African Methodist Episcopal University
Encyclopedia
The African Methodist Episcopal University (AMEU) is a private
institution of higher learning located in Monrovia
in the West African nation of Liberia
. Located on Camp Johnson Road, the school is the second largest college in Liberia with nearly 3,500 students. The school was established in 1995 by the African Methodist Episcopal Church
, and chartered by the Liberian Legislature in 1996.
In 2003, Louise C. York served as president of the university, and accounting was the most popular major at the Christian school. During the Second Liberian Civil War
in 2003, the school's campus was attacked and ransacked. As the commencement ceremony proceeded that year, the 185 graduates could hear mortar shells exploding in the background as rebel forces attempted to take the capital. After the civil strife ended, the country's National Commission on Higher Education approved the university to operate on a temporary basis in November 2005, and in February 2006 the school received full approval.
A scam by students at the school in February 2006 cost the university US $100,000 in lost funds, which resulted in the arrest of four people the next month. Also in February 2006, USAID paid for some reconstruction on the campus. Levi Zangar resigned as president of the school in November 2006 citing problems with the school's board of directors. In April 2007, students protested against the university's administration for requiring students to pay 80% of tuition for the new semester prior to classes beginning.
The school held its eighth commencement in November 2007 at the Samuel Kanyon Doe Sports Complex, with Liberian President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf as the convocation speaker. The school graduated over 400 students at that time. As of 2009, the school had 3,432 students enrolled, with 1,516 of those being men and 1,916 women. The total enrollment placed the school as the second biggest in the country, behind only the University of Liberia
. In February 2011, students at AMEU protested an increase in tuition, poor pay for their instructors, and for providing a poor education. The school had raised the cost per course to US $11 from $8. As of June 2011, Jean Bill Manning is the president of the university.
Private university
Private universities are universities not operated by governments, although many receive public subsidies, especially in the form of tax breaks and public student loans and grants. Depending on their location, private universities may be subject to government regulation. Private universities are...
institution of higher learning located in Monrovia
Monrovia
Monrovia is the capital city of the West African nation of Liberia. Located on the Atlantic Coast at Cape Mesurado, it lies geographically within Montserrado County, but is administered separately...
in the West African nation of Liberia
Liberia
Liberia , officially the Republic of Liberia, is a country in West Africa. It is bordered by Sierra Leone on the west, Guinea on the north and Côte d'Ivoire on the east. Liberia's coastline is composed of mostly mangrove forests while the more sparsely populated inland consists of forests that open...
. Located on Camp Johnson Road, the school is the second largest college in Liberia with nearly 3,500 students. The school was established in 1995 by the African Methodist Episcopal Church
African Methodist Episcopal Church
The African Methodist Episcopal Church, usually called the A.M.E. Church, is a predominantly African American Methodist denomination based in the United States. It was founded by the Rev. Richard Allen in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, in 1816 from several black Methodist congregations in the...
, and chartered by the Liberian Legislature in 1996.
History
AMEU was organized in 1995 by leaders of the African Methodist Episcopal Church, with Bryant Theological Seminary as the first component school of the university. Bryant Theological Seminary had been started in 1992 by David R. Daniels, Jr., now bishop of the church. The university was then chartered in February 1996.In 2003, Louise C. York served as president of the university, and accounting was the most popular major at the Christian school. During the Second Liberian Civil War
Second Liberian Civil War
The Second Liberian Civil War began in 1999 when a rebel group backed by the government of neighbouring Guinea, the Liberians United for Reconciliation and Democracy , emerged in northern Liberia. In early 2003, a second rebel group, the Movement for Democracy in Liberia, emerged in the south, and...
in 2003, the school's campus was attacked and ransacked. As the commencement ceremony proceeded that year, the 185 graduates could hear mortar shells exploding in the background as rebel forces attempted to take the capital. After the civil strife ended, the country's National Commission on Higher Education approved the university to operate on a temporary basis in November 2005, and in February 2006 the school received full approval.
A scam by students at the school in February 2006 cost the university US $100,000 in lost funds, which resulted in the arrest of four people the next month. Also in February 2006, USAID paid for some reconstruction on the campus. Levi Zangar resigned as president of the school in November 2006 citing problems with the school's board of directors. In April 2007, students protested against the university's administration for requiring students to pay 80% of tuition for the new semester prior to classes beginning.
The school held its eighth commencement in November 2007 at the Samuel Kanyon Doe Sports Complex, with Liberian President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf as the convocation speaker. The school graduated over 400 students at that time. As of 2009, the school had 3,432 students enrolled, with 1,516 of those being men and 1,916 women. The total enrollment placed the school as the second biggest in the country, behind only the University of Liberia
University of Liberia
The University of Liberia 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 February 2011, students at AMEU protested an increase in tuition, poor pay for their instructors, and for providing a poor education. The school had raised the cost per course to US $11 from $8. As of June 2011, Jean Bill Manning is the president of the university.