By Grace Q. Bryant
The Vanguard Students Unification Party (SUP) at the University of Liberia (UL) staged a protest yesterday, disrupting normal learning activities on both the Fendell and Main Campuses.
The students demanded an immediate action from the university’s administration to address ongoing issues related to course registration (add and drop process) and the shortage of classroom spaces.
Several students abandoned their classes to join the demonstration, echoing SUP’s call for a more conducive learning environment at the state-run university.
During the march, SUP’s Women Wing leader, Bendu Kamara, highlighted the numerous challenges students face daily.
She emphasized that the burden of advocating for change falls upon the students themselves, urging them to remain committed to pushing for reforms.
“As students, we are the ones who face these challenges firsthand. It is our right and responsibility to advocate for a better learning environment,” Madam Kamara stated.
She also noted that communication had been established with the administration, and there were expectations of engaging with university officials to find a resolution.
According to Kamara, while the protest was in motion, they received a call from the UL administration, inviting student representatives for discussions on their grievances.
She encouraged protesters to remain peaceful and assured them that the leadership was working toward a positive outcome.
“The administration has agreed to engage us, and we hope for a favorable response. I urge all students to remain nonviolent as we push for our demands,” she added.
The primary concerns raised by SUP include difficulties in the add and drop process, which many students claim has delayed their academic progress, and the issue of limited classroom spaces, which has resulted in overcrowding and an unconducive learning environment.
Meanwhile, there were reports of campus security monitoring the protest to prevent any escalation into violence.
Some students expressed that the administration would take decisive action following the engagement with SUP’s leaders.
The authorities of the university are yet to release an official statement regarding the protest or the steps they intend to take to address the students’ demands.
Observers describe the situation as tense, with students awaiting feedbacks from their leadership on the outcome of the discussions with the administration.
