West Virginia ? West Virginia University President Mike Garrison said Friday he will resign in September to end the controversy surrounding the improper awarding of a master’s degree to the governor’s daughter.

“After careful reflection, I have determined I am the one person who is uniquely situated to stop this dialogue with my decision,” Garrison told the school’s Board of Governors in Charleston, W. Va. “It is the most difficult decision I have ever faced. But it is a clear decision with a clear outcome.”

The 39-year-old Garrison’s nine-month administration has been dogged from the start by the degree scandal and the sudden departure of former football coach Rich Rodriguez that triggered a $4 million lawsuit by WVU over a buyout clause in his contract.

Last week, after meeting privately with Garrison and key staff, the Board of Governors declared Garrison had done nothing wrong in the matter of Mylan Inc. executive Heather Bresch.