Editorial: Move on

THE REGISTER-HERALD (BECKLEY, W.V.)

Fri, May 16 2008

— Editorial: Move on
Don’t expect Garrison to leave any time soon

Opinion: The Register-Herald, Beckley, W.Va.

West Virginia University’s faculty senate has again issued a vote of no confidence for Mike Garrison — for the second time in less than a year. It didn’t want him in the first place. Nobody was surprised by Monday’s balloting.
The Heather Bresch degree snafu has been like a small earthquake. The initial rumbling took place, and now, here come all the minor aftershocks.
In the end, there are a few cracks which are going to need repairing, but as far as major renovations are concerned, i.e., a Garrison resignation, you can forget about it. T’ain’t gonna happen.
Hopefully, Monday’s session made those members of the faculty feel better. They got up in front of their colleagues and the media spotlight, many denounced Garrison and referred to the academic crime that was perpetrated and that WVU’s image would be tarnished until the president stepped down. They can keep on with the criticism as long as they want, but they better get out the silver polish to rub out the stains because all of their verbalization still isn’t going to change the name on the desk plate at Stewart Hall.
Politics this, politics that — that’s been the mutinous battle cry. Is there anybody out there naive enough to think that politics aren’t being played at major state universities all over this country? It’s all part of the game. And for those thinking it just started with the Manchin administration, you’ve been in the closet for too many decades, not years.
Many out there, including the state’s largest newspaper, have called for Garrison’s resignation. We’re not so sure a Garrison resignation wouldn’t be in the best interest of WVU as well, just to clear the air.
However, these assertions and calls aren’t worth the paper they are written on because the cold, hard facts are this: Garrison is dialed in, connected in every conceivable way possible, and until he’s ready to go — and he has said multiple times over the last few weeks he is not — you can forget about it.
A black eye, sure, but black eyes heal.
Serious mistakes were made and nobody who has any affiliation with WVU is happy about this cluster bomb. But if you think enrollment is going to decline, you’re wrong. Major donors will have a short memory, and while some may go, others will fill the void.
West Virginia University won’t be closing up shop and Garrison will still be guiding the ship. The mutiny has failed.
So forget about it, spit out the bad taste and move on.