By: G Bennie Bravo Johnson I
Liberian President Joseph Nyuma Boakai, has revealed the eminent renovation of the four campuses of the University of Liberia. This is in line with the Education pillow of his administration’s ARREST agenda.
Speaking Friday, January 10, 2025, at the Academic Investiture marking the Inauguration of the sixteen President of the University of Liberia, Dr. Layli Maparyan, President Boakai intimated that the University assessment report has been submitted and renovation of the University will shortly commence.
“The Ministry has submitted its report to me, and I will follow up shortly to initiate the renovation of the campuses. Furthermore, I have instructed the Minister of Finance to address the outstanding faculty arrears.”
At the same time, the former Acting President and 12th President of the University of Liberia who starred in the affairs of the University during its most recent cases, Dr. Al-Hassan Conteh in his farewell remarks revealed that the total cost of the renovation of the four campuses of the University of Liberia is 13,179,412 United States Dollars.
“We collaborated with the Ministry of Public Works to complete a comprehensive assessment for the renovation of the four campuses of the University and submitted that plan to the visitor. The renovation of the four campuses will cost 3,920,863 United States Dollars, while the construction of access roads according to the Ministry of Public Works will cost 9,258,548 United States Dollars.”
Meanwhile, President Boakai further committed his Government’s support in addressing the challenges of the University of Liberia to their logical conclusion.
“I fully pledge my Government’s support in addressing those issues to their logical conclusion.”
The visitor of the University continued by wishing the new President of the University of Liberia, Dr. Maparyan success as she commences her journey as the University President. At the same time pledged his Government’s unflinching support in helping her succeed in taking the University to the highest.
“I was delighted to participate in her induction today as the new leader of our National University. I wish Dr. Maparyan Godspeed as she commences her journey as the University President and pledge my Government’s full and unflinching support in helping her succeed in taking the University to the highest level for the benefit of the education of all youths who qualify,” he said.
President Boakai asserted that he is aware of the current challenges of the University. Therefore, the appointment of Dr. Maparyan represents a pivotal moment for identifying opportunities for growth, innovation, and progress at the University.
He encouraged all members of the University community including faculty, staff, students, alumni, and national and international partners to come together in support of President Maparyan, aiming to restore the University to the esteemed position it once held as a leading institution of higher learning in Africa and around the world.
The Liberian leader and visitor of the University who at the close of the ceremony, joined the Board and the University Administration in the ribbon-cutting ceremony for two newly acquired buses for the University’s Stratz-Sinje Campus in Grand Cape Mount County, urged all faculty and staff to resume duties on today, Monday, January 13, 2025, the date identified by the UL Administration for the resumption of classes for the Academic Year 2025.
“As the Visitor of the University, I urge all faculty and staff to resume duties on Monday, January 13, 2025, the date identified by the UL Administration for the resumption of classes for the Academic Year 2025. I also urge the Board of Trustees and the UL Administration to remain engaged in resolving the issues identified by the faculty, staff, and students.”
President Boakai continued by lauding the Board for the honor bestowed on him, based on what they acknowledge as his achievements and contributions to the nation serving as the rationale for conferring on him an honorary Doctor of Laws degree.
He further urged for a collective effort to go forth in heralding the dawn of a new day for the National University.
Brief History of the University of Liberia:
The University of Liberia, formerly Liberia College, founded in 1862, was chartered and established by an Act of the Legislature of the Republic of Liberia in 1951.
The efforts to establish Liberia College were led by Simon Greenleaf, the Harvard College law professor who drafted Liberia’s independence constitution of 1847. Underlying his efforts was the belief that “the
The Republic of Liberia ought to have within itself the means of educating its citizens for all duties of public and private life.” In 1848, Joseph Tracy, Secretary of the Massachusetts Colonization Society, wrote, “A few
gentlemen of Monrovia have a project under consideration which, if successfully executed, may have very important consequences. It is the establishment of a well-endowed college or university in Liberia.”
As a result, Liberia College was incorporated by an Act of the Legislature of the Republic of Liberia in December 1851. The cornerstone for the first building of the College, financed by The Trustees of Donations for Education in Liberia, was laid on January 25, 1858. On January 23, 1862, the former President of Liberia, Joseph Jenkins Roberts, was inaugurated as its first president. With Former President Roberts, Revs. Alexander Cromwell and Edward Wilmot Blyden, and seven students, Liberia College opened in February.
1863.
Between 1886 and 1910, the college was forced to close its doors on at least three separate occasions. The critical problems included those of nation-building in Africa by persons with scant experience in governing. For Liberia College, there were acute shortages of all types of resources that included a lack of adequately trained students and qualified teachers and inadequate financial resources.
During the Tubman era (1943-1971) increasing financial resources became available to the Liberian State following the successful cultivation of rubber and the discovery of iron ore deposits in Liberia in the 1950s. The economic growth from the favorable prices of these commodities resulted in higher demand in the public sector for managerial and technical human resources.
Consequently, in 1951, the Legislature of the Republic chartered the University of Liberia. Whereas Liberia College had been established to prepare the nation’s clergymen and statesmen, the national University, among other goals, sought to become a “center of learning with high academic standards which are dedicated to the pursuit, promotion, and dissemination of knowledge with an emphasis on practical knowledge which is immediately
useful for economic, social, and cultural development needs.”
Since it was established in 1951, fifteen (15) persons have served as president of the University. The Fifteen include two Americans, Dr. J. Max Bond (1951-1954) and Dr. Kermit C. King (1955-1958), and thirteen Liberians, two of whom were female. Following the Coup D’état of 1980, another period of relative instability engulfed Liberia, exacerbated by 14
years of civil crisis. Like the country, the University experienced massive destruction of its physical plant and academic and support units, such as the libraries and laboratories.
The flight of competent human capital rendered the academic profile of faculty and staff relatively low. Descent human values such as civility and integrity were severely compromised and post-traumatic stress syndrome became prevalent. The Country and University were bankrupt up to the initiation of an elected post-conflict Government in 2006, under the leadership of Her Excellency Madam Ellen Johnson Sirleaf.
The mission is Teaching, Research, and Community Service”, that is, to prepare well-qualified men and women for teaching, research, public. and private service, and to contribute to the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals for sustainable human development.
The Vision is “An independent institution of higher education where academic excellence
thrives in the search of truth and knowledge; where research and teaching are cherished and promoted; where a high premium is placed on academic freedom of creative thinking “out of the box” in a scholastic environment where outstanding students and researchers from Liberia, and around the world arebcontinually challenged and inspired to do their best possible work”.
