The University of Liberia (UL) has announced it will reopen its doors on August 25, 2026, despite a tense standoff with the University of Liberia Faculty Association (ULFA), whose members have staged a go-slow protest over long-standing grievances.
UL President Dr. Layli Maparyan delivered a fiery address, promising sweeping reforms while declaring that the institution’s reopening is not negotiable. “Every day our gates remain closed, a young Liberian’s future is put on hold,” she warned. “Our students have done nothing wrong, yet they bear the heaviest cost of our internal disputes.”
Dr. Maparyan acknowledged the faculty’s frustrations, describing their protest as “a visible symptom of decades of accumulated grievances.” She cited crumbling infrastructure, unpaid social security contributions, and persistent salary disparities as fundamental issues of dignity and justice.
In response, she outlined a series of urgent measures: Social Security Payments: The government has agreed to settle UL’s arrears with NASSCORP, enabling retirees to receive their full pensions immediately, salary Disparities: Payroll adjustments will be included in the FY2027 budget, ensuring equal pay for equal work. A new salary framework will prevent future inequities, transportation: New 62-seater buses, donated by the government, are expected to arrive from India before year’s end to ease commuting challenges for students and staff, human resource manual.
A modernized manual, effective August 1, 2026, introduces accountability measures, external reviews, and regular workshops to strengthen governance, and campus Infrastructure: A $6.3 million renovation plan will deliver a new 25-classroom building at Fendall and overhaul facilities across Capitol Hill, Dogliotti, and Straz-Sinje campuses.
Despite these concessions, Dr. Maparyan emphasized that the Board of Trustees has issued a non-negotiable directive: UL must reopen on August 25. “This is not just an administrative order,” she declared. “It is a moral mandate from the nation.”
She urged faculty to return to classrooms, framing the move not as surrender but as a commitment to Liberia’s youth. “Returning to work is not a defeat,” she said. “It is a declaration that our dedication to students remains unshakable.”
In a dramatic appeal, Dr. Maparyan invoked both religious scripture and civic ethics to call for discipline and accountability. Quoting the Bible, Qur’an, and Baha’i writings, she argued that UL must abandon its “anything goes” culture and embrace order.
“Our university has suffered under a culture where rules are treated as mere suggestions,” she said. “This lack of discipline has not made us free; it has made us weak.”
She insisted that the reforms underway are not just bureaucratic fixes but a spiritual and moral imperative to restore UL’s stature as Liberia’s flagship institution.
Dr. Maparyan concluded with a sweeping vision: UL as the crucible of Liberia’s future. “From our campuses come the leaders, policymakers, innovators, and educators who must carry Liberia forward,” she declared. “We cannot give to Liberia what we do not manifest ourselves.”
She called on ULFA, ULSA, and all employees to end the work stoppage immediately, framing the reopening as a turning point for the nation.
“This is our shared victory,” she said. “We are not just reopening classrooms; we are inaugurating a new era of order, discipline, and professional excellence. For the sake of our students, for the honor of our professions, and for the upliftment of Liberia, let us begin this work today.”
