Congratulations
to the Government of Liberia for Appointing the President of the University of
Liberia
In my first public opinion in 2025, I
extended New Year Greetings to all and called on the Government of Liberia to Urgently
Appoint the President of the University of Liberia where I currently serve
as an Assistant Professor at the IBB Graduate School of International
Studies. As I saw it and still see it, H.E President Joseph Nyuma Boakai
needed to appoint the President of the University of Liberia. I argued that the
government could not preside over a closed State University. I wondered why
should the government keep the University closed and feel happy to continue to
pay salaries of an entity that was dysfunctional? Absolutely, there was and
there is no justification for this mishap and anomaly. I reminded that no
government in the history of Liberia played around the integrity of the
University and went free, and that this government would be no exception to
that rule. I also indicated that former student leaders who graduated from the
University and are part of this government must see it as their exclusive
responsibility to ensure that the Visitor of the University needed to appoint
the New President of the University (https://oraclenewsdaily.com/2025/01/03/the-government-of-liberia-needs-to-urgently-appoint-the-president-of-the-university-of-liberia/
). Congratulations to the President and the Government for listening to this
request that several other Liberians made. This shows that the Government
listens to its citizens. Listening to the citizens is good for any democratic
government around the globe. I think the government has started the New Year on
a good footing. Congratulations, President JNB.
In that first opinion piece of the year, 2025,
I emphatically indicated that in Life, delays are dangerous and too many delays
are too dangerous. I said that we, at the University, were not happy about its
closure. Indeed, President Boakai graduated from the University, and we are now
happy that he has appointed the new president to replace Dr. Nelson who
resigned sometime ago. Now we request this government to support the very
University. All the villages, towns, districts, and counties in Liberia are
represented at the University. Therefore, the Liberian people are all
interested in what happens at the University of Liberia . Liberians are now happy
about the appointment of the New President of the University. I have been
reading and listening to the different views about the appointment and I do
understand the diverse world views or perspectives of the different proponents.
This emphasizes the recommendation I made before that there is a need to write
the History of the University of Liberia (https://thenewdawnliberia.com/we-welcome-the-doctoral-programs-at-the-university-of-liberia/
). I understand that Dr. Maparnyan is not a Liberian, but she is married to a
Liberian. In the academic arena, tribe or race or citizenship does really
matter. What matters is competence. In fact, the first President of the
University was an American citizen. This is the country that hosts thousands of
Liberians today and almost all Liberians wish to migrate to the United Sates of
America. I could become President of an American University tomorrow.
I understand that the New President is an
African American. This means that she has a Black background. So, she is one of
us. In fact, that she is married to a Liberian, I would not be surprised if she
became a Liberian at any time. I therefore take this time to request all students
and faculty as well as the public to openly welcome our New President. We need
to write a comprehensive history of the University of Liberia. This would allow
future generations to fully read, comprehend and appreciate its merits and
demerits. Congratulations to H.E President JNB for appointing the University President,
Dr. Layli Maparnyan, our new president. Congratulations, Madam President, on
your appointment in line with the Charter of the University. Welcome to the
University of Liberia, your new place of work. We avail our services as usual
to collaborating with you collectively for the progress of the University. I am
fully aware that this was a competition that you won. Therefore, I urge you to
embrace all those who competed. Embrace all in the best interest of the
University.
Welcome and congratulations once more, Dr.
Maparnyan, on your appointment as the New President of the University. I,
personally and official welcome you at the University of Liberia, the Lux Tenebris.
You have our unflinching and unwavering support. Your appointment comes out of
a rigid competition. You came out of twenty-two applicants and got shortlisted
amongst the three finalists that later became 2 finalists due to the
appointment of the third to another job. All the applicants had equally
competitive academic credentials. Some are even full professors at the University of Liberia. Thank God that Dr.
Zinnah, who we are reliably informed was with you as the singular finalist, has
officially written and communicated his support to you. Accordingly, he promised
to collaborate and work with you. I recommend that you welcome this offer and
work with Professor Dr. Zinnah and others. He is a former Vice President for
Academic Affairs. Also, welcome and work with all other applicants at the
University. I think they had exceptionally good plans to implement as well. All
of them have personal and official experiences and competencies that your
leadership needs. The ball is in your bosom now to lead the University. Our
problems will now stop with you as the team leader at the University. President
JNB will rest small. You need to harmonize the interests of all the
stakeholders. You need the experiences and guidance of all the professors. In
every competition, there must be a winner. And in this process of the final
appointment the discretion of the President matters in line with the Charter.
