West Virginia U. Donors Pull Out After Governor’s Daughter Gets Undeserved Degree

West Virginia University and its new president are embroiled in controversy after the governor’s daughter was awarded a master’s degree she did not earn — and some donors are pulling their support from the university, reports the Associated Press.

An investigative panel last week reported that the institution demonstrated “seriously flawed” judgment last fall in giving an executive master’s degree in business administration to Heather Bresch, the daughter of West Virginia’s governor, Joe Manchin, who took classes in 1998 but did not earn enough credits for the degree.

Mike Garrison, the university’s president, says he did not make the decision to award the degree and will not step down, though many students, professors, and politicians have called for his resignation.

The McGee Foundation has decided not to give $1-million in cash or an additional $1-million worth of art. The wire service reports that smaller donors have said they may do the same.

Ms. Bresch is also chief operating officer of generic drug maker Mylan, which helped raise money for the executive MBA program, and the company’s chairman has made several significant donations, including $20-million in 2003.