NATIONAL NEWS
MONROVIA – University of Liberia President Layli Maparyan, Ph.D., has called on faculty and staff to immediately end their work stoppage and return to their duties, announcing that the university will reopen on August 25, 2026, following a series of measures aimed at addressing longstanding grievances over salaries, social security payments, transportation, human resources policies, and deteriorating campus infrastructure.
By: Trokon Wrepue – trokon1992seokin@gmail.com
In a major statement issued Monday, August 10, President Maparyan acknowledged that faculty and staff concerns are rooted in what she described as decades of accumulated institutional problems at Liberia’s national flagship university.
She said the administration recognizes the frustration of employees who have worked under difficult conditions, including inadequate infrastructure, salary disparities, uncertainty over National Social Security and Welfare Corporation (NASSCORP) contributions, and other workplace challenges.
“Your decision to withhold your labor is a visible symptom of decades of accumulated grievances,” Maparyan said, assuring faculty and staff that both the administration and the University community’s concerns are being heard.
The UL president said the university’s Board of Trustees has issued her administration an urgent mandate to accelerate reforms and demonstrate “visible, meaningful progress” on the issues raised by faculty and staff.
Government agrees to settle UL’s NASSCORP obligations
One of the most significant developments announced by the UL administration concerns outstanding social security payments owed to NASSCORP.
According to Maparyan, the University of Liberia, NASSCORP, and the Ministry of Finance and Development Planning reached an agreement during working meetings on Sunday regarding the amount required to bring the university into full compliance with its NASSCORP obligations.
She said the Government of Liberia has agreed to pay the outstanding amount in full.
As a result, NASSCORP has agreed to begin immediately enrolling eligible University of Liberia retirees and providing them with their full legal pension benefits.
Maparyan described the development as an important step toward ensuring a dignified retirement for faculty and staff who have reached retirement age.
UL to address salary disparities
The university is also moving to address complaints over unequal salaries among employees performing similar duties.
Maparyan said the administration has accepted data provided by the University of Liberia Staff Association concerning salary disparities and has updated the study with more recent payroll information.
She said the payroll has now been analyzed to determine the funding required to bring employees in the same job category to the highest modal salary for that category.
However, because salary adjustments must be incorporated into the annual national budget, the administration plans to include the proposed increases for affected employees in the FY2027 budget proposal.
The administration is also undertaking a role documentation exercise expected to be completed by August 31, 2026.
The exercise will establish appropriate salary ranges for positions based on qualifications, educational attainment, seniority, and performance.
Faculty and staff representative groups, including ULFA and ULSA, will be given an opportunity to review and comment on the proposed framework before it is implemented.
Maparyan said the system will also apply to new employees, with future hires expected to be compensated according to established salary structures.
She said the administration is committed to a transparent reconciliation process aimed at ensuring equal pay for equal work.
New buses expected before year-end
Maparyan announced that the Government of Liberia is procuring new buses for University of Liberia students, faculty, and staff through the National Transportation Authority.
She said the initiative was made possible through a gift initiated by President Joseph Nyuma Boakai and approved by the National Legislature.
According to the UL president, the NTA has confirmed that the new 62-seater buses have been ordered from India and are expected to arrive in Liberia before the end of 2026.
The university plans to conduct a transportation survey in September to determine the demand for bus services among students, faculty, and staff, while also collecting location data to help design appropriate routes.
Maparyan said proposed routes will subsequently be presented to ULFA, ULSA, and student leadership for review and input before final decisions are made.
New HR Manual takes effect
The University of Liberia has also moved forward with a new Human Resources Manual.
Maparyan said the Board of Trustees endorsed the new manual on July 15, 2026, with an effective date of August 1, 2026.
She said the manual contains transitional provisions requiring annual internal reviews and comprehensive reviews every three years.
The Board has also commissioned independent reviews during the manual’s first year by an external human resources expert and the Civil Service Agency to determine whether the policies are consistent with best practices and Liberian law.
According to Maparyan, the manual will be distributed electronically to employees through their UL email accounts by the end of this week, while hard copies will be provided to division heads, ULFA, ULSA, and AFA-UL.
The university’s Human Resources Office will also conduct monthly training workshops from August through December 2026 before transitioning to a semester-based training schedule in 2027.
A physical suggestion box will also be installed outside the HR Office to provide another avenue for employees to submit concerns and recommendations.
