University of Liberia

Last updated

University of Liberia
UL LOGO.jpg
MottoLux in tenebris (Latin)
Motto in English
"Light in darkness"
Type Public
Established1862;161 years ago (1862)
President Prof. Dr. Julius J. S. Nelson Jr.
Provost Dr. William Ezra Allen
Academic staff
331
Students18,753
Undergraduates 26
Postgraduates 9
Location
Monrovia
,
Liberia

6°17′57″N10°47′41″W / 6.29917°N 10.79472°W / 6.29917; -10.79472
CampusCapitol Hill campus
Fendell campus
Straz-Sinje
A.M Doglioti
Colors Red, White, Blue
AffiliationsNational Commission on Higher Education
Association of African Universities
Website www.ul.edu.lr

The University of Liberia (UL or LU in older versions of abbreviation) is a publicly funded institution of higher learning located in Monrovia, Liberia. Authorized by the national government in 1851, the university opened in 1862 as Liberia College. UL has four campuses: the Capitol Hill Campus in Monrovia, the Fendall campus in Louisiana, outside Monrovia, the Medical School Campus in Congo Town, and the Straz-Sinje Campus in Sinje Grand Cape Mount County. The university enrolls approximately 18,000 students and is one of the oldest institutions of higher learning in West Africa. It is accredited by the Liberian Commission on Higher Education.

Contents

History

In 1847, Liberia declared independence from the American Colonization Society. In 1851, the new national legislature authorized the creation of a state college and chartered Liberia College. [1] Financing was provided by the New York Colonization Society and the Trustees of Donations for Education in Liberia, both United States organizations. [1] These two groups provided almost all of the funds for the school during the 19th century and were responsible for hiring the faculty. [1]

Liberia College in 1862 (1862) Liberia College in Monrovia.jpg
Liberia College in 1862

After authorization, groups from Clay-Ashland and Monrovia maneuvered in political circles in an attempt to have the school in their cities, with the location eventually chosen as the capital city. [1] This political battle delayed the foundation; on 25 January 1858, the cornerstone of the first building was laid in Monrovia. [2] In January 1862, the school was inaugurated, with classes beginning in 1863. [1] The nation's first president, Joseph Jenkins Roberts, became the school's first president in 1862 and served in that post until 1876. [1]

Students and faculty in 1900 Liberia College Students and Staff.png
Students and faculty in 1900

Seven men made up the first class of students, with a college preparatory division adding 18 students to the enrollment two months later. [1] Besides American financing, colleges and individuals from the United States donated books and even the bricks and lumber used to construct the school's building. [1] The library had an estimated 4,000 volumes at opening. [1] Once classes opened, the curriculum was the standard courses typical at American colleges with courses such as rhetoric and Latin. [1] Part of the impetus to start the school was a concern that some Liberians were already leaving the nation to study in Great Britain, which American backers thought might lead to a move away from the republican form of government. [3]

During the 19th century, second- and first-year students would battle each other in an annual ritual over whether the first-year students were allowed to wear trousers. [4] From 1866 to 1902, the school had ten graduates with long periods between granting degrees. [1] Under the leadership of Edward Wilmot Blyden, school president from 1881 to 1884, women were allowed to enroll in the preparatory department. [1] During the 1800s, UL and the country suffered from class and caste conflicts, which led to the temporary closure of Liberia College on several occasions in the 1890s. [1] R. B. Richardson was the first alumnus to become the school president. [1]

20th century

The School of Forestry at the college was founded in 1942 by Stephen A. Tolbert, who served as dean of that school until 1960. [5] Enrollment increased at the university to approximately 70 students in 1948, and to 100 in 1950. [6] In 1951, president J. Max Bond, Sr. and dean Anna E. Cooper helped to convert the college into the University of Liberia. [7] Also in 1951, the Law School was established and named after former Liberia Supreme Court Chief Justice Louis Arthur Grimes. [8] In 1956, the university had an enrollment of 259 students. [6]

