| After a three-hour executive session, West Virginia University's Board of Governors says it's not ready to take any action on embattled President Mike Garrison.
Chairman Stephen Goodwin says the board takes the master's degree scandal involving the governor's daughter seriously.
Goodwin says the board is unlikely to recommend action until Garrison presents a corrective action plan on June 6.
Monday's meeting comes after faculty senate members voted on May 5 and then again on May 14, demanding that Garrison resign.
Garrison has refused to resign over his administration's decision to retroactively award an executive master's of business administration degree to Heather Bresch.
MANCHIN'S STATEMENT
CHARLESTON, W.Va. - Gov. Joe Manchin today released the following
statement about the continuing discussions regarding the report from the
independent panel examining the E-MBA program and his daughter's degree
at West Virginia University.
"As a father, I must admit that I was hoping that the controversy
surrounding my daughter's E-MBA coursework at WVU would eventually
resolve itself and subside. However, as a Governor, I recognize that is
not realistic.
"In both roles, it has been extremely difficult for me to watch this
controversy unfold. As governor, my natural instinct in a crisis is to
do my very best to dive in and help bring all sides together to find a
resolution. However, because of my family's involvement in this
particular situation, I feel that this is one time in which I am not in
a position to follow that instinct, because it is likely that one side
or the other would be inclined to question my ability to remain
objective.
"WVU holds a special place in the hearts of both Gayle and I not only
because we are proud graduates of WVU, but because it is also the place
where we met, fell in love and started our family. From our perspective,
this controversy all started because our daughter sincerely believed
that she had her degree, because of a meeting that everyone admits took
place with the program's director in 1998, and when she contacted the
university last year, she was simply asking them to find the records
that she believed would confirm that.
"Had they told her that after looking through their records they didn't
have the proper documentation on file, we honestly believe that while
she may not have liked that answer, she would have accepted it and moved
on with her life.
"At no time would she have asked anyone to either 'guess' as to her
records or to fabricate grades on those records. As a result, Gayle and
I are both angry, in particular, at the fabrication of grades that took
place, because it unfairly damages our daughter's reputation as much as
it does the University's. It was absolutely wrong and, in my mind,
completely unacceptable.
"Although I remain confident in President Garrison's ability to follow
the recommendations of the independent panel's report, I am also fully
aware of the concerns that have been raised by the faculty, staff,
students and alumni of WVU and recognize that they must be addressed in
some meaningful manner. WVU needs to find a way to begin to heal the
wounds that have been created over these last few weeks, and it will
take all parties working together to achieve that goal.
"To that end, I have seen it stated many times by individuals and the
press that because I appointed certain members of the Board of
Governors, they must be following my orders as to what to think and say
regarding President Garrison and the independent panel's report. This
simply is not true.
"The Board of Governors is made up of extremely bright and accomplished
people who were not given this responsibility lightly and who I trust to
do the job assigned to them to the best of their abilities. While many
members are appointed by a governor, they do not serve at the will and
pleasure of a governor. They may act as they wish during their four-year
terms as long as it is within legal and ethical reason.
"Therefore, the WVU Board of Governors members are not under my control
and remain free, as they always have been, to make their own individual
and collective decisions on this or any other situation. As I said
previously, I am not in a position to make a recommendation to them in
this instance even if I wanted to because, regardless of what it might
be, it would not be viewed as being made objectively - and I absolutely
understand and accept that.
"As a result, I consider this matter one that should be decided by the
members of the Board of Governors based upon their own insights and
beliefs and information, and as governor, I will continue to support
whatever direction they believe is in the best interests of WVU both now
and in the future."
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