements. Several attempts to meet-up face-to-face fell apart, and a phone call between Craccum and the student was ended when the student became too emotional to speak.

Craccum asked the university to confirm or deny the student’s allegations, but the university said it would not do this for fear of breaching the student’s privacy rights. Instead, the university issued a general statement saying “the university does not terminate enrolment on the grounds of mental health”. 

The statement from the university acknowledged that it was possible that an international student receiving mental health treatments at the University of Auckland could have their visa revoked. “Where international students are concerned, student visa applications must comply with immigration instructions,” a spokesperson told Craccum. “These can be affected by the extent of use of state resources (such as Health) and compliance with terms of the original visa (which can for example be affected by a change from full-time study status to part-time).” However, it went on to say that it provided students with “accurate information and support around fulfilling the requirements of their visas”.

Craccum sincerely sends the author of the post our condolences and best wishes.