Members of the West Virginia University Board of Governors have not been swayed from their support of President Mike Garrison, despite mounting pressure from alumni, faculty and the public.

Members Carolyn Long, Ellen Cappellanti and Steve Farmer say they will rely on a panel's report, where five college educators led by two WVU professors investigated the flawed decision to grant a master's degree to Gov. Joe Manchin's daughter.

The panelists concluded last week that WVU administrators exercised "seriously flawed" judgment when they awarded Heather Bresch an executive master's of business administration degree last fall.

Bresch is an executive at Pennsylvania-based Mylan Pharmaceuticals.

As part of the fallout, WVU Provost Gerald Lang and business school Dean Stephen Sears resigned their posts. Both will stay on as professors and earn six-figure salaries. 

Long, the superintendent of Braxton County schools, could not see herself asking for a vote of BOG members to see who favors Garrison's resignation.

"At this point I think that would be an inappropriate motion," she said.

Cappellanti agreed.

"If something happens and it's in the best interest of the university, anyone on [the BOG] would make that motion," she said. "Right now, that would be premature and it would not be in the best interest of the university."

Their view conflicts with that of many WVU alumni, donors, faculty and students. Garrison's blog on the university Web site featured 68 comments Wednesday afternoon, the vast majority calling for his resignation.

John Gouliard wrote on the blog Saturday:

"Whether you like Mike Garrison or not, the issue is not whether he should resign on the basis of anger. The issue is should he resign for the good of West Virginia University. I believe the answer is yes."

Steve Kite, a BOG member and faculty senate chairman, maintains his belief that Garrison can eventually rebuild an effective working relationship with most WVU faculty.

"He'll have to work hard to do so, but I think he can regain the confidence if his actions are faculty-focused," he said.

A lot of that will depend on the search for a new provost, Kite said.  

Farmer does not believe many critics have read the investigative panel's report. 

"My obligation to the university is to evaluate the circumstances and the facts and do what I think is right for West Virginia University," he said. "There is simply nothing in those findings that implicate Mike Garrison."

When asked, Farmer said he does not believe three members of Garrison's staff who attended the October meeting where Bresch retroactively earned the degree acted improperly.

Members of the West Virginia University Board of Governors have not been swayed from their support of President Mike Garrison, despite mounting pressure from alumni, faculty and the public.

Members Carolyn Long, Ellen Cappellanti and Steve Farmer say they will rely on a panel's report, where five college educators led by two WVU professors investigated the flawed decision to grant a master's degree to Gov. Joe Manchin's daughter.

The panelists concluded last week that WVU administrators exercised "seriously flawed" judgment when they awarded Heather Bresch an executive master's of business administration degree last fall.

Bresch is an executive at Pennsylvania-based Mylan Pharmaceuticals.

As part of the fallout, WVU Provost Gerald Lang and business school Dean Stephen Sears resigned their posts. Both will stay on as professors and earn six-figure salaries. 

Long, the superintendent of Braxton County schools, could not see herself asking for a vote of BOG members to see who favors Garrison's resignation.

"At this point I think that would be an inappropriate motion," she said.

Cappellanti agreed.

"If something happens and it's in the best interest of the university, anyone on [the BOG] would make that motion," she said. "Right now, that would be premature and it would not be in the best interest of the university."

Their view conflicts with that of many WVU alumni, donors, faculty and students. Garrison's blog on the university Web site featured 68 comments Wednesday afternoon, the vast majority calling for his resignation.

John Gouliard wrote on the blog Saturday:

"Whether you like Mike Garrison or not, the issue is not whether he should resign on the basis of anger. The issue is should he resign for the good of West Virginia University. I believe the answer is yes."

Steve Kite, a BOG member and faculty senate chairman, maintains his belief that Garrison can eventually rebuild an effective working relationship with most WVU faculty.

"He'll have to work hard to do so, but I think he can regain the confidence if his actions are faculty-focused," he said.

A lot of that will depend on the search for a new provost, Kite said.  

Farmer does not believe many critics have read the investigative panel's report. 

"My obligation to the university is to evaluate the circumstances and the facts and do what I think is right for West Virginia University," he said. "There is simply nothing in those findings that implicate Mike Garrison."

When asked, Farmer said he does not believe three members of Garrison's staff who attended the October meeting where Bresch retroactively earned the degree acted improperly.

Craig Walker, Garrison's chief of staff, Bill Case, his communications director, and Alex Macia, WVU general counsel, attended the Oct. 15 meeting.      

"I don't think there's any evidence other than the fact that they were there," Farmer said. "No one involved in the panel would say [Garrison] was involved in that decision. I'm basing my position on a first-hand investigation and knowledge of the facts."

He said the evidence shows that Sears made the decision to award the degree and Lang signed off on it.

"The decision was being made by the people who were supposed to make that decision," he said. 

Farmer, Long and Cappellanti said they do not feel pressured by donors who say they will pull gifts to the WVU Foundation.

Charleston philanthropist John McGee has said he would pull a $2 million gift to the university until the Bresch matter is properly resolved. McGee said Garrison damaged the school and should be removed from office.

"If donors want to refuse to give money, I respect their situation," Farmer said. "Donors and supporters are critically important to our mission. People are always going to decide to participate or not participate."     

Cappellanti believes cooler heads will prevail over time, and said donors first threatened to pull gifts in December when former WVU football coach Rich Rodriguez left for Michigan.

"There are a lot of people that have really different opinions on this issue. I have no doubt in my mind what my job is," Cappellanti said. "Right now, today, I'm prepared to give Mike Garrison an opportunity to see what he proposes and move forward."

The panelists recommended that new procedures be set up to correct problems and prevent future degree mishaps. Garrison will report back to the BOG in June.

The Board of Governors issued a statement Monday that supports Garrison.

Long said she does not know if every BOG member was asked about the statement. "I know I was asked and I was in total agreement with the statement," she said. 

Student government president Jason Parsons, who also sits on the BOG, supported Garrison this week.

"Now, we must allow President Garrison the opportunity to address the panel's recommendations and move our university forward," Parsons wrote in a prepared statement.

Garrison has been criticized for the connections he had to Board of Governors members past and present and to the presidential search committee formed to pick the top three candidates to replace outgoing president David Hardesty in the spring of 2007. He has defended those relationships.

For instance, he lobbied for Mylan Pharmaceuticals for a few years. BOG member Thomas S. Clark is a former vice president for medical affairs at Mylan. BOG member Parry Petroplus, president of Platinum Properties, LLC, in Morgantown is a business partner of Milan Puskar, the founder of Mylan.

Garrison had been photographed with BOG chairman Steve Goodwin when Goodwin was recognized as a Distinguished West Virginian. Sally Smith, a non-voting BOG member, is an attorney with Bowles Rice McDavid Graff & Love. Garrison previously worked for the law firm.

To contact staff writer Davin White, use e-mail or call 348-1254.