All of This Has Happened Before, and All of This Will Happen Again.
Some of Fifth Column’s new readers might not realize that just over a year ago, we were talking about how Mike Garrison claimed to have graduated from the WVU College of Law “with honors,” when in fact, no such distinction exists. The College of Law does not confer Latin honors upon its graduates, period. And last I checked, you can’t just bestow the distinction of “graduated with honors” upon yourself just because it makes you sound more scholarly to the people who didn’t go to law school and don’t know what the hell Moot Court is.
But that’s exactly what Mike Garrison did.
People new to Fifth Column might also get a kick out of learning that, just over a year ago, most of the commenters thought this issue was just a “triviality,” or “hair splitting,” or my personal favorite: “envious whining.”
It doesn’t seem so trivial now, does it? When you consider that Garrison went about manufacturing a degree “out of thin air” for a longtime friend before he was even inaugurated.
Tags: Mike Garrison
May 1, 2008 at 5:16 pm
Yeah, actually THAT does still seem pretty trivial and it’s hard to disagree with how people were characterizing you in the comments. In fact, some of the most critical comments about you were from people opposed to Garrison and chastising you for discrediting the opposition by such tactics when much better arguments were available.
May 1, 2008 at 5:37 pm
HK, if I get this right, the only academic distinction at the WVU CofL is Order of the Coif, which is granted to the top 10% of the graduating class at the end of their third year of law school. If Garrison earned Order of the Coif, then why didn’t he say so instead of conjuring up another award of distinction (boy that’s hitting close to home and current events!)?
The only honorable thing left for Garrison is for him to tender his resignation. With responsibility goes accountability.
May 1, 2008 at 6:08 pm
I’m glad we’re revisiting this discussion, because it’s a great example of the real, bedrock reason we’re in this situation. We’re still really, really isolated. Sure, we have interstate highways now, so it’s physically possible to get from WV to other places, and vice versa. But most people don’t, at least not long enough to make a difference. Not many people come to WV from outside, and not many people who leave for school or work come back. The result is that even the smart people in WV have very little idea how the rest of the world works, and they fundamentally fail to grasp a lot of concepts that matter elsewhere.
In this particular example, large numbers of seemingly smart West Virginians simply can’t comprehend that graduating “with honors” means a distinction based on one’s rank in the graduating class (mainly Latin honors or their non-Latin equivalent, i.e., summa/highest, magna/high, cum laude/honors). It doesn’t mean you won an award of some kind while you were in school, or that you when you graduated you were named “Best Graduating Glee Club Member.” In most places that’s not a subject for debate, it’s just the meaning of the term. But not here.
For the same reason, even most of the educated people in WV fundamentally fail to comprehend how shocking and embarrassing it is that Mike Garrison was chosen as WVU’s president. And the same phenomenon explains why Garrison will be able to survive the current scandal. There just aren’t enough influential people here with extended exposure to places where this would be intolerable.
That’s not all bad. West Virginia also has lots of good qualities that would probably be lost if we became too much like those other places. But our cultural isolation from ideas is why this kind of thing happens more often and more outrageously in WV than in most of the rest of the country. Comes with the territory.
May 1, 2008 at 6:09 pm
JQ is right; he’s either Order of the Coif or nothing at all. There is no “with honors” designation to College of Law grads. We all knew that Garrison was a political hack and now we’re reaping the results of that selection. It doesn’t matter if he had a part in the Bresch degree fiasco. If a respected academic were in the President’s office, this never would have happened. The Joe Manchin/Goodwin/Garrison/Puskar mafia connection was all that was necessary to cause otherwise responsible adminstrators to make a bad decision. They knew they had to deal with her differently because of all of the political implications.
May 1, 2008 at 7:15 pm
If my memory serves me correct, Garrison was Order of the Barristers, among other things, but that’s never how he billed himself. He was always “an honors graduate of the WVU College of Law.” It was all part of a larger effort to make Garrison more palatable to a mostly ignorant and apathetic public. And whether you find it trivial or not, it remains a fact that this is one of the only places in a America where someone with so few qualifications, applying for a job this big, could engage in such blatant resume padding — and then go on to win the job.
May 1, 2008 at 7:19 pm
05/01/2008
WVU Docs Come to Garrison’s Aid
Staff
Morgantown
Nearly two-dozen doctors from the WVU Health Sciences Center have signed a letter in support of embattled WVU President Mike Garrison. The letter was written by Dr. Julian Bailes, the Chairman of Neurosurgery at WVU and signed by 22 other physicians.
“We have been encouraged by the analysis, engagement, and early actions by President Michael Garrison regarding the WVU Health Sciences Center,” the letter said.