$6.3 million earmarked for campus rehabilitation
On the issue of deteriorating infrastructure, Maparyan announced a broader campus renovation and modernization plan developed through consultations with the national government.
Under the FY2026 allocation, 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 major renovations of the A/B Building, Science College, and Engineering College.
It will also provide additional long-term capacity at Fendall, which Maparyan described as the university’s most populous campus.
Another US$4.1 million will be used to upgrade or overhaul facilities at the Capitol Hill, Dogliotti, and Straz-Sinje campuses.
The administration says the investment will address several immediate infrastructure concerns raised by faculty and staff organizations and significantly improve the physical appearance and functionality of the university.
Board orders reopening on August 25
Despite the measures announced to address employee grievances, Maparyan made clear that the Board of Trustees has issued a firm directive for the University of Liberia to resume operations.
She said the university will reopen its doors on August 25, with all faculty and staff expected to return to work.
Maparyan described the directive not only as an instruction from the university’s governing authority but also as a responsibility to the Liberian public.
She said students must remain at the center of the university’s decision-making, warning that continued closure places the academic future of thousands of young Liberians at risk.
“Every day our gates remain closed, a young Liberian’s future is put on hold,” she said.
The UL president argued that students should not bear the consequences of disputes between university employees and administrators because they have done nothing wrong.
She urged faculty and staff to return to work while continuing to pursue legitimate demands through dialogue and institutional processes.
President calls for a new culture of discipline and accountability
Beyond addressing immediate labor grievances, Maparyan used the statement to call for a fundamental change in the culture and administration of the University of Liberia.
She criticized what she described as a longstanding institutional culture in which “anything goes” and rules are treated as suggestions.
According to the UL president, such an environment has contributed to disorder, favoritism in promotions, possible diversion of institutional resources, and disruptions to the academic calendar.
She said the university must now embrace a culture based on discipline, accountability, transparency, fairness, and professional excellence.
Maparyan invoked Christian, Islamic, Baha’i, and secular civic principles to emphasize the importance of order and accountability.
She referenced the Bible, the Qur’an, Islamic teachings on Muhasabah, the writings of Bahá’u’lláh, and Liberia’s commitment to the rule of law as different foundations supporting the same principle: that institutions cannot function effectively without accountability and adherence to rules.
Administration seeks cooperation from ULFA and ULSA
While asserting the authority of the university administration and Board of Trustees, Maparyan said her approach would also emphasize dialogue and consultation.
She said her principles include protecting student welfare, maintaining an open dialogue with stakeholders, and strengthening rather than dividing the University of Liberia community.
The president acknowledged that there will be moments when the administration must exercise legitimate institutional authority but said employees and other stakeholders must continue to have opportunities to raise concerns, clarify misunderstandings, repair relationships, and participate in developing practical solutions.
She called on the leadership of the University of Liberia Faculty Association and the University of Liberia Staff Association, as well as individual employees, to work with the administration to resolve the current impasse.
“A turning point” for the University of Liberia
Maparyan characterized the current moment as a potential turning point for Liberia’s national university.
She said the university’s challenges extend beyond its campuses because UL plays a central role in producing Liberia’s future doctors, engineers, educators, entrepreneurs, civil servants, policymakers, and other professionals.
She argued that the university must model the values of the Liberia it seeks to help build.
“When we relaunch the HR Manual, when we secure your NASSCORP payments, when we address salary disparities, when we fix the classrooms, and when we demand demonstrated dedication, excellence, and accountability from every instructor, administrator, staff member, and student, we are not just running a school,” Maparyan said.
She said these reforms are intended to restore the University of Liberia to what she described as its “world-renowned, world-embracing, world-class stature.”
The UL president ended her statement with a renewed appeal for faculty and staff to end the work stoppage and return to the classroom.
She said the return should not be viewed as a surrender by employees, but rather as a collective commitment to students and the future of Liberia.
The administration, she said, is expected to continue addressing the outstanding grievances while the university prepares to reopen on August 25.
“Let us return to our classrooms in a few weeks—not to the old way of doing things, but to a new era of order, discipline, and professional excellence,” Maparyan said.
She called on all stakeholders to begin the process immediately, saying the future of the University of Liberia—and, by extension, the Republic of Liberia—depends on the institution’s ability to overcome its internal challenges and provide a stable, accountable, and effective learning environment.
