[NOTE: The WVU Faculty listed here include tenured, tenure-track, instructors, lecturers, adjuncts, and extension faculty at the Morgantown and other campuses.]
We, the undersigned, support the resignation of President Garrison and urge you to do the same:
1. Katherine Aaslestad ECAS - History
2. Tim Adams ECAS - English
3. Mohamad Alkadry ECAS - Public Admin
4. Sandy Baldwin ECAS - English
5. Brian Ballentine ECAS - English
6. Tom Basden Extension
7. Gwen Bergner ECAS - English
8. Robert Blobaum ECAS - History
9. Robert Bossarte HSC - Community Medicine
10. Drew Bradlyn HSC - Health Research Center
11. Laura Brady ECAS - English
12. Mark Brazaitis ECAS - English
13. Paul Brown HSC - Physiology
14. Katherine Bruner ECAS - Geology
15. Jonathan Burton ECAS - English
16. David Cerbone ECAS - Philosophy
17. Nyles Charon HSC - Microbiology, Immunology, Cell Biology
18. Ian Christie ECAS - Math
19. Chris Ciesielski ECAS - Math
20. Robert Cochrane AF&CS - Animal Science
21. Dale Colyer AF&CS - Agriculture and Resource Economics
22. Patrick Conner ECAS - English
23. Robert Creese CEMR - Industrial and Manage. Systems Engineering
24. Scott Crichlow ECAS - Political Science
25. John Crotty CCA - Music
26. Brian Cushing B&E / ECAS - Economics
27. Jay Dolmage ECAS - English
28. Kurt Donaldson GIS Tech Center
29. Richard Easton ECAS - English
30. Boyd Edwards ECAS - Physics
31. Thomas Elliott HSC - Microbiology, Immunology, Cell Biology
32. John Ernest ECAS - English
33. Lara Farina ECAS - English
34. Jeff Fedan HSC - Physiology
35. Marty Ferer ECAS - Physics
36. Mary Ferer CCA - Music
37. Jorge Flores ECAS - Biology
38. Elizabeth Fones-Wolf ECAS - History
39. Ken Fones-Wolf ECAS - History
40. Peter Gannett Pharmacy
41. Harry Gingold ECAS - Math
42. John Goldwasser ECAS - Math
43. Steven Graber HSC - Biochemistry
44. James Harms ECAS - English
45. James Harner ECAS - Statistics
46. Kirk Hazen ECAS - English
47. Brad Hillgartner HSC - Biochemistry
48. Jeffery Hogg HSC - Radiology
49. Barbara Howe ECAS - History/Women's Studies
50. Ming-jeng Hwang B&E / ECAS - Economics
51. Arthur Jacknowitz Pharmacy - Clinical Pharmacy
52. David Keefer WVUP - Business
53. George Kelley HSC - Community Medicine
54. Virginia Kleist B&E
55. Robert Klingelhoefer CCA - Theatre & Dance
56. David Lewellen CEMR - Mech & Aero Engineering
57. Roger Lohmann ECAS - Social Work
58. Jay Malarcher CCA - Theatre & Dance
59. David Martinelli CEMR - Civil & Environmental Engineering
60. Michael Mays ECAS - Math
61. Steve McCluskey ECAS - History
62. Jerry McGonigle CCA - Theatre
63. James McGraw ECAS - Biology (Eberly professor)
64. Nancy McIntyre B&E - Marketing
65. Michal McMahon ECAS - History
66. Michael Miller HSC - Biochemistry
67. Hawley Montgomery-Downs ECAS - Psychology
68. Victor Mucino CEMR - Mech & Aero Engineering
69. Byron Nelson ECAS - English
70. Carolyn Nelson ECAS - English
71. Gordon Nunn CCA - Music
72. Erica Owens Yeager ECAS - Sociology
73. Robert Pack HSC - Community Medicine
74. Graham Peace B&E - Business Administration
75. Susan Pearce ECAS - Sociology
76. Michael Perone ECAS - Psychology
77. Janis-Rozena Peri CCA - Music
78. William Pettit HSC - Innate Health
79. R. Scott Pore HSC - Microbiology, Immunology, Cell Biology
80. Aina Puce HSC
81. Ben Ramsden HSC - Neurobiology and Anatomy
82. William Reece B&E / ECAS - Economics
83. Bill Reger-Nash HSC - Community Medicine
84. Heimo Riedel HSC-Biochemistry
85. Sherman Riemenschneider ECAS - Math
86. Kathleen Ryan ECAS - English
87. Adrienne Salm HSC - Neurobiology and Anatomy
88. Mary Ann Samyn ECAS - English
89. Joseph Scotti ECAS - Psychology
90. Judith Sedgeman HSC - Innate Health
91. Eva Segert-Tauger Law
92. William Skidmore CCA - Music
93. Ronald Smart ECAS - Chemistry
94. Richard Smosna ECAS - Geology
95. Patricia Soltzfus HSC - Radiology
96. JoNell Strough ECAS - Psychology
97. Timothy Sweet ECAS - English
98. Aaron Timperman ECAS - Chemistry
99. Sergei Urazhdin ECAS - Physics
100. Steve Urbanski Journalism
101. Daniel Van Vliet ECAS - Math
102. Matthew Vester ECAS - History
103. Scott Weed HSC - Cancer Center
104. Lisa Weihman ECAS - English
105. Jeffrey Wells ECAS - Biology
