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Same Pay for Same Work It will take $30 million to settle a class-action claim filed against the State of Washington. The case was brought by statewide university employees who claimed that they were paid less for doing the same work as state employees not working on college campuses.

Is a public space always free space for speech? Colleges and universities affiliated with and supported by government sometimes have a difficult time when faced with constitutional expression challenges. The extent to which a school can limit speech was recently tested in a case involving “Moses,” a traveling campus preacher.

Appealing Alcohol Sanctions The students hosted an off-campus beer party. But at the time, their school, Quinnipiac University, was in the midst of an effort to crack down on binge drinking. The campus campaign came after a series of alcohol-related deaths and car crashes, including one accident where a student driving drunk killed a local businessman.

What happens when a student’s laptop, clothing, or other items of value disappear from a college residence hall or apartment? Are there resources available to help the student replace the items? Without insurance, students and parents are going to make this a campus issue, asking that the college or university take responsibility for losses.

Enforcing FERPA Can institutions be sued for violations of the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA)? That question and others are explored in “Gonzaga University v. Doe and Its Implications: No Right to Enforce Student Privacy Rights under FERPA.” Written by B.F. Sudbury, the Journal of College and University Law article (2003, 29, No. 3) reviews U.S. Supreme Court reconsideration of a student claim.

Faced with a need to restructure following the devastation of Hurricane Katrina, Tulane University developed new plans for its future. One element of the proposal was the dismantling of a historic women’s college that had been in operation for over 120 years. Newcomb Memorial College began with a gift in 1886 and has an endowment of over $40 million. The Tulane and Newcomb facilities merged in 1987, but its mission of women’s education remained unchanged—and unchallenged—until now.

Enough paperwork! It seems everywhere we go today, we are required to sign some form of a liability waiver or release. Attending a conference? Sign the release! Taking a study trip? Sign the release! Recommending that someone else sign a document? Sign a release! Organizing an event? Distribute and get the waivers signed!