HOMEWORK (formerly open thread)
In the comments, please post links to as many different articles about Garrison and Heathergate, from as many different sources as you can find. I’m looking for variety, not quantity — so never with mind the PPG, Charleston Newspapers or other local stuff we’re already familiar with. Actual links, and / or quotes please, so I can compile them into a post.
I want stuff from as far away as possible, and from as many countries as possible. How many people are there all over the world who thanks to Mike Garrison, know 1 thing and one thing only about WVU: that it will give fake degrees to the politically connected?
Document the atrocities.
May 6, 2008 at 7:43 am
OK, I’ll bite. who is Mel Kessler? What has he done to think he can compete, even a little bit?
I’m sorry, but until this morning I’ve never heard of him.
May 6, 2008 at 7:46 am
Wow..an Open Thread!! Man, I love this blog! A clearinghouse of real-time wrongdoing in WV is about 145 years in coming, but I’m damn glad to have it now. Good for you, HK.
May 6, 2008 at 9:09 am
It’ll take a lot more than 8 mil to do anything with the law school now that everyone in the country knows the administration is comprised of hacks.
http://www.wvgazettemail.com/News/200805020650
May 6, 2008 at 9:49 am
Mel Kessler for Governor - don’t know a thing about him, but here is his website:
http://melforgov.com/
May 6, 2008 at 11:05 am
Okay, we need to start using all of this creative energy to voice our opinions to some of the following people. Note: Rockefeller even has an “emergency” number to reach him posted. Isn’t this an emergency?
We’ve got to keep the fires burning especially this week before commencement. I realize some of this may not do anything but if nothing else won’t it feel good to seriously annoy them?
Jay Rockefeller
http://rockefeller.senate.gov/contact/email.cfm
Robert Byrd
http://byrd.senate.gov/byrd_email.html
Contact the Governor of WV
1900 Kanawha Boulevard, E., Charleston, WV 25305
Toll-Free: 1-888-438-2731 | Email:
Governor@WVGov.org
Steve Goodwin (I realize this is pointless…)
http://www.lawyers.com/West-Virginia/Morgantown/Goodwin-and-Ware,-LLP-13983754-f.html
May 6, 2008 at 4:22 pm
http://www.foxnews.com/wires/2008Apr28/0,4670,GovernorapossDaughter,00.html
May 6, 2008 at 4:30 pm
Try these: http://www.boston.com/news/education/higher/articles/2008/05/05/wvu_faculty_senate_calls_for_president_to_quit/ in the Boston Globe.
Minneapolis Star Tribune: http://www.startribune.com/nation/18670984.html
Lexington Herald Leader: http://www.kentucky.com/513/story/394333.html
Tacoma Washington: http://www.thenewstribune.com/tacoma/24hour/nation/story/351111.html
It’s also in USA Today.
May 6, 2008 at 4:31 pm
Tampa Bay
http://www.baynews9.com/content/36/2008/4/28/343591.html
May 6, 2008 at 4:34 pm
Toledo, Ohio
http://www.toledoblade.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080429/OPINION02/804290313
May 6, 2008 at 4:35 pm
Is this Russia?
http://www.einnews.com/westvirginia/newsfeed-west-virginia-education
May 6, 2008 at 4:35 pm
Boston: http://www.boston.com/news/education/higher/articles/2008/05/05/wvu_faculty_senate_calls_for_president_to_quit/
Minneapolis: http://www.startribune.com/nation/18670984.html
Lexington, KY: http://www.kentucky.com/513/story/394333.html
Tacoma, WA: http://www.thenewstribune.com/tacoma/24hour/nation/story/351111.html
These are coming from the AP, so give credit to the AP for dogging it.
May 6, 2008 at 4:38 pm
Most of these are probably just from the AP wire, but it’s still interesting to see how far the story is spreading: Here’s what Yahoo News brings up when you search for “degree scandal.” USA Today, Athens, Charlotte, Los Angeles, Las Vegas, Boston, San Diego, Waco, sheesh.
May 6, 2008 at 4:41 pm
the economist (worldwide, and probably the magazine that’s most respected among leading professionals and execs): http://www.economist.com/business/displaystory.cfm?story_id=11081635
May 6, 2008 at 4:43 pm
Silicon Valley
http://www.mercurynews.com/nationworld/ci_9166297
Cleveland,OH
http://www.cleveland.com/newsflash/index.ssf?/base/national-103/121009045527960.xml&storylist=national
Seattle, WA
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/national/1110ap_governors_daughter.html
May 6, 2008 at 4:47 pm
Here are a few links from late April on. This top one is a brand new story. Oh my!
