By Lincoln G. Peters
University of Liberia (UL) President Prof. Dr. Julius Julukon Sarwolo Nelson, Jr., says the Office of Enrolment Services (OES) is processing more than 8,000 candidates' electronic applications for enrollment.
At a major press conference Monday, 12 June 2023, Dr. Nelson said those successfully vetted would have begun receiving Admission Letters via email on Monday.
He said the exercise of processing the electronic applications of more than 8,000 candidates will continue until Friday, 30 June 2023.
Dr. Nelson used the medium to release the University's schedule for its First Semester of the Academic Year 2022/23, saying registration will begin on June 19 and end on July 8, 2023.
He noted that the first semester will be brief because the institution is cognizant that faculty and students must have time to exercise their civic rights during the electoral process in October 2023.
Dr. Nelson disclosed that classes will commence on Monday, 26 June 2023, and Mid-term Exams will run from August 7 to 12, 2023.
He added that lectures will end on September 9, and Final Exams will be conducted from September 11 to 23, 2023.
The UL president explained that having completed the Academic Year 2021/2022 in May 20023 and processed graduates, through "God's Doing," the focus is on the formal commencement of Academic Year 2022/2023," said Dr. Nelson.
He noted that the focus is on all of the related processes that will ensure a smooth and timely conduct of the First Semester before the Presidential and Legislative Elections in October 2023.
Additionally, Dr. Nelson told the press conference that on Tuesday, June 6, 2023, the Center for Testing and Evaluation, through UL Relations, released the schedule for the First Entrance & Placement Exam and Aptitude Test for the 2023 cycle.
He said the Exam and Aptitude test will run from mid-July (for Undergraduate) to early August (for Graduate and Professional Schools).
Dr. Nelson said registration for this year's entrance, which began on Thursday, June 8, 2023, is being conducted completely online.
He explained that a fortnight ago UL concluded the exercises marking the 103rd Commencement Convocation of the "Hala-keh-meni" Class of 2022.
He said it saw the departure of more than 1,700 students from the walls of the University of Liberia who graduated into the labor market and larger society.
"During those ceremonies, we witnessed great scholarship from graduates who mounted the podium, and we were also enlightened by an ALL FEMALE lineup of convocation speakers who graced the occasion," Dr. Nelson recalled.
He expressed gratitude to UL partners in Government, from the RUFORUM and other institutions of higher learning for sharing the time with the institutions.
As the Class of 2022 was enjoying its moment in the limelight, Dr. Nelson said more than 20,000 current students were lurking for updates on the reopening of the University of Liberia.
At the same time, he said successful candidates from the 2022 entrance exam cycle, who are over 8,000, were finalizing their digital admission process in preparation for Academic Year 2022/2023.
Dr. Nelson said as higher education becomes more affordable through a deliberate Tuition Free policy of the Government of Liberia, championed by The Visitor to the University of Liberia and President of the Republic of Liberia, H.E. George Manneh Weah, the management team at this university is doing its best to ensure that it is accessible and affordable without compromising quality.
"Thanks again for supporting the digitization plan of the University of Liberia which has enabled the processing and management of over 22,000 students (and counting) without chaos," said Dr. Nelson.
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Dr. Nelson assured members of the public, especially the UL alumni community here and in the diaspora, that the Administration is very committed to ensuring that protecting the image of the University of Liberia exists among its highest priority.
"A student's academic sojourn, from admission to graduation, is guided and governed by policies and procedures enshrined in a number of instruments including the Revised Student Handbook," he explained.
He indicated that students, as an important constituent of the University family, have rights that must be respected at every stage of the teaching and learning experience, in the same way, the rights of faculty, staff, and the administration are protected.
As the Custodians/Managers/Administrators of UL, he said their task is to follow the rules as fairly as possible, without fear and favor, whenever there's an issue that calls into question the integrity and image of the institution.