We therefore congratulate the Visitor to the University and the President of
the Republic, H.E President Joseph Nyuma Boakai, Sr.
Are there issues at the University that
require your urgent administrative attention? Yes. I think one off the first
things is to conduct a forensic audit of the University. I understand this is
almost done. Also, you need to conduct a credential audit of all lecturers and
professors at the University. In any given academic community, professors who
teach/lecture, conduct research and publish and execute community service need
to have the rightful academic credentials. Therefore, the University needs an
urgent credential audit. This must be done if you must lead a professional
team. We are aware that some of those who thrive on fake degrees at the
University are there, and we have been wondering why such people are kept in
leadership roles in such a competitive environment where meritocracy should
thrive. Gone should be those days that those with fake credentials would
survive at the University. They got promoted extremely fast because of their
alignment with the ruling parties in Liberia. This must stop. Thankfully, you
have no tribal person at the University. You do not hail from any of the
counties besides been affiliated with your husband’s tribe and county due to
marriage. Your being an American gives you the advantaged role of being beyond
tribes, clans, etc. You must take lead and run an inclusive leadership. Besides
these two serious issues, there are several other issues that posed a challenge
to those you have come to replace. For instance, the issues that you need
address include but are not limited to:
1. Restructure the Finance and Human Resource Offices
or Departments.
2. Fully utilize the University of Liberia Charter.
The ULFA and ULSA teams highlighted the wanton violation of the UL Charter and
the creation of several Vice Presidents and Organs at the University of
Liberia. Time has changed, but until a New Charter is enacted, fully work with
the existing one. You need to drive the process to revise the Charter to meet
contemporary realities. Such process must be consultative and inclusive.
3. Fully implement the 2019 faculty promotion policy
to its letter based on merit and based on the Faculty Promotion Policy of 2019.
4. Ensure that the salaries of the University employees
are paid on time. Alternatively, since salaries are paid by the Ministry of
Finance and Development Planning, allow the MFPD to directly deposit the
salaries of all University employees to their designated accounts once you sign
and approve the payroll. In the event of faculty promotion, where salaries are
adjusted, that should be immediately
communicated to the MFDP for immediate action the following month.
5. Pay part-time faculty. They should be paid monthly
based on their contracts. I am reliably informed that their arears will be
cleared before you take office on Friday, 10th January 2025. Please follow thru
on this because people sometimes tell lies to deceive leaders.
6. Refurbish
all the learning and leisure environmental areas and lavatories. The UL
Administration has informed that refurbishing of the campuses and lavatories
will be done before January 13, 2025. Please try to fully renovate the 4 campuses.
7. Kindly constitute a committee comprising ULSA, ULFA
and MFDP to work on faculty and staff salary disparities and the payment of the
previous 40% increment agreed under President Weah.
8. The UL Administration has informed that they have
procured 2 buses for Sinje Faculty. We thank the Acting President for this and
other efforts that he has made.
9. Conduct faculty performance review each and revery
semester. We are not evaluated at all. Other Universities evaluate us each
semester.
10. Equip the campuses with unlimited internet. The
provision of Wi-Fi and internet access
on all campuses cannot be overemphasized.
11. Fully equip the existing laboratories and libraries
and open new ones. Also run an online library. Introduce technology for
automated services at the University.
12. Reward honour students who graduate from
undergraduate colleges with Masters scholarships at the graduate schools within
the university and honoured graduates from the master’s programs should be
provided PhD scholarships or fellowships at the University and abroad. This
would help to enhance the faculties’ capabilities. Introduce students and
faculties’ exchange programs at the University.
13. Open the University of Liberia Farm to help produce
varieties of food for the country; and allow students to practice what they
learn.
Particularly for the
graduate and research programs,
14. Open a separate account
for the payment of fees and tuition for students at the graduate and
professional schools.
15. Pay Thesis supervisors
at the graduate school for their services as agreed by past administration. It
was agreed that no one should supervise more than 10 thesis students. Students
paid $200US each for supervision, the University received the payments, but has
not yet paid supervisors.
16. There is a need for
smart classrooms at the graduate school; bathrooms for graduate students and
professors are dilapidated. Graduate and Professional students pay $75 US per
credit hour and $150.US for registration. They deserve the full ambiance
for their monies like anywhere else at graduate schools.
