April 24, 2008...9:39 am
Mike Garrison Should Be Fired
As many people know who read this blog, I’m an alum of West Virginia University. The institution is in the news lately and not for it’s national contender football team or Sweet 16 basketball program.
Sadly, the school is in the news for having the smell of a diploma mill in giving a master’s degree to someone, Mylan Inc. executive Heather Bresch. The report recommends to rescind the degree, which WVU seems to be doing.
But let’s connect the dots as the Pittsburgh Post Gazette has been doing since the story first broke.
WVU’s new president is Mike Garrison. He is a former member of the West Virginia Higher Education Policy Commission, which has authority over the state’s higher education policy, and is very connected politically in the state. Being politically connected in West Virginia, especially in Democratic politics, is money in the bank.
Among Garrison’s friends happens to be WVU alum and current governor of West Virginia Joe Manchin. Manchin’s daughter happens to be one Heather Bresch.
Oh, and Mylan Inc., yes it’s the same Mylan that graces the name of Mylan Puskar Stadium at Mountaineer Field, is a major donor to WVU.
It’s clear that Garrison gave a political favor to a friend to Bresch continue at her job at Mylan that required a master’s degree. She was 22 credits short of a degree when her transcripts were altered by WVU officials.
Garrison should be fired or resign. No tomorrow. Not in the next few weeks. Today. He has damaged the institution’s credibility and has only been on the job a few months. This is not just a mistake, but is a clear failure of leadership, and when there is a failure of leadership it demands accountability and actions from those responsible.
In this case, it means Mike Garrison should no longer be the president of West Virginia University. But don’t hold your breath. Garrison is too connected to the state’s political leaders and Garrison will likely keep his job.
That would be unfortunate and would probably do more damage to the institution than has already be done.
3 Comments
May 7, 2008 at 8:39 pm
The dean of medicine has left since Garrison took over. The provost and the dean of business took a dive for Garrison. The Rockefeller Center director was not reappointed since he did not support Garrison. The football coach Rod found that Garrison told him a lie to get him to sign a contract and he left. Garrison is left standing with his Charleston political staff and one or more of them will have to take a fall for Garrison. He gave the BB coach named “DUI” for being fired in two other universities for drinking a ten year $20 million contract to try to get some positive press. What will Garrison do next throw his prom date from high school under the bus? That would be too much for Manchin I think. By the way Heather has been in several controversies for getting special contracts from WV state goverment through her daddie. Did anyone check that out?
Poor Mike he is so good but things turn out so bad. Just bad luck or….could it be incompetence?
May 21, 2008 at 2:19 pm
What are uneducated brow beaten hillbillies to do about the sophisticated big pharma and insurance industry corruption clouding our state like a runaway slurry spill?
If I worked for WVU (or for any part of the state government) I would immediately join the most vocal workers union I could find and organize my work place to fight this corruption long before the snow ever starts to fall this November.
Then, come this November to remember, the Government will be in fear of “We the people” more than the people fear this corrupt government. I will live in fear no more forever and organized together we shall overcome their retaliation, harassment and intimidation.
We, the people of this Great State of West Virginia, will vote to change this state of denial in exchange for the better government we will earn by voting to restore accountability as ratified by the Constitution with real checks and balances. We will not vote for the Repugs and their total occupation of corruption, nor will we vote for the Dem-rats and their “Spread ‘um for Business” corrupt influence pandering to the special interests. There are other choices than Dem-rats and Repugs, even if the bought and paid for special interest media holding company refuses to report the facts.
We the People of West Virginia will vote to put an end to the corruption of state government by unaccountable yes men and the royal family of special interests. We have an independent Mountain Party Candidate for Governor who will bring fresh ideas to a stale state government. Mountaineers are always free because we earn our freedom, fighting for our rights and dignity in the nations wars, in our unions and this November in every polling place in this state. Fight to restore integrity in our state, vote to end the corruption of the special interests in our government.
West Virginia has a great history of union organization and workers taking direct action. Both are necessary to stand up against the wholesale corruption of tyrants in order to restore our quality of life stolen by the Robber Barons and Titans of Power. WVU is the place to be, to educate, agitate and organize accordingly.
May 21, 2008 at 2:30 pm
How is this relevant to the case at hand? I’m going to let it stand, though you make no arguments regarding Mike Garrison, only to state why you believe unions and the Mountain Party are good for West Virginia, which you have a right to that opinion, even though I respectfully disagree on both accounts.
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