The letter of support comes at a critical time for Garrison who is trying to hold on to his job in light of the Heather Bresch scandal. WVU’s academic provost and the business school dean have both resigned their positions and Monday the Faculty Senate will decide whether to recommend any action against Garrison.
An independent review panel found WVU improperly awarded a degree to Bresch, who is Gov. Manchin’s daughter, concluding that she did not do the necessary work to receive the executive MBA degree.
The doctors’ letter, distributed Thursday, praises Garrison for his efforts to evaluate and improve the giant Health Sciences complex. Garrison has hired a consultant to review Health Sciences.
“We feel that President Garrison has shown leadership, vision, and a commitment to making meaningful change and progressive growth in the numerous fields of medicine,” the letter said. “As professors and faculty, we wish to express our unequivocal support for, and confidence in President Garrison’s leadership and in the future.”
(The full text of the letter is below)
The details of the matter of the MBA degree have been well circulated during the last week. The unfortunate circumstances of the awarding of the degree, which was later deemed inappropriate by the investigative panel, have been duly noted and publicized. The resignation of Provost Lang and Dean Sears are regrettable but understandable outcomes of this process. We fully acknowledge the value and absolute necessity for academic integrity, and appreciate that a proper investigation and corrective actions have and will be taken.
As in many states, resources and support for state-of-the-art technology, health care providers, and continuous quality improvement are limited and precious. We have been encouraged by the analysis, engagement, and early actions of President Michael Garrison regarding the WVU Health Sciences Center.
In just the first few months of his presidency, he has had to tackle numerous complex and demanding issues related to health care, not only for our immediate area but also related to our role as a state and regional provider of specialty health care services. Many of the aspects of our health sciences were historic, traditional, and stagnant, needing a review, reassessment and restructuring.
Not only has President Garrison been willing to examine the intricacies of medical education, modern health care delivery, and tertiary care models, but he has shown leadership and courage to begin to formulate the future model of medical care, education, and research in West Virginia. When we met with him, were energized by his stated commitment to help us create a health care enterprise which is a “regional powerhouse with a national reputation.”
As most regional health care enterprises, we have our share of issues and problems with which to deal while constantly striving to advance health care delivery for the citizens of West Virginia. There are innumerable dedicated physicians, dentists, pharmacists, nurses, researchers, and other health care professionals within the walls of the WVU Health Sciences Center.
They all wish to be the best in medical and dental services, recognize the need for continual improvement, and our role in the community and state. We feel that President Michael Garrison has shown leadership, vision, and a commitment to making meaningful change and progressive growth in the numerous fields of medicine.
This important process and directed improvement would be jeopardized by his untimely and unwarranted departure. As professors and faculty, we wish to express our unequivocal support for, and confidence in, President Garrison’s leadership now and in the future.
Julian E. Bailes, MD, Chair, Neurosurgery
John F. Brick, MD, Chair, Neurology
Judie F. Charlton, MD, Chair, Ophthalmology
Sanford E. Emery, MD, MBA, Chair, Orthopaedics
Mathis P. Frick, MD, Chair, Radiology
Jeffrey L. Neely, MD, President/CEO, University Health Associates
James M. Stevenson, MD, Chair, Psychiatry
Stephen J. Wetmore, MD, Chair, Otolaryngology
Robert Beto, MD, Chief, Cardiology
Warren W. Boling, MD, Chief, Surgical Epilepsy
Larry V. Carson, MD, MBA
John J. Collins, MD, Chief, Pediatric Neurosurgery
Takanori Fukushima, MD, Chief, Skull Base Surgery
Wissam Gharib, MD, Interventional Cardiologist
Terrence Julien, MD, Surgical Neuro-Oncology
Gary D. Marano, MD, Vice-Chair, Radiology
Visvanathan Ramamurthy, PhD
Charles L. Rosen, MD, PhD, Director, Neurosurgical Research
Maxim Sokolov, PhD
Magesh Sundaram, MD, Chief, Surgical Oncology
Uma Sundaram, MD, Chief, Digestive Diseases
Richard Vaglienti, MD, Chief, Pain Services
Brad Warden, MD, Interventional Cardiologist
SHAME SHAME SHAME
May 1, 2008 at 7:22 pm
Now would be a good time for me to point out that I have never held doctors in very high regard.
May 1, 2008 at 7:32 pm
Not surprising that Garrison would get backing from the professional schools. They’re not really academics, and they don’t think much about things like academic integrity or the sanctity of a degree (maybe one reason this was able to happen in the B-school in the first place).