106. Christopher Wilkinson CCA - Music
107. Matthew Wilson AF&CS - Animal & Nutritional Science
108. William Wonderlin HSC - Biochemistry
109. Steven Zdatny ECAS - History
110. Jeremy Zelkowski ECAS - Math
For the record, the faculty who registered their opposition to this petition and gave explicit permission for their names to be made public are:
1. Janet Snyder CCA - Art
2. Alan Collins AF&CS - Agriculture
3. Daniel Miller AF&CS - Aquaculture
4. Tim Beardsley WVUP-Counselor
5. Bruce Freeman HSC
Monday, May 5, 2008
Emeritus Professor's Letter
I am seriously concerned about the outcome of the Senate hearing on Monday. You may use this letter in any way possible as input into the discussions.
Robert Leo Smith PhD
109 Fenwick Drive
Pittsburgh, PA 15237
robertls2@earthlink.net
May 3, 2008
To the Faculty Senate
I am writing to express my concern about the future reputation of West Virginia University following the Bresch scandal that has received national attention and to urge firm action to resolve the situation.
I came to West Virginia University as an Assistant Professor in the Division of Forestry in 1957. I retired as Professor Emeritus in 1995 after 37 year of teaching. My four children received their degrees from West Virginia University, one on them from the College of Business. Over those years have experienced WVU grow from an enrollment of 6000 to where it is today. I watched the growth of the Medical and Evansdale Campuses and the emergence of the University as a recognized leader among academic institutions. This growth and academic achievement took place under the guidance of apolitical presidents with outstanding academic credentials.
Now in a short six months the reputation of West Virginia University has been tarnished under the aegis of a politically appointed president tied to the Governor’s office and Mylan Pharmaceutical. He possesses no academic qualifications for the position. His term to date has been highlighted and marred by the Rodriguez affair and the Bresch scandal. Both have sent a negative image of WVU across the country and diminished the University’s credibility and reputation as an academic institution.
The following will be the outcome if strong action is not taken:
1) It will very difficult to recruit a new provost willing to work under a president with such close ties the Governor, Mylan and a politically dominated Board of Governors.
2) When the opportunity arises, some faculty will leave to dissociate themselves from a tarnished institution.
3) WVU will experience difficulty in recruiting new faculty and students, especially to the Business School, in obtaining research grants, and in fund-raising.
4) The value of a WVU diploma will be diminished.
This is the most serious crisis that WVU has ever faced in its long history. Its ranking among academic institution is at stake. The faculty and Faculty Senate must show their courage and guts to vote no confidence.
There are those among the faculty who strongly support the president. Close examination of who they are and their positions in the University reveal they are protecting their own self-interests and not the interest of the University.
West Virginia University can regain and even strengthen its image and academic reputation if the president resigns, either voluntarily or forcibly, along with those remaining who were closely involved in the scandal, This action needs to be followed by a shakeup of an arrogant, politically-dominated Board of Governors, and a purge of state politics from operations of West Virginia University.
Failure to take these steps will destroy the academic status and credibility that West Virginia has earned over the years, squandered to save a flawed, incompetent president.
Sincerely,
Signed
Robert Leo Smith
Professor Emeritus
Division of Forestry
Robert Leo Smith PhD
109 Fenwick Drive
Pittsburgh, PA 15237
robertls2@earthlink.net
May 3, 2008
To the Faculty Senate
I am writing to express my concern about the future reputation of West Virginia University following the Bresch scandal that has received national attention and to urge firm action to resolve the situation.
