That sharp tremor Monday was the earth shifting under the feet of West Virginia University President Mike Garrison. The faculty senate, by a margin of 4-1, called for his removal over the M.B.A. transcript concocted by university officials for Heather Bresch, Mr. Garrison's friend and former business associate.

In an affront to academic integrity, common sense and the good of his institution, WVU's president has dug in his heels and pretended that this debacle doesn't involve him.

Yet an investigative panel put Mr. Garrison's office at the heart of the deception to invent credits that would support a master of business administration degree for Ms. Bresch, the daughter of West Virginia Gov. Joe Manchin and an executive at Mylan Inc. The group, whose scathing report called the decision to award the degree "seriously flawed," said officials falsified her transcript by adding courses she did not take and entering grades "simply pulled from thin air."

It's no surprise that Provost Gerald Lang and business school Dean R. Stephen Sears resigned their administrative posts last week. What's remarkable is that Mr. Garrison would rather see his university, his alma mater, suffer the indignity of academic derision than step down himself. Yet his attempts to keep a distance from the scandal just won't wash.

The investigators said his office "reacted immediately" after Ms. Bresch called him and chief of staff Craig Walker about the case. Ms. Bresch and Mr. Garrison's chief of staff traded nine phone calls over the several days last October between the Post-Gazette's questions about her degree and the meeting where administrators decided to give her an M.B.A.

Mr. Garrison's chief of staff was there with Provost Lang, Dean Sears and others at the Oct. 15 meeting when the decision was made to award the degree, even though official records showed Ms. Bresch had completed only 26 of the 48 credits. The panel's report said "the prevailing sentiment" at the meeting "was that a way should be found to justify the granting of the degree, if at all possible." The report also said that "the actual or perceived pressure to go along with this decision, not to 'rock the boat,' was palpable."

No wonder WVU's faculty senate was outraged and humiliated. "The prerogative of the faculty was subverted by fraud," said Sophia Blaydes, who represents retired faculty. "I consider this a serious academic crime."

Harry Gingold, a professor of mathematics, wants the state attorney general to launch a criminal investigation. Physiology professor Paul Brown is urging whistle blowers to reveal any illegal actions by the Garrison administration.

The senate's 77-19 vote demanding Mr. Garrison's removal makes it clear that the faculty has no confidence in the president. Evidence is mounting publicly that alumni and donors have no confidence in the university.

The people of West Virginia, who fund this institution, deserve better. The only remaining act that will purge the stain of the Bresch case is the departure of Mike Garrison. If he can't find the door, the board of governors must show him.