Published: July 7, 2025
MONROVIA – Dr. Layli Maparyan, president of the University of Liberia (UL), has said one of the major reasons the university is struggling to meet its goals is overstaffing.
Dr. Maparyan made the disclosure over the weekend when she addressed a town hall event known as “University on the Air.”
The program, run by the Liberia Media for Democratic Initiatives (LMDI), provided the UL president an opportunity to engage in face-to-face dialogue with students and participants from various academic backgrounds, including other colleges in Monrovia.
Dr. Maparyan recounted her first 100 days in office and the steps she is taking to confront the challenges facing the university, noting that not just President Joseph Nyumah Boakai but the entire Liberian public is looking to her to deliver meaningful reform.
“Currently, 77 to 90 percent of UL’s budget goes toward paying salaries. Personnel costs take almost everything,” she said. “People are complaining that the buildings are in bad shape or that there aren’t enough chairs. They need to understand that nearly all the money goes to salaries.”
She disclosed that upon taking office, the university received US$33.4 million from the national government for 2025, though she had requested US$41 million to begin repositioning UL among top universities in the region and globally.
According to her, the university also suffered a setback after the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) ceased funding support to key programs such as public health and forestry education—leaving a significant gap her administration is now trying to fill.
While Dr. Maparyan did not specify the number of staff and faculty employed by UL, she said the bloated workforce reflects a larger national trend that continues to stall Liberia’s development.
She said high expectations will only be met with a realistic, efficient, and effective workforce—not one that prioritizes numbers over performance.
Academic Reform and Faculty Changes
Dr. Maparyan emphasized that, starting next semester, no individual with only a bachelor’s degree will be allowed to teach students pursuing bachelor’s degrees across any of UL’s four campuses.
This move, she said, means that several faculty members will be among the first to be affected by her administration’s effort to boost academic standards.
The American-trained scholar, who has more than 30 years of experience in higher education, said she has instructed her special assistant to collect detailed budgetary needs from each department head. These figures will be compiled into a unified budget to reflect UL’s actual financial requirements, with a particular focus on infrastructure improvements.
“The university’s current funding is too small. To manage it effectively, we need to know what our real needs are,” she said. “That’s why I introduced a participatory budgeting process. Department heads are submitting information to their deans, and everything will be passed to my office for review. We must get this right if we’re to plan properly for 2026.”
She also disclosed that the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) has committed US$50,000 to assist with UL’s strategic planning process.
Zero Tolerance for Academic Fraud
Reintroducing her five Es—Education, Excellence, Efficiency, Effectiveness and Ethics—Dr. Maparyan said there will be no tolerance for academic fraud at UL.
She referenced her decision to approve the findings of an investigation into D. Dorr Cooper, the former inspector general at the Ministry of Commerce, who allegedly tried to acquire a degree from UL through fraudulent means.
“When I received the report, I saw it as an opportunity to emphasize three of the five Es: education, excellence, and ethics,” she said. “Academic fraud undermines educational quality. You need academic integrity to achieve academic excellence. And without ethics, there’s no integrity.”
She added: “I was hired to elevate UL’s ranking among regional and global universities. I will not allow academic fraud to thrive. If you’re involved, you’d better stop.”
Using analogies, she stressed the danger of having unqualified individuals in critical professions.
“If someone without proper engineering training builds a bridge, it will collapse and people may die. If someone without proper medical training conducts surgery, the patient could die,” she said. “This is why those who teach our students must be properly trained.”
Dr. Maparyan said she has approved the formation of a standing committee to investigate all cases of academic fraud. An informal whistleblower platform has also been established for reporting suspected misconduct.
“If you have a complaint, bring it forward. We’ll refer it to the standing committee. I’m serious about academic integrity,” she said.
She also noted that timely salary payments for both full-time and part-time faculty are a top priority for her administration.
Regularizing the Academic Calendar
One of Dr. Maparyan’s key goals is to normalize the academic calendar, eliminating UL’s long-standing pattern of delayed and irregular semesters.
“I walked into a situation with protests and a disjointed academic year. One of my first priorities was restoring functionality. We’re now implementing a regular academic calendar with three semesters annually,” she said.
“We’ll also introduce vacation or summer classes to help students complete their degrees faster,” she said, adding that graduation will be held in December.
Fundraising and University Growth
Dr. Maparyan said she is preparing to launch a fundraising campaign to improve programs and infrastructure at the university.
“In many parts of the world, the number one job of a college president is fundraising. Every institution of higher learning needs multiple revenue streams,” she said. “Government support alone can’t change things. We must step up and engage donors, partners and organizations.”
Addressing Protests and Student Conduct
Dr. Maparyan said she is aware of UL’s protest culture, which is common among universities worldwide. However, she warned that all student actions must remain within the bounds of the student handbook.
She said her administration is distributing enough printed and electronic copies of the student handbook to ensure all students have access, along with student ID cards for each enrolled individual.
“Once that’s done, we will begin enforcing the handbook. If you violate its provisions, consequences will range from warnings to suspensions or expulsions, depending on the severity,” she warned.
She acknowledged that many of the students’ grievances—such as the lack of chairs, buses, and sufficient lecturers—are legitimate, but condemned violence and vandalism.
“Protests should be transformative,” she said. “How can you protest about a lack of chairs, but then destroy the few that are available? That’s completely unacceptable.”
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