I came to West Virginia University as an Assistant Professor in the Division of Forestry in 1957. I retired as Professor Emeritus in 1995 after 37 year of teaching. My four children received their degrees from West Virginia University, one on them from the College of Business. Over those years have experienced WVU grow from an enrollment of 6000 to where it is today. I watched the growth of the Medical and Evansdale Campuses and the emergence of the University as a recognized leader among academic institutions. This growth and academic achievement took place under the guidance of apolitical presidents with outstanding academic credentials.
Now in a short six months the reputation of West Virginia University has been tarnished under the aegis of a politically appointed president tied to the Governor’s office and Mylan Pharmaceutical. He possesses no academic qualifications for the position. His term to date has been highlighted and marred by the Rodriguez affair and the Bresch scandal. Both have sent a negative image of WVU across the country and diminished the University’s credibility and reputation as an academic institution.
The following will be the outcome if strong action is not taken:
1) It will very difficult to recruit a new provost willing to work under a president with such close ties the Governor, Mylan and a politically dominated Board of Governors.
2) When the opportunity arises, some faculty will leave to dissociate themselves from a tarnished institution.
3) WVU will experience difficulty in recruiting new faculty and students, especially to the Business School, in obtaining research grants, and in fund-raising.
4) The value of a WVU diploma will be diminished.
This is the most serious crisis that WVU has ever faced in its long history. Its ranking among academic institution is at stake. The faculty and Faculty Senate must show their courage and guts to vote no confidence.
There are those among the faculty who strongly support the president. Close examination of who they are and their positions in the University reveal they are protecting their own self-interests and not the interest of the University.
West Virginia University can regain and even strengthen its image and academic reputation if the president resigns, either voluntarily or forcibly, along with those remaining who were closely involved in the scandal, This action needs to be followed by a shakeup of an arrogant, politically-dominated Board of Governors, and a purge of state politics from operations of West Virginia University.
Failure to take these steps will destroy the academic status and credibility that West Virginia has earned over the years, squandered to save a flawed, incompetent president.
Sincerely,
Signed
Robert Leo Smith
Professor Emeritus
Division of Forestry
Report to WVU Faculty Senate of an Unofficial Poll of Faculty Opinion
May 4, 2008, Matthew Vester, History Department, West Virginia University
A public statement by one WVU faculty member on April 28, 2008 and subsequent press reports left the impression that WVU faculty opinion was divided about whether President Garrison should resign for the good of the institution. Since this impression did not correspond at all to what I had heard from faculty, I decided to try to come up with a rough measure of faculty opinion on this question. I am an historian of the Renaissance – since (ironically) I work mainly with dead people, I do not have experience polling live ones. I can see that there are a variety of flaws in this poll, but I did the best I could, given various constraints, and have arrived at a provisional result that can be reasonably accepted as the best rough approximation of true faculty opinion on this issue. The burden of proof to show that significant division does in fact exist within faculty opinion has now been shifted to those who might criticize this poll. If someone wants to devise a more ‘scientific’ poll and carry it out, I will be cheering them on! But in the absence of more persuasive evidence, it would be irresponsible to reject these findings.
1. Signatures were not solicited for a petition (in contrast to what was printed in press reports about the letter signed by 20-some HSC professors last week). The poll was simply publicized, along with an indication that those who publicly supported President Garrison’s resignation would be placed together on a petition. Many of those who went public felt like they were incurring some risk.
2. The poll / petition was distributed in four ways:
a. First, on Tuesday, April 29, I sent out an email (see text below) to as many personal acquaintances as I could think of in different departments. These people were asked to distribute it to their department listserves, and to ask acquaintances to distribute it further.
b. On Wednesday, April 30, he text was sent to the Daily Athenaeum and to the Dominion Post, which were asked to publicize it.
c. The text was also on several different blogs and websites, including two that are critical of President Garrison, the President’s own blog, and the Chronicle of Higher Education blog.
d. Finally, on Thursday-Friday (May 1-2) I sent mass emails to individuals listed in the Groupwise address book as faculty (including instructors, lecturers, adjuncts, and emeritus professors), whose last names begin with the letters A, C, F, K, P, U, V, X, Y, and Z (I would have chosen more letters randomly but ran out of time). If I knew that the departments of individuals had already received the message via departmental listserves, I didn’t resend the message. If individuals were listed as program directors or administrators but not professors, I did not send it to them (because I did not have time to verify whether such people were also faculty).
