MONROVIA – University of Liberia (UL) President Prof. Dr. Layli Maparyan on Thursday, September 4, 2025, told members of the Senate Committee on Education that the institution requires urgent financial intervention to address crumbling infrastructure and ongoing faculty demands that have forced a strike, halting academic activities across all campuses.
Appearing before the committee, Dr. Maparyan disclosed that the university needs US$3.9 million for general renovations and an additional US$300,000 to repair bathroom facilities. She explained that although UL requested US$41 million in the 2025 national budget, only US$33 million was approved, and 90 percent of that amount has already been earmarked for salaries, leaving little room to address other critical needs.
The UL president emphasized that immediate measures must be taken to reopen classrooms by Monday, September 8. She outlined three urgent priorities: the payment of back pay for adjunct professors and overload teaching compensation, renovation of bathroom facilities across campuses, and the provision of medical insurance coverage for faculty members. According to her, at least US$500,000 is required to meet these immediate demands.
Dr. Maparyan also informed lawmakers that the administration is taking steps to reduce costs by retiring individuals who have reached the legal age limit of 60, although she acknowledged that many in academia continue teaching beyond that age. She further vowed to remove ghost names from the university’s payroll as part of efficiency measures.
Her appearance before the Senate was in direct response to a go-slow action declared by the University of Liberia Faculty Association (ULFA). On Friday, August 29, 2025, ULFA voted unanimously to disengage from all academic activities following an emergency general assembly held on the Capitol Hill campus.
ULFA’s decision, according to its leadership, was driven by a series of unresolved concerns, including poor sanitary conditions, delays in faculty promotions, salary disparities, lack of contributions to social security, difficulties faced by colleagues on study leave, and the urgent need for renovations at UL campuses. The association further complained that overload and vacation school salaries have not been paid despite repeated appeals.
“Due to these unresolved outstanding issues, the faculty voted unanimously at today’s emergency general assembly to stay away from all academic activities until a negotiated Collective Bargaining Agreement addressing all ULFA issues is signed by the University of Liberia Administration, the Government of Liberia, and ULFA,” the association said in a statement issued on the day of the strike action.
The strike comes at a critical time for UL, which serves as Liberia’s flagship public university and hosts tens of thousands of students across its Fendall, Capitol Hill, and other campuses. Students are now left uncertain about the future of the semester as both faculty and administration remain at odds.
This latest impasse echoes a long history of labor disputes between ULFA and the administration, often centered on similar issues of compensation, working conditions, and inadequate government support. Previous strikes in 2014, 2018, and 2022 disrupted semesters, highlighting chronic financial difficulties at the university.
In addition to ULFA’s grievances, the Vanguard Student Unification Party (SUP), one of the most vocal student political groups on campus, has joined the fray by demanding the immediate resignation of Dr. Maparyan. On Monday, September 2, 2025, SUP issued a statement accusing her of failed leadership and outlining eleven reasons for its call.
Among the issues cited by SUP were the failure to resolve the long-standing Add and Drop registration challenges, lack of student transportation on the Fendall campus, the treatment of vacation school as equivalent to a full semester, and the alleged unlawful dismissal of staff. The group also criticized what it described as inequities in pay, with secretaries reportedly earning more than professors, and blasted the appointment of Lester Tenny to fiscal affairs, labeling him “corrupt and arrogant.”
SUP also took aim at Dr. Maparyan’s compensation, alleging that she receives US$15,063.09 monthly plus benefits while failing to raise significant funding for the university. The party further accused her of collaborating with what it termed an illegitimate Board of Trustees and of attempting to mask institutional failures by projecting a positive image of UL on social media. “Her leadership has been a disaster and a disappointment to students, faculty, staff, and the Liberian people,” the party declared.
Dr. Maparyan, however, has rejected calls for her resignation, dismissing speculation that she might step down. “I have no intention to resign,” she told lawmakers, stressing her commitment to transforming UL into a top academic institution in Liberia and the region. She insisted that despite the challenges, her administration is pursuing reforms that will stabilize the university in the long term.
Like this:
Like Loading…