Liberia College in 1893 Liberia College 1893.jpg
Liberia College in 1893

In 1968, a medical school was added to the university. [9] Due to civil strife in the country, UL has closed on several occasions, including in 1979, 1984, and 1990. [10] [11] In one incident in 1984, students and the University of Liberia faculty protested the Liberian government's arrest of two faculty members. [6] Liberian President Samuel K. Doe sent the Liberian Army to attack the school on 22 August 1984, leading to several deaths, more than one hundred injured, a three-month closure, and destruction of some of the facilities. [6] It did not grant any degrees from 1989 to 1996 due to the fighting from the First Liberian Civil War. [12] When UL re-opened in 1997, enrollment totaled 6,000 students, [12] though the civil war had damaged university facilities and led many faculty to leave the country. [12] The last of the strife ended with the conclusion of the Second Liberian Civil War in 2003.

21st century

The campus in 2009 University of Liberia in 2009.jpg
The campus in 2009

In 2007, the American Bar Association paid for renovations to the law school. [13] In April of that year, the university opened a new 200-computer digital center paid for by a private company. [14] In June 2007, the school's president suspended classes after a faculty strike over back wages owed by the government, [15] with classes re-opened in July. [16] In February 2008, U.S. President George W. Bush visited the campus during a state visit to Liberia. [17]

China funded a US$21.5 million expansion at the Fendall Campus that began in April 2008, which added more than five buildings. [18] In March 2009, construction began at that campus of the new Angie Brooks International Center for Women's Research, Peace and Security, named in honor of Angie Brooks, who was the first African female president of the United Nations General Assembly as well as the first female associate justice of the Supreme Court of Liberia. [19] Emmet Dennis became the 13th president of the university that month, as enrollment topped 18,000. [20] The Harvey S. Firestone Quadrangle Science Building at the main campus was renovated by Firestone Liberia and re-opened in November 2009. [21]

In 2013, all 25,000 applicants failed the University of Liberia's entrance exam. The university later bowed to government pressure and gave places to 1800 students. [22]

Academics

The university is the oldest degree-granting school in West Africa, [10] and is accredited by Liberia's Commission on Higher Education. [2] Classes are taught in English with the academic year running from September through August. [2] Undergraduate students earn bachelor's degrees after four years of instruction, while the graduate programs offer master's degrees after two years of post-graduate work. [2] Doctorates in medicine are conferred after completing a seven-year program. [2]

As of 2019, 18,753 students were enrolled at the university in all departments, of which 12,278 are male and 6,422 are female. [23] This made the university the largest by enrollment in Liberia. [23] UL had 331 faculty members then. The faculty was male-dominated, with 304 men and 27 women. [23]

The school is divided into six colleges, three graduate programs, and three professional schools. [24] Colleges at the University of Liberia include the Liberia College of Social Sciences and Humanities, the College of Business and Public Administration, the College of General Studies, and the T. J. R. Faulkner College of Science and Technology. [24] Additionally, there is the William V. S. Tubman Teachers College and the William R. Tolbert College of Agriculture and Forestry, both named after former presidents of the nation.

Liberian President Johnson Sirleaf and U.S. President Bush at the campus in 2008 GWBush at University of Liberia 2008.jpg
Liberian President Johnson Sirleaf and U.S. President Bush at the campus in 2008

Louis Arthur Grimes School of Law, the only law school in Liberia, was added to the university in 1951. [25] The A. M. Dogliotti College of Medicine was opened in a partnership between Italy's A. M. Dogliotti Foundation and the government of Liberia. [26] [27] [28] Students of the medical school are required to give one year of service in rural areas after graduation. [6] The School of Pharmacy is the third professional school. At the same time, graduate programs include the Ibrahim B. Babangida Graduate Program in International Relations, the Graduate Program in Regional Science, and the Graduate Program in Education Administration.

