University of Liberia (UL) Vice President for Academic Affairs and Chairman for UL’s 100th Commencement Committee Dr. William Ezra Allen announces that the University is asking for public support to raise US$700,000 to establish a state – of – the – art printing press for the institution.
Dr. Allen told journalists on UL Capitol Hill Campus Monday, 12 August that “The printing press will be around $700,000 dollars,” consisting of different machines.But he says the University could start with one machine and buy additional ones later as funding becomes available.
Dr. Allen explains that UL relies on government for support, but the University is equally looking out for ways to supplement the income it gets from the government.According to him, UL sees the establishment of the printing press as a way forward, noting that it will serve the public by producing annual reports for entities and convocation programs for other schools, among others.
“So we’re breaking ground for a printing press. The goal is to establish, to procure a printing press for the University of Liberia – a commercial printing press,” he says.According to Dr. Allen, UL believes that business ventures like the commercial printing press will help to augment what it receives from the government.
He explains that letters are going out now, revealing that the University is asking for public support to help it with resources so that it can be competitive among universities in the world.“We are already looking for funding,” he says, adding that they will appreciate help from the public.
The university’s account numbers provided include US dollars account #6101669741 and Liberian dollars account #6101652192 held at Ecobank Liberia.Unlike previous years, Dr. Allen says this year’s convocation is a one – day event to be held at the S.K.D. Sports Stadium in Paynesville on 11 December.
He however clarifies that the decision to hold the 100th commencement for one day is not due to financial constraints, but the objective is to really celebrate the graduation in one center by congregating all the colleges. Additionally, Dr. Allen reveals that the UL is trying to preserve its memory so as to hand it over to the next generation by writing a concise history of the university including its centennial and establishing a Time Capsule.
Detailing the memory preservation strategy, Dr. Allen says it the Time Capsule is a container where you put parafernalia, the university’s souvernair, payroll and other important things that are sealed up for a prescribed length of time.He discloses that the University has chosen to preserve its memory for 100 years before the Time Capsule is opened, meaning the Time’s Capsule will be opened in 2119.
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Dr. Allen says the University will put pieces of its history in the Time Capsule which could be a big box, container or a tomb, adding that this will be done in collaboration with public and private partners.He says they will ask Club Breweries, National Port Authority, GSM companies Orange and Lonestar MTN for example, to give some documents that best identify them so that they can be put in the Time Capsule to give the next generation the picture of what these institutions looked like in 2019.
He concludes that the Time Capsule will be stored on UL’s Capitol Hill campus, adding that partners will be invited in September this year at which time items will be selected for preservation.Also speaking, the Vice President for UL Relations Mr. Norris Tweah notes that a state of the art printing press is about to be inaugurated and erected at UL’s Fendall Campus.
He says the event is slated for 22 August, inviting as many people as possible, including students, members of UL Alumni community in and out of Liberia and high profile persons for the ground breaking.By Winston W. Parley
