University of Liberia

Infobox_University
name= University of Liberia
latin_name=


motto= "Lux in tenebris"
"Light in darkness"
established= 1862
staff=
chancellor= Dr. Al-Hassan Conteh
vice_chancellor = Dr. G. Bismark Reeves
city= Monrovia
country= Liberia
coor = coord|6|17|57|N|10|47|41|W|type:edu_region:LR|display=title,inline [cite web|url=http://www.glosk.com/LI/University_of_Liberia/-2959798/index_en.htm|title=University of Liberia, Montserrado, Liberia |publisher=glosk.com|accessdate=2008-09-01]
campus= Monrovia campus (urban), Fendall campus (rural)
students= 15,000 total
colours=
type= Public
affiliations=
website= [http://www.tlcafrica.com/lu/lu.htm University of Liberia]

The University of Liberia (UL) is a publicly funded institution of higher learning located in Monrovia, Liberia. Authorized by the national government in 1851, the school opened in 1863 as Liberia College and became a university in 1951. The school is one of the oldest institutions of higher learning in West Africa and is accredited by the Liberian Commission on Higher Education. Civil wars have disrupted and damaged the school over the last three decades.

The University of Liberia has six colleges, three professional schools (including a law school and medical school), and three graduate programs with a total of 15,000 students at its three campuses in and around the country's capital city. The law school is the only law school in Liberia. Graduates of the school have gone on to leadership roles in Liberian politics including former President Arthur Barclay.

History

In 1847, Liberia declared its independence from the American Colonization Society and in 1851 the new national legislature authorized the creation of a state college and chartered Liberia College.Livingston, Thomas W. [http://www.jstor.org/stable/2966902 “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.] Financing for the school was provided by the New York Colonization Society and the Trustees of Donations for Education in Liberia, both United States organizations. These two groups provided almost all of the funds for the school during the 19th century and were responsible for hiring the faculty.

After authorization, groups from Clay Ashland and Monrovia maneuvered in political circles in an attempt to have the school located in their cities, with the location eventually chosen as the capital city. This political battle delayed the foundation of the school. On January 25, 1858, the cornerstone of the first building was laid in Monrovia, [http://www.universityliberia.org/lu_about.htm About The University of Liberia.] University of Liberia. Retrieved on September 3 2008.] and in January 1862 the school was inaugurated, with classes beginning in 1863. The nation’s first president, Joseph Jenkins Roberts, became the school’s first president in 1862, and served in that post until 1876.

Seven men made up the first class of students, with a college preparatory division adding 18 students to the enrollment two months later. In addition to American financing, colleges and individuals from the United States also donated books and even the bricks and lumber used to construct the school’s building. At opening, the school's library had an estimated 4,000 volumes. Once classes opened, the curriculum was the standard courses typical at American colleges at that time with course such as rhetoric and Latin.

During the 19th century, sophomores and freshmen would battle each other in an annual ritual over whether the freshmen were allowed to wear trousers. ["Trouble in Liberia", "The New York Times", May 26 1884, p. 4.] From 1866 to 1902 the school had a total of 10 graduates with long periods between the granting of degrees. Under the leadership of Edward Wilmot Blyden, school president from 1881 to 1884, women were allowed to enroll at the school in the preparatory department. During the 1800s the school and country suffered from class and caste conflicts, which led to the temporary closure of Liberia College on several occasions in the 1890s. R. B. Richardson was the first alumnus to become the president of the school.

20th century

The School of Forestry at the college was founded in 1942 by Stephen A. Tolbert who also served as dean of the school until 1960. [cite news|title=Stephen A. Tolbert|date=May 24, 1975|work=Facts on File World News Digest|pages=Miscellaneous, Obituaries, p. 368 F3|accessdate=2008-08-31] Enrollment increased to approximately 70 students in 1948 and to 100 in 1950.Sherman, Mary Antoinette Brown. [http://www.jstor.org/stable/1982076 “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.] In 1951, J. Max Bond, Sr. helped to convert the college into the University of Liberia. [cite news|title=Liberia; Cuttington University Explains $357US,000 Subsidy|date=July 7, 2008|work=Africa News|accessdate=2008-08-30] Also in 1951, the Law School was established and named after former Liberia Supreme Court Chief Justice Louis Arthur Grimes.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.] In 1956, the now university had an enrollment of 259 students.In 1968, a medical school was added to the university."Monrovia." "Encyclopædia Britannica". 2008. Encyclopædia Britannica Online. Retrieved on August 31 2008.] Due to civil strife in the country, the school has closed on several occasions including in 1979, 1984, and 1990. [Patrick N. Seyon. [http://www.jstor.org/stable/3097407 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.] In one incident in 1984, students and the faculty of the University of Liberia protested the arrest of two faculty members by the Liberian government. Liberian President Samuel K. Doe sent the Liberian Army to attack the school on August 22 1984, leading to several deaths, more than one hundred injured, a three month closure, and destruction of some of the facilities. The school did not grant any degrees from 1989 to 1996 due to the fighting. When it re-opened in 1997 enrollment totaled 6,000.Oyo, Remi. “Liberia-Education: University plans for the future”, "IPS-Inter Press Service", December 4 1997.] The civil war damaged facilities at the university and led many of the faculty to leave the country.