In addition to the schools and departments of study, UL houses five institutes. [2] These are the Institute for Research, Institute for Population Studies, Kofi A. Annan Center for Conflict Transformation, Center for Millennium Development Goals, and the Confucius Institute. [2] [29] The Confucius Institute teaches the Chinese language and culture and it is also in cooperation with the Changsha University of Science and Technology. [29]

UL is a member of the Association of African Universities. [30]

Facilities

Aerial View Fendell.jpg
Aerial View

The publicly funded university has four campuses. [31] The Capitol Hill Campus in downtown Monrovia, a medical campus, Straz-Sinje in Grand Cape Mount County and the Fendall campus, about 14 miles northeast of Monrovia. [32] The College of Agriculture and Forestry is at the rural Fendell Campus. [33] The university provides several buses to transport students between these campuses. The main campus was initially designed by Dr. J. Max Bond Sr., the former university president from 1950 to 1954. [34]

Notable alumni

Liberian Foreign Minister Olubanke King Akerele Olubanke King Akerele 080627-F-1644L-202.jpg
Liberian Foreign Minister Olubanke King Akerele

Alums include past and present Liberian politicians and academics. These include formal vice president of Liberia Joseph Boakai [35] and former presidents Arthur Barclay and Joseph James Cheeseman. [1] Candidates for the 2005 Presidential Election included UL alums Nathaniel Barnes, Varney Sherman, Togba-Nah Tipoteh, and Joseph Woah-Tee. [36] The chairperson, Jerome Verdier, [37] and the vice-chair, Dede Dolopei, [38] of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission are alumni. Other alums are attorney Francis Y.S. Garlawolu, Chief Justice Johnnie Lewis, politician Charles Brumskine, Foreign Minister Olubanke King Akerele, and former United States Ambassador to Liberia and founder of the Maryland Industrial and Agricultural Institute for Colored Youths, Ernest Lyon among others.

Presidents

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Liberia</span> Country in West Africa

Liberia, officially the Republic of Liberia, is a country on the West African coast. It is bordered by Sierra Leone to its northwest, Guinea to its north, Ivory Coast to its east, and the Atlantic Ocean to its south and southwest. It has a population of around 5 million and covers an area of 43,000 square miles (111,369 km2). The country's official language is English; however, over 20 indigenous languages are spoken, reflecting the country's ethnic and cultural diversity. The capital and largest city is Monrovia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">University of Zimbabwe</span> Public university in Harare, Zimbabwe

The University of Zimbabwe (UZ) is a public university in Harare, Zimbabwe. It opened in 1952 as the University College of Rhodesia and Nyasaland, and was initially affiliated with the University of London. It was later renamed the University of Rhodesia, and adopted its present name upon Zimbabwe's independence in 1980. UZ is the oldest university in Zimbabwe.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">University of Bridgeport</span> Private university in Bridgeport, Connecticut, United States

The University of Bridgeport is a nonprofit private university in Bridgeport, Connecticut. The university is accredited by the New England Commission of Higher Education. In 2021, the university was purchased by Goodwin University; it retained its own name, brand, and board of trustees.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Montserrado County</span> County in Liberia

Montserrado County is a county in the northwestern portion of the West African nation of Liberia containing its national capital, Monrovia. One of 15 counties that comprise the first-level of administrative division in the nation, it has 17 sub political districts. As of the 2008 Census, it had a population of 1,118,241, making it the most populous county in Liberia. The area of the county measures 1,912.7 square kilometres (738.5 sq mi), the smallest in the country. Bensonville serves as the capital.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">University of Limpopo</span> Public university in Limpopo Province, South Africa

The University of Limpopo is a public university in the Limpopo Province, South Africa. It was formed on 1 January 2005, by the merger of the University of the North and the Medical University of South Africa (MEDUNSA). These previous institutions formed the Turfloop and MEDUNSA campuses of the university, respectively. In 2015 the MEDUNSA campus split and became the Sefako Makgatho Health Sciences University.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">University of the East</span> Private university in Metro Manila, Philippines

The University of the East, also known as UE, is a private university located in Manila, Philippines. Founded in 1946, business tycoon Lucio Tan acquired the university in 1990. UE was once labeled as the "largest university in Asia" when its enrollment in the past reached over 65,000 students.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">University of North Texas at Dallas</span> Public university in Dallas, Texas, U.S.