May 1, 2008 at 7:59 pm
Hello, Hippie Killer:
1. As someone who toiled in the academic salt mines and has a great weariness of knowledge (most of it at WVU), let me say that it’s time to pull the pistol from your cold dead fingers on this “graduation with honors” thing. He’s clearly using it in the vernacular and the notion of honor is well supported by his other listed achievements (Order of the Barrister, et al.). I admire your tenacity and want you in my corner during a long fight, but it just don’t work for me. And I think Garrison should have resigned before Lang and Sears.
2. I’m not much for academic physicians either. They take the pharma money in whatever form they can, then recoil in horror when they go off-label with the pills (like with HRT) and blame the drug guys. They follow the power at a careful distance. Regrets and apologies to any and all academic physicians reading this blog. But, you are duplicitious as hell while hiding under the bed.
May 1, 2008 at 8:29 pm
I’m in the Order of the Barristers and let me tell you for sure: it’s shit.
Where’s my fucking wig?
May 1, 2008 at 8:46 pm
One day years ago, I was sitting up in the head of the holler carving a turkey call, and I up and decided to teach one of my favorite nanny goats about the way time slows down as you approach the speed of light. Well, I tried like hell, but that damn nanny goat just refused to believe me. Said it was horseshit. I tried blackboards and whiteboards and fancy TI calculators and planetary models. I tried a video I got from a physics teachers’ website. I even tried playing some Chopin to make the damn goat smarter. Nothing worked. Eventually I came to understand that the problem wasn’t my teaching and the situation was beyond my control, and I made peace with letting go.
The moral, I suppose, is to know your audience.
May 1, 2008 at 8:46 pm
As “transparent” as the HSC “claims” to be, it is interesting that they do NOT disclose that 8 of the names of this list are within the Department of Neurosurgery at WVU. The same Department in which J. Bailes is chair. The same J. Bailes that sales snake oil in clinic. The same J. Bailes that was on the search committee for Garrison. The same J. Bailes that has been seen at basketball games next to Garrison and at football games with the Governor. The same J. Bailes that has a business relationship with Wheeling Hospital. The same J. Bailes who has been seen in the HSC with the Wheeling “consultants”. The same consultants that were hired by Garrison. After these eight names please consider how many of the other signatures on this list are people that have “directly” benefited or stand to benefit if Garrison remains. These people also stand to “lose” big time if he forced to resign. More importantly look to the 500+ other M.D.s that did NOT sign as well as the other 12 or more chair who didn’t sign. This situation makes me and a lot of other folks sick. Somebody PLEASE help us. There are many people at HSC who are afraid to talk.
May 1, 2008 at 8:54 pm
Dear Pissed Off,
This blog is a place for them to tell what they know. Once the stories start to surface, as they have ever so slowly on this site about the HSC, there may be others who will start talking to reporters, perhaps off the record at first.lGet good reporters digging around and with patience they may just blow everything open.
May 1, 2008 at 8:55 pm
Dear PO’d….I was wondering, isn’t there some law that says state employees can’t solicit on campus. Wasn’t this soliciting signatures?? Was this done during work time?? Isn’t this breaking some kind of law??? Not to mention, I thought that there was some kind of social justice thing that is in place to keep employees from feeling threatened??? What’s up???
May 1, 2008 at 8:57 pm
What do you call a Doctor that graduates last in his class?
Doctor.
May 1, 2008 at 9:06 pm
interesting too that the HSC VP search committee was to be chaired by Provost Lang, and members include at least 3 of the Bailes letter signers: Bailes, Brick (brother of the interim Dean), and Neely. Very interesting.
May 1, 2008 at 9:16 pm
so sad that these “physician leaders” rolled over….then again, did they ever “lead”?
May 1, 2008 at 9:20 pm
For those who may want to discuss issues of concern at HSC as “Anon2″ suggested, I have set up an email account to facilitate discussion.
I know people are scared and nervous. I know there are some questionable things going on up there and there is little support. I know many are afraid to speak up, but if you don’t do so collectively it will continue, as “Anon2″ noted. I know because it continues still.
There are many good people up there who are afrraid to “rock the boat” (a common feeling, it seems). There are many good professionals who try to slog through the nonsense to do their jobs and do them well, but they are certainly hindered by the process of having no support when they come up against questionable behavior and policies.
I know because I did speak up and those who saw the same things and had the same concerns felt that they could not because they “had families to feed” or “needed to keep (their) job”. After my concerns were voiced and documented, after I took them a far as I could and still received no response, I am ashamed to say I resigned.
I am happy to speak with you, anonymously if you prefer, at wvuhsc@gmail.com.
Perhaps we can work together to get back on track.
