Liberia: ULFA Rejects 10 Weeks Instructional Period At UL

20 June 2023
The New Dawn (Monrovia)
By Lewis S Teh

The University of Liberia Faculty Association or ULFA, has termed as inadequate and undermining, 10 weeks given to lecturers by the University Administration for academic activities.

In a letter addressed to the UL Vice President for Academic Affairs, Dr. Moses Moroe Zinnah, ULFA said the time is limited for the faculty to present lectures and complete course syllabus for the semester.

ULFA stressed that the revised zero draft academic calendar for first semester 2022/2023 has the propensity of undermining the quality of learning that the students need to brace themselves for their professional sojourn.

In the letter signed by its Secretary General Eric Patten, the Association has suggested that the UL Administration should run the semester as a vacation school, instead of giving ten weeks for academic activities.

This, the Association believes will limit the course carrying capacity of students and increase the lecture hours.

ULFA noted that the University of Liberia could alternatively run a complete semester of 16 weeks (July -- October 2023) to enhance quality at the state-owned University.

It also maintains that the reopening of an academic semester without addressing pending critical issues indicates that the UL Administration lacks interest in its faculty growth and welfare.

ULFA named implementation of the promotion and tenure policy exercises that is long overdue, payment of arrears for Part-Time lecturers as key unaddressed issues.

Others include non-payment for data packages for those who taught online for the current and last semester, NASSCORP enrollment and status updates, regularity of retirees' pension payments, adequate instructional materials, human resource manual, transportation for Sinje faculty, credential audit, among other issues.

ULFA noted that all of the issues mentioned are contained in the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed on October 1, 2021, in Monrovia.

Meanwhile, the ULFA leadership said it is optimistic that Dr. Moses Moroe Zinnah will address each of the issues contained in the communication at least by Wednesday, June 21, 2023.

The Association added that when the issues are addressed, it will enable the leadership to provide clear information to their members during their pending Emergency General Assembly scheduled for Friday, June 23, 2023.

Read the original article on New Dawn.

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