17. Turnitin is a softer
ware that we use to detect similarity and plagiarism for graduate thesis and
all research works at the graduate school. University paid about $35, 000 US in
2000 for the software. It has not been renewed since, based on the scanty
information that we have on this. The University is also using a trial version
of its website and emails are provided via a third-party University in South
Africa. We must and need to have our own University of Liberia web-based
systems.
18. A concept note for an
inter disciplinary academic journal at the graduate school was prepared, and
some officials were appointed to lead and open the journal. 5 years later,
there is no journal. You need to open that inter disciplinary journal. All
colleges need their own academic peer-reviewed journals.
19. The university promised
it would open a research account of not less than $50, 000US. to fund faculty’s
research. You need to open such research account with even more money to fund
academic research by professors. We need to improve research and publication at
the University and attract more resources.
20. There is a graduate
school reform report. Undergraduate colleges are linked with graduate schools. Students
graduating from the University of Liberia with 3.0 are still sitting
entrance exams to enter graduate school. That should stop. The University
cannot graduate students and give them entrance exams for the same school to
enter graduate programs.
21. Some faculties have
been in one academic rank for years against the
approved 2019 promotion policy.
22.Some courses that we
teach at the graduate school require special computer programs. There
is no computer lab for the graduate school. There is a need to complete the
computer lab started on the 4th floor started by one graduating class.
23. Enter into a collective
bargaining agreement with the faculty and staff to inform the strategic
direction of the UL and to amicably resolve all issues as they may arise from
time to time.
24. Regularly pay the Medical
College students’ allowances.
25. The University is the owner of the John F.
Kennedy Medical Centre as its Teaching Hospital. Please reclaim the JFK as
such.
Dr. Maparnyan, you need to
raise funds for the University and coordinate private funding and grants for
academic research and excellence at the UL. Presidents of Universities in
contemporary times are grant writers and funds raisers. The Government must
also fund its part of the commitment to the University through an incremental National
Budget process. The government must fund the university and reduce or stop the
political interference. Students are at the University to obtain their academic
degrees, and this effort needs to be supported and achieved in a timely manner
as prescribed by the University.
AS I SEE IT, as a Former
Chair of the Ever-Potent Vanguard Student Unification Party (SUP), and now an
Assistant Professor at the Graduate School, I call on all
students’ political groups to present their aspirations or concerns through
official writings to the President for redress. The entire University community
should commit to academic excellence. Write
down and publish your grievances. Burning tires, throwing stones, and
fighting with cutlasses should be and must be something of the past like in the
war years. Pens and papers must convey our grievances. Diplomacy and
Negotiation must be our guard. Research and Development through innovation must
be the order of the New Day at the University of Liberia. We, as a country, own
the University of Liberia. We must utilize it for academic purposes. There is a
need to conduct peaceful, free, fair, and democratic elections on the campus
based on the approved rules and regulations of the University to be able to
give students the opportunity to practice good leadership and democratic
governance and ensure accountability and stewardship for their work. Stop the
Interim Governments at the University.
Politics is part of life. Amongst the students, do not ban it. We are not in
war or crises situations. There is no need to suspend students’ politics where
we teach Political Science. The students must practice what they learn. In fact,
most of the students that practice politics are not from the Political Science
Department. Welcome once again, Dir. Layli Maparnyan, to the University of
Liberia. Feel at home!
About the
Author: Prof. Tom Kaydor, Jr. serves as an
Assistant Professor at the IBB Graduate School of International Studies. He
holds a PhD from the Department of Government and European Studies, the New
University, Slovenia where he specialized in International Development and
Diplomacy (with Security Aspects). His dissertation topic was
‘Reconceptualizing Africa’s Regional Integration for Peace and Sustainable
Development.’ He earned a Master of Public Policy (MPP) specialized in
Development Policy or Development Economics with Distinction from the Crawford
School of Economics and Government (now the Crawford School of Public Policy),
Australian National University, Canberra, Australia. He also obtained his first
master’s degree as a Master of Arts (MA) in International Relations (Highest
Distinction), and Bachelor of Arts (BA) Magna Cum Laude in Political Science
from the University of Liberia where his Minor was History with Mass
Communication as his Elective. Tom holds a Diploma in Leading Economic Growth
from the Kennedy Graduate School, Harvard University, USA; and he holds other
professional diplomas and certificates from Italy, UK, Pakistan, China, and
Israel. Prof. Kaydor is also an Adjunct Professor of International Development
Studies at the AME University Graduate School. Dr. Kaydor is an evidence-based
researcher, a blogger, a columnist, and a published author. One can reach him
via (kaydorth@ul.edu.lr or thkaydor@gmail.com).
