Concern for campus safety and confusion about privacy laws are leading more and more colleges and universities to quickly expel students showing any inkling of suicidal thoughts.

But such blanket, zero-tolerance policies may violate students' rights under federal and state anti-discrimination laws and may actually be counter-intuitive, pushing students who may be a danger to themselves and to others below officials' radar, according to a report released last week by state Public Advocate Ronald Chen.

Suicide, the third leading cause of death among college-age Americans — and mental health in general — is a growing concern for colleges, including Rutgers University, which in the fall opened a new $5 million mental health and drug abuse center on the College Avenue Campus. In February, the university will host a state higher education conference on suicide prevention.

Rutgers officials say 10 percent of the student body seeks some sort of counseling assistance during the school year. The American Psychological Association, meanwhile, recently reported the number of college students seeking mental health services during the 1990s doubled for depression and tripled for suicidal thoughts.