If they had it to do all over again WVU Provost Gerald Lang and College of Business and Economics Dean Stephen Sears say they would take Heather Bresch's word and grant her an executive MBA degree.

"Whatever decision would be made--to grant the degree or not to grant the degree--is a judgement call, in my opinion," said Sears.

Both Sears and Lang say the entire situation hinged on a meeting in 1998 between Bresch and then-executive MBA director Paul Speaker.

"It came down to a meeting in which Ms. Bresch and Mr. Speaker agreed happened," said Sears. "And it just depends upon how you interpret the outcome of those conversations."

The meeting in question involved a conversation about credit for work experience. Bresch says Speaker granted her credit for ten hours of coursework for work she completed as an executive at Mylan Pharmaceuticals. Speaker says he did not grant her the credit. Dean Sears says they believed Bresch because, "she had a witness." A fellow Mylan employee, who also completed the eMBA program was in the meeting with Speaker and corroborated Bresch's story.

Provost Gerald Lang denied that Bresch's political connections had anything to do with granting the degree, "There was none in my mind that it had any impact on how that decision was made."

In the report it claims Lang put pressure on others to grant Bresch the degree to make the problem go away and help out a valued alum. Bresch is the daughter of Gov. Joe Manchin and Mylan Pharmaceuticals co-founder Mike Puskar is a huge benefactor to the university.

"Clearly there was no pressure placed on anyone to make any decision," said Lang. "It's my opinion that the report has no additional information was found. We erred on the side of the student. There was information that was incomplete and we decided to err on the side of the student as part of the university's student-centeredness."

However, both Sears and Lang agreed that they would accept the investigative panel's findings, stopping short of disagreeing with the findings.

"We will institute corrective changes to prevent a reoccurrence of this problem, and in some instances have already begun these initiatives."

They are:

--WVU is in the process of intervieewing applicants for a records assistant dedicated to oversight of graduate student academic files.

--Put in place a process that provides written documentation for changing incomplete grades to final grades; a document that requires signature by the instructor, the student and the dean's office.

--Strengthening the processes that certify all degress before graduation ceremonies

--Put in place a written process for granting independent studies and circumstances which will lead to experiential credit; a document that again requires signatures by the instructor, the student and the dean's office.

--A formal procedures manual that ensures that all guidlines are followed now and int he future.

--The College will immediately review the findings and recommendations and put any additional corrective actions in place.