University President Dr. Layli Maparyan appeals to striking employees to resume teaching, while Faculty and Staff Association President Alahaji S. M. Dukuly II highlights unresolved welfare, salary, retirement, and employment concerns.
MONROVIA – The prolonged suspension of academic activities at the University of Liberia (UL) has come under renewed legislative scrutiny, as the university administration and its Faculty and Staff Association presented competing concerns before the Liberian Senate.
By Sampson W. Weah – sampsonwweah7@gmail.com
Appearing before senators, UL President Dr. Layli Maparyan acknowledged the growing dissatisfaction caused by the absence of classes, saying the disruption has raised concerns among students, government officials, and the wider public.
She noted that students are becoming increasingly anxious about when normal academic activities will resume, particularly amid questions surrounding the continued payment of employees while classrooms remain inactive.
Maparyan also referred to a recent petition submitted by students to the Legislature, demanding the reopening of the university. She said the action reflected the frustration of students who remain uncertain about the future of their academic program.
Despite the concerns, the university president maintained that her administration recognizes the welfare issues confronting faculty and staff and has been working to keep the institution operational.
She said efforts are also being made to maintain educational continuity while renovation and rehabilitation work continues across the university’s campuses.
Maparyan appealed to striking employees to consider the progress made by the administration and return to their duties, particularly to resume teaching activities.
She expressed hope that faculty and staff would respond positively in the interest of students and the institution, adding that the administration had taken several steps to address the challenges.
However, the President of the University of Liberia Faculty and Staff Association, Assistant Professor Alahaji S. M. Dukuly II, used the same Senate engagement to outline a range of unresolved employment and welfare issues that he said have contributed to dissatisfaction among university employees.
Dukuly thanked the Senate for allowing the association to present its concerns and commended President Joseph Nyuma Boakai for supporting renovation and rehabilitation projects at the university.
He reminded lawmakers that the University of Liberia has played a central role in producing generations of professionals who serve across the country’s public and private sectors.
However, he argued that the institution’s ability to maintain academic standards depends heavily on the welfare, professional development, and working conditions of the people responsible for delivering education.
According to Dukuly, unresolved issues involving retirement benefits, compensation, outstanding financial commitments, staff promotions, workplace conditions, and human resource management have continued to affect employees.
He clarified that the association’s decision to approach the Legislature was not intended to confront the university administration but to seek parliamentary attention and possible intervention in matters that have remained unresolved.
Among the issues presented was the management of retirement contributions under the National Social Security and Welfare Corporation (NASCORP).
Dukuly said faculty and staff have made their required contributions over the years, but some employees nearing retirement remain uncertain about the management and accessibility of their accumulated benefits.
The association also revisited salary adjustments discussed in 2021, when consultations were reportedly held on the university campus, followed by government intervention and an understanding that additional funding would be provided in 2022 to improve faculty compensation.
Dukuly told senators that the expected adjustments have not been fully implemented.
He further raised concerns about salary disparities among employees, arguing that previous discussions with the university administration to address the differences have not produced the anticipated results.
Another concern involves staff members who pursued advanced studies abroad, returned with higher academic qualifications, and subsequently assumed new professional responsibilities but have yet to receive corresponding adjustments to their employment classifications and salaries.
According to the association president, some employees continue to earn salaries based on their former positions despite acquiring additional qualifications and taking on higher responsibilities.
The association also drew attention to the impact of ongoing campus rehabilitation on the availability of classrooms and other facilities needed for effective teaching and learning.
The Senate hearing has brought the university’s internal labour dispute into sharper focus, with the administration pressing for a resumption of classes while employees insist that outstanding welfare and employment concerns require concrete solutions.
With students already affected by the interruption of academic activities, lawmakers are now facing pressure to help bridge the differences between the university’s leadership and its workforce.
The central challenge remains finding a resolution that addresses employees’ longstanding grievances while restoring academic activities at Liberia’s premier public university.
