Published: September 5, 2025
MONROVIA — University of Liberia President Dr. Layli Maparyan says the institution urgently needs $500,000 to resume normal academic activities on Sept. 8, warning that without the funds, the ongoing faculty strike will prolong and threaten the semester for thousands of students.
Maparyan disclosed the figure Thursday during a public hearing before the Senate Committee on Education and Public Administration. She said the money is required to cover immediate obligations, including payments to part-time lecturers, arrears for vacation classes, and repairs to deteriorating campus facilities.
“We need more to pay our adjunct faculty,” she told senators. “$500,000 can cover all this, including payments for vacation school and getting our bathrooms started.”
The disclosure came as the University of Liberia Faculty Association (ULFA) continued its disengagement from all academic duties, insisting the government and the university administration sign a long-delayed collective bargaining agreement that addresses salary disparities, promotions, and basic working conditions.
Faculty Strike Deepens
ULFA announced on Sept. 1 that it would halt all academic activities until the agreement is signed by the government, the administration, and the association. The move followed an emergency general assembly on the Capitol Hill campus, where members voted unanimously to withdraw their services.
ULFA President Dr. Edna Johnny said years of broken promises had forced faculty to act.
“During a meeting with [UL President] Dr. Layli Maparyan, I asked her about the longstanding promotion of faculty members despite the upgrading of their credentials and other professional advancement; she acknowledged the delay and promised to have gotten back to me, which she did not do until our assembly today,” Johnny told members.
She added that persistent engagements with the Ministry of Finance and Development Planning had failed to resolve problems surrounding salary remittances, social security contributions, and payments for overload and vacation classes.
“So colleagues, this is where we are,” Johnny said. “This is where the UL administration and the Government of Liberia through the Ministry of Finance have kept us. This is our issue, this is your issue, and this is my issue, so whatever decision you make here, I will follow your command.”
The resolution passed at the assembly instructed all faculty members to disengage from planned academic activities “until further notice.”
Members have long cited poor sanitation across campuses, chronic salary disparities compared with other public institutions, and a lack of promotions despite advanced degrees and training. They also point to late payments for overload teaching and inadequate support for faculty pursuing graduate studies abroad.
The grievances date back more than a decade. At a July 18 general assembly, ULFA gave its leadership one month to demonstrate progress in negotiations. That deadline expired without results, setting the stage for the strike.
For many faculty members, the dispute is about dignity as much as money. “This is about respect and the sustainability of Liberia’s premier public university,” the association said in a recent statement.
Government and Senate Involvement
Testifying before lawmakers, Maparyan sought to assure the Senate that the government remains committed to addressing faculty grievances. She cited ongoing discussions about promotions, salary harmonization, and improvements to campus infrastructure.
But senators said action must match words. The Education Committee voted unanimously to summon Finance and Development Planning Minister Boima Kamara to respond directly to the university’s $500,000 request.
Montserrado County Sen. Abraham Darius Dillon stressed the urgency of the matter.
“If you don’t call the minister of finance here so that he can be made to pay that money to the university, citizens will start to question the salaries we’re making and the value of the vehicles we’re riding,” Dillon said.
Students in Limbo
The strike has left thousands of students stranded, raising fears of prolonged delays in graduation and academic progression. The uncertainty is particularly harsh for seniors who were preparing for final examinations and graduation this semester.
Frequent strikes and resource shortages have long undermined Liberia’s higher education sector, weakening academic standards and frustrating students’ prospects. This latest work stoppage risks deepening those challenges at the nation’s flagship public university.
Leadership Under Pressure
Since assuming office, Maparyan pledged to improve faculty welfare and campus conditions. But ULFA leaders argue little has changed. They accuse the administration of ignoring repeated appeals to act on faculty promotions and basic sanitation needs.
“The UL President told us she was working on promotions, but to date, nothing has been done,” Johnny said, underscoring the anger fueling the strike.
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