Declares Aug. 25 The Date For Reopening Of UL, But Faculty And Staff Associations Say Disengagement Continues, Urging UL Personnel To Keep Offices Closed
PHOTO: (L-R) UL Pres. Dr. Maparyan and FLASHBACK ULFA ULSA July 17 General Assembly
For years, our university has suffered under a culture where “anything goes” and where “rules are treated as mere suggestions.” This lack of discipline has not made us free; it has made us weak- Dr. Layli Maparyan
The leadership of ULFA/ULSA is exploring all possible administrative and legal options to ensure that the decision of the General Assembly is achieved.. In view of the decision, all Faculty and Staff are reminded to remain disengaged from all faculty and staff activities…-ULFA/ULSA press statement
For weeks now, the state-owned University of Liberia (UL) has been hit by a strike action by both the Faculty and Staff, something that is continuing, UL Faculty And Staff Associations Declare “Vote Of No Confidence” In Dr. Maparyan & 2 Vice Presidents – News Public Trust
This is despite recent pronouncement by President Joseph Nyuma Boakai, expressing serious concern and calling for both the school’s administration and striking faculty and staff to dialogue and resolve the crisis. Latest Crisis At UL Claims Pres. Boakai’s Concern: Not Pleased With Slow Pace Of Renovation, Despite Gov’t “Significant Investment” – News Public Trust
SEE BELOW: 1. FULL TEXT OF UL PRES. DR. MAPARYAN’S AUGUST 10, 2026 STATEMENT AND 2. ULFA/ULSA AUGUST 10, 2026 PRESS STATEMENT:
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
UL Presidential Statement on a Way Forward
By: Layli Maparyan, Ph.D., UL President
August 10, 2026
To my esteemed colleagues of ULFASA and the entire University of Liberia family:
I write this not just as the President of UL, but as someone who deeply loves the University of Liberia, as you do. Let us begin with absolute honesty. For too long, the University of Liberia has struggled with systemic challenges. We have lived through a long period where things have been less than ideal, indeed, deplorable at times. I know you are tired. I know you are frustrated.
Your decision to withhold your labor is a visible symptom of decades of accumulated grievances. Let me say clearly to our faculty and staff: I hear you, I see you, and UL Administration hears you and sees you. You cannot teach effectively in classrooms with crumbling infrastructure. You cannot look after your families without absolute certainty that your social security contributions via NASSCORP are fully paid and secured. You cannot feel valued when persistent salary disparities mean two people doing the exact same job are compensated differently. These are not merely “concerns”—they are fundamental issues of dignity, equity, and institutional justice. You care about them, and I care about them.
Our Board of Trustees has heard you as well. They have given my administration a direct, urgent mandate to step up our pace and show visible, meaningful progress on many fronts immediately. We are moving from promises to concrete actions, in the shortest possible time.
Here are just a few of the things we are doing right now to address your grievances:
- On NASSCORP Social Security Payments: Through a series of working meetings, the UL Administration, NASSCORP, and the Ministry of Finance and Development Planning (MFDP) just yesterday came to a consensus about the amount owed to bring UL into full compliance regarding NASSCORP remittances. The Government of Liberia has generously agreed to pay this amount in full. Therefore, NASSCORP has agreed to begin enrolling all eligible UL retirees immediately and offer them their full legal pensions. This will ensure a dignified and just retirement for UL faculty and staff who have reached retirement age.
- On Salary Disparity Complaints: UL Administration accepts the data provided by ULSA with regard to salary disparities and has updated the ULSA study with newer data that confirms the same findings. The UL payroll has been analyzed to determine the specific amount needed to bring each employee in a given job category to the highest modal salary for that job category. Because salary changes are made with each annual budget, UL will put the new, improved salaries for each affected employee into the FY2027 budget proposal. To prevent salary disparities from occurring in the future, UL Administration is completing a role documentation exercise by August 31st that will enshrine the correct salary ranges for each type of position based on qualifications, educational degree, seniority, and performance criteria. ULSA and ULFA will have the opportunity to review and comment on this scheme before final implementation. Salaries for all new hires will conform to the established scheme. The UL Administration is committed to a transparent reconciliation process to ensure equal pay for equal work under the new framework.
- On Transportation for Faculty and Staff: Through a gift initiated by His Excellency President Joseph Nyuma Boakai, Sr. and approved by the National Legislature, the Government of Liberia is procuring new buses for students, faculty, and staff of the University of Liberia through the National Transportation Authority. NTA has confirmed to UL Administration that these new 62-seater buses have been ordered from India and are scheduled to arrive before the end of this year. During September, UL Administration will conduct a survey to assess demand for bus transportation among the three constituencies and gather location data from stakeholders to design optimal bus routes given the number of buses to be donated—information we are still awaiting. The proposed bus routes will be shared with ULFA, ULSA, and student leadership for review and comment before the final routes are decided.
- On the New HR Manual: The Board of Trustees endorsed the new HR Manual on July 15, 2026, with an effective date of August 1, 2026. To accommodate ongoing faculty and staff feedback, the Board highlights the manual’s transitional provisions, which mandate an annual internal review and a comprehensive triennial review. Furthermore, the Board has commissioned independent first-year reviews by an external HR expert and the Civil Service Agency to ensure alignment with best practices and Liberian law. The manual will be distributed electronically to all employees via UL email by the end of this week, with hard copies provided to division heads, ULFA, ULSA, and AFA-UL. To support implementation, the HR Office will host monthly training workshops from August through December 2026, transitioning to a semesterly schedule in 2027. These workshops, along with a new physical suggestion box outside the HR office, will serve as continuous channels for community feedback and review.