The University of North Texas at Dallas (UNTD) is a public university in Dallas, Texas. It opened in 2000 as a branch campus of the University of North Texas, offering upper-level undergraduate and graduate courses in multiple disciplines. In 2009 it became a free-standing university, offering a full undergraduate program as well as graduate work. UNT Dallas is the only public university based within Dallas city limits.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Southern University at New Orleans</span> Public HBCU in New Orleans, Louisiana, United States

Southern University at New Orleans is a public historically black university in New Orleans, Louisiana. It is a member of the Southern University System and the Thurgood Marshall College Fund.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cuttington University</span>

Cuttington University is a private university in Suacoco, Liberia. Founded in 1889 as Cuttington College by the Episcopal Church of the United States (ECUSA), it is the oldest private, coeducational, four-year, degree-granting institution in sub-Saharan Africa.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Education in Liberia</span> Overview of education in Liberia

Education in Liberia was severely affected by the First Liberian Civil War and Second Liberian Civil War, between 1989 and 2003. In 2010, the literacy rate of Liberia was estimated at 60.8%.

Louis Arthur Grimes School of Law is the law school of the University of Liberia in Monrovia, Liberia. Founded in 1951, it is named after former Chief Justice of the Liberian Supreme Court, Louis Arthur Grimes. The school offers a three-year program leading to the granting of the Bachelor of Laws degree. Publicly supported, it is the only law school in the West African nation.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">History of the University of Florida</span>

The history of the University of Florida is firmly tied to the history of public education in the state of Florida. The University of Florida originated as several distinct institutions that were consolidated to create a single state-supported university by the Buckman Act of 1905. The oldest of these was the East Florida Seminary, one of two seminaries of higher learning established by the Florida Legislature. The East Florida Seminary opened in Ocala 1853, becoming the first state-supported institution of higher learning in the state of Florida. As it is the oldest of the modern University of Florida's predecessor institutions, the school traces its founding date to that year. The East Florida Seminary closed its Ocala campus at the outbreak of the American Civil War and reopened in Gainesville in 1866.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">University of Luzon</span> Private university in Pangasinan, Philippines

The University of Luzon is a private university located in Dagupan, Philippines.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">African Methodist Episcopal University</span> University in Monrovia, Liberia

The African Methodist Episcopal University (AMEU) is a private institution of higher learning located in Monrovia, in the West African nation of Liberia. Located on Camp Johnson Road, the school is the second largest college in Liberia with over 5,000 students. The school was established in 1995 by the African Methodist Episcopal Church, and chartered by the Liberian Legislature in 1996.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Stella Maris Polytechnic University</span> Private university in Monrovia, Liberia

Stella Maris Polytechnic University (SMPU) is a private university in Monrovia, Liberia. Founded in 1988, the school is owned and operated by the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Monrovia. Located on Capitol Hill, the school has approximately 2,300 students. The school is recognized by Liberia's National Commission on Higher Education as an approved baccalaureate granting school of higher learning, and is a member of the Association of African Universities.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">United Methodist University</span> University in Monrovia, Liberia

The United Methodist University (UMU) is a private institution of higher learning located in Monrovia in the West African nation of Liberia. Established in 1998 and opened in 2000, the school had 9,118 students as of 2016. UMU is certified by the Liberian government's National Commission on Higher Education to grant both bachelor's and master's degrees.

