More than a decade after the full-time file at the Lebanese University was frozen in 2014, this academic and administrative right has returned to the forefront of events, coinciding with the acceleration of official steps to resolve it through the Cabinet’s approval of the file in four batches starting in September of 2026, which will reflect positively on academic stability and the conditions of hundreds of contract professors.
University sources reported that the names have been decided at the level of college administrations and the university presidency, and that the final number for each of the four batches has been determined, after the Council of Ministers decision that put the file into effect. Sources indicate that matters are almost complete from an administrative standpoint, awaiting the completion of formal procedures for issuing decrees.
The sources also clarify that the issue of sectarian balance does not necessarily mean achieving numerical equality, but rather finding a real balance within the limits of academic reality, especially in light of the unequal ratio of Christian to Muslim professors among contractors who meet full-time conditions. Therefore, each of the four batches will reflect this balance according to the standards approved in the full-time process.
At the college level, the first batch will be allocated full time based on each college’s share of the number of eligible professors, and according to a criterion based on the ratio of the number of students to the number of professors in it, which takes into account actual academic needs and ensures a fair distribution among university units.
The first batch of full-time students is scheduled to begin with the beginning of the new academic year on September 1, 2026, giving the university a necessary dose of stability with the start of the academic year.
On the other hand, professors’ sources indicate that the names of the first batch have not been decided yet, with clear information expected to be released within the next week. The sources confirm that all names across the four batches will be announced in one decree that includes everyone, in order to preserve the rights of professors at various stages.
The sources explain that the decrees will be issued with the names of the new full-timers together within one legal framework, which will guarantee the confirmation of the right of all those who meet the conditions, and make the transition of subsequent batches to full-time work automatic in accordance with the approved mechanism, without the need to reopen the discussion at every stage.
Thus, the sabbatical file, which over the years has been a source of tension within the Lebanese University, has entered the stage of executive resolution, awaiting the issuance of decrees that will transform political decisions into a tangible academic and administrative reality.
