Authorities at the University of Liberia (UL) said, they commenced the long-awaited settlement of arrears owed to adjunct faculty members.
The payment followed the disbursement of funds from the Ministry of Finance and Development Planning (MoFDP).
UL Comptroller, Togar Gibson, said the payment exercise began with adjunct instructors holding Ecobank accounts, and is now being extended to other banking institutions.
Gibson assured that all arrears for adjunct faculty, and overload courses will be cleared by this week.
Gibson said, the MoFDP has released L$50.7 million, specifically to cover arrears for the first semester of the 2024/2025 academic year.
He explained that this payment represents the second half of the planned settlement, with the first 50 percent disbursed in August 2025.
Mr. Gibson said the UL Administration is in discussions with the MoFDP to secure an additional L$71 million to address outstanding obligations from the recent vacation school and to complete payments owed to faculty.
“We are thankful to the government for the additional funding, and its unwavering support to keep the University operational,” Gibson said.
“Faculty and staff remain a top priority of the UL Administration, and we are determined to provide the fiscal space for them to be effective and efficient.”
Gibson clarified that the delay in payments for the first semester was due to a ‘budgetary adjustment’ that redirected US$1 million to settle arrears from the 2023/2024 academic year.
Meanwhile, the President of the Adjunct Faculty Association of the University of Liberia (AFA-UL), Madam Wilhelmina Garr Stevens, confirmed that members of the association have begun receiving their salary arrears.
“I can confirm that I have been paid, just like most of my colleagues,” Stevens said, noting that notifications shared in the association chat room show members across various banks receiving credits.
Several adjunct faculty members also expressed gratitude via cellphone interviews with UL Relations, commended the Administration for addressing their concerns.
They welcomed assurances that payments for vacation school courses will be settled once government released the remaining US$550,000.
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