Being a university teacher in the Libya is most of the time described as a challenge. In the case of the current unstable situation in Libya, the task is formidable in many cases. This paper investigates the challenges encountered by Alzawia university teachers in four colleges. It attempts to answer the following questions: what are the challenges that university teachers face? What is the scope of professional development? The findings of the study suggests a model of professional development that might help the teachers to deal with the challenges that they face such as the low motivated students and the lack of in service training.