3. If faculty responded and told me that they wanted to sign the petition but did not explicitly indicate that they were willing for their names to be made public, I did not include their names on the petition.
4. 210 faculty responded by the deadline, which means that the sample size was roughly 10% of the entire full-time and part-time faculty community at WVU.
5. I did include on the petition the names of six faculty members who contacted me after 6:00 PM on Saturday, May 3, but their votes were not counted in the tally described below.
- As of 6:00 PM on Saturday, May 3, the numbers were 200 in favor of resignation and 10 opposed to resignation.
- Thus, according to this rough poll, 95% of faculty think that Garrison should resign, and 5% think that he should not.
- Of the 200 who support Garrison’s resignation, 104 are willing to have their names made public, and are identified on the attached petition. These people members of the following colleges: ECAS, B&E, AF&CS, HSC, Journalism, Law, Pharmacy, CEMR, and CCA. They include several department chairs and named chairs (but I didn’t do a rigorous count of all of these).
- Over half of the faculty who responded did not want to make a public statement because of fear of recrimination. These faculty include not only untenured tenure-track faculty and those on renewable contracts, but also full professors with programmatic responsibilities. This climate of fear is tragic, and seemed most intense among HSC faculty, some of whom did not even want to provide their names to me (in which case I did not count their votes). My guess is that had I had time to structure a truly anonymous poll, much higher numbers of HSC faculty, and faculty in general, would have responded.
- 32 HSC faculty indicated their conviction that Garrison should resign; 3 indicated their view that he should not.
- 107 ECAS faculty (the largest college in the university) voted for Garrison’s resignation; in absolute terms, this is over 20% of all full- and part-time instructors in the college.
- 10 GTAs responded, but I did not count them among the faculty. Of these, 9 supported resignation and 1 did not.
- Of the 10 who oppose Garrison’s resignation, only half expressed an explicit willingness for their names to be made public: the concern for confidentiality among them is roughly the same as for those who favor resignation, indicating that this climate of fear extends both ways.
Text of the poll / petition announcement
Dear Faculty Colleagues (apologies if you’ve received this, and thanks for forwarding it if you see fit),
Given the current state of affairs on our campus, it seems important to me to assess the views of WVU faculty (and not just faculty senators) regarding the calls for President Garrison’s resignation.
On Monday, April 28, Kevin Leyden (Political Science) claimed that “most people believe Michael Garrison has performed his duties beyond expectations” (as cited in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, April 29, 2008 – Leyden’s actual words were somewhat different). This notion requires verification. If evidence can be shown to prove that most faculty believe Garrison’s resignation to be unnecessary, I for one will pledge not to speak another word about it. The last thing that I hope to do is to make an already terrible situation worse, against the wishes of most members of the faculty community.
But if most WVU faculty believe that the restoration of university’s integrity requires Garrison’s resignation (at a minimum), then the Faculty Senate, the BOG, and the President’s Office must be made aware of this fact. For that I reason I am willing to compile a list of faculty members who support the proposed Faculty Senate resolution calling upon President Garrison to resign, and those who do not.
If you email me, I will tabulate the results and have them verified by someone whose views on this matter are contrary to my own. For those who support the resignation resolution, I would be happy to add your name to what would in effect become a petition that could be distributed to members of the Faculty Senate prior to Monday’s meeting. I realize that this is a methodologically imperfect procedure, but at least it should provide a somewhat more accurate sense of faculty views concerning this issue that so closely affects our collective reputation. IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO REGISTER YOUR OPINION WHILE REMAINING ANONYMOUS, ANSWER “FALSE” TO QUESTION #2.
If you’re so inclined, please send me an e-mail (matt.vester@mail.wvu.edu) by Saturday, May 3, at 6:00 PM, with true or false answers to the following statements:
1. I support Garrison’s resignation (T/F).
2. I am willing for my name to be made public (T/F).
Sunday, May 4, 2008
Memorandum on Heather Manchin Bresch MBA Controversy at WVU
May 4, 2008
TO: Dr. Sherman Riemenschneider, Chairperson
WVU Mathematics Department
FROM: L. Zane Shuck, Ph.D.
