Heather Bresch M.B.A. controversy

The Heather Bresch E.M.B.A. controversy refers to a controversy regarding the granting of an Executive MBA by West Virginia University to Mylan Chief operating officer Heather Bresch. An independent panel concluded that Bresch did not complete the graduation requirements. West Virginia University's president, provost and business school dean resigned as a result of the investigation, and the university's general counsel and the president's communications officer relinquished those roles.
Initial Questions
On October 2, 2007 Heather Bresch, the daughter of then-governor (and subsequently United States Senator) Joe Manchin of West Virginia, was promoted to chief operating officer at Mylan, a Cecil Township, Pennsylvania-based generic drug maker.
On October 11, 2007 the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette contacted West Virginia University to confirm academic credentials claimed by Bresch, including an EMBA degree. WVU Vice-President and Provost Dr. Gerald Lang announced his resignation and shortly thereafter College of Business & Economics Dean Dr. Stephen Sears announced his resignation as well.
The report's panel found that high-ranking university administrators "cherry-picked" information and that grades were "simply pulled from thin air" to grant Bresch the degree nearly 10 years after she was supposed to graduate. The panel concluded administrators lacked documentation to prove Bresch's claims, relied too heavily on verbal assertions and caved to political pressure. The report did not find that the university president directly interfered, but it concluded the presence of his chief of staff in the decision-making meeting created "palpable" pressure.
Aftermath and repercussions
On May 1, 2008, the Pittsburgh Post Gazette, which first reported on the controversy, published an editorial calling for the President Michael Garrison's resignation. On the same day, WVU's student newspaper, The Daily Athenaeum held a student forum where some students called for President Michael Garrison's resignation. President Garrison did not attend, and was represented by a member of the executive communications staff.
Resignations and calls for resignations
Chairman of the West Virginia University's Health Sciences Center neurosurgery department organized a faculty letter in support. Some faculty members felt pressured to sign the letter, which had 23 signatures.
Many WVU alumni expressed concern and anger regarding the controversy and fear damage to the university's reputation. Prominent Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania attorney and WVU alum Peter J. Kalis called for removal of Steven Goodwin, chairman of WVU's board of directors, as well as Garrison.
Garrison subsequently resigned and was replaced by interim President C. Peter Magrath. Magrath served for a year before James P. Clements was named to be the next president.
In addition, the university's general counsel stepped down as general counsel but remained vice president of legal affairs. The president's communications officer was reassigned to another job in the university.

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