- On Urgent Campus Infrastructure: National government consultations have finalized a UL campus renovation and modernization plan. In FY2026, $2.2 million will fund a new 25-classroom building at the Fendall Campus. This facility will offer immediate swing space during large-scale renovations of the A/B Building, Science College, and Engineering College, while providing long-term capacity for UL’s most populous campus. The remaining $4.1 million will upgrade or overhaul facilities at Capitol Hill, Dogliotti, and Straz-Sinje, addressing many immediate infrastructure concerns raised by ULFA and ULSA and changing the face of UL to the public.
Colleagues, while we aggressively fix crucial institutional issues, we must also confront our most urgent reality: The Board of Trustees has issued a clear, non-negotiable directive: the University of Liberia will reopen its doors on August 25th, and all faculty and staff must return to work. This is a mandate from our governing body, but more importantly, it is a moral mandate from the nation.
Our doors must open because of the primary stakeholders of this institution—our students.
Every day our gates remain closed, a young Liberian’s future is put on hold. Every week of a work stoppage or go-slow action is a week stolen from the next generation of our country’s doctors, engineers, entrepreneurs, civil servants, and educators. Our students have done nothing wrong, yet they bear the heaviest cost of our internal disputes. They are waiting on us to fulfil our promise to them.
Let us be clear: Returning to work is not a surrender of your struggle for better conditions. It is a declaration that even in our disagreement, our commitment to the youth of Liberia remains unshakable. They will thank you for it. We must prove to our students, and to the families and benefactors who sacrifice to send them here, that we are capable of resolving our administrative and labor challenges without sacrificing their education.
We are going back to the classrooms to serve and support our students. But as we return, we are not returning to the same broken environment. We are returning to build an institution where fairness, reason, and justice reign and a stable and conducive learning environment enables us to do our jobs in peace and comfort—the very things you are fighting for.
When we open our doors in coming days, we are not just reopening campus buildings; we are inaugurating a completely new era for the University of Liberia.
Let us be completely honest with one another.
For years, our university has suffered under a culture where “anything goes” and where “rules are treated as mere suggestions.” This lack of discipline has not made us free; it has made us weak. It has allowed chaos to thrive, favoritism to dictate promotions, precious resources to be diverted, and the inconsistency of our academic calendar to undermine our academic standing. It is time to rebrand ourselves and live up to the nobility of our national flagship status.
Let us turn to our sacred writings for moral guidance and encouragement. As a deeply religious people—whether we draw our guidance from the Bible, the Holy Qur’an, or the Baha’i Writings—we know that this shift from chaos to order is not just a bureaucratic necessity. It is a profound spiritual and moral imperative.
The Christians among us know well the command of the Apostle Paul in 1 Corinthians 14:40: “But all things should be done decently and in order.” This is because, as scripture reminds us, the Divine is not an author of confusion but of peace. A university without order cannot fulfil its societal calling to enlighten minds.
Likewise, our Muslim colleagues understand the foundational Islamic concept of Muhasabah—daily self-evaluation. The Holy Qur’an warns in Surah An-Nahl 16:90: “Indeed, Allah commands justice, the doing of good… and He forbids all shameful deeds, and injustice and rebellion.” We must also remember the wise counsel of Caliph Umar, who said: “Hold yourselves accountable before you are held accountable.” If we want a just university, we must first submit to a system of mutual accountability.
And from the Baha’i Writings, we receive a profound redefinition of freedom. Bahá’u’lláh writes in the Kitáb-i-Aqdas: “True liberty consisteth in man’s submission unto My commandments.” He further commands in The Hidden Words: “Bring thyself to account each day ere thou art summoned to a reckoning.” The Baha’i teachings remind us that true liberty is found within the boundaries of just laws, while an “anything goes” attitude leads only to chaos unbecoming of human nobility and structural decay in our social institutions.
For those who prefer a strictly secular ethical approach, we need only to reflect on Liberia’s commitment to the principle of rule of law, and the national struggle to uphold it through the progression of national policy in response to national needs and aspirations. Leaders of all stripes have made valuable contributions in this regard.
Whether through the lens of faith or the lens of civic ethics, the conclusion is identical: we must move away from laxity and step into a well-ordered work and school environment characterized by accountability, transparency, and fairness.
My principles are simple: an unwavering commitment to the welfare of our students, an openness to dialogue with all stakeholders, and my determination to strengthen, not divide, the University community. While there are times that I must exert legitimate institutional authority, I must simultaneously create opportunities for all stakeholders to be heard, for misunderstandings to be clarified, for relationships to be repaired, and for practical solutions to be jointly developed. This is the roadmap that lies ahead.
Colleagues, this pivot to order is about something much greater than just the walls of the University of Liberia. It is about the soul and the future of our Republic.
The University of Liberia is the crucible of our nation. From our campuses come the leaders, the policymakers, the innovators, the educators, and the wealth creators who must carry Liberia forward. But we must ask ourselves an honest, painful question: How can we lift our nation out of poverty, fragility, and corruption if we allow our nation’s premier university to remain fractured, undisciplined, and chaotic? We cannot give to Liberia what we do not manifest ourselves.
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. We are modeling the Liberia we want to see. We are returning the nation’s flagship university to its world-renowned, world-embracing, world-class stature.
This is our turning point. The Board of Trustees has set our course, the UL Administration is moving aggressively to fix your legitimate grievances, and the students are waiting. I call upon the leadership of ULFA and ULSA, and every individual employee, to join together in service to our students. Let us end this work stoppage immediately, not in defeat, but in a shared victory of mutual commitment to our students and the nation. 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.
For the sake of our students, for the honor of our professions, and for the ultimate upliftment of the Republic of Liberia, let us begin this work, today.
May God bless the University of Liberia, and may He bless our nation. Thank you.
Signed,
Layli Maparyan, Ph.D.
President, University of Liberia