Dr. Riemenschneider, this is to applaud your wisdom and fortitude in recognizing this Bresch scandal for what it is, and attempting to restore creditability to WVU by endorsing appropriate punitive measures for the perpetrators of this unprecedented act in a university in the United States of America. What a record to hold!
As an alumnus with two advanced degrees from WVU, a former Professor and administrator at WVU, and one who gives substantial donations to WVU each year, I am incensed at the notion that WVU and the BOG have not already cleaned house following the Bresch scandal! My alumni associates have similar opinions as summarized below. These thoughts, concerns, and questions, need to be circulated, if you will please, to all involved faculty and administrators, especially the faculty senators, for thorough consideration in their deliberations.
Beginning the "healing process" is totally premature! More major extractive surgery must be done before any healing can begin. It does not solve the problem to just clean up the scent if the skunk is not removed! This entire current spin begs the question, "Is there a second more offensive and equally serious cover-up being perpetrated?" Now is the time to begin a serious and thorough probe, best conducted by a grand jury with all parties under oath.
The fact that President Garrison has fingered Gerry Lang and Steve Sears as the scapegoat fall guys so that the bleeding will stop before it reaches him, or BOG Steve Goodwin, is reflective of the arrogance and type of character we need to eliminate in the WVU administration. People knowledgeable in the functioning of bureaucracies know how top administrators, "in handing off," can give vague instructions with spins for expected results to one, two or more levels below to absolve themselves of any blame, repercussion, or association with controversial decisions. It appears that resignations really need to start at the top with the BOG, where Garrison, a lobbyist, was reportedly hand picked by BOG Steve Goodwin, which has made a joke of the national search for a WVU President.
As a further serious indicator of the character/leadership problem with President Garrison, he even waved what appears as a carrot bribe in front of the faculty that he would get them increased salaries next year if he stays on as President. What a cheap inappropriate gesture! Does he really believe the faculty to be so gullible and naive? This is even more nauseous to the general public looking in from the outside!
The events to date and the current spins raise more questions than answers provided thus far. As a public institution, the public has a right to know more of the details of these two resignation arrangements, and all telephone and other private meeting discussions leading up to them from the Governor all the way down.
1. What were the discussions and terms of agreements among Garrison and Gerry Lang and Steve Sears?
2. Who has oversight authority to independently review or disallow these two very sweet deals involving what appears from newspaper reports as potential serious conflicts of interest?
3. What promises were made by Lang and Sears to Garrison in return if they resigned?
4. Are these arrangements in the best interest of West Virginia University, the faculty, students, State, etc?
5. What were the discussions of these arrangements with the BOG?
6. Is this really a good ole boy politico protecting a lawyer politico colleague as has been mentioned?
7. When did President Garrison learn of the actions of Lang and Sears to change the records, add grades, etc. and why did he not fire them immediately upon learning of it? Otherwise, would he not be either an accomplice, or totally negligent in his administrative duties? These questions have not been publicly answered to my knowledge.
8. As entrusted public officials, are they subject to prosecution, and class action lawsuits by having compromised the reputation and opportunities of faculty, researchers, students, and others associated with WVU, and who came to WVU under contracts for a different set of conditions?
This is no time for healing, but for an investigation that will provide all of the answers the public, alumni, students, faculty and administration and every West Virginia citizen deserves. The nation is watching. There are huge repercussions at stake! The reputation of WVU, and the entire State of WV, will cave in along with millions of dollars of donations to the University. There will even be impacts from granting and government institutions, and national ranking institutions. We are now the ugly duckling and the joke of the Big East! We are now ticker tape headlines on Fox News! What a national embarrassment!
I am shocked that some inside WVU do not seem to grasp the gravity and magnitude of this scandal and the irreparable damage. Reality will sink in when the alumni funds start drying up! What a message this sends to the nation about WVU! We must not tolerate any downplaying or any cover-up! The entire recruitment process for faculty, researchers, administrators, grants, students and athletes will be hugely impacted until this mess is totally cleaned up in the public eye. The jobs of all current administrators just got extremely more difficult, and will get progressively worse until there is a highly publicly visible top to bottom cleansing of this scandal!
I will not make any future financial contributions, and will encourage all alumni not to make any contributions until the flagship is uprighted and honor is restored by the resignations of all parties involved, and such sweet deals as published for Lang and Sears are rescinded. How can you award someone who has committed such an atrocity with such large salaries and less responsibilities? Have they not breached their contracts to the point that they should be voided? The current status appears as a mockery of justice, and totally unacceptable!