Thank you,
A. Morton
May 1, 2008 at 9:22 pm
Come on – do you think he cares. He set up his own personal business in his clinic and has some of the nurses taking orders – I guess its on work time, the clinics open and everyone is collecting a paycheck
May 1, 2008 at 9:23 pm
I heard a letter similar to the Bailes letter was being pushed on the Alumni affairs office. That office was being pushed to come up with a similar letter of support for the President, except signed by alumni. If that comes out, it would be reasonable to speculate that these letters were orchestrated. Not too many signatures on the HSC letter: 22/600+ faculty at HSC.
I hear that a procedural vote might be put into place at the faculty senate which could effectively delay the censure or no-confidence vote by 1 month … gives time for things to cool down. Also, I hear that if a faculty assembly occurs, the vote is by paper ballot. I am sure that faculty are nervous about endangering their positions or jobs by a public show of their position on this matter, so a secret vote might be more revealing of faculty sentiment. should be interesting if that happens.
As for me … I want this thing to end. It’s very distracting. I spend way too much time reading HK.
May 1, 2008 at 9:27 pm
“Anonymous” I think “Iwitness: was talkin about the petition not pushing fish oil. Although that is another ?
Is this not the same U. Sundaram that signed the Garrison support letter??? These are some high quality people.
STRONG MEMORIAL HOSPITAL PAYS $492,000 TO SETTLE
MEDICAID AND MEDICARE PROBES
Attorney General Spitzer today announced that the University of Rochester’s Strong Memorial Hospital has repaid taxpayers $492,507 as a result of state and federal probes into improper billing.
Both the Attorney General’s Medicaid Fraud Control Unit (MFCU) and the Health and Human Services’ Office of Inspector General (OIG) audited the billing records of the hospital’s Digestive Disease Unit for the period September 2001 through December 2003. Based on those audits, MFCU and OIG contended that Strong wrongly billed for endoscopic procedures. Strong claimed that services had been provided by Dr. Uma Sundaram, the former head of the digestive disease unit, when those procedures had in fact been provided by physician fellows, without proper supervision by Dr. Sundaram. This violated both Medicaid and Medicare teaching physician guidelines. The audits further revealed that procedures had been performed in instances where the information in the patients’ medical records did not demonstrate that the procedure was medically necessary.
In agreements with MFCU and with the United States Attorney’s office, Strong agreed to resolve the audit allegations by repaying $292,507 to Medicaid and $200,000 to Medicare. As a further part of the agreement, Strong has agreed to maintain a vigorous compliance program to ensure that its operations conform to the requirements of federal and state laws and regulations governing the Medicaid and Medicare programs.
Spitzer thanked the Department of Health’s Office of Professional Medical Conduct, Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General, and the United States Attorney for the Western District of New York for their assistance and cooperation. Spitzer further noted that Strong cooperated with the investigation and has replaced Dr. Sundaram as head of the unit.
The investigation resulting in the settlement was conducted by Special Assistant Attorney General Jerry Solomon, Director of the MFCU’s Rochester Regional Office, Principal Auditor Investigator Thomas Clarke and Senior Special Investigator William Falk of the MFCU, Assistant United States Attorney Robert Trusiak and Investigator Cindy Pangallo of the OIG.
Strong Memorial Hospital is located at 601 Elmwood Avenue, Rochester, New York.
May 1, 2008 at 9:32 pm
PO’d:
http://w3.health.state.ny.us/opmc/factions.nsf/58220a7f9eeaafab85256b180058c032/43e9721dab71636185256f70006e5d60?OpenDocument
May 1, 2008 at 9:35 pm
I see that the chief of Card signed the petition. I wonder if this is payment for the heart insititute that I recently read about?
May 1, 2008 at 9:38 pm
If you want to see a good picture of Garrison, go to this Google image site. It is of the “Heat Miser” from the Christmas cartoon. I knew I knew him from somewhere.
http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.maurylaws.com/Heatmiser.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.maurylaws.com/withoutclaus.htm&h=263&w=350&sz=80&hl=en&start=1&um=1&tbnid=rmNqIXhqoFodcM:&tbnh=90&tbnw=120&prev=/images?q%3Dheat%2Bmiser%26um%3D1%26hl%3Den%26rls%3DGGLJ,GGLJ:2006-35,GGLJ:en%26sa%3DN
May 1, 2008 at 9:47 pm
To ANON & CD: I don’t know how things run on the Health Science Campus, but isn’t one of the beauties of tenure is that you have some job security? My impression is that faculty are NOT afraid to say what they think….they want a forum to do so.
May 1, 2008 at 9:49 pm
the majority of faculty at the HSC do not have tenure because they are in the clinical track. There is no such thing as tenure for them. They have no voice, they have no job security. They can be squashed like bugs.
