Michael Garrison (politician)

For the electronic musician, see Michael Garrison (musician).

Michael Garrison is the former president of West Virginia University, succeeded by C. Peter Magrath on August 1, 2008.[1] A graduate of the WVU class of 1992, Garrison was installed as president in October 2007. He earned a J.D. at WVU in 1996 and taught as an adjunct professor in the university's department of Political Science in the years preceding his appointment as president.[2]

Garrison had been managing member of Spilman Thomas & Battle pllc in Morgantown. He served as chief of staff for former governor Bob Wise and as cabinet secretary in the West Virginia Department of Tax and Revenue.[3] He was also a lobbyist and consultant for Mylan, Inc., a generic pharmaceutical corporation with headquarters in Pittsburgh.[4]

Garrison's selection as president was controversial with the university's faculty; the faculty senate voted no confidence in him in April 2007, before the decision to appoint him.[4] The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette noted concerns about his lack of academic experience and the possibility that his inclusion among the finalists was the result of his political connections.[5][6] In addition to his former West Virginia government posts, Garrison is a "family friend and former business associate" of Heather Bresch, daughter of then West Virginia governor Joe Manchin, and Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer of Mylan, Inc.[7]

In 2008 Garrison became embroiled in a scandal involving the granting of an MBA degree to Bresch, who had failed to complete the required credits. A panel led by WVU faculty members produced a report on the incident described by the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette as criticising the university administration for having made "a 'seriously flawed' decision fraught with favoritism."[7] In May 2008 the faculty senate voted 77-19 to call for Garrison's resignation[8] - a demand repeated by a vote (565-39, with 11 abstentions) open to all WVU faculty at a mass meeting a week later.[9]

On June 6, 2008, Garrison officially announced he would resign as President of the University effective September 1, 2008.[10] In October 2008 a West Virginia grand jury decided not to indict Garrison on criminal charges relating to the degree scandal.[11]

After leaving West Virginia University, Garrison returned to his former law firm, Spilman Thomas & Battle.[12] Garrison's more recent work includes representing natural gas company Northeast Energy in its $42 million suit against the City of Morgantown, West Virginia.[13] Northeast is seeking an injunction against the city, to prevent enforcement of its recent ban on horizontal hydraulic fracking. Morgantown passed its ban after Northeast sited a drill pad near the city's primary drinking-water intake, and the ban and the issue have received increasing press coverage, both locally [14] and even nationally. [15]

References

  1. ^ WVU Administration
  2. ^ "WVU Committee Narrows Presidential Field to Three", State Journal, 22 March 2007, accessed 2008-04-26
  3. ^ WVU President's page
  4. ^ a b Ian Urbina, "University Investigates Whether Governor’s Daughter Earned Degree", New York Times, 22 January 2008, accessed 2008-04-26
  5. ^ West Virginia U. Ignores Controversy and Picks Garrison as New President, Chronicle of Higher Education, 13 April 2007, accessed 2008-05-06
  6. ^ Jonathan D. Silver and Eleanor Chute, "Controversy roils search for new WVU president", Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, 1 April 2007, accessed 2008-04-26
  7. ^ a b Len Boselovic and Patricia Sabatini, "University revokes degree after scathing report on M.B.A. awarded to Bresch", Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, 24 April 2008, accessed 2008-04-26
  8. ^ Len Boselovic and Patricia Sabatini, "WVU faculty wants president's ouster", Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, 6 May 2008, accessed 2008-05-06
  9. ^ Len Boselovic and Patricia Sabatini, "WVU faculty: President Garrison must go", Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, 14 May 2008, accessed 2008-05-14
  10. ^ Associated Press, "[1]", Yahoo! News, 06 June 2008, accessed 2008-06-06
  11. ^ Len Boselovic and Patricia Sabatini, "Degree Scandal Not a Crime"Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, 18 October 2008
  12. ^ Spilman Thomas & Battle website, ""Professionals by name," D-H", accessed 12 July 2011
  13. ^ Ry Rivard ""Gas drillers want $42 million from Morgantown"," Daily Mail, 7 July 2011, accessed 2011-07-12
  14. ^ Ben Adducchio & Associated Press ""Company sues Morgantown over drilling ban"," West Virginia Public Broadcasting, 27 June 2011, accessed 2011-07-12; Duane Nichols ""Judge Upholds Morgantown Frack Ban, Denies Injunction, Drilling Continues"," FrackCheckWV, 25 June 2011, accessed 2011-07-12
  15. ^ Associated Press, ""Company sues W.Va town over drilling ban"," Bloomberg Businessweek, 27 June 2011, accessed 2011-07-12; Vicki Smith, Associated Press ""Gas industry cranks up PR push on W.Va. drilling"," Bloomberg Businessweek, 21 June 2001, accessed 2011-07-12; Lawrence Messina, Associated Press ""Acting W.Va. gov orders emergency Marcellus rules"", Forbes, 12 July 2011, accessed 2011-07-12.