USA Today
College president refuses to quit over degree scandal
http://www.usatoday.com/news/education/2008-05-05-wvu-degree-scandal_N.htm?csp=34
MSNBC
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/24343902/
Sign On San Diego
http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/education/20080428-0732-governorsdaughter.html
Washington Post
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/04/29/AR2008042902565.html
Breitbart.com
http://www.breitbart.com/article.php?id=D90AU1GG0&show_article=1
May 6, 2008 at 4:52 pm
I particularly interested in anything published outside the United States.
May 6, 2008 at 4:55 pm
From today’s USA Today article:”Though at least one major donor, the McGee Foundation, has vowed to withhold planned gifts, Garrison said he is not concerned about a long-term impact on donations.
“He also disputed the assertion of former Faculty Senate chairman Christopher Wilkinson, who said during Monday’s debate that the university’s capital fundraising campaign has been affected by the scandal.”
May 6, 2008 at 5:38 pm
FinanzNachrichten has a link to the bizjournal article.
May 6, 2008 at 5:40 pm
From the world of higher ed:
http://chronicle.com/daily/2008/05/2735n.htm
http://www.insidehighered.com/news/2008/05/06/westvirginia
May 6, 2008 at 5:44 pm
A link to the bizjournal article at a German business website.
May 6, 2008 at 5:53 pm
Someone has just FOIA’d the HSC for information on R&V consulting .. the group that the WVU administration hired to make recommendations on how to restructure the HSC. Google them and you’ll get the picture.
May 6, 2008 at 6:02 pm
I posted these links earlier but they didn’t go up. A glitch, maybe?
By the way, Bray Cary (who interviewed Garrison Saturday) just spoke out against Garrison on Channel 12!
Links are from late April on. This top USA story is a brand new story. Oh my!
USA Today
“College president refuses to quit over degree scandal”
http://www.usatoday.com/news/education/2008-05-05-wvu-degree-scandal_N.htm?csp=34
MSNBC
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/24343902/
Sign On San Diego
http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/education/20080428-0732-governorsdaughter.html
Washington Post
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/04/29/AR2008042902565.html
Breitbart.com
http://www.breitbart.com/article.php?id=D90AU1GG0&show_article=1
May 6, 2008 at 6:05 pm
Here’s one from York.
May 6, 2008 at 6:06 pm
Just a pawn, is that what you are talking about? They specialize in crisis management.
New consulting firm lands W.Va. hospital work
Wheeling Hospital among Violi, Deluzio team’s first clients
Ronald Violi, former CEO of the Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh, and veteran lawyer Vincent Deluzio have teamed up as consultants.
R&V Associates launched quietly Downtown in January, plunging into a complex assignment with Wheeling Hospital in West Virginia that has Violi serving as interim CEO.
R&V specializes in crisis management, mergers and acquisitions, recapitalizations, turnarounds and restructurings for a wide range of industries, though it has an emphasis on the health care sector.
Violi resigned from Children’s in 2004 after seven years as CEO, following a dispute with the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center over construction costs for the Lawrenceville campus.
He remained CEO of the Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh Foundation until August 2005. Prior to his health care career, he co-founded The Appliance Store retail chain.
Deluzio spent nearly 30 years at the law firm Buchanan Ingersoll PC and worked briefly at Pepper Hamilton LLP before becoming CEO of ValuAmerica, a Robinson-based software firm centered on the financial services industry, from 2002 to 2005.
He is currently vice chairman of Children’s board and also serves on the UPMC board.
Violi and Deluzio, who have known each other since the mid-1970s, jointly developed the concept of their new company.
R&V employs three and expects to add at least five more by the end of the year. Based in the Grant Building, the company took 3,000 square feet, giving it room to grow, Deluzio said.
Neither Violi nor Deluzio would offer projections for first-year revenue.
“Small to mid-sized companies are really our base,” Violi said. “We have clients as small as $2.5 million in annual sales and clients that are $300 million-plus; that’s a niche market that’s been underserved.”
Thomas VanKirk, Buchanan Ingersoll CEO, said he also believes there is a gap in the market and that Violi and Deluzio are a good pair to fill it.
“Ron has been very successful as an entrepreneur and in health care, and Vince is very experienced in the corporate arena,” VanKirk said. “I think they’ll be very successful.”
