MONROVIA – “The University of Liberia languishes in stagnation, and Dr. Maparyan utterly failed to deliver on her 100-day promises! The Student Unification Party will not give in to any intimidation. She must resign now or be dismissed!”
That was the blunt message posted by the Vanguard Student Unification Party (SUP) on its official Facebook page on Wednesday, September 3, 2025, as tensions between the student movement and the University of Liberia’s administration escalated. The post followed a tense protest staged by SUP on Monday, September 1, at the university’s Capitol Hill campus, where students called for sweeping changes in leadership.
UL President Dr. Layli Maparyan, however, has rejected the demands outright. Speaking during a telephone appearance on the “UL President Hour” on Lux Radio the same day as the protest, she insisted she has no plans to step aside. “I have not resigned, and I have no intention to resign,” she stated firmly. “I am focused on implementing my mandate, which is ‘Making the UL what it ought to be.’”
Despite faculty unrest and student anger, Dr. Maparyan reassured students and the public that the university’s academic calendar remains on course. She confirmed that classes are scheduled to resume on September 8, 2025, without interruption.
In response to concerns raised by faculty members, Dr. Maparyan acknowledged that many of the grievances are financially motivated. She announced that the remainder of the week will be used for discussions with faculty representatives in hopes of reaching a compromise. “We will use the rest of this week to engage the faculty in an attempt to find common ground on their concerns,” she said. “I understand that most of these issues are budget-driven, and we are actively working towards solutions.”
The confrontation between SUP and the university administration has once again spotlighted the deep-rooted challenges facing Liberia’s flagship public university, where leadership, accountability, and funding remain sources of conflict and debate.
