MONROVIA – In a sweeping and resolute action to reclaim academic integrity at the University of Liberia, Dr. Layli Maparyan, President of the nation’s flagship institution of higher learning, has dismissed eight employees following the release of a damning investigative report into widespread academic fraud. The decision comes after a four-month inquiry by a Special Committee to Investigate Academic Fraud, which uncovered coordinated acts of academic misconduct involving staff across several departments.
The committee’s findings, delivered to President Maparyan on Tuesday, April 9, confirm serious breaches of academic standards, including the now widely discussed “Dorr Cooper Incident.” The investigation revealed that staff members from the Department of Public Administration (PADM), the Office of Enrollment Services (OES), and the Office of Information Technology (OIT) conspired in fraudulent activities that violated the core values of the university.
President Maparyan did not mince words in his response, branding academic fraud as “the antithesis of academic integrity and the enemy of academic excellence.” He emphasized that the university’s educational mission must be protected at all costs and pledged to lead an uncompromising effort to restore the institution’s credibility.
In addition to the eight terminations, one employee has been suspended until the end of the year, while two others were cleared due to lack of conclusive evidence and will return to work. But the president made clear that this is just the beginning of a broader reform effort.
Among the immediate measures being implemented is the conversion of the Special Committee into a permanent body, the Committee to Investigate Academic Fraud (CIAF). A UL Whistle-blower Platform (ULWP) will also be launched to enable anonymous reporting of misconduct. Additionally, the Office of Enrollment Services will undergo a complete overhaul, and both student and employee policies concerning academic fraud will be strengthened, accompanied by targeted awareness programs.
President Maparyan’s declaration of a zero-tolerance policy sends a strong message that impunity will no longer be tolerated at the University of Liberia. “From this day forward,” he said, “academic integrity is ground zero for academic excellence.”
This bold stance has been welcomed by many within Liberia’s academic and civil society spaces, where concerns about corruption in education have long persisted. The latest move is seen as a pivotal step in transforming the University of Liberia into an institution that prioritizes merit, transparency, and accountability.