R&V would not identify clients other than Wheeling Hospital.
Deluzio said that, to date, none of their clients is located in the Pittsburgh area. That was part of the reason why the company has been low-profile, he said; the other reason was the business took off faster than either partner anticipated.
“We haven’t had time to go through our computer indexes and rolodexes,” Deluzio said.
ptascarella@bizjournals.com | (412) 481-6397 x226
Article courtesy of Pittsburgh Business Times
R&V Associates - 412.434.6300 - Grant Building, Suite 1120 - 310 Grant Street - Pittsburgh, PA 15219
May 6, 2008 at 6:07 pm
And a link to the bizjournal article at FinanzNachrichten.
May 6, 2008 at 6:09 pm
Someone showed me this one a few days ago:
http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/world/2008-04/29/content_6652418.htm
May 6, 2008 at 6:10 pm
My sources say Garrison met with Betty Chilton, owner of the Charleston Gazette after the Mojo-Garrison lovefest this afternoon. Her paper had called for Garrison to resign this mornin.Does he expect them to rescind the editorial?
May 6, 2008 at 6:12 pm
OK, I’ve tried to link to this German website, FinanzNachrichten, 3 times now but for some reason it’s not working, so if you Google “FinanzNachrichten Mylan” you will see a link to the bizjournal article about halfway down.
May 6, 2008 at 6:12 pm
The Guardian (UK):
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/feedarticle/7496397
May 6, 2008 at 6:14 pm
The Guardian United Kingdom Newspaper
http://www.guardian.co.uk/uslatest/story/0,,-7496397,00.html
May 6, 2008 at 6:19 pm
I think this is a European news source.
http://www.silobreaker.com/DocumentReader.aspx?Item=5_851339790
May 6, 2008 at 6:25 pm
I’ve been sending news articles (PPG) to my colleagues in Europe, Australia, California, New York and several other places. Don’t wait, send this info to everyone you know.
May 6, 2008 at 6:36 pm
This is the International Herald Tribune — read all over the world, carrying the AP story. Thirteen stories total.
http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2008/05/06/america/Governors-Daughter.php
May 6, 2008 at 6:39 pm
e-mail Dateline and suggest the story: dateline@nbcuni.com
May 6, 2008 at 6:46 pm
For those of you who want to contact BOG members, here are some email addresses in addition to those Karen provided in an earlier post. I don’t remember the date of Karen’s post. HK, is it possible for you to search and indicate to all the date and topic under which those addresses may be found?
Dr. Thomas Clark, tclark@citynet.net
Linda Dickirson, a636@aol.com
William O. Nutting, wnutting@ogdennews.com
Robert Wells, rwells@baileyglasser.com
Steve Kite, steve.kite@mail.wvu.edu (faculty member)
Paul Martinelli, prmartinelli@mail.wvu.edu (classified staff member)
Jason Parsons, jason.parsons@mail.wvu.edu (student member)
Stephen Goodwin, sgoodwin@goodwinware.com
I’ll keep searching for the ones not yet available. As some have indicated, emailing may not make a difference but at least they can be annoyed.
It will be interesting to learn if Steve Kite plans to vote on the BOG as the Faculty Senate did or will ignore the Senate vote.
May 6, 2008 at 6:53 pm
I found Karen’s earlier posts with email addresses for other BOG members. They are below.
Karen Says:
April 30, 2008 at 6:35 pm
Lou,
Hank Barnette’s email address:
hank.barnette@skadden.com
Karen Says:
April 30, 2008 at 6:44 pm
Another BOG member:
Ellen S. Cappellanti
ecappellanti@jacksonkelly.com
Karen Says:
April 30, 2008 at 6:53 pm
BOG member:
James W. Dailey II:
jdailey@whmcontractors.com
Karen Says:
April 30, 2008 at 7:04 pm
BOG member:
Stephen B. Farmer
sbfarmer@fcclaw.net
May 6, 2008 at 6:58 pm
“She tried to steal a university’s innocence…..tonight on To Catch An eMBA Predator with Stone Phillips.”
May 6, 2008 at 8:09 pm
Ventura County CA, It seems like a different country.
http://www.venturacountystar.com/news/2008/apr/29/dean-resigning-amid-degree-scandal/
Sorry, you will have to cut and paste.
May 6, 2008 at 8:13 pm
International Herald Tribune has three or four.
