Senator Brown Presses University of Liberia President for a Plan to Restart Classes

Maryland County Senator Brown challenged the University of Liberia’s president to explain why regular classroom teaching has remained disrupted and what steps could bring students back, according to a report on a Senate hearing in Monrovia. Speaking at the hearing on November 3, Brown asked whether the university’s problems stemmed from insufficient government funding, management difficulties or policies in need of reform. He said the president had been appointed to do more than keep the institution operating, and pressed her to account for progress after about 22 months in office. The senator also questioned whether the government’s financial allocations could meet the university’s needs. The president responded that funding was not the main obstacle and acknowledged government support, the report said. Brown then asked whether she had provided President Joseph Nyuma Boakai with a comprehensive plan to transform the university. She confirmed submitting a work plan, but questions followed about whether it had been approved and put into practice. Brown disputed the suggestion that the university had not officially closed, arguing that the extended halt in classroom instruction amounted to a shutdown in practical terms. He said lawmakers were concerned about the consequences for students and the country’s higher-education system, noting that several senators had graduated from the university. The hearing, Brown emphasized, was intended to seek solutions rather than assign blame. He asked the president to describe concrete measures for resolving disputes with faculty and staff and restoring academic activity. He also called for a clear roadmap setting out what support the Legislature and Executive would need to provide so students could return to class. The report focused on Brown’s questions and the president’s responses at the hearing; it did not say when normal instruction would resume.