May 1, 2008 at 9:50 pm
I apologize for re-posting this here, but it sounds like some faculty at the HSC are unaware of this effort underway to register faculty sentiment. Please contact me if you’d like to express your view one way or the other. So far 138 faculty have declared themselves in favor of Garrison’s resignation, and 5 have opposed his resignation. Thanks! Matt
Dear WVU Faculty Colleagues,
Given the current state of affairs on our campus, it seems important to me to assess the views of WVU faculty (and not just faculty senators) regarding the calls for President Garrison’s resignation.
On Monday, April 29, Kevin Leyden (Political Science) claimed that “most people believe Michael Garrison has performed his duties beyond expectations” (as cited in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, April 28, 2008 – Leyden’s actual words were somewhat different). This notion requires verification. If evidence can be shown to prove that most faculty believe Garrison’s resignation to be unnecessary, I for one will pledge not to speak another word about it. The last thing that I hope to do is to make an already terrible situation worse, against the wishes of most members of the faculty community.
But if most WVU faculty believe that the restoration of university’s integrity requires Garrison’s resignation (at a minimum), then the Faculty Senate, the BOG, and the President’s Office must be made aware of this fact. For that I reason I am willing to compile a list of faculty members who support the proposed Faculty Senate resolution calling upon President Garrison to resign, and those who do not.
If you email me, I will tabulate the results and have them verified by someone whose views on this matter are contrary to my own. For those who support the resignation resolution, I would be happy to add your name to what would in effect become a petition that could be distributed to members of the Faculty Senate prior to Monday’s meeting. I realize that this is a methodologically imperfect procedure, but at least it should provide a somewhat more accurate sense of faculty views concerning this issue that so closely affects our collective reputation.
If you’re so inclined, please send me an e-mail (matt.vester@mail.wvu.edu) by Saturday, May 3, at 6:00 PM, with true or false answers to the following statements:
1. I support Garrison’s resignation (T/F).
2. I am willing for my name to be made public (T/F).
Thanks for your help with this modest research project. Yours, Matt Vester (History Department, WVU)
May 1, 2008 at 9:52 pm
and they are (squashed like bugs)
May 1, 2008 at 9:59 pm
Matt Vester –
I’ve never met you, but I salute you. You’re doing a terrific thing. I hope the info you’re collecting on faculty views gets some press.
May 1, 2008 at 10:02 pm
info from metronews:
Was a crime committed when the Bresch transcript was altered?
Peyton Law Office
http://wvmetronews.com/index.cfm?func=displayfullstory&storyid=24600&type=ateLaw
May 1, 2008 at 10:15 pm
M. Vester – Many of us at the HSC are “afraid” to express our views. We have been strongly encouraged to support Garrison
May 1, 2008 at 10:20 pm
“Little good is accomplished without controversy, and no civic evil is ever defeated without publicity”
From the DA’s front page…
May 1, 2008 at 10:21 pm
Nice of those shit head doctors to offer me a list of doctors I will never want to attend to my pets.
May 1, 2008 at 10:50 pm
West Virginia University President Mike Garrison now says he wishes he’d handled the matter differently.
Lesson: Taking a high pressure job without having any experience is not a good idea.
How many more mistakes must be made before Garrison learns on the job and doesn’t make a mistake that tarnishes our universiy’s integrity?
P.S. I signed Vester’s petition.
May 1, 2008 at 10:56 pm
I just lost alot of respect for Sandy Emery
May 2, 2008 at 12:39 am
HEH. PPG’s article today refers to the “pressure” put on some of the HSC docs to sign the letter.
Hehe. It also spells out that Brick and Bailes were appointed by Garrison, and that when faculty were approached to sign the letter, they were informed that Bailes and Brick were in support of the letter.
May 2, 2008 at 12:43 am
Oh, and if you aren’t, you should check the PPG every day for their latest.
Even check the editorial page and letters to the editor for Daughtergate related stuff.
May 2, 2008 at 12:54 am
Posted previously:
Notice any familiar names?
Centra BOD:
http://centrabank.com/morgantownpeople.php
May 2, 2008 at 1:09 am
Hippie, quit congratulating yourself. Haven’t you learned to let others do that for you. The “with honors” crap WAS a triviality. It was puffery.
The degree controversy, however, is not. It is devastating to this state and university. Garrison must resign.
