UniMAC’s management, Alumni Executives chart new course, vision
The Management of the University of Media, Arts and Communication (UniMAC) on Thursday met with the Alumni Executives of the erstwhile three institutions to chart a new course and vision for the university.
The Ghana Institute of Journalism (GIJ) Alumni, National Film and Television Institute’s (NAFTI) Alumni and the Institute of Languages’ School of Translators’ (IoL-SoL) formed the UniMAC.
The Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Opoku Mensah, in an address, expressed gratitude to the executives for honouring the meeting as this was the first time, he was meeting the alumni since becoming the Vice-Chancellor.
Top of his vision, he said, was to make UniMAC “a first-rate University that would pursue excellence in research and professional education and training in the broad fields of Communication and the Creative Arts for societal transformation.”
Prof. Opoku Mensah also brought to the fore the changes that have taken place in UniMAC to complete the structures of a university-setting.
These are appointments of a Pro Vice -Chancellor, Rectors for the Constituent Institutes, Deans, Directors and Heads of Departments. Additionally, he expressed excitement over the launch of the PhD in Media and Communication and the review of programmes, to make them in sync with demands of industry.
Responding to the remarks made by the Vice-Chancellor, the Executives indicated that the great strides have made in bringing their respective associations together as a group. They pledged to rally support from their members to support the University to become greater by beginning the roadmap of forming a UniMAC global association whilst maintaining the various institutional chapters. The Executives represented at the meeting were for the Institute of Film and Television – Mr Yaw Firempong Boakye and Mr Vitus Nanbigne; for the Institute of Languages – Mr Gideon Odame, Mr Nitchon Oumborbe Azizben and Mr Michael Mawuko Vorsah and for the Institute of Journalism – Dr Martin T. Ntem and Mr Kwesi Adjei.
The Executives also discussed key challenges driving apathy among the alumni and solicited support from management to put in place measures to address these issues with respect to transcripts, letters of recommendations, and change of name, among others.
The Vice-Chancellor in respond to the concerns raised by the Alumni Executives made it clear that management would institute measures to ensure that the alumni’s best interest is catered for.
The Pro Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Winston Abroampa, commented on the important role of the alumni in the life of institutions that have become great institutions of repute and charged the Executives to get involved in the school as UniMAC begins to take its place in Higher Education.
The Rectors for the Institute of Journalism (IJ) -Prof. Christiana Hammond, Institute of Film and Television (IFT) -Prof. Samuel Yirenkyi and Institute of Languages (IL) – Prof. Cecilia Addei, all lent support to the Vice-Chancellors remarks and pledged to work with the Alumni for the good of UniMAC.
BY EMMAUELLA AKIMBI