Ray Paul Authement Sr. was an American academic administrator and the longest-serving university president in the United States. From 1974 to 2008, he was the fifth president of the University of Louisiana at Lafayette, formerly known as the University of Southwestern Louisiana in Lafayette, Louisiana.

The Booker Washington Institute (BWI) is a public, post-secondary school in Kakata, Margibi County, Liberia. Founded in 1929 as the Booker Washington Agricultural and Industrial Institute, it was the country's first agricultural and vocational school. BWI was founded with assistance from Americans and is named after American educator Booker T. Washington. Located east of the country's capital of Monrovia, the school sits on a large rural campus and has about 1,800 students.

Dorothy Harriet Eugenia Musuleng Cooper was a Liberian educator, politician and the first woman to serve as Foreign Minister in Liberia. She was born at Arthington, Liberia and obtained her B.S. and M.S. from College of West Africa and San Francisco State University respectively. She worked as a school teacher between graduation and high school and matriculation in 1964 in San Francisco in 1964, curriculum development in the Ministry of Education, and principal of Cuttington University College. She was an education minister in Charles Taylor's shadow government from 1990 to 1993 in the National Patriotic Reconstruction Assembly Government

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 Livingston, Thomas W. "The Exportation of American Higher Education to West Africa: Liberia College, 1850–1900". The Journal of Negro Education, Vol. 45, No. 3 (Summer, 1976), pp. 246–262.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 About The University of Liberia. Archived 7 September 2008 at the Wayback Machine University of Liberia. Retrieved on 3 September 2008.
  3. ↑ Lulat, Y. G-M. (2005). A History of African Higher Education from Antiquity to the Present: a Critical Synthesis. Greenwood Publishing Group. pp. 277–278. ISBN   0-313-32061-6.
  4. ↑ "Trouble in Liberia", The New York Times , 26 May 1884, p. 4.
  5. ↑ "Stephen A. Tolbert". Facts on File World News Digest. 24 May 1975. pp. Miscellaneous, Obituaries, p. 368 F3.
  6. 1 2 3 4 5 Sherman, Mary Antoinette Brown. "The University in Modern Africa: Toward the Twenty-First Century", The Journal of Higher Education, Vol. 61, No. 4 (Jul. – Aug. 1990), pp. 363–385, Ohio State University Press.
  7. ↑ "Liberia; Cuttington University Explains $357US,000 Subsidy". Africa News. 7 July 2008.
  8. ↑ Recent Developments in African Law Faculties. Journal of African Law , Vol. 10, No. 3 (Autumn, 1966), pp. 192–207, p. 198; School of Oriental and African Studies.
  9. ↑ "Monrovia." Encyclopædia Britannica. 2008. Encyclopædia Britannica Online. Retrieved on 31 August 2008.
  10. 1 2 Seyon, Patrick L. N. (Summer 1997). "Rebuilding the University of Liberia in the Midst of War". International Higher Education. The Center for International Higher Education. Archived from the original on 15 September 2008. Retrieved 30 August 2008.
  11. ↑ Patrick N. Seyon. Review: Historical Dictionary of Liberia by D. Elwood Dunn; Amos J. Beyan; Carl Patrick Burrowes. The International Journal of African Historical Studies, Vol. 35, No. 1, Special Issue: Leisure in African History (2002), pp. 205–207.
  12. 1 2 3 Oyo, Remi. "Liberia-Education: University plans for the future", IPS-Inter Press Service, 4 December 1997.
  13. ↑ "Renovation of University of Liberia Arthur Grimes Law School". Promoting the Rule of Law. American Bar Association. 6 March 2007. Archived from the original on 10 October 2008. Retrieved 30 August 2008.
  14. ↑ "Digital Bridge Project Launched at the University of Liberia Campus". CIPACO. April 2007. Archived from the original on 16 January 2016. Retrieved 30 August 2008.
