Published: May 18, 2008 12:33 am            

Some refuse to shake Garrison’s hand; one says he ‘shows character’ by attending

MORGANTOWN — Several West Virginia University students and faculty members found a new way to show their disdain for the university president, who has repeatedly refused to resign his post in the wake of a degree scandal involving the governor’s daughter.

They refused to shake Mike Garrison’s hand during an honors convocation at the WVU Coliseum on Friday evening.

Lauren Dembeck had the words “I earned this degree: Garrison must resign” printed on top of her gold mortar board as she crossed the stage.

“I told him, ‘I can’t shake your hand,”’ Dembeck said after the ceremony. “He congratulated me anyway.”

Faculty have assembled twice in the last two weeks to call for Garrison to resign over the awarding of an executive master’s of business administration degree to Heather Bresch, daughter of Gov. Joe Manchin. The administration decided last fall to retroactively grant a degree that investigators later concluded she did not earn.

Garrison has repeatedly stated that he plans to stay on the job.

Another graduate, Chad Wilcox, said his decision not to shake Garrison’s hand was “symbolic of me no longer recognizing him as a presidential authority.

“I think after repeatedly turning his back to the faculty, it was a student’s turn to turn his back to the man,” Wilcox said.

A few faculty members honored at the ceremony also refused to take Garrison’s hand, instead shaking the hands of colleagues flanking him.

Garrison decided against speaking at any of this weekend’s commencement events, stating that he did not want to be a distraction and that graduation is about the students, not him.

Graduate Josh Austin said he respected the fact that Garrison attended Friday’s ceremony.

“It shows character that he was at this event,” he said.

        

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