In addition to this scandal, the U. S. Department of Commerce just last week for the third year in a row rated West Virginia as the worst litigation State in the United States. How much more national embarrassment must proud West Virginia citizens endure? Until these recent embarrassments, we had been making great strides in improving the image of WVU and the State of West Virginia. What a setback!
WVU urgently needs to immediately and swiftly clean house of all involved in this record scandal, and recruit top quality, proven academic leaders and administrators from some highly respected universities around the United States. This is essential in order to salvage any of its reputation and all of the great achievements the faculty, researchers, other administrators and staff, coaches, alumni, and students have worked so hard for in recent years. WVU desperately needs an entirely new top administration and BOG leadership to preserve, dignify and represent their achievements.
TO: Dr. Sherman Riemenschneider, Chairperson
WVU Mathematics Department
FROM: L. Zane Shuck, Ph.D.
Dr. Riemenschneider, this is to applaud your wisdom and fortitude in recognizing this Bresch scandal for what it is, and attempting to restore creditability to WVU by endorsing appropriate punitive measures for the perpetrators of this unprecedented act in a university in the United States of America. What a record to hold!
As an alumnus with two advanced degrees from WVU, a former Professor and administrator at WVU, and one who gives substantial donations to WVU each year, I am incensed at the notion that WVU and the BOG have not already cleaned house following the Bresch scandal! My alumni associates have similar opinions as summarized below. These thoughts, concerns, and questions, need to be circulated, if you will please, to all involved faculty and administrators, especially the faculty senators, for thorough consideration in their deliberations.
Beginning the "healing process" is totally premature! More major extractive surgery must be done before any healing can begin. It does not solve the problem to just clean up the scent if the skunk is not removed! This entire current spin begs the question, "Is there a second more offensive and equally serious cover-up being perpetrated?" Now is the time to begin a serious and thorough probe, best conducted by a grand jury with all parties under oath.
The fact that President Garrison has fingered Gerry Lang and Steve Sears as the scapegoat fall guys so that the bleeding will stop before it reaches him, or BOG Steve Goodwin, is reflective of the arrogance and type of character we need to eliminate in the WVU administration. People knowledgeable in the functioning of bureaucracies know how top administrators, "in handing off," can give vague instructions with spins for expected results to one, two or more levels below to absolve themselves of any blame, repercussion, or association with controversial decisions. It appears that resignations really need to start at the top with the BOG, where Garrison, a lobbyist, was reportedly hand picked by BOG Steve Goodwin, which has made a joke of the national search for a WVU President.
As a further serious indicator of the character/leadership problem with President Garrison, he even waved what appears as a carrot bribe in front of the faculty that he would get them increased salaries next year if he stays on as President. What a cheap inappropriate gesture! Does he really believe the faculty to be so gullible and naive? This is even more nauseous to the general public looking in from the outside!
The events to date and the current spins raise more questions than answers provided thus far. As a public institution, the public has a right to know more of the details of these two resignation arrangements, and all telephone and other private meeting discussions leading up to them from the Governor all the way down.
1. What were the discussions and terms of agreements among Garrison and Gerry Lang and Steve Sears?
2. Who has oversight authority to independently review or disallow these two very sweet deals involving what appears from newspaper reports as potential serious conflicts of interest?
3. What promises were made by Lang and Sears to Garrison in return if they resigned?
4. Are these arrangements in the best interest of West Virginia University, the faculty, students, State, etc?
5. What were the discussions of these arrangements with the BOG?
6. Is this really a good ole boy politico protecting a lawyer politico colleague as has been mentioned?
7. When did President Garrison learn of the actions of Lang and Sears to change the records, add grades, etc. and why did he not fire them immediately upon learning of it? Otherwise, would he not be either an accomplice, or totally negligent in his administrative duties? These questions have not been publicly answered to my knowledge.
8. As entrusted public officials, are they subject to prosecution, and class action lawsuits by having compromised the reputation and opportunities of faculty, researchers, students, and others associated with WVU, and who came to WVU under contracts for a different set of conditions?
