“…I thought we said whatsoever that happened we were going to correct it. Why are you going to the media and the Ministry of Education? What precipitated that,” Rev. Dr. David Tokpah, Dean of Admissions, Recruitment and Registration, United Methodist University (UMU), clearly said in a leaked audio that this paper has obtained while promising to correct the mistake.
Monrovia, Liberia — A graduating student of United Methodist University (UMU), Ms. Baryo Davis, has raised serious concerns over what she describes as an unjust alteration of her academic standing, just hours before the institution’s 21st commencement exercises.
Davis, a prospective graduate of the university’s Gbarnga campus, has publicly accused the administration of denying her rightful academic rank as the dux. In a statement shared with Verity News, Davis called on education stakeholders across Liberia, including the Ministry of Education, to promptly intervene in what she termed a longstanding pattern of discrimination and practices that do not conform to academia.
According to Davis, graduating students were instructed to submit their academic ledgers, including cumulative GPAs, as part of preparations for the graduation and honors program. While the main commencement ceremony is scheduled for Today, March 31, the honors program took place on March 26.
Davis alleged that the university failed to release the list of honorees in a timely manner, publishing it only a day before the program and at late hours. She further claimed that no students from the Gbarnga campus were initially included on the list.
“When the list was posted, the entire UMU Gbarnga campus was excluded,” Davis stated. “After we raised concerns, they hurriedly assigned GPAs to us.”
She contends that her GPA was inaccurately recorded as 3.41 instead of her actual 3.832, which she says surpasses the GPA of the student recognized as the class valedictorian (dux). Based on her calculation, Davis believes she should be awarded the highest honor of summa cum laude, rather than the lower distinction she was assigned.
According to her, the University officials reportedly attributed the discrepancy to incomplete or disorganized academic records from the Gbarnga campus.
However, Davis has rejected that explanation, questioning why students should bear the consequences of administrative lapses.
She also raised several concerns, including the exclusion of her campus from the initial honors list, the delay in publication, and the methodology used to calculate her GPA.
Efforts to obtain an official response from Rev. Dr. David M. Tokpah, Dean of Admissions, Recruitment and Registration at UMU, were unsuccessful as of press time, reportedly due to his involvement in graduation activities in Monrovia.
However, in an audio recording obtained by Verity News, Rev. Dr. Tokpah acknowledged the timing of Baryo Davis’ complaint and indicated that her concerns would be addressed after the graduation ceremonies. Tokpah promised to correct the mistake. “…I thought we said whatsoever that happened we were going to correct it. Why are you going to the media and the Ministry of Education. What precipitated that,” Tokpah said.
Davis, meanwhile, is calling for an immediate investigation into the matter, insisting that she be awarded the academic recognition she believes she has earned. She also warned that the issue may reflect a broader pattern affecting students from the Gbarnga campus.
As the graduation proceeds today, the situation has drawn public attention, with observers urging transparency and fairness in the university’s academic processes.
