Published: September 1, 2025
MONROVIA — The University of Liberia Faculty Association (ULFA) has voted unanimously to withdraw from all academic activities, demanding the immediate signing of a long-delayed Collective Bargaining Agreement that addresses salary disparities, sanitation, faculty promotions, social security, and other unresolved issues.
The decision, reached Friday during an emergency general assembly on the Capitol Hill campus, comes just days before the start of a new semester and threatens to disrupt classes for thousands of students at Liberia’s flagship public university.
Faculty Frustration Boils Over
ULFA President Dr. Edna Johnny said years of broken promises from the university administration and the government had forced the 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,” Dr. Johnny told members.
She added that persistent engagements with the Ministry of Finance and Development Planning have failed to resolve problems surrounding salary remittances, social security contributions, and payments for overload and vacation classes.
“So colleagues, this is where we are. This is where the UL Administration and the Government of Liberia through the Ministry of Finance have kept us,” Johnny said. “This is our issue, this is your issue, and this is my issue, so whatever decision you make here, I will follow your command.”
A Unanimous Stand
Following extended debate, members passed a resolution — unanimously endorsed — to halt all academic activities until the agreement is signed by ULFA, the university administration, and the government.
“Therefore, all faculty members are urged to disengage from any planned academic activities on all campuses of the UL until further notice,” the resolution stated.
The move leaves students in limbo, raising fears of prolonged delays in graduation and academic progression.
A Pattern of Broken Promises
ULFA’s grievances date back more than a decade, including complaints of poor sanitation across campuses, stalled promotions despite advanced qualifications, and chronic salary disparities compared with other public institutions. Faculty members also cite dilapidated facilities, late payments for overload teaching, and inadequate support for lecturers on study leave.
At a July 18 general assembly, members gave the executive committee one month to show tangible progress from negotiations with the administration — a deadline that has now lapsed without resolution.
Leadership Under Fire
President Maparyan, who took office pledging to improve faculty welfare and campus conditions, has repeatedly assured staff that promotions and other issues were being addressed. But ULFA leaders say little has changed.
“The UL President told us she was working on promotions, but to date, nothing has been done,” Dr. Johnny said, underscoring the frustration that fueled Friday’s unanimous vote.
The strike adds to a long list of disruptions in Liberia’s fragile higher education system, where frequent strikes and resource shortages have weakened academic standards. While the action is aimed at improving faculty welfare, it risks derailing the academic future of students, particularly seniors preparing for graduation.
For ULFA, however, the dispute is about more than salaries. “This is about dignity, respect, and the sustainability of Liberia’s premier public university,” the association said.
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