The University of Liberia President engaged stakeholders this week across two campuses over two days, unveiling a five-year strategic plan to strengthen academics, modernize infrastructure, improve administration and bolster student success – an ambitious roadmap to lift UL into Africa’s top 300 university rankings by 2030.
Dr. Layli Maparyan presented her bold, draft plan entitled “A Victory of Imagination – Building the UL of Tomorrow Today” during UL Family Strategic Planning Town Hall Meeting held Monday at Fendall Campus and then Tuesday at Capitol Hill Campus to faculty, administration, staff and students, who offered feedback.
“Currently, UL is ranked 5,000 in the world and 502 in Africa, making it one of the lowest ranked in Africa, which we need to accelerate efforts to make it better,” she said.
President Maparyan said moving up in the continental rankings would reap a multitude of benefits, transforming UL, putting it on par with some of its West African peers and solidifying its flagship status.
“I want us to improve the ranking not just so we can say we did it, but because we’ll be a substantially better institution if we meet [the criteria],” she said. The criteria include continuous faculty research output, high graduation rates, a Phd-centric faculty, adequate financial resources per student and low student-to-faculty ratio.
But before UL can build up its continental reputation, its infrastructure issues are more immediate, Dr. Maparyan said.
“The first set of goals is infrastructure because your house has to be standing before you can do anything in it,” she said, adding that a research institution must have 24/7 electricity and unstable electricity deeply hinders the educational process. Her plan calls for electricity with solarization.
“We are a tropical country. We have plenty of sun, so why not have solar power on all of our campuses? That is my No. 1 strategic goal, and I’m going to get it started.”
In addition to constant electricity across the University, the Infrastructure Goals also target the water and sanitation issues, the availability of campus-wide internet, and the full digitization of UL’s academic and administrative systems.
The plan addresses five key areas — flagship status, administrative, student success, academics and infrastructure — with the various goals to be achieve between 2026 and 2030, the duration of the plan.
Some of the key goals she wants to deliver include achieving higher academic status with a vision to produce more faculty with terminal degrees, an efficient administrative structure that is responsive to the needs of the UL family, the general public, and a developing of new student success programs and rebranding the UL Flagship status.
Under the plan’s Administrative Goals, President Maparyan wants UL to improve the customer service experience, ensuring that all those who utilize the Institution’s administrative services feel good. The administrative goal also seeks more money both from the government and external sources, and enhancing campus security.
Additionally, under Student Success Goals, President Maparyan disclosed plans to enhance academic advancement to help students with their planning of major and minor, emphasizing that the needs of first-year students are unique. She announced that an updated Student Handbook will be released soon
While recognizing the Government of Liberia’s increased budgetary support to the UL, President Maparyan, however, argued that the UL can attract additional funding to achieve its goals.
She named donor support, fundraiser among the UL family and alumni, obtaining grants through quality research, and increasing UL revenue through service delivery.
“Donors and others will be willing to support us once we do the right things,” Dr. Maparyan assured participants.
Meanwhile, a cross-section of participants, mainly academic deans, chairpersons, students, and education stakeholders who attended the event offered suggestions and recommendations to achieve the desired outcomes.
The various groups made recommendations on the different goals, but with different priorities in addressing them. The priorities recommended were infrastructure, academic, administrative, and student success.
President Maparyan said the plan remains unofficial until the UL Board approves it. She anticipates a full implementation of the draft strategic plan beginning January 2026, following the UL Board of Trustees endorsement before the end of 2025.
