By Stephanie M. Duncan
President of the University of Liberia (UL), Dr. Layli Maparyan, has ordered that the institution be reopened for normal academic activities on August 25, 2026 as the “non-negotiable date,” while announcing a sweeping overhaul of the university’s administrative, financial, human resource and infrastructure systems.
She made announcement amid weeks of work stoppage by faculty and staff over longstanding grievances, with the UL administration acknowledging that many of the concerns confronting the institution have accumulated over several decades.
In a presidential statement issued Monday, August 10, Dr. Maparyan described conditions at the university as “less than ideal, indeed, deplorable at times,” while recognizing the frustrations that have fueled the current labor action.
She said the ongoing dispute reflects “decades of accumulated grievances,” assuring faculty and staff that their concerns have been heard.
“I hear you, I see you, and UL Administration hears you and sees you,” Dr. Maparyan said.
As part of the proposed reforms, Dr. Maparyan disclosed that the Government of Liberia has agreed to fully settle the University of Liberia’s outstanding social security obligations to the National Social Security and Welfare Corporation (NASSCORP).
She said an agreement was reached among UL, NASSCORP and the Ministry of Finance to clear the arrears, a move that will allow NASSCORP to immediately enroll eligible university retirees and provide them with their legally mandated pensions.
“This will ensure a dignified and just retirement for UL faculty and staff,” she said.
The UL president also announced plans to address salary disparities among university employees. She said the administration has validated salary disparity data submitted by the University of Liberia Faculty Association (ULFA) and updated the information with additional findings.
According to her, corrected salary scales will be incorporated into the Fiscal Year 2027 national budget, while a role-documentation exercise is expected to be completed by August 31.
Dr. Maparyan said the process is intended to establish greater transparency and fairness within the university’s compensation system.
“The UL Administration is committed to a transparent reconciliation process to ensure equal pay for equal work,” she emphasized.
The administration is also moving to improve transportation services for students, faculty and staff, with new 62-seater buses already ordered from India through the National Transportation Authority.
Dr. Maparyan said the buses were made possible through a gift initiated by President Joseph Nyuma Boakai.
She added that the university will conduct a transportation demand survey in September to determine appropriate routes and ensure the buses respond to the needs of the university community.
In the area of human resources, the UL Board of Trustees has endorsed a new Human Resources Manual, which took effect August 1.
The manual will undergo internal and external reviews to ensure that it complies with best practices and Liberian law, while monthly human resources workshops are expected to continue through December.
The university is also preparing for a major infrastructure modernization program estimated at $6.3 million.
The project will include the construction of a new 25-classroom building at the Fendall campus and major upgrades at the Capitol Hill, A.M. Dogliotti and Straz-Sinje campuses.
Despite the reforms announced, Dr. Maparyan stressed that the university’s reopening on August 25 remains mandatory, with all faculty and staff expected to return to work.
She said the reopening is necessary to protect the academic future of students who have been affected by the prolonged disruption.
“Every day our gates remain closed, a young Liberian’s future is put on hold,” she said.
The UL president urged faculty and staff to return to work, arguing that doing so should not be viewed as abandoning their grievances but as putting the interests of students first.
“Returning to work is not a surrender but a commitment to Liberia’s youth,” she said, stressing that students “have done nothing wrong, yet they bear the heaviest cost of our internal disputes.”
Dr. Maparyan further called for a change in the culture of the University of Liberia, emphasizing discipline, accountability and professionalism.
She criticized what she described as a longstanding environment where “anything goes,” arguing that the university must establish stronger standards of conduct and mutual responsibility.
Drawing on Christian, Islamic, Baha’i and secular ethical principles, she said discipline and order are essential to the university’s mission.
“A university without order cannot fulfil its societal calling to enlighten minds,” she said.
Dr. Maparyan described the reforms as a critical turning point for Liberia’s flagship public university, arguing that UL must demonstrate the discipline and integrity necessary to contribute to national development.
“We cannot give to Liberia what we do not manifest ourselves,” she said.
She called on ULFA, the University of Liberia Students Alliance (ULSA), faculty, staff and other members of the university community to end the work stoppage and return to their duties.
Dr. Maparyan urged all sides to view the August 25 reopening not as a defeat for either party, but as an opportunity to begin a new chapter at the University of Liberia.
“Let us end this work stoppage not in defeat, but in a shared victory,” she said.
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