Put a Fork in Him

The faculty gathered at the Creative Arts Center for the historic meeting and voted 565 to 39 with 11 abstentions in support of a motion expressing “no confidence” in Mike Garrison and calling for him to resign or for the Board of Governors to require his resignation over the Heather Bresch scandal. *

Do I really need to say anymore than that? 565 to 39. 92% of the faculty who attend the meeting voted for Garrison to leave West Virginia University. The faculty fell short of the 50 percent needed for a quorum, but it doesn’t really matter. A large and vocal segment of the WVU faculty is speaking in a unified voice rarely heard within earshot of Woodburn Circle. And the vocal side is obviously and overwhelmingly against Garrison.

If Garrison is going to survive this, he needs a show of support from the faculty who did not attend the meeting. But it appears the only people who support Mike Garrison at this point is Governor Manchin and the WVU Board of Governors, many of which are also supported by Manchin. Garrison and Manchin and the Board of Governors have obviously lost the support of the faculty.

It's quite a mess. Garrison wasn't the faculty's choice to begin with and now they are hanging him because of the ties that got him the job to begin with. There is nothing imaginable that Garrison can do to restore confidence with the faculty and angered alumni. He could hang on, but there’s no point now. If 92% of the faculty want him gone, what can he ever to do turn those numbers?

Garrison needs to take the pressure off the university and step aside. That's an almost impossible task for him at this point but it appears there are not many choices left. And the WVU Board of Governors need to wake up and listen to the concerns of the faculty instead of turning a blind eye to the needs of the university in hopes of furthering political ties. It's an ugly mess in Morgantown and it is one that needs sorted out. Sooner than later...

*Hoppy Kerchevel put it better than I could...so I borrowed some of his content...