May 2, 2008 at 1:12 am
Quick Google:
http://www.wheelinghospital.org/doctor/docdet.aspx?p=17
Curiouser and curiouser……
May 2, 2008 at 2:43 am
It’s time for the Charleston Gazette and all the other WV news outlets to stand up and defend their profession of journalism. Manchin trying to redirect this to being the good people of WV versus the devious and much hated people of PA/Pittsburgh is harmful to all. This is about his daughter who lied and now it’s going beyond affecting faculty, students and alumni to average residents of both states. It’s not us versus them Joe. It’s you and your family taking responsibility for the mess your daughter created.
Get some courage WV media and defend your honor!
May 2, 2008 at 6:43 am
Just for kicks, type in “Degree Scandal” into google. Just scan the links. This is big news, not just WV news.
May 2, 2008 at 6:54 am
From the DA
http://www.da.wvu.edu/show_article.php?&story_id=34753&archive_date=2008-05-02
“The chair of West Virginia University’s governing body doesn’t want the faculty telling him how to do his job.
“They don’t appoint me, they have nothing to do with my selection or with my term at the University, and I certainly won’t resign,” said Steve Goodwin, the chair of the Board of Governors. ”
In other words faculty can go to hell (after all Mr. Goodwin, what are faculty to a university?? do you understand what a university is??)
“Goodwin said there is “no magic number” of faculty calls at which he would say, ‘“OK, (Garrison) needs to leave.’”
““I like being on the same side as Julian Bailes, Bobby Huggins and Gov. Manchin,” Goodwin said. He was referring to Dr. Bailes, the chair of the department of neurosurgery, who, along with two dozen or so other Heath Sciences chairs signed a letter supporting Garrison; and the men’s basketball coach, who Goodwin said was releasing a statement in support of the president; and Gov. Joe Manchin, Bresch’s father, who said this week that he supports Garrison.”
This statement goes nicely with the thread above doesn’t it?
“He also said that there didn’t seem to be widespread animosity by donors toward Garrison. “I’m hoping that people who feel this way will call,” he said, so that he tells them not to lose sight of how important private money is to WVU programs and scholarships.
Goodwin said the donors could not use their money to dictate University policies. ”
Arrogance is priceless
May 2, 2008 at 6:57 am
Ooops, it was King who said
” there didn’t seem to be widespread animosity by donors toward Garrison. “I’m hoping that people who feel this way will call,” he said, so that he tells them not to lose sight of how important private money is to WVU programs and scholarships. “
May 2, 2008 at 7:46 am
Who can we appeal to to get out of this mess? Manchin, the BOG, & Garrison are not going to police each other & they are seemingly immune to the court of public opinion…. We know the problem & the solution (throw the bums out!), but by what means can it be achieved?
May 2, 2008 at 8:02 am
Left Shadow hit the nail on the head!!!!!
May 2, 2008 at 8:43 am
Dear Concerned (and other HSC faculty):
Re: the poll/petition: You can email me and I will register your opinion for the final tally, without divulging your name. Probably over half of those who have contacted me have asked for their names to be kept confidential, which is fine (although a tragic state of affairs for a university that should be devoted to a free exchange of ideas). I will present the raw numbers to the Faculty Senate, and I will list on the formal petition ONLY THOSE who give permission for their names to be used publicly.
May 2, 2008 at 8:44 am
WBOY/Channel 12 has been running a “Should Garrison step down?” poll online. This morning, more than 50 percent of (3,000) votes want Garrison to go; 20 percent don’t care . . . and there are two choices with less than 20 percent each.
WBOY is also covering the faculty online vote.
Iwitness said (above): “I thought that there was some kind of social justice thing that is in place to keep employees from feeling threatened???”
If the “President’s Office of Social Justice” that oversees WVU also oversees HSC, you have no protection. My experience with “social justice” was that it did not exist. You speak out. You will pay for it.
May 2, 2008 at 9:03 am
Ann,
Your commnents are unfortunately very true. For that very reason, I again would like to point out the email address for discussing HSC issues that are “taboo” so to speak.
wvuhsc@gmail.com
May 2, 2008 at 9:23 am
That’s a very good idea amorton. I resigned from WVU and no longer have any connection with the university. Well, there’s my MS . . .
May 2, 2008 at 9:56 am
Ann,
I too resigned but am still very concerned…
May 2, 2008 at 10:03 am
Me too.
May 2, 2008 at 10:10 am
More investigation has to be put into the Bailes’ letter. Goodwin referred to it in his defiant remarks on this whole ordeal. I beleive Bailes has A LOT to lose if Garrison is removed. The HSC is undergoing MAJOR reorganization and Bailes is sitting in a strong position of power so this whole thing smacks of politics over integrity. Using the HSC as a political arm of the University is sad. I just heard that two doctors are going to be talking with Hopi shortly over their support for Garrison. The whole way this has unfolded is a classic example of politics over policy. Every player who has been called out on this matter has been defiant and unremorseful. No one has come clean on the situation, instead what we get is stall, delay, divert. Lang and Sears have essentially received a reprimand with NO teeth and the President, BOG, and the Governor all keep saying look at the report it exonerates us. I am sure they hope that if they continue to say it, people will begin to believe it.
