Took him long enough. I was beginning to think he was as tone deaf as Bush.

WVU’s president to resign Sept. 1

West Virginia University President Mike Garrison says he’ll resign Sept. 1 to end the controversy surround the awarding of a master’s degree to the governor’s daughter.
By The Associated Press

West Virginia University President Mike Garrison says he’ll resign Sept. 1 to end the controversy surround the awarding of a master’s degree to the governor’s daughter.

Garrison told the Board of Governors on today that only he can stop debate and it’s the most difficult decision he’s ever made.

Garrison’s nine-month administration has been dogged from the start by the degree scandal and the sudden departure and lawsuit involving a former football coach. His presidency started last Sept. 1.

Garrison says no one member of the board asked him to leave and each has been a counselor and a friend.

The board called his decision an unselfish action that should begin a period of healing and recovery.

See also here.

Also? This:

Here are a couple suggestions for the next Presidential search:

First, don’t use anyone from the last search committee. Second, consider offering a salary that’s at least as much as the offensive coordinator of the football team. And third, understand that running WVU or any major university of its size requires a unique skill set.

My take on this, under the cut.

Apparently there are people who want to investiage what part Governor Manchin played in this.

As much as Manchin is not my favorite governor, I don’t actually feel like he was the driving force behind any of this, from Garrison’s installation to the EMBA scandal, even if it did involve Manchin’s daughter. (I believe her position in Mylan was why Garrison chose to act as he did, not that she was Manchin’s daughter. Although Garrison’s friendship with Bresh probably didn’t help matter.)

Garrison had (past tense! Ha!) big political ambitions, and I think he’d done a good job insinuating himself with people who could get him what he needed–which is power and influence and the ability to be a mover and shaker in WV politics. I think he saw the Presidency at WVU as a stepping stone to political office in the state. In essence, he saw it was a means to an ends, rather than something to be done for the sake of itself.

The BOG screwed that up big time, in forcing his selection as President of WVU over the concerns of worries of the WVU faculty and staff. I think it was just a matter of time before the whole thing blew up in their faces; Garrison is a politician and seems to think in terms of what he can do to help himself by helping others, rather than putting the University and its needs first.

The BOG ignored, or refused to see this, and so Garrison’s presidency was doomed to failure from the start, it was just a matter of time.

I strongly hope that the new search committee will take this into consideration when the select a new president, and will take the concerns of faculty and staff into consideration when selecting the next president. We need a president who wants to job for itself, not someone who sees the job as a political stepping stone.