This is no time for healing, but for an investigation that will provide all of the answers the public, alumni, students, faculty and administration and every West Virginia citizen deserves. The nation is watching. There are huge repercussions at stake! The reputation of WVU, and the entire State of WV, will cave in along with millions of dollars of donations to the University. There will even be impacts from granting and government institutions, and national ranking institutions. We are now the ugly duckling and the joke of the Big East! We are now ticker tape headlines on Fox News! What a national embarrassment!
I am shocked that some inside WVU do not seem to grasp the gravity and magnitude of this scandal and the irreparable damage. Reality will sink in when the alumni funds start drying up! What a message this sends to the nation about WVU! We must not tolerate any downplaying or any cover-up! The entire recruitment process for faculty, researchers, administrators, grants, students and athletes will be hugely impacted until this mess is totally cleaned up in the public eye. The jobs of all current administrators just got extremely more difficult, and will get progressively worse until there is a highly publicly visible top to bottom cleansing of this scandal!
I will not make any future financial contributions, and will encourage all alumni not to make any contributions until the flagship is uprighted and honor is restored by the resignations of all parties involved, and such sweet deals as published for Lang and Sears are rescinded. How can you award someone who has committed such an atrocity with such large salaries and less responsibilities? Have they not breached their contracts to the point that they should be voided? The current status appears as a mockery of justice, and totally unacceptable!
In addition to this scandal, the U. S. Department of Commerce just last week for the third year in a row rated West Virginia as the worst litigation State in the United States. How much more national embarrassment must proud West Virginia citizens endure? Until these recent embarrassments, we had been making great strides in improving the image of WVU and the State of West Virginia. What a setback!
WVU urgently needs to immediately and swiftly clean house of all involved in this record scandal, and recruit top quality, proven academic leaders and administrators from some highly respected universities around the United States. This is essential in order to salvage any of its reputation and all of the great achievements the faculty, researchers, other administrators and staff, coaches, alumni, and students have worked so hard for in recent years. WVU desperately needs an entirely new top administration and BOG leadership to preserve, dignify and represent their achievements.
Saturday, May 3, 2008
former wvu professor on garrison
from the Charleston Gazette, http://sundaygazettemail.com/News/200805010801?page=1&build=cache
"The resignations of Lang and Sears are important first steps, but the Faculty Senate should begin the process of revoking their tenured appointments for severe academic misconduct," former WVU professor Kevin Outterson said in an e-mail.
Outterson, an associate professor of law at the Boston University School of Law, is a former president of WVU's Faculty Senate and was a candidate in the search for a new dean at WVU's law school.
[...]
"I was a supporter of Mike Garrison as President, to the chagrin of some of my faculty colleagues," Outterson said in an e-mail. "I now admit that they were right. At any other flagship university, the Panel's Report would have resulted in the immediate resignation of the President. The damage to WVU is significant, and grows every day."
Friday, May 2, 2008
Motion to WVU Faculty Senate from Motion from Sherman D. Riemenschneider (senator from ECAS) and Katy Ryan (senator from ECAS)
President Mike Garrison violated the trust of the faculty, students, staff, and alumni of West Virginia University by failing to prevent the award of an unearned eMBA degree to Heather Bresch after assigning his personal advisors to participate in her degree deliberations.
This award has called the academic integrity of West Virginia University into serious question, has led to unprecedented public outrage and embarrassment to WVU, has compromised major donations, has created rifts in our community, and has jeopardized recruitment of faculty, students, and staff. We doubt that WVU will be able to restore its reputation and badly shaken confidence under his leadership.
MOTION: The Faculty Senate of West Virginia University votes no confidence in President Mike Garrison. For the good of the institution, he must resign or the Board of Governors must require his resignation.
This award has called the academic integrity of West Virginia University into serious question, has led to unprecedented public outrage and embarrassment to WVU, has compromised major donations, has created rifts in our community, and has jeopardized recruitment of faculty, students, and staff. We doubt that WVU will be able to restore its reputation and badly shaken confidence under his leadership.
MOTION: The Faculty Senate of West Virginia University votes no confidence in President Mike Garrison. For the good of the institution, he must resign or the Board of Governors must require his resignation.
scary! latest from a faculty member at WVU Health Sciences
"At least two chairs who I know and spoke to me directly told me that Bailes told them they should sign or their jobs could be in jeopardy. They both told him to get lost, but were visibly shaken. When I found out, I went around to 5 other chairs and suggested they go home today. Four of them did. This is unacceptable in any workplace."
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