There was no immediate word on what Garrison would do until his resignation takes effect Sept. 1, or when the Board of Governors would start looking for a successor.
“I will always stand with this university. I will stand in whatever way I can serve,” Garrison said. “And I ask that Mountaineers everywhere stand together, now more than ever, to move West Virginia University forward.”
Gov. Joe Manchin said he understood how difficult it was for Garrison to resign and he should be commended.
“Today’s actions were obviously taken with great care, and it is my sincere hope that all who truly love WVU will appreciate the president’s and the board’s efforts and will work with them in the coming months to continue to move the university forward,” Manchin said in a statement.
English professor Lisa Weihman was among the dozen faculty members at the meeting.
“I don’t think anyone is celebrating this,” she said. “It’s a very sad occasion.”
Weihman said Garrison’s departure should be a first step toward changing how the university is governed. She urged the board to make the presidential search “inclusive and transparent.”
The announcement overshadowed what Garrison saw was his greatest achievement: The largest pay raise for faculty and staff in recent memory. Garrison made pay increases a priority last year as he lobbied to become president.
Under the $26.4 million plan, faculty salaries would increase an average of 7.3 percent, or $4,590. The board did not take immediate action on the proposal, which Garrison said was crucial to recruit new faculty from across the country.
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