Here is one:
http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2008/05/06/america/Governors-Daughter.php
May 6, 2008 at 8:20 pm
http://www.manilastandardtoday.com/?page=news3_nov3_2007
Here is a military scandal where a professor tried to fake a degree. The penalty is not very nice.
May 6, 2008 at 8:36 pm
Thanks Lou. To make it even easier just cut and paste this list into your email message, place your fingers on the home keys and let your feelings be known to the WVU BOG:
sgoodwin@goodwinware.com
steve.kite@mail.wvu.edu
wnutting@ogdennews.com
tclark@citynet.net
a636@aol.com
rwells@baileyglasser.com
prmartinelli@mail.wvu.edu
hank.barnette@skadden.com
ecappellanti@jacksonkelly.com
jdailey@whmcontractors.com
sbfarmer@fcclaw.net
jason.parsons@mail.wvu.edu
May 6, 2008 at 9:02 pm
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/24473679/
May 6, 2008 at 9:34 pm
Here’s a report of another bogus MBA (but California higher ed didn’t cover for the exec like WVU higher ed did, so he’s totally busted)
http://www.thestreet.com/_yahoo/newsanalysis/dumbest/10414804.html?cm_ven=YAHOO&cm_cat=FREE&cm_ite=NA
May 7, 2008 at 12:38 am
EVERYONE NEEDS TO EXPOSE THIS SICKNESS . . . write to everyone/anyone
Example (copy and paste):
Dear ____
Please help West Virginia University by making President Mike Garrison your ______(ex. Worst Person in the World.) If you are not aware, our University has a real problem on its hands. . . . a University president, Mike Garrison, awarding an unearned masters of business degree to the governor’s daughter, Heather Bresch, . . . who works for the pharmaceutical giant, Mylan, Inc. . . .whose chairman, Milan Puskar is the University’s largest donor. Garrison also used to lobby for Mylan, Inc.
We also have a politically sick Board of Governors who will not recommend the resignation of the President despite his proven involvement in awarding the degree and a no confidence vote by a 80% majority of the faculty. Garrison refuses to resign. The Administration is getting away with murder. The president and his cronies are ignoring FOIA requests from the Pittsburgh Post Gazette for e-mail and phone records. Please help!
- (your name)
Reported worldwide:
Tampa Bay
http://www.baynews9.com/content/36/2008/4/28/343591.html
Boston
http://www.boston.com/news/education/higher/articles/2008/05/05/wvu_faculty_senate_calls_for_president_to_quit/
Toledo, Ohio http://www.toledoblade.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080429/OPINION02/804290313
Minneapolis: http://www.startribune.com/nation/18670984.html
Lexington, KY: http://www.kentucky.com/513/story/394333.html
Tacoma, WA: http://www.thenewstribune.com/tacoma/24hour/nation/story/351111.html
Silicon Valley
http://www.mercurynews.com/nationworld/ci_9166297
Cleveland,OH
http://www.cleveland.com/newsflash/index.ssf?/base/national-103/121009045527960.xml&storylist=national
Seattle, WA
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/national/1110ap_governors_daughter.html
The Economist
http://www.economist.com/business/displaystory.cfm?story_id=11081635
http://www.einnews.com/westvirginia/newsfeed-west-virginia-education
International Herald Tribune
http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2008/05/06/america/Governors-Daughter.php
Ventura County CA
http://www.venturacountystar.com/news/2008/apr/29/dean-resigning-amid-degree-scandal/
From the world of higher ed:
http://chronicle.com/daily/2008/05/2735n.htm
http://www.insidehighered.com/news/2008/05/06/westvirginia
The Guardian United Kingdom Newspaper
http://www.guardian.co.uk/uslatest/story/0,,-7496397,00.html
West Virgnia resources:
http://www.wvgazette.com/News/200805050637
http://hippiekiller.wordpress.com/
http://www.timeswv.com/westvirginia/local_story_119223946.html
May 7, 2008 at 8:40 am
Not a newspaper, but from the Wikipedia page describing WVU:
Allegation of academic fraud
On April 24, 2008, the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette revealed that the university had improperly granted an MBA degree to Heather Bresch, the daughter of the state’s governor Joe Manchin and an employee of Mylan, Inc., the university’s largest donor. Bresch was awarded a degree by having six grades changed from incomplete to “A”, on the basis of her “work experience”; until that change, she had completed only 22 of the required 48 credits. Following release of a report written by a panel led by faculty members from WVU, the university announced in April 2008 that it would rescind Bresch’s degree,[21] WVU Vice-President and Provost Dr. Gerald Lang announced his resignation[22] and shortly thereafter College of Business & Economics Dean Dr. Stephen Sears announced his resignation as well.[23] (Lang and Sears resigned from their administrative posts only and will remain on the faculty.) In May 2008 the faculty senate voted 77-19 to call for Garrison’s resignation.[24]
May 7, 2008 at 9:12 am
also on the Fox News crawl this week during prime time
May 7, 2008 at 9:44 am
Is it not rather bizarre that all the news that puts the pieces together comes from the Pittsburgh Post Gazette? Where is the outrage from the WV papers? Garrison and Manchin with their pictures on the front page of the Charleston Gazette address the people of the state with straight faces, no accountability for what were flat out lies, spinning their stories as though none of us can think for ourselves. Manchin’s statement that he expected the no confidence vote from”them” sounds as though “them” is a body of inconsequential nonentities. The Sunday article in the Pittsburgh Post Gazette on the subject told the story from beginning to present….it needs to be in the hands of all West Virginians.