In 2007, the American Bar Association paid for renovations to the law school. [cite web|url=http://www.abanet.org/rol/news/news_liberia_university_renovation.html|title=Renovation of University of Liberia Arthur Grimes Law School|date=March 06, 2007|work=Promoting the Rule of Law|publisher=American Bar Association|accessdate=2008-08-30] In April of that year the university opened a new 200 computer digital center. [cite web|url=http://www.cipaco.org/spip.php?article1315|title=Digital Bridge Project Launched at the University of Liberia Campus|date=April 2007|publisher=CIPACO|accessdate=2008-08-30] In June 2007, the school’s president suspended classes after a faculty strike over back wages owed by the government, [The Inquirer. “Liberia; Classes Suspended at University”, "Africa News", June 20 2007.] with classes re-opened in July. [The Inquirer. “Liberia; Classes to Resume At UL On Monday”, "Africa News", July 19 2007.] In February 2008, U.S. President George W. Bush visited the campus during a state visit to Liberia. [ [http://www.america.gov/st/peacesec-english/2008/February/20080221114433wcyeroc0.1401331.html Bush Pledges 1 Million Schoolbooks for Liberian Children.] America.gov, February 21 2008. Retrieved on September 3 2008.] China funded a USD $21.5 million expansion at the Fendall Campus that began in April 2008 and will add more than five buildings to the campus. [cite news|title=Liberia; President Sirleaf Launches China-Aided Project of School Buildings At the University of Liberia|coauthors=Liberia Government|date=June 10, 2008|work=Africa News|accessdate=2008-08-30]

Academics

The university is the oldest degree-granting school in West Africa.cite news|url=http://www.bc.edu/bc_org/avp/soe/cihe/newsletter/News08/text10.html|title=Rebuilding the University of Liberia in the Midst of War|last=Seyon|first=Patrick L. N.|date=Summer 1997|work=International Higher Education|publisher=The Center for International Higher Education|accessdate=2008-08-30] UL is accredited by Liberia’s Commission on Higher Education. Classes at the school are taught in English with the academic year running from March through December. Undergraduate students earn bachelor degrees after four years of instruction, while the graduate programs offer masters degrees after two years of post-graduate work. Doctorates in medicine are conferred after the completion of a seven year program.

The school is divided into six colleges, three graduate programs, and three professional schools. As of 2008, there are 15,000 total students enrolled at the university in all departments. Colleges at the University of Liberia include the Liberia College of Social Sciences & Humanities, the College of Business and Public Administration, the College of General Studies, and the T.J.R. Faulkner College of Science and Technology. Additionally, there are 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.

Louis Arthur Grimes School of Law, the only law school in Liberia, was added in to the university in 1951.Jallah, David A. B. [http://www.ialsnet.org/meetings/enriching/JallahDavid.pdf “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.”] International Association of Law Schools. Retrieved on September 1 2008.] In 1968, A. M. Dogliotti College of Medicine was opened."Monrovia." Encyclopædia Britannica. 2008. Encyclopædia Britannica Online. Retrieved on August 31 2008.] [cite news|title=Liberia; Firestone Hailed for Help to Cuttington |date=May 26, 2008|work=Africa News |accessdate=2008-08-30] Students of the medical school are required to give one year of service in rural areas after graduation. The School of Pharmacy is the third professional school, while 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 also houses several institutes. These four institutes are the Institute for Research, Institute for Population Studies, Kofi A. Annan Center for Conflict Transformation, and Center for Millennium Development Goals.

Facilities

The publicly funded university is divided up into three campuses: [The Inquirer. “Liberia; ULSU Wants Budget Stopped”, "Africa News", July 11 2007.] The main, original campus in downtown Monrovia, a medical campus, and the Fendall campus, located about 14 miles northeast of Monrovia. [cite news|title=China to fund Liberian school project |date=June 11, 2008|work=BBC Monitoring Africa|publisher=BBC Worldwide Monitoring|accessdate=2008-08-30] The College of Agriculture and Forestry is located at the Fendell Campus. [The Inquirer. “Liberia; Firestone Donates to Camp-Based Group”, "Africa News", December 1 2006.] The university provides four buses to transport students between the campuses. The main campus was originally designed by J. Max Bond, Sr., who was the architect. Radio station LUX 106.6 FM is operated by the school. [cite news|title=Pres Johnson-Sirleaf donates to UL|date=August 29, 2008|work=The Analyst |accessdate=2008-08-30]

Notable alumni

*Arthur Barclay
*Nathaniel Barnes
*Joseph Boakai
*Dede Dolopei
*Francis Y.S. Garlawolu
*G. Bismark Reeves
*Haile Selassie I
*Varney Sherman
*Togba-Nah Tipoteh
*Jerome Verdier

Former presidents and faculty

* Edward Wilmot Blyden, president (1881–1884)
* Orator F. Cook, president
* Martin Henry Freeman, president
* Garretson W. Gibson, president (1892–1896)
* Vusumzi Make, professor (1968–1974)
* Rocheforte Lafayette Weeks, president (1961–1972)
* Cletus Wotorson, professor

References

External links

* [http://www.tlcafrica.com/lu/lu.htm University of Liberia official site]
* [http://www.ansti.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=169&Itemid=60 African Network of Scientific Institutions — Engineering Division, University of Liberia]
* [http://unesdoc.unesco.org/images/0015/001571/157195eb.pdf UNESCO report]
* [http://www.universityliberia.org/index.html School website]