By Stephen G. Fellajuah
MONROVIA, Liberia, August 11, 2026 – University of Liberia President Dr. Layli Maparyan is facing a firm directive from the institution’s Board of Trustees to reopen the University on August 25, despite an ongoing faculty and staff go-slow over salaries, benefits, working conditions and other longstanding grievances.
The Board has mandated the administration to demonstrate visible and meaningful progress in addressing concerns raised by employees ahead of the reopening.
In response, Dr. Maparyan said her administration is prioritizing five major areas: outstanding social security contributions, salary disparities, transportation, implementation of a new Human Resource Manual, and urgent improvements to campus infrastructure.
The go-slow by faculty and staff has been driven by longstanding concerns over compensation, social security obligations, transportation, human-resource policies, working conditions and deteriorating infrastructure.
According to a UL release, Dr. Maparyan acknowledged that the institution has struggled with systemic challenges for years, saying faculty members cannot effectively teach in deteriorating facilities or adequately provide for their families without certainty that their social security contributions are being paid.
She announced that the Government of Liberia has agreed to settle outstanding faculty and staff contributions to the National Social Security and Welfare Corporation (NASSCORP), which she said would enable eligible retirees to begin receiving their pensions.
On salary disparities, Dr. Maparyan said the administration has accepted data submitted by the University of Liberia Faculty Association (ULFA) and plans to incorporate corrected salary scales into the proposed 2027 national budget.
She said the administration is also conducting a role documentation exercise expected to be completed by August 31 to establish appropriate salary ranges based on qualifications, academic credentials, seniority and performance.
ULFA and the University of Liberia Staff Association (ULSA), she said, will be allowed to review and comment on the proposed framework before its final implementation.
Dr. Maparyan also pledged that salaries for new employees would conform to the established scheme, stressing that the administration is committed to a transparent reconciliation process aimed at ensuring equal pay for equal work.
On transportation, she disclosed that the Government is procuring new buses for students, faculty and staff through the National Transit Authority (NTA), following an initiative by President Joseph Nyuma Boakai Sr., Visitor of the University, that was subsequently approved by the Legislature.
According to her, the NTA has confirmed that new 62-seater buses have been ordered from India and are expected to arrive before the end of 2026.
The University will also conduct a transportation demand survey in September, with the findings to be shared with ULFA, ULSA and student leaders before routes are finalized.
Addressing concerns surrounding the University’s new Human Resource Manual, Dr. Maparyan said the document was endorsed by the Board of Trustees on July 15 and took effect on August 1, 2026.
She said the manual includes transitional provisions requiring annual internal reviews and a comprehensive review every three years.
The Board has also commissioned independent first-year reviews by an external human resources expert and the Civil Service Agency to determine whether the manual complies with professional standards and Liberian law.
Dr. Maparyan said electronic copies of the manual will be distributed to employees through their UL email accounts by the end of the week, while hard copies will be made available to relevant offices and employee associations.
The Human Resources Office will conduct monthly training workshops from August through December to support implementation before transitioning to a semester-based training schedule in 2027.
US$6.3M Campus Upgrade
On infrastructure, Dr. Maparyan said consultations with the Government have resulted in the finalization of a US$6.3 million campus renovation and modernization plan.
Of the amount, US$2.2 million will be used to construct a new 25-classroom building at the Fendall Campus. The facility is expected to provide temporary classroom space during renovations while adding permanent capacity to the University.
The remaining US$4.1 million will finance upgrades and major repairs at the Capitol Hill, A.M. Dogliotti and Straz-Sinje campuses.
Dr. Maparyan said the investments are intended to address immediate infrastructure concerns raised by faculty and staff and improve conditions across the University’s campuses.
With the measures announced, the UL President called on faculty and staff to return to work when the University reopens on August 25, describing compliance with the Board’s directive as both an institutional obligation and a national responsibility.
The reopening order, however, comes as the administration works to convince faculty and staff that sufficient progress is being made on the grievances that triggered the go-slow.
