Quick Takes

A federal judge on Friday granted an injunction blocking Quinnipiac University from disbanding its women's volleyball team, ruling that team members and others suing the university are likely to prevail, The Hartford Courant reported. The university has consistently denied violating Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, and said that it was eliminating teams (including men's teams) due to budget shortfalls. But the judge noted testimony about "roster management" that suggested attempts by the university to make it appear that it had fewer male athletes and more female athletes than was actually the case.

The Educational Testing Service is investigating a possible security violation in South Korea involving the January administration of the SAT. The College Board, for which ETS administers the SAT, issued a statement saying that security violations are "very rare" and that "the vast majority of Korean students take these tests honestly and fairly." The Associated Press reported from South Korea that local broadcasts indicated that a student in South Korea took the exam and then e-mailed information about questions to another South Korean student, the latter one in the United States, providing questions several hours before the test was given in the United States.

Liberty University has withdrawn recognition from its campus Democratic club, saying that its support for candidates who favor abortion rights and other political stances in conflict with the university's religious views are inappropriate, The Lynchburg News Advance reported. The Republican student group will continue to be recognized. Virginia Gov. Timothy M. Kaine, who is also chair of the Democratic National Committee, has written to the university, asking it “to reverse this attack on the liberty of its students.” Jerry Falwell Jr., chancellor and president of the university, issued a statement noting that the student Democrats can still meet on campus, but simply cannot be an official group that may use the Liberty name or receive funds for student activities. "Parents and students support the university because they believe in its distinctly Christian identity and mission," said Falwell. "Liberty University is pro-life and believes that marriage between one man and one woman provides the best environment for children. Liberty University will not lend its name or financial support to any student group that advances causes contrary to its mission." Some in the legal blogosphere, meanwhile, are considering whether the university's actions could raise questions about its tax-exempt status.

The Dalai Lama has offered to donate $100,000 to help Florida International University raise other money to stave off the elimination of its religious studies department, the Miami Herald reported. The department is one of many programs and degrees facing elimination because of state budget cuts, and Nathan M. Katz, a professor who is trying to save the department, who has known the Dalai Lama since studying in India in 1973, wrote him asking for help. In a letter to President Modesto A. Maidique, the spiritual leader's aides say he believes the study of diverse religions is essential in today's "deeply interconnected world." Katz told the Herald that the university has agreed to accept the gift, but that it alone would not be enough to save the department.

A former University of Nebraska quarterback has filed a class action against the National Collegiate Athletic Association and a video company called EA Sports, charging that they are using video simulations of players without their permission or sharing the profits, The Des Moines Register reported. The video simulations are common in big-time college football and show real team squads, with images that appear to resemble the actual players, down to their numbers. The NCAA has said that because the images don't use photographs or actual names, the players do not have the right to control them. Lawyers bringing the suit said that there are too many identifying features being used for the NCAA to make that argument.

Israel's Supreme Court on Monday ruled that the country's military could continue to use non-security related criteria to deny visas to Palestinians seeking to enroll at Israeli universities, but that students denied visas have the right to a court hearing, The Jerusalem Post reported. The decision not to reject the criteria angered Israeli university leaders, who said that non-security related criteria -- such as the kind of degree and whether there are alternatives to study in Israel -- violated their academic freedom as well as the education rights of Palestinians. Human rights groups also condemned the court for upholding the criteria. Although the court declined to reject the criteria, it did say that those who are denied visas are entitled to a court review.

William Ayers, the one-time Weather Underground leader who has become a leading education researcher at the University of Illinois at Chicago, has again been barred from Canada. Over the years, Ayers has visited Canada many times, but was turned away in January when he was trying to go to the University of Toronto to give an invited talk. Now he has been rejected in his attempt to go to Ottawa for a talk that was to have been given Monday at the Canadian Congress of the Humanities and Social Sciences, The Ottawa Citizen reported.

College towns are faring much better than other localities in the current economic climate, according to an analysis in Forbes. The magazine reported that while the total number of jobs in the United States decreased by 3.5 percent from March 2008 to March 2009, 62 college towns experienced job growth.