May 7, 2008 at 11:16 am
http://sports.aol.com/fanhouse/2008/05/05/house-cleaning-at-west-virginia/
May 7, 2008 at 11:59 am
Here’s one answer, snoopdog. I pulled this quote a week or so ago.
From a Post-Gazette Reader response:
People in the Morgantown area are afraid of the Manchin family, the Mylan group, persons affiliated with Mylan, and those persons in power at West Virginia University. It will take a news organization outside of the area and free of these influences to get to the bottom of what is happening in the community. — John Gouliard, Fairmont, West Virginia
May 7, 2008 at 1:07 pm
Joe Campbell was on the board of governors..a banker from parkersburg.
he is good friends with Cam Huffman (Goodwins nephew) and Keith Burdette (cam’s buddy)….Cam and Keith worked in Governor Wise
office with Garrison. Campbell supported Garrison. More connecting
the dots……political underground
May 7, 2008 at 1:09 pm
Sorry about all the comments that went to the spam folder.
They should be here now.
May 7, 2008 at 1:21 pm
BOG member and Jackon Kelly attorney, Ellen Cappellanti, is best friends with Coal-Joe and Gayle. Ellen is also in charge of the fundraising campaign to continue the renovations that are destroying The Historical Preservation status for governor’s mansion by turning it into a tacky Fairmont version of the Sopranos.
May 7, 2008 at 1:32 pm
I believe it’s time to enlist a lawyer and contact the attorney general, begin the process of crimes against the people of this state.
May 7, 2008 at 1:33 pm
A leader is one who knows the way, goes the way, and shows the way.”—John Maxwell
May 7, 2008 at 3:51 pm
The AG option is very limited.
He has limited power, and there is no way he would divide his party in his current political situation.
May 7, 2008 at 4:33 pm
There are only two possibilities I can think of for shining light on this trashy behavior: 1) hope that the Gazette comes to its senses and puts one of their investigative reporters on it; 2) hope that there’s some reason the feds get involved (preferably in the northern district). Other than those two, I don’t think any institution in WV has the guts to go after such an entrenched machine.
May 7, 2008 at 6:00 pm
WSJ
http://online.wsj.com/public/article/0,,SB120908803557643829-e9sX_iPoXwhxQHFN_6iRDa6VUOc_20090425.html?mod=rss_Whos_News
May 7, 2008 at 7:34 pm
Anon - just read the article - we need to get in touch with Mr. Minkow, San Diego, and ask if he would investigate the goings on with WVU. Believe the feds would be interested in this, too.
May 7, 2008 at 7:39 pm
Interesting, Anonymous. I understand many places are checking credentials and even longtime employees are being fired for lying about degrees.
May 7, 2008 at 11:58 pm
Washington Post Story
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/05/07/AR2008050703512.html?hpid=moreheadlines
May 8, 2008 at 12:04 am
Note that today’s Post story ran on A2. Anyone who matters in Washington knows about this debacle now, if they didn’t before.
May 9, 2008 at 11:20 am
Hey, I started mapping these.
http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?hl=en&ie=UTF8&msa=0&msid=101595085659810640829.00044cb947cdd0ba0c268&ll=48.69096,-11.953125&spn=167.759382,360&z=1
May 9, 2008 at 11:38 am
So who is the collector of “empirical evidence”? We may need a WVU librarian for the enormous collection that is already available.
What an arrogant thing to say… no empirical evidence of damage to the institution.