June 12, 2023 | Capitol Hill Campus | 14 00 GMT

Prof. Dr. Moses M. Zinnah, Vice President for Academic Affairs

University of Liberia Cabinet

Faculty and Staff

General Student Body

Members of the Fourth Estate
Our online viewers and those following via radio

Distinguished Ladies and Gentlemen

Greetings of Shalom and Peace!
A fortnight ago we concluded the exercises marking the 103rd Commencement Convocation of the “Hala-keh-meni” Class of 2022, which saw the departure of more than 1,700 students from these walls of ours who graduated into the labor market and larger society. During those ceremonies, we witnessed great scholarship from graduates who mounted the podium, and we were also enlightened by an ALL FEMALE lineup of convocation speakers who graced the occasion. We are grateful to our partners in Government, from the RUFORUM and other institutions of higher learning for sharing the time with us.

As the Class of 2022 was enjoying its moment in the limelight, more than 20,000 of our current students were lurking for updates on the reopening of the University of Liberia while successful candidates from the 2022 entrance exam cycle, who are in excess of 8,000, were finalizing their digital admission process in preparation for Academic Year 2022/2023.

Having completed Academic Year 2021/2022 in May 20023 and processed our wonderful graduates, through “God’s Doing,” the focus is on the formal commencement of Academic Year 2022/2023 and all the related processes that will ensure a smooth and timely conduct of the First Semester before the General and Presidential Elections in October 2023.

Cognizant of the fact that faculty and students must have time to exercise their civic rights during the electoral process in October 2023, the University of Liberia is pleased to release the following schedule for the First Semester of AY 2022/23:

• Registration will begin June 19^th and end on July 8^th
• Classes will commence on Monday, June 26, 2023
• Mid-term Exams will run from August 7^th to 12
• Lectures will end on September 9^th
• Final Exams will be conducted from September 11^th to 23

At the moment, the electronic applications of more than 8,000 candidates are being processed by the Office of Enrolment Services (OES) and those successfully vetted will start receiving Admission Letters via email today, Monday, June 12, 2023, and this exercise will continue until Friday, June 30, 2023.

On Tuesday, June 6, 2023, the Center for Testing and Evaluation, through UL Relations, released the schedule for the First Entrance & Placement Exam and Aptitude Test for the 2023 cycle. The exam and Aptitude test will run from mid-July (for Undergraduate) to early August (Graduate and Professional Schools). Registration for this year’s entrance, which began on Thursday, June 8, 2023, is being conducted completely online.

Members of the press, viewers online and our dear listeners on radio, as higher education becomes more affordable through a deliberate TUITION FREE policy of the Government of Liberia, championed by The Visitor to the University of Liberia and President of the Republic of Liberia, H.E. Dr. George Manneh Weah, the management team at this university is doing its best to ensure that it is accessible and affordable without compromising quality. Thanks again for supporting the digitization plan of the University of Liberia which has enabled the processing and management of over 22,000 students (and counting) without chaos.

In my message on the final day of our convocation exercises a fortnight ago, I reiterated our commitment to maintaining an ideal staff-faculty-student ratio for which we have more than 100 members of staff and faculty in training in the region, on the continent and elsewhere in Europe, America, and Asia.

Ladies and gentlemen, viewers, and listeners, one of the reasons for the prolongation of the last Academic Year was the renovation on our campuses which had to be done before the start of the Second Semester of Academic Year 2021/2022.

The first phase of the renovation focused on the Capitol Hill Campus, mainly affecting the roads that run through campus, some of our iconic buildings such Tubman Hall and the Firestone Quadrangle (FQ Building).

Additionally, the first phase tried, and to a larger extent, succeeded in addressing the wash and sanitation challenge on our Capitol Hill Campus with the installation of a borehole water system to deliver water into our bathrooms and elsewhere in some of our buildings. Many of the restrooms were also renovated during this phase.

The renovation is not over yet. The second phase will focus on our Fendall Campus, and then it will be extended to the other campuses. We have already engaged the Ministry of Finance and Development Planning for the funding to commence the second phase.

Ladies and gentlemen, let me take this time to assure you and members of the public, especially our huge alumni community here and in the diaspora, that the Administration of this great institution is very committed to ensure that protecting the image of the University of Liberia exists among our highest priority.

A student’s academic sojourn, from admission to graduation, is guided and governed by policies and procedures enshrined in a number of instruments including the Revised Student Handbook.

NOTE I SAY, “Revised” because, we just revised the Student Handbook in the last three years to conform to changes that have occurred in our society at large.

Students, as an important constituent of the University family, have rights that must be respected at every stage of the teaching and learning experience, in the same way we protect the rights of faculty, staff and the administration.

Therefore, our task, as the Custodians/Managers/Administrators of this institution, is to follow the rules as fairly as possible, without fear and favor, whenever there’s an issue that calls into question the integrity and image of our institution.

Thank you