WSU may have a grade forgiveness policy, but UW does not. One F does not keep you from graduating.
I see I commented on this over three yrs ago, when my own daughter was at Huxley.
There was a suicide in 2012, but I cannot find info about five in one yr? 
Handling communication with a prof, is something I would expect students to have practiced with their teachers in high school. If students are not ready to advocate for themselves in college, then a gap year can be used as a tool to acquire maturity and skills.Im a big fan of gap years as I see kids entering campus with a sense of purpose after such, rather than college being just another slog through the classroom treadmill that they have been on since they were five.