Quinnipiac settlement approved

Erin wrote in April about the settlement reached in the Quinnipiac class-action lawsuit. As she noted then, the settlement was subject to court approval. That approval came last week. We've already noted some of the terms of the settlement, one of the biggest being the guarantee that the volleyball team would not be cut and that female student-athletes would be receiving more scholarship dollars.
Here is a list (taken from the above link) of some of less discussed but very important settlement terms:

• Quinnipiac will treat two more of its women's teams as "sports of emphasis," which will lead to more scholarships, more coaches, and better facilities.
• It will increase its commitment to the new varsity sport of women's rugby by increasing scholarships, raising the level of competition, adding coaches, and substantially improving its field.
• It will increase its commitment to women's track by increasing the number of scholarships, coaches, and competitions, as well as building an indoor track & field facility that meets NCAA competition standards.
• It will authorize the maximum number of competitions for all of its teams.
• It will spend at least $5 million improving the facilities used by women's varsity teams, including locker rooms.
• It will spend about $450,000 annually improving its women's athletics program by, among other things, increasing coaching salaries, hiring more coaches and academic support staff, and providing greater access to athletic training and conditioning services.  
• It will allocate up to $175,000 during each of the next 3 years for additional improvements for women's sports.
• It will hire a "Referee," mutually agreed upon by the parties and confirmed by the Court, to monitor its progress.

A list like this highlights the importance of equal treatment and what equal treatment looks like. Sometime we think that equal treatment is more ambiguous or abstract than equal opportunities which have three methods for assessment. The QU case provides a good example of how equal treatment--or lack thereof--can be remedied.