May 2, 2008 at 10:11 am
I’m sorry; I hope you didn’t feel that I implied that you weren’t, you obviously are.
May 2, 2008 at 11:17 am
It’s unfortunate to see faculty caving to pressure (signing the letter of support) and not setting a better example for students, but these aren’t academics, they’re doctors who happen to be teaching. Faculty in the medical and law schools are part of the “college as a trade school mentality,” where college is for careers and not for learning. Float one of those letters of support around the Liberal Arts departments and see how many sign.
May 2, 2008 at 11:27 am
From Hoppy’s show this morning: “Doctor Bailes says the letter says it all. “The majority of us here support this president and think we need to move on as a university,” he said.”
Dr Bailes DOES NOT represent the majority of HSC faculty–he is self-serving and there was in fact coercion/pressure to sign. He is speaking for 22 of 700+ faculty.
May 2, 2008 at 11:31 am
Here is the text from that interview:
http://www.wvmetronews.com/index.cfm?func=displayfullstory&storyid=24623
Also, looks as thought the gauntlet has been dropped…
http://www.da.wvu.edu/show_article.php?&story_id=34753&archive_date=2008-05-02
May 2, 2008 at 11:44 am
Goodwin’s makes no attempt to hide his contempt for the faculty who actually do the teaching at this institution. On the side of Huggins? The thug who was fired by Cincinnati and arrested for drunk driving? Yep, that pretty well sums up Goodwin and the rest of the political hacks.
May 2, 2008 at 11:57 am
I am particularly concerned about two of the faculty who signed Bailes’ petition. Drs. Sokolov and Ramamurthy are not clinical faculty. They are two junior Assistant Professors jointly appointed in the Department of Biochemistry. They are basic scientists with primary appointments as researchers in Opthalmology. My concern is that they are pre-tenure and in a very vulnerable position. Perhaps they signed the petition without coercion–I have not had a chance to ask them. But, they could be easily coerced, given their very junior position.
May 2, 2008 at 12:14 pm
So this is how WV’s leaders view the population calling for Garrison’s resignation.
Manchin — Vigilantes who can’t read a report
Bailes — simply too stupid to realize that he is “rising star”
Goodwin — who the hell cares no one can touch us, EVEN DONORS!
The opposition to Garrison is unique in that it is not one specific group, but one that crosses socioeconomic, education, and political spectrum. Social movements and revolutions tend to be successful when they are multi class coalitions. However, the degree to which the WV and WVU’s decision makers have isolated themselves from accountability still baffles the mind! They can call the population of WV stupid, be dismissive and get away with it because any avenues for accountability have disintegrated over the years.
May 2, 2008 at 12:47 pm
She lied….and got caught.
Nobody can change that now.
Garrison can stay or he can go.
The BOG won’t do it.
The Gov won’t do it.
The students could muster some sort of campus demonstration, but I doubt it.
The damage done is complete.
WVU degrees will be tarnished for 10 years or more. I have received calls from across the country…giggling at my discomfort. It has added to the stereotype of WV. It has added to the already tarnished images they have of our state.
The damage is done.
May 2, 2008 at 12:58 pm
come on guys and gals………you are overstating this entire issue………let’s just do what we always do, sit down,shut up,put up, and allow the “business as usual” to take over……you people suffer from the biggest case of INERTIA! I have ever witnessed, years of it!………and dont worry, another football season will be upon us soon……..
May 2, 2008 at 1:42 pm
Some notes from this morning’s HEPC (higher education policy commission) meeting in Lewisburg: Nelson Robinson, HEPC member and noted lobbyist and buttboy of Earl Ray Tomblin, was pushing hard for that body to lease its WVNET property. The property – that not including the WVNET building – is appraised at $8.6 million. Robinson wouldn’t say WHO wanted to lease it (Mylan’s name was not uttered), but he was thwarted in his efforts somewhat when an amended motion was made to pursue leasing the property AS LONG AS the lessor didn’t build any buildings on it.
