{"id":27685,"date":"2026-08-10T10:25:11","date_gmt":"2026-08-10T10:25:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ul.edu.lr\/new\/?p=27685"},"modified":"2026-08-10T10:25:25","modified_gmt":"2026-08-10T10:25:25","slug":"ul-president-pledges-action-to-end-faculty-staff-crisis","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ul.edu.lr\/new\/ul-president-pledges-action-to-end-faculty-staff-crisis\/","title":{"rendered":"UL President Pledges Action to End Faculty, Staff Crisis"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Monrovia, Liberia (August 10, 2026) \u2013 <\/strong>University of Liberia President Dr. Layli Maparyan on Monday outlined a series of measures aimed at resolving a faculty and staff go-slow, pledging immediate and aggressive action to address their key demands, including salaries, social security payments, transportation, and infrastructure development.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

At the same time, President Maparyan announced that the Board of Trustees of the University has issued a clear, non-negotiable directive that the University of Liberia will reopen its doors on August 25, and all faculty and staff must return to work.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThis is a mandate from our governing body, but more importantly, it is a moral mandate from the nation,\u201d she declared.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Under the urgent mandate by the Board of Trustees to show visible, meaningful progress, President Maparyan said her administration will address five key areas: faculty and staff\u2019s social security payments, salary disparity complaints, transportation for students, faculty, and Staff, a new human resource manual, and an urgent campus infrastructure development.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Dr. Maparyan acknowledged that for too long, the University of Liberia has struggled with systemic challenges, adding that faculty cannot teach effectively in crumbling infrastructure, nor look after their families without absolute certainty that their social security contributions are fully paid and secure via the National Social Security and Welfare Corporation (NASSCORP).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYou cannot feel valued when persistent salary disparities mean two people doing the exact same job are compensated differently. These are not merely “concerns”\u2014 they are fundamental issues of dignity, equity, and institutional justice. You care about them, and I care about them,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

She announced that the government has agreed to pay outstanding faculty and staff contributions to the National Social Security and Welfare Corporation (NASSCORP), allowing retirees to begin receiving pensions. \u201cThis will ensure a dignified and just retirement for UL faculty and staff who have reached retirement age,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Further, she said the administration has accepted University of Liberia Faculty Association (ULFASA) data on salary disparities and pledged to include corrected pay scales in the 2027 budget.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cTo 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,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

While these actions are taken, President Maparyan said ULSA and the University of Liberia Faculty Association (ULFA) will have the opportunity to review and comment on this scheme before final implementation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Regarding salaries for all new hires, she said they will conform to the established scheme, expressing the UL Administration\u2019s commitment to a transparent reconciliation process to ensure equal pay for equal work under the new framework.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In addressing the transportation complaints at the university, Dr. Maparyan said the Government of Liberia is procuring new buses for students, faculty, and staff through the National Transit Authority (NTA), crediting it to a gift initiated by the Visitor of the University and President of Liberia, Joseph Nyuma Boakai, Sr., and approved by the Legislature.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Dr. Maparyan revealed that the 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, she said UL Administration will conduct a survey to assess demand for bus transportation among the three constituencies and gather location data, which will be shared with ULFA, ULSA, and student leadership for review and comment before the final routes are decided.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To accommodate ongoing faculty and staff feedback on the new Human Resource Manual, which was endorsed by the Board of Trustees on July 15 with an effective date of August 1, 2026, Dr. Maparyan said the Board highlights the manual’s transitional provisions, which mandate an annual internal review and a comprehensive triennial review.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

She added that 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, saying the \u201cmanual will be distributed electronically to all employees via UL email by the end of this week.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Beyond that, she said hard copies will be 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. \u201cThese workshops, along with a new physical suggestion box outside the HR office, will serve as continuous channels for community feedback and review.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Finally, Dr. Maparyan said government consultations have finalized a UL campus renovation and modernization plan. In fiscal year 2026, Dr. Maparyan disclosed that $2.2 million will fund a new 25-classroom building at the Fendall Campus, which will offer immediate swing space during large-scale renovations of the administrative Building, Science College, and Engineering College, while providing long-term capacity for UL’s most populous campus.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

According to her, 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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In the wake of these plans, Dr. Maparyan called on all faculty and staff to return to work as the university reopens its doors on August 25.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThis is a mandate from our governing body, but more importantly, it is a moral mandate from the nation,\u201d she said, adding that returning to work is not a surrender of their struggle for better conditions, but a declaration that even in disagreement, their commitment to the youth of Liberia remains unshakable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In addition to issuing the statement, Dr. Maparyan appeared on widely listened-to local broadcaster OK FM on Monday and addressed the university community and stakeholders on all issues.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Monrovia, Liberia (August 10, 2026) \u2013 University of Liberia President Dr. Layli Maparyan on Monday outlined a series of measures aimed at resolving a faculty and staff go-slow, pledging immediate and aggressive action to address their key demands, including salaries, social security payments, transportation, and infrastructure development. At the same time, President Maparyan announced that…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":25368,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_angie_page":false,"_editorskit_title_hidden":false,"_editorskit_reading_time":0,"_editorskit_is_block_options_detached":false,"_editorskit_block_options_position":"{}","_thinkrank_schema_form_data":"","_thinkrank_selected_schema_type":"","_thinkrank_additional_schemas":"","_thinkrank_canonical_url":"","_thinkrank_og_title":"","_thinkrank_og_description":"","_thinkrank_og_image":"","_thinkrank_twitter_title":"","_thinkrank_twitter_description":"","_thinkrank_twitter_image":"","_thinkrank_imported_from":"","_thinkrank_focus_keywords":[],"_thinkrank_focus_keyword":"","_thinkrank_robots_meta_enabled":0,"_thinkrank_robots_meta":"","_thinkrank_advanced_robots_meta":"","_thinkrank_primary_category":0,"page_builder":"","iawp_total_views":171,"footnotes":""},"categories":[3,124,9],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-27685","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news","category-president","category-president-news"],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t