The University of Liberia Faculty Association (ULFA) has for the time officially dedicated its new modern Faculty Lounge.
The ceremony which brought together the thousands of ULFA members from across its various campuses, the President and other administrators of the state-run university, including some top government officials and members of larger society, took place on the UL Capitol Hill main campus in Monrovia Friday, June 7, 2024.
Providing an overview of the project, ULFA President, Dr. Edna Johnny expressed joy and sense of achievement.
She emphasized the significance of the new lounge, describing it as the beginning of many positive developments for the faculty.
According to Dr. Johnny, the lounge represents a substantial step forward, addressing a long-standing need for a dedicated space for faculty members to work and relax.
Reflecting on the journey to this achievement, Dr. Johnny recounted the challenges faced since 2021, particularly issues of disparity with the Ministry of Finance and Development Planning.
She added that although the ministry resolved some of these disparities, additional support for faculty facilities was lacking.
Dr. Johnny maintained that efforts to secure loans from financial institutions like EcoBank were unsuccessful, as concerns about the university’s ability to repay the loans were raised.
She stressed that despite these setbacks ULFA remained determined and managed to save a significant portion of their dues.
“We are not only here to teach, but we can put into practice what we teach. We teach people to go out there to make money. We teach people to be innovative so today we are going to showcase that we can do exactly what we teach,” she said.
According to her, over the years, many of the faculty members during their free time while on campus awaiting their next class time do not have a better place to relax to the extent they have to either stand somewhere, sit under the tree or move around until their time reaches to teach.
“We thought that was a little bit below our dignity as a faculty. So we decided to take the initiative and say now, we can do something. We told Dr. Nelson that we need that space to renovate it for our faculty lounge,” Dr. Johnny noted.
The ULFA boss stressed that despite the many disappointments encountered along the way to achieve this milestone, the faculty members remained focused and determined, emphasizing the significant role those educators play in the society, which should give them a better life and facility.
“Ladies and gentlemen, today, we have a faculty lounge. When we got elected in 2021, we told ourselves that we would improve the faculty; we have taken some steps and this is just the second project. The first was the Credit Union, which the UL Administration is even proud of and we can also boast of its effectiveness and impact,” the renowned educator averred.
At the same time, Dr. Edna Johnny highlighted the lack of better facility for the faculty members on the University of Liberia Fendell Campus, stressing the need to have a state-of-the-art infrastructure with several facilities, including swimming pool, a cafeteria, conference hall and other recreation activities among others.
“We deserve that. Ladies and gentlemen, faculty members, you deserve a hand of applause because it is your money that built this place. What you really did was picking the right person at the time,” she indicated.
Also speaking, the President of the University of Liberia, Dr. Julius Sarwolo Nelson commended ULFA for their milestone achievement.
He pledged the administration’s continued commitment to supporting the association and announced a contribution of one thousand United States Dollars on behalf of the university towards ULFA’s project at the Fendell Campus.
The new Faculty Lounge is expected to serve as a valuable resource for faculty members, providing a comfortable and conducive environment for their academic and professional activities.
