Five Faculty from Amos C. Sawyer College Depart for MA Studies at Sharda University in India 

The unwavering dream to enhance the status of the faculty and staffs of UL among other higher institutions of learning has become a fruitful and resounding reality with several faculty members and staffs benefiting from the University of Liberia sponsorship to pursue master’s degree and doctorate studies across Africa, Europe and Asia.

On Friday, 22 September 2023, the Dean, Chairpersons, Coordinators, faculty and staffs of the Amos C. Sawyer College of Social Sciences and Humanities, University of Liberia, convened at the Thelma E Duncan Sawyer Faculty Lounge, UL Fendall Campus to bid farewell to five departing faculty and two staffs from the college to India to pursue master’s degree studies in various disciplines at Sharda University.  They are expected to depart the country on Monday, 25 September to the Indian capital New Delhi. The five dedicated and committed wonderful faculty and staffs who are being sponsored by the University of Liberia have been such an important part of team at Sawyer College all these few years.

The five persons include: Mr. Jankai Abdullah Sesay, Teaching Assistant, Department of History (MA in Modern History); Mr. Konah B. Ballah, Administrative Secretary, Department of Political Science (MA in Development Studies), Mr. Boimah Coleman, Administrative Assistant to the Dean of Amos C. Sawyer College, (MA in Practical Psychology. The other two are Mr. Momo Sheriff, Teaching Assistant, Department of English and Language Studies (MA in Literature) and Mr. Henry Mulbah, Teaching Assistant, Department of History (MA in Modern History).

Speaking at the Friday’s farewell program, the Dean of the College, Dr. Josephus M. Gray praised UL administration headed by Pro. Dr. Julius Julukon Sarwolo Nelson, Jr. for the numerous supports towards the Amos C. Sawyer College. Also, he lauded several other personalities including Mrs. Weade Kobbah Boley, Vice President,  Institutional Development, Investment and Planning; Prof. Dr. Moses M. Zinnah, former Vice President for Academic Affairs; Mr. Isaac H. Garnett, Vice President for Fiscal Affairs and Finance. He further praised the chairpersons, coordinators and faculty for the hard work and commitment to duties to move the college forward.

Other speakers at the Friday’s farewell program were Assistant Prof. Euriahs M. Togar, Chairman, Department of Communication and Media Studies; Dr. Samuel Kortue, Chairman, Department of History; Assistant Prof. Michael Seator, Jr., Chairman, Department of Philosophy and Religious Studies and Mr. Fayiah Koijee, Chairman, Department of Physical Education and Sports.

The various speakers shared words of motivation, courage and inspiration and candid counsels. They used the program to caution the departing faculty and staffs to treat their studies with seriousness and do everything possible to overcome challenges ahead. They reminded the faculty and staffs that their academic performance and attitudes will have a great impact on image of Sawyer College and University of Liberia, particularly the country.

From 2020 to present, the Amos C. Sawyer College of Social Sciences and Humanities (formerly Liberia College) with support from UL under the dynamic leadership of Prof. Dr. Julius Julukon Sarwolo Nelson, the college has sent 27 faculty and staffs abroad for master’s degree and Ph.D. studies in various disciplines.  The Dean of Amos C Sawyer College is Associate Professor Dr Josephus M. Gray.

The current group of UL’s  sponsored faculty and staffs brings to thirty the number of faculty and staffs from the Amos C. Sawyer College undergoing master’s and doctorate studies in various disciplines in the Netherlands, Ghana, Nigeria and India.

The five are joining other colleagues enrolling in various universities including Sharda University in India. Currently, several faculty and staffs from Amos c. Sawyer are in India in pursue of advanced studies. They include Mr. Andrew Dean from the Department of Sociology and the Office of Protocol (MA in Psychology), Mr.Victor Senyon from the Department of History (MA in Modern History), Lisa Win Edwards from the Department of English and Language Studies (MA in Linguistics), Mr. Matthew Gormah from the Department of Social Work (MA in Social Work) and Mr. Mohammed Kanneh from the Department of Sociology, Anthropology and Criminology (MA in Sociology).

