Michael Garrison (politician)

Michael Garrison is an American lawyer and university president, serving as the 22nd president of West Virginia University before resigning amid a scandal.

Michael Garrison
Alma materWest Virginia University
West Virginia University College of Law
For the electronic musician, see Michael Garrison (musician).

Early life

Garrison is a graduate of the West Virginia University class of 1992 and earned a J.D. at West Virginia University College of Law in 1996. He attended St. Anne's College at Oxford University on a Rotary Scholarship from 1992-1993.[1][2]

Law career

Garrison had been managing member of Spilman Thomas & Battle pllc in Morgantown, West Virginia. In 2003, Garrison was awarded a Toll Fellowship from the Council of State Governments [3] following his tenure as Chief of Staff to West Virginia Governor Bob Wise from 2001-2003.[4] He served as Cabinet Secretary in the West Virginia Department of Tax and Revenue until 2001.[5]

In 2009, Garrison returned to his former law firm, Spilman Thomas & Battle,[6] Garrison's more recent work includes representing natural gas company Northeast Energy in its $42 million suit against the City of Morgantown, West Virginia.[7] 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 [8] and even nationally.[9]

Time at West Virginia University

He lectured as an adjunct professor in West Virginia University's department of political science in the years preceding his appointment as president.[10] In 2007, Garrison was selected as West Virginia University's twenty-second president.[11]

Garrison's selection as president was controversial with some on the university's faculty; the faculty senate voted no confidence in him in April 2007.[12] 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.[13][14]

M.B.A. controversy and resignation
Main article: West Virginia University M.B.A. controversy

In 2008 Garrison became involved in a controversy involving the granting of an Master of Business Administration degree to Heather Bresch, who had failed to complete the required credits. Bresch is the daughter of then West Virginia Governor and current U.S. Senator Joe Manchin.

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."[15] In May 2008 the faculty senate voted 77-19 to call for Garrison's resignation[16] - a demand repeated by a vote (565-39, with 11 abstentions) open to all WVU faculty at a mass meeting a week later.[17] In August 2012, West Virginia University officially closed its investigation, reaching no conclusion but foreseeing "unreasonable delays in investigating complaints of misconduct" raised questions about violations of due process rights.[18]

On June 6, 2008, Garrison officially announced he would resign as President of the University effective September 1, 2008.[19] He was succeeded by C. Peter Magrath on August 1, 2008.[20]

In October 2008 a West Virginia grand jury decided not to indict Garrison on criminal charges relating to the degree scandal.[21] Some news accounts alleged a friendly relationship between Garrison and the Governor, but the official WVU investigation ended before reaching the same conclusion.[18]

References
  1. "Top Attorneys Providing Full Service Law in WV, PA, VA, NC".
  2. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on February 10, 2011. Retrieved February 8, 2011.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  3. "Home". csg.org.
  4. "Garrison changing positions: ; Tax secretary is now Wise's chief of staff - The Charleston Gazette (Charleston, WV) | HighBeam Research". June 10, 2014. Archived from the original on June 10, 2014. Retrieved June 13, 2023.
  5. WVU President's page
  6. "Home". spilmanlaw.com.
  7. Ry Rivard ""Gas drillers want $42 million from Morgantown"," Charleston Daily Mail, 7 July 2011, accessed 2011-07-12
  8. 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
  9. Associated Press, "Company sues W.Va town over drilling ban", Bloomberg Businessweek, archived from the original on July 2, 2012, retrieved August 26, 2016; Vicki Smith, Associated Press, "Gas industry cranks up PR push on W.Va. drilling", Bloomberg Businessweek, archived from the original on March 4, 2016, retrieved August 26, 2016; Lawrence Messina, Associated Press (July 13, 2011), "Acting W.Va. gov orders emergency Marcellus rules", Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, retrieved August 25, 2016
  10. "WVU Committee Narrows Presidential Field to Three", State Journal, 22 March 2007, accessed 2008-04-26
  11. "WVUToday Archive".
  12. Ian Urbina, "University Investigates Whether Governor’s Daughter Earned Degree", New York Times, 22 January 2008, accessed 2008-04-26
  13. West Virginia U. Ignores Controversy and Picks Garrison as New President, Chronicle of Higher Education, 13 April 2007, accessed 2008-05-06
  14. Jonathan D. Silver and Eleanor Chute, "Controversy roils search for new WVU president", Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, 1 April 2007, accessed 2008-04-26
  15. 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
  16. Len Boselovic and Patricia Sabatini, "WVU faculty wants president's ouster", Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, 6 May 2008, accessed 2008-05-06
  17. Len Boselovic and Patricia Sabatini, "WVU faculty: President Garrison must go", Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, 14 May 2008, accessed 2008-05-14
  18. WVU closes book on fraudulent awarding of MBA Post Gazette
  19. Associated Press, "", Yahoo! News, 06 June 2008, accessed 2008-06-06
  20. WVU Administration Archived 2013-12-15 at the Wayback Machine
  21. Len Boselovic and Patricia Sabatini, "Degree Scandal Not a Crime"Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, 18 October 2008
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