University of Liberia (UL) President Dr. Layli Maparyan has announced a comprehensive “way forward” for Liberia’s premier public university, calling on faculty and staff to return to work on August 25 while outlining measures aimed at resolving long-standing grievances over social security, salary disparities, human-resource policies, transportation and campus infrastructure.
In a four-page presidential statement issued Monday, August 10, Dr. Maparyan acknowledged the depth of frustration among faculty and staff and said the administration had heard their concerns, but argued that resolving institutional problems cannot come at the expense of students whose education has already been disrupted.
The statement comes amid a period of labor and administrative tensions at the University, with UL faculty and staff raising concerns over working conditions, compensation, social-security payments and other institutional matters.
Dr. Maparyan’s intervention seeks to combine immediate measures to address staff grievances with broader institutional reforms designed to restore discipline, accountability and stability at the University.
“I hear you, I see you, and UL Administration hears you and sees you,” Maparyan told faculty and staff, acknowledging concerns over deteriorating infrastructure, uncertainty surrounding NASSCORP contributions and disparities in compensation for employees performing similar work.
She said the University’s Board of Trustees has given her administration an “urgent mandate” to move from promises to concrete action and demonstrate meaningful progress on the issues confronting faculty and staff.
NASSCORP Payments Take Center Stage
One of the most significant commitments outlined by the UL President concerns NASSCORP social-security payments for retired faculty and staff.
According to Maparyan, the University Administration, NASSCORP and the Ministry of Finance and Development Planning (MFDP) reached a consensus on the amount owed to bring the University into full compliance with its obligations.
She said the Government of Liberia has agreed to pay the amount in full.
As part of the agreement, NASSCORP will begin enrolling eligible University of Liberia retirees and provide them with their full legal pensions.
The President described the arrangement as an important step toward ensuring a more dignified retirement for faculty and staff who have reached retirement age.
The issue is particularly significant because uncertainty over social-security contributions has been among the longstanding grievances cited by University employees.
Salary Disparities to Be Addressed in FY2027 Budget
Maparyan also addressed complaints over salary disparities among University employees performing similar jobs.
She said the administration has accepted data provided by the University of Liberia Staff Association (ULSA) concerning salary disparities and has updated the association’s study with additional data that confirms its findings.
According to the President, the University payroll has been analyzed to determine the amount required to bring employees in each job category to the highest modal salary for that category.
Because salary adjustments must be incorporated into the annual budget process, Maparyan said the University will include the proposed improved salaries for affected employees in its FY2027 budget proposal.
She also announced a broader effort to prevent disparities from recurring.
The administration is undertaking a role-documentation exercise, scheduled for completion by August 31, to establish appropriate salary ranges for different positions based on qualifications, educational degrees, seniority and performance criteria.
ULFA and ULSA will subsequently have an opportunity to review and comment on the proposed framework before its final implementation, according to the statement.
Maparyan said all new hires will be required to conform to the established salary scheme and that the administration is committed to a transparent reconciliation process based on the principle of equal pay for equal work.
New HR Manual Already in Effect
Another major component of the administration’s reform agenda is the University’s new Human Resources Manual.
Maparyan said the UL Board of Trustees endorsed the manual on July 15, 2026, with an effective date of August 1, 2026.
The manual contains transitional provisions requiring annual internal reviews and a comprehensive review every three years.
The Board has also commissioned independent first-year reviews by an external HR expert and the Civil Service Agency to assess alignment with best practices and Liberian law.
According to the statement, copies of the manual will be distributed electronically to all University employees, while hard copies will be provided to division heads, ULFA, ULSA and the Association of Faculty Administrators of the University of Liberia (AFA-UL).
The HR Office will also conduct monthly training workshops from August through December 2026, with the institution transitioning to a semesterly schedule in 2027.
A new physical suggestion box outside the HR Office will additionally provide a continuing channel for employees to submit feedback and recommendations.
New 62-Seat Buses Coming From India
Transportation for students, faculty and staff is another area addressed in the President’s statement.
Maparyan said the Government of Liberia, through the National Transit Authority (NTA), is procuring new buses for the University following a gift initiative by President Joseph Nyuma Boakai, Sr., approved by the National Legislature.
According to the statement, the NTA has confirmed to the University Administration that the 62-seat buses have been ordered from India and are expected to arrive before the end of 2026.
The University plans to conduct a transportation-demand survey in September to determine the needs of the University’s three constituencies and obtain location data from stakeholders.
The information will be used to design bus routes based on the number of buses ultimately donated.
Proposed routes will be submitted to ULFA, ULSA and student leaders for review and comment before final decisions are made.
US$6.3 Million Campus Renovation Plan
Infrastructure is another major element of the administration’s proposed turnaround.
Maparyan disclosed that consultations between the national government and the University have produced a campus renovation and modernization plan.
Under the plan, US$2.2 million has been allocated in FY2026 for construction of a new 25-classroom building at the Fendall Campus.
The new structure is expected to provide immediate swing space while major renovations are undertaken at the A/B Building, Science College and Engineering College.
The remaining US$4.1 million will be used to upgrade or overhaul facilities at Capitol Hill, Dworlioti and Straz-Sinje, according to the presidential statement.
Maparyan said the investments are intended to address immediate infrastructure concerns raised by faculty and staff while modernizing the University’s physical environment.
The infrastructure commitment adds to a series of recent efforts by UL to strengthen its academic capacity and institutional offerings. The University has, for example, launched a bachelor’s degree program in psychology and recently announced doctoral-level opportunities in education.
“Returning to Work Is Not a Surrender”
Despite the reforms outlined in the statement, Maparyan made clear that she does not consider the call for faculty and staff to resume work an abandonment of their demands.
“Returning to work is not a surrender of your struggle for better conditions,” she said.
Instead, she described the return as a demonstration that the University community remains committed to its students while continuing to pursue solutions to its administrative and labor problems.
“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.”
The President said the University will reopen its doors in the coming weeks but insisted that it should not simply return to the conditions that produced the current crisis.
“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.”
She said the goal is to create a University where fairness, reason and justice prevail and where students, faculty and staff can work in a stable and conducive environment.
Maparyan Calls for “New Era” at Liberia’s Flagship University
The UL President framed the current moment as an opportunity for institutional transformation rather than merely a settlement of a labor dispute.
“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.”
She acknowledged that the institution has suffered from what she described as a culture in which “anything goes” and rules are treated as suggestions.
According to Maparyan, weak discipline, favoritism in promotions, diversion of institutional resources and inconsistencies in the academic calendar have weakened the University’s standing.
She argued that the institution must now “rebrand” itself and live up to its status as Liberia’s national flagship university.
Maparyan Calls for “New Era” at Liberia’s Flagship University
The UL President framed the current moment as an opportunity for institutional transformation rather than merely a settlement of a labor dispute.
“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.”
She acknowledged that the institution has suffered from what she described as a culture in which “anything goes” and rules are treated as suggestions.
According to Maparyan, weak discipline, favoritism in promotions, diversion of institutional resources and inconsistencies in the academic calendar have weakened the University’s standing.
She argued that the institution must now “rebrand” itself and live up to its status as Liberia’s national flagship university.
