–ULFASA Orders Members to Boycott All Academic Activities, Keep Offices Closed Hours After Adjunct Faculty Reject Vote of No Confidence Against University President
MONROVIA – The University of Liberia (UL) has plunged deeper into institutional uncertainty after the University’s Faculty and Staff Association (ULFASA) ordered an indefinite boycott of all academic and administrative activities, just hours after the Adjunct Faculty Association publicly declared unwavering support for University President Dr. Layli Maparyan and dismissed calls for her removal.
The competing statements have laid bare deep divisions within Liberia’s premier public university, with one bloc defending Dr. Maparyan’s reform agenda while another insists that faculty and staff remain off the job until their demands are fully addressed.
The latest development raises the prospect of a prolonged disruption to academic activities as mediation efforts involving the Government of Liberia get underway.
Faculty and Staff Order Complete Boycott
In a press statement issued Monday, the leadership of the University of Liberia Faculty and Staff Association (ULFASA) reminded all faculty and staff that a resolution adopted by the body’s General Assembly remains in full force.
“The Resolution of our General Assembly is active and in full fulfillment of the wishes of both Faculty and Staff,” the statement declared.
ULFASA instructed all academic and administrative personnel to remain disengaged from university operations, emphasizing that no one should return to work until the General Assembly’s demands have been satisfied.
“In view of this decision, all Faculty and Staff are reminded to remain disengaged from all Academic and Staff Activities until the wishes of the General Assembly are fully fulfilled. Therefore all offices and academic units must remain closed.”
The association further warned that any supervisor or director attempting to pressure employees into returning to work would face disciplinary action from the union.
“The leadership should be notified about any attempt by Supervisors or Directors to coerce any Academic or Administrative Staff to violate this mandate for prompt action against said individual.”
According to the statement, the decision has already been communicated to the University of Liberia Board of Trustees and to the Government of Liberia’s designated mediator, Justice Minister and Attorney General Cllr. N. Oswald Tweh.
The release was jointly signed by Eric T. S. Patten, Secretary-General of ULFA, and E. Martin Weah II, Secretary-General of ULSA.
Adjunct Faculty Defend Maparyan
The boycott announcement came only hours after the Adjunct Faculty Association of the University of Liberia (AFA-UL) issued a strong defense of President Maparyan, rejecting what it described as a “self-centered and groundless” vote of no confidence against the university leader.
The Adjunct Faculty argued that although faculty and staff have a right to express their concerns, attempts to remove the President are unjustified and risk undermining reforms that are beginning to transform the institution.
“The Adjunct Faculty Association of the University of Liberia rejects ULFA and ULSA’s recent self-centered and groundless vote of no confidence against the University’s President, Dr. Layli Maparyan,” the association stated.
According to AFA-UL, the current administration has recorded significant achievements since Dr. Maparyan assumed office, including:
- Regularization of the University’s academic calendar in line with international standards.
- Launch of three Ph.D. programs.
- Construction of a Solar Oasis student utility park nearing completion.
- Construction of a student health clinic nearing completion.
- Attraction of grants and donor support.
- Creation of a new Athletics Division.
- Improvements in the payment system for adjunct lecturers.
- The signing of several institutional partnerships and Memoranda of Understanding (MOUs).
The association maintained that these accomplishments demonstrate that the University is moving in the right direction and should not be derailed by internal disputes.
Growing Divide on Campus
The opposing statements underscore increasingly divergent views among University stakeholders over Dr. Maparyan’s leadership.
Supporters argue that the administration has embarked on one of the most ambitious reform programs in recent years, pointing to improvements in academic scheduling, infrastructure development, international partnerships and faculty welfare.
Critics, however, insist that unresolved concerns involving staff welfare, salaries, governance and working conditions justify stronger action against the administration.
The latest boycott directive suggests that tensions between the administration and sections of the University’s workforce remain unresolved despite ongoing efforts to broker a settlement.
Government Mediation Underway
ULFASA disclosed that its decision has been formally submitted to both the University of Liberia Board of Trustees and the Government’s designated mediator, Justice Minister Cllr. N. Oswald Tweh, signaling that discussions are expected to continue in an effort to resolve the impasse.
Whether those negotiations can avert a prolonged shutdown remains uncertain.
Future of the Semester at Stake
With adjunct lecturers publicly supporting the President while the Faculty and Staff Association insists on maintaining a total boycott, the University of Liberia now finds itself confronting one of the most significant internal crises in recent years.
The conflicting positions have created uncertainty for thousands of students, many of whom now face the possibility of further interruptions to lectures and administrative services if negotiations fail to produce a breakthrough.
As Liberia’s flagship institution of higher learning navigates the growing standoff, attention is increasingly turning to the Board of Trustees and the Government’s mediation process to determine whether compromise can be reached before the crisis further disrupts the University’s academic calendar.
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