Also, Robinson asked to address a non-agenda item, whereupon he gave a 5-minute monologue on how the who WVU/Bresch matter is none of HEPC’s business. “We have no say in the matter,” he said. Then he asked HEPC counsel Bruce Walker to provide a legal opinion. Proving this wasn’t an off-the-cuff moment, Walker pulled out his talking points and opined that Marshall and WVU are special cases, that HEPC is required by statute to give them more “independence” than the other state schools and, therefore, HEPC can’t interfere in whatever is going on at WVU. HEPC’s vice-chair then opinioned that HEPC should spend its time worrying about diversity and put the WVU degree matter “behind us.”
Oh my gosh.
May 2, 2008 at 1:44 pm
Please pardon my typos!
May 2, 2008 at 2:09 pm
Thanks for the update LaReina. NELSON ROBINSON is making decisions about higher education? God, what a world. Who else was there at the meeting? Who is still on the HEPC? Who thwarted the WVNET leasing effort?
May 2, 2008 at 2:34 pm
Unfortunately, I think WVCouch is right. The damage is done. WVU degrees will be a late-night joke until the university cleans house.
Note: Amorton, I was affirming concern. :)
And bless the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.
May 2, 2008 at 2:46 pm
Wasn’t Nelson Robinson Arch Moore’s Workers’ Comp commissioner when Arch was taking bribes to erase companies’ Comp debts?
May 2, 2008 at 4:05 pm
[Goodwin] added, following several days that have divided many at the University, “It’s been a rough week for everyone on both sides of this.”
At least he’s candid about being on a side rather than working for the best interest of the University.
May 2, 2008 at 4:52 pm
At the HEPC meeting, renowned lobbyist and great friend of Earl Ray Tomblin (and his wife, community college president Joanne Tomblin) Nelson Robinson also said it’s clear the whole Bresch degree thing is a matter for WVU’s board of governors and not the responsibility of HEPC. Considering this wasn’t even on the HEPC agenda, he seems to protest just a bit too much.
If anyone has more insight into the convoluted but always profitable relationships of Robinson, Tomblin, Manchin, Goodwin, et al., I’d be interested in any facts.
May 2, 2008 at 5:44 pm
The myth that Garrison was a Rhodes scholar also continues – someone revived it today on “Mike’s Blog.” He was a Rotary scholar, a significant achievement but not at all the same.
May 2, 2008 at 6:26 pm
And his Rotary scholarship was awarded by the Rotary Club in Fairmont, right?
May 2, 2008 at 9:07 pm
I was confused about all of this until Thursday night when I stopped by the forum hosted by the Daily Athenaeum.
The current student body president explained why this whole affair isn’t such a big deal. Most critically, Mr. President explained that Garrison WASN’T EVEN IN THE ROOM when the degree decision was made.
So obviously, we should all just move on. He wasn’t even in the room!
May 3, 2008 at 12:26 pm
Oh my gosh, Gullible. Who’d have thought a student body president was completely unaware of such technological advances in the area of communications as telephones and email?
May 3, 2008 at 5:04 pm
Actually, the “with honors” does still sound like a triviality. Quit congratulating yourself, Hippie. Haven’t you learned to let other do that for you? Try fulfilling your ego with all the dittohead commenters who lap up your every post as gospel.
When you take every triviality and try to turn it into a scandal, you marginalize yourself and your credibility. Quit crying wolf over minute offenses.
The Bresch scandal, however, is no triviality, but a full-fledged disgrace for the University and the State. Garrison should resign, but I expect no such action. This 38 year old man, disgraced in academia, has little to go back to but a below average law practice or another arranged position by his friends in government. He simply cannot resign and retire. As he has little concern for the healing of the institution’s reputation, but rather is concerned primarily with himself, he of course will not resign.
May 3, 2008 at 10:35 pm
Like the man said — it’s like trying to explain relativity to a pig.
June 11, 2008 at 2:46 pm
I’m sorry to join you so late in this discussion. i just noticed the name Magesh Sundaram and thought i should drop in a line about this person. this man happens to be my brother in law. he married my sister here in India on 18th June 2007, he took her to the US, kept her in his house like a servant. And packed her back to india after 2 months, because he could not consummate the marriage. he never registered his marriage there in the US, he pretends to be some unmarried eligible bachelor and hides away from all of us. and this chief of surgical oncology hacked my sister’s e mail id in order to erase all the personal mails that they had shared. forget Uma Sundaram and his atrocities, their father Shan Sundaram posted my sister’s photo on some dirty website on the net, just to defame her. my sister is a leading psychiatrist here in india, and you know what magesh sundaram’s mother did to her? She harassed and abused my sister so much just for the sake of money (dowry as we call it here in india) such a cheap, dishonourbale family. legal proceedings are going on against them in india. so you see people, these sundaram guys are a whole bunch of unethical, immoral, mercenaries. never trust them, this is what i’ll say from the bitter experience our family has had with them