Additionally, eight other faculty members mostly teaching assistants from the Department of Demography are currently in the Ghanaian capital Accra where they are pursuing MA studies in Demography at University of Ghana, Legon. Another instructor from the Department of Demography, Mr. Christine Washington is in Nigeria pursuing Ph.D. studies with concentration in Demography.

Four of the thirty UL sponsored faculty and staffs are pursuing Ph.D studies in various disciplines. They are: Assistant Prof. Richmond Anderson, Chairperson, Department of Political Science and Mr. Smith Peters, Instructor, Department of Physical Education( PE) Both are admitted in the Sharda University’s Ph.D. programs where Mr. Anderson is pursues a doctorate in Political Science. He earned double master’s degree in international relations and educational Supervision from UL Graduate School with distinction, while Mr. Peters will pursue Ph.D. studies in Development Studies and Public Policy Studies at Sharda University. Mr. Peters earned MPA from the UL Graduate School.

The other two are Assistant Professor Euriahs M. Togar, Chairperson, Department of Communication and Media Studies. He is a Ph.D. candidate at Tilburg University, The Netherlands; his Ph.D. study is in Communication. He earned an MSc in Communication from Tilburg University. While Mr. Christine Phillip Washington, Instructor, Department of Demography is pursuing Ph.D. program at Covenant University in Nigeria with concentration in Demography. He earned is MA from the Covenant University.

Additionally, the five departing faculty will bring the number to 12 from Amos C. Sawyer College in India to purpose MA degree studies in various disciplines including Psychology, Social Work, Modern History, Sociology, Development Studies, Public Policy, Political Sciences, Computer Science and Information Technology, Literature and Linguistics.  Besides, two other graduates from the college, Miss. Danielle Wornee and Miss Juma Patrica Sando are awarded fully funded master’s degree scholarship to pursue studies in Environmental Management and Public Health at UL Graduate School.

The scholarship was awarded to the two ladies by the Amos C. Sawyer Educational Foundation due to their outstanding academic performance in thesis oral defense and presentation. They were recommended by the College’s Thesis Committee to the Dean of the College for advanced degree sponsorship; based on the request, the Dean recommended the two ladies to the Chair of the Amos C. Sawyer Educational Foundation, Mrs. Thelma E. Duncan Sawyer, widow of Dr. Amos C. Sawyer.

Presently, the College contains 298 faculty members of which 176 are full-time faculty and 122 Part-time faculty with 23 Ph.D. holders. The academic ranks of the college include six Professors, five Associate Professors and 15 Assistant Professors and dozens of instructors and teaching assistants. The college confers BA and BSW degrees in 13 disciplines and runs 16 academic departments excluding five Certificate and Diploma programs and four none degree granting programs. Based on the necessity for faculty career development at the University of Liberia, modalities are being worked out to sponsor additional two other faculty members from Amos C. Sawyer to travel to India.

Meanwhile, it is mandatory that no student graduate from Amos C. Sawyer College without submitting and defending his or her thesis, Research Project or Practical Research in front of a Seven-member academic jury. The College has been successful in integrating research in all the 13 degree granting departments, as a major requirement for completion. At Sawyer College, faculties and students pursue a full range of research interests related to their own academic disciplines.

The college has harmonized the various academic departments’ curricula and introduced standardized research course across the college. Students who successfully passed the research course are advanced for thesis writing or undertake a senior project as a special requirement to fulfill a 4-year Baccalaureate Degree Requirements to earn a Bachelor of Arts (BA) and Bachelor of Social Work (BSW) Degree.

The Amos C Sawyer College, formerly Liberia College has a proud history of providing courses that help communities to grow and flourish, this focus on combining practical knowledge with quality learning and teaching. The College remains driven by its commitment to the Liberian society and is dedicated.

Prof Amos C. Sawyer College of Social Sciences and Humanities is an interesting paradox. It’s a small, supportive community hosted in a single roof of the Academic Complex of the University of Liberia.  It is just a place where anyone soon know every face and it’s the best place with a beautiful land scape, with access to every possible amenity; but it sits at the heart of the university’s Fendall campus in Louisiana, Monyserrado County, few miles away from the capital of Liberia.