A Cry from the Chalkboard -UL Lecturers Demand Justice Amid ‘Systemic Neglect’

MONROVIA – “In the heart of Liberia’s capital, a storm is brewing—not of weather, but of conscience. We, the adjunct lecturers of the University of Liberia, we the very lifeblood of the academic engine, have reached a breaking point. For over half a year, we have labored without pay, our voices muffled by administrative indifference, our dignity have eroded by the University of Liberia’s silence.”

Those were words of lamentations by dozens of adjunct instructors who are decrying delayed salaries and harsh working conditions.

In a statement release to the media, the UL instructors noted that Liberia, a country still healing from decades of civil unrest and economic instability, has long looked to education as its path to renewal and that the University, founded in 1862, stands as a symbol of that hope.

“But symbols alone do not teach students, mark papers, or mentor minds. That burden falls on the shoulders of us over 800 adjunct facilitators—highly educated professionals who, despite our contractual status, carry the bulk of the teaching load,” the teachers said further lamented, adding that since February 2025, they have worked without compensation.

“We showed up, taught, graded, advised, and inspired. And yet, we have received nothing, not a dollar, not a timeline, not even the courtesy of acknowledgment. The administration, led by Dr. Layli Maparyan, has remained conspicuously silent, even as the university prepares to reopen for a new semester,” the UL adjunct professors further said.

A System Built on Exploitation

The instructors further observed that this is not merely an administrative oversight but a moral failure—the normalization of intellectual servitude.

In a country where educators are already underpaid and undervalued, this prolonged neglect amounts to a form of modern-day academic slavery, they emphasized. “The absence of transparency, the refusal to communicate, and the blatant disregard for the welfare of lecturers have created a climate of despair and humiliation.”

Continuing, they UL teachers indicated: “We (adjuncts) are not asking for charity. We are demanding what we have earned. We are demanding respect. We are demanding justice.”

Protest Is Imminent

They also made a clear that protests would continuing until the issue is addressed.

“We have made our position clear: August will not pass quietly. If our arrears are not paid, we will take to the streets. If our voices continue to be ignored, we will withdraw our labor. A go-slow action is on the horizon, and the consequences for the academic calendar will be severe. This is not a threat. It is a declaration of our self-worth.”

The aggrieved UL teachers are demanding a number of things, including: Full payment of all outstanding salaries; a clear and honest communication strategy from the university administration; structural reforms to prevent future exploitation of academic staff.”

The vowed not to teach under conditions “that rob us of our humanity, we are not expendable. We are educators. We are Liberians. And we deserve better.”

A Broader Crisis in Liberian Education

This crisis at UL is symptomatic of a larger malaise, the adjunct asserted, noting that Liberia’s educational system, though rich in history, suffers from chronic underfunding, politicization, and a lack of strategic vision.

According to them, teachers at all levels face delayed salaries, inadequate resources, and poor working conditions.

“Our struggle is not isolated, it is emblematic of a national failure to prioritize education as a pillar of development,” sending out a call to action “to the government, to civil society, to the students whose futures hang in the balance, this is your moment. Stand with us lecturers. Demand accountability. Insist on reform. Because when educators are silenced, the entire nation loses its voice.”

“This is not just a labor dispute. It is a reckoning. And the pen, long used to grade papers and write lectures, now becomes a sword in the fight for justice,” the UL adjunct instructors concluded.