May 6, 2008...7:49 am
Faculty: No Confidence
West Virginia University’s faculty Monday voted overwhelmingly on a motion that calls for WVU President Mike Garrison to resign in the wake of the Heather Bresch scandal that has rocked the academic integrity of the institution.
The vote was 77-19 in favor of seeking Garrison’s resignation and declared no confidence in the new president. A vote of this magnitude, while true it holds no official barring on Garrison’s future, puts to vote the fact that Garrison has lost the respect and the trust of his faculty.
It’s hard to recover politically from a vote to that degree. But, Garrison thinks he can. He has told media outlets following the vote that he has no intention of resigning. Garrison quotes the support of W.Va. Governor Joe Manchin, Bresch’s father, and the Board of Governors as the reason he will not resign.
This is hubris at the extreme level.
In a written statement, Garrison said he received a “clear message,” but another one from the obvious clear message from faculty members that believe it is time for Garrison to resign. He said,
The essence of all the motions presented in the Senate today contains a clear message: we at WVU must work to create an environment that assures everyone that this will never happen again.
Garrison has no choice but to resign. His administration cannot be trusted to restore the academic integrity of a great institution. It was his administration that awarded an MBA to a politically connected student when she did not earn the degree. How can the faculty, alumni, or anyone else trust Garrison to rebuild the academic standing in that situation?
Should West Virginia University ever recover it must do so with a new president, one that is committed to academic integrity and honesty in governance. That will not happen under Garrison’s watch.
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