The Chancellor for Higher Education in West Virginia tells MetroNews the decision of West Virginia University President Mike Garrison to step down brings to an end a difficult time.

"The past six weeks have been a very difficult time for all of higher education, a time in which, rather than focusing on the true issues facing West Virginia, we focused on individuals," Brian Noland said.  "I hope that through his actions today, we can, in time, begin to return to the true great things that we're doing across the system."

Noland was in attendance at Friday's Board of Governors meeting when Garrison made his announcement.

"It was a very difficult decision.  You could hear it in his voice.  You could see it in his face.  President Garrison is a person who has poured his heart into the University."

A member of West Virginia University's Faculty Senate says she believes Garrison is sincere.  "I felt that Mr. Garrison handled it with dignity, that his announcement was really touching.  I took it to heart," says WVU Professor Judith Sedgeman.

"It came deep from within him, what he said, and I was moved to tears by it.  I thought it was a beautiful ending to a, sort of, temporary nightmare," Sedgeman says.  She is on the Faculty Senate Executive Committee which organized the faculty wide meeting earlier this year where more than 500 faculty members called for Garrison's resignation.

"I feel like the community, the University community, will come together now in a transparent and collegial way to move forward into the future."

In a statement, Marshall University President Stephen Kopp said the following: