WVU faculty demands Garrison's resignation

by: Carnacki

Wed May 14, 2008 at 21:32:57 PM EDT

MORGANTOWN -- West Virginia University's faculty demanded Wednesday embattled President Mike Garrison quit over a master's degree scandal involving the governor's daughter, the second call for his resignation in 10 days.

The nonbinding resolution, approved 563-35, came during a rare special meeting open to all faculty.

Last week, the 114-member Faculty Senate voted overwhelmingly to demand Garrison resign. Garrison has refused, and Gov. Joe Manchin and the WVU Board of Governors that Manchin largely appointed have continued to support him.

While the latest vote is a louder cry of doubt about his leadership, organizers lacked numbers to put teeth to their recommendation. Organizers said the special meeting, known as the University Assembly, required 909 faculty members, or 51 percent of the total, for a quorum, said senator Judith Sedgeman.

"WVU cannot recover from this crisis under the leadership that created it. President Garrison must go,'' professor Boyd Edwards said during debate at the special assembly, which hasn't convened since 1977. "Effective leadership requires widespread credibility and respect. He enjoys neither.''

Don't hold back, professor. Tell us how you really feel.

Last month, an independent panel concluded WVU administrators gave Mylan Inc. executive Heather Bresch, Manchin's daughter, an executive master's of business administration degree she didn't earn.

The panel found that administrators added courses and grades to her incomplete transcript, retroactively awarding her the 1998 degree she'd been claiming on her resume.

Bresch is a longtime friend of Garrison, and Mylan chairman Milan "Mike'' Puskar, who has given tens of millions to WVU. While the panel found no evidence that Garrison directly interfered, it said the presence of his key staff at the decision-making meeting created "palpable'' pressure.

There was a time when people mentioned Manchin as a potential candidate for higher office, but I suspect this issue is going to dog him for a while.