MORGANTOWN W.Va.

Faculty and students are choosing sides and bracing for a battle as West Virginia University educators move closer to a no-confidence vote on President Mike Garrison, whose administration has been tarnished by a master's degree scandal involving the governor's daughter.

But even if the vote passes the Faculty Senate on Monday, it's unclear whether it will be anything more than symbolic. Garrison has repeatedly said he won't resign, and he has powerful backers in his corner, including Gov. Joe Manchin and WVU Board of Governors members he appointed.

And last year, a similar no-confidence vote from the 114-member Faculty Senate and its endorsement of another finalist were not enough to stop Garrison from landing the job in the first place.

"It was clear that that meant nothing," biochemistry professor Mike Miller said Friday. "Most of the faculty I've talked with feel that if there is a vote of no confidence, and it's not clear there will be, it will probably not really be effective."

However, he said he's spoken to about two dozen faculty, and they are united in their desire to make a statement.

"I've not talked with anyone who feels that anything other than a resignation would be appropriate," Miller said. "There's not an easy way out. But a lot of us feel there's a right way out."

The university community has been divided since an independent panel concluded April 23 that administrators and educators gave Mylan Inc. executive Heather Bresch an executive master's of business administration degree she didn't earn.

Provost Gerald Lang and business school Dean R. Stephen Sears have resigned their administrative posts to return to teaching, at least one donor has threatened to withhold gifts to the university and Garrison's staunchest critics are demanding he leave.

But while the critics have been vocal, they represent only a tiny portion of the 1,925 faculty and the more than 28,000 students. Garrison told The Associated Press this week he has received positive phone calls from faculty, staff, students and alumni.