  15. ↑ The Inquirer. "Liberia; Classes Suspended at University", Africa News, 20 June 2007.
  16. ↑ The Inquirer. "Liberia; Classes to Resume at UL on Monday", Africa News, 19 July 2007.
  17. ↑ Bush Pledges 1 Million Schoolbooks for Liberian Children. Archived 12 September 2008 at the Wayback Machine America.gov, 21 February 2008. Retrieved on 3 September 2008.
  18. ↑ Liberia Government (10 June 2008). "Liberia; President Sirleaf Launches China-Aided Project of School Buildings at the University of Liberia". Africa News.
  19. ↑ Liberia Government (8 March 2009). "Liberia; Angie Brooks International Center Launched". Africa News.
  20. ↑ Liberia Government (23 March 2009). "Liberia; Visitor of the University of Liberia, President Sirleaf Speaks of Challenges Facing the University". Africa News.
  21. ↑ Zota, Sam Jr. "We're open for business, but…". The Monitor. Equal Chance Communication Ltd. Archived from the original on 22 July 2011. Retrieved 9 March 2010.
  22. ↑ Smith, David (27 August 2013). "All 25,000 candidates fail Liberian university entrance exam". The Guardian . Retrieved 19 April 2023.
  23. 1 2 3 Kwanue, C.Y. (7 February 2010). "Faculty at Liberia's 9 Universities, Colleges Numbers 1,137". The Daily Observer. Retrieved 27 June 2011.
  24. 1 2 "Academic Programs". The University of Liberia. Archived from the original on 31 March 2009. Retrieved 14 April 2009.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  25. ↑ Jallah, David A. B. "Notes, Presented by Professor and Dean of the Louis Arthur Grimes School of Law, University of Liberia, David A. B. Jallah to the International Association of Law Schools Conference Learning From Each Other: Enriching the Law School Curriculum in an Interrelated World Held at Soochow University Kenneth Wang School of Law, Suzhou, China, October 17–19, 2007." Archived 14 September 2013 at the Wayback Machine International Association of Law Schools. Retrieved on 1 September 2008.
  26. ↑ "Monrovia." Encyclopædia Britannica. 2008. Encyclopædia Britannica Online. Retrieved on 31 August 2008.
  27. ↑ "Liberia; Firestone Hailed for Help to Cuttington". Africa News. 26 May 2008.
  28. ↑ Liberia Government (19 March 2009). "Liberia; A.M. Doglioti Medical Colledge at 40 – President Sirleaf Recommits Government Support". Africa News.
  29. 1 2 "UL launches Confucius Institute tomorrow". The Inquirer. 18 December 2008.
  30. ↑ "Member Details: University of Liberia". Membership. Association of African Universities. Archived from the original on 27 September 2011. Retrieved 29 June 2011.
  31. ↑ The Inquirer. "Liberia; ULSU Wants Budget Stopped", Africa News, 11 July 2007.
  32. ↑ "China to fund Liberian school project". BBC Monitoring Africa. BBC Worldwide Monitoring. 11 June 2008.
  33. ↑ The Inquirer. "Liberia; Firestone Donates to Camp-Based Group", Africa News, 1 December 2006.
  34. ↑ Pace, Eric (18 December 1991). "J. Max Bond Sr., 89, an American Who Headed Liberian University". The New York Times. Retrieved 14 April 2009.
  35. ↑ "Biography of Vice President Joseph N. Boakai". The Executive Mansion. The Republic of Liberia. Archived from the original on 24 June 2008. Retrieved 15 April 2009.
  36. ↑ "Candidates for President in Election 2005". TLC Africa. Archived from the original on 2 April 2004. Retrieved 2 September 2008.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  37. ↑ "Cllr. Jerome J Verdier, Sr, Chairman". Meet the Commissioners. The Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Liberia. Archived from the original on 29 April 2009. Retrieved 15 April 2009.
  38. ↑ "Dede Dolopei, Vice Chairperson". Meet the Commissioners. The Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Liberia. Archived from the original on 29 April 2009. Retrieved 15 April 2009.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.