State-owned University of Liberia Fires Eight Employees in Major Crackdown on Academic Fraud
The probe, which spanned over the last four months, was conducted by the Special Committee to Investigate Academic Fraud and centered. The probe was initiated owing to multiple allegations of misconduct, including the widely publicized incident involving Commerce Inspector General Dorr Cooper
In a firm statement issued on Tuesday, April 29, 2025, UL President Dr. Layli Maparyan confirmed that eight employees from various departments, namely the Department of Public Administration (PADM), the Office of Enrollment Services (OES), and the Office of Information Technology (OIT), will be dismissed immediately.
One additional employee has been suspended until the end of 2025. Two others, for whom no conclusive evidence of wrongdoing was found, will return to work.
“This report concludes definitively that coordinated acts of academic fraud did occur,” Dr. Maparyan stated. “Academic fraud is the antithesis of academic integrity and the enemy of academic excellence. It undermines the university’s educational mission and destroys our academic reputation.”
Dr. Maparyan vowed to restore the university’s integrity, elevate its academic standards, and root out corrupt practices that threaten its mission.
“On my watch,” she continued, “the University of Liberia will be restored to academic integrity and academic excellence. Its educational mission will be freed from the shackles of misconduct. We will hold people accountable; impunity will not be an option. From this day forward, we are instituting a zero-tolerance policy for academic fraud, because academic integrity is ground zero for academic excellence.”
In line with the recommendations of the investigative committee, the following key measures will be implemented, which include Establishment of a Permanent Oversight Body—The temporary Special Committee will transition into a standing body known as the Committee to Investigate Academic Fraud (CIAF), with the mandate to investigate and respond to future incidents.
The launch of the UL Whistle-blower Platform (ULWP)—a secure platform that will be created to allow students, faculty, staff, alumni, and other stakeholders to confidentially or anonymously report suspected acts of academic fraud—made it to the recommendation list.
Also, overhauling the Office of Enrollment Services (OES)—the department will undergo a comprehensive restructuring process to improve transparency, accountability, and service delivery.
And policy reforms and awareness campaigns, which will strengthen UL’s policies concerning academic fraud and initiate educational campaigns to ensure students and employees are fully informed about ethical expectations and consequences, concluded with a recommendation aimed at discouraging academic fraud.
“These measures are designed not just to address the current crisis but to build a future where academic integrity is the foundation of our operations,” Dr. Maparyan concluded. “We are determined to make UL an excellent, effective, and ethical institution that Liberia’s students, faculty, and staff truly deserve.”
The university’s latest actions send a clear message: misconduct will not be tolerated, and the pursuit of excellence and integrity remains non-negotiable.
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