The Management of the University of Media, Arts and Communication (UniMAC) has met with the Alumni Executives of the erstwhile three institutions that came together to form UniMAC. These are Executives from Ghana Institute of Journalism’s (GIJ) Alumni, National Film and Television Institute’s (NAFTI) Alumni and the Institute of Languages’ School of Translators’ (IoL – SoL) Alumni.
The Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Opoku Mensah, in his remarks 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. He shared his vision for UniMAC and how it fits into the overall UniMAC vision of becoming “a first-rate University that pursues 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.
Finally, the Vice-Chancellor expressed that UniMAC’s future of excellence in media, arts and communication has a strong relationship with building endearing partnerships with the alumni and industry. He indicated that with the rising numbers of admissions, it behooves all partners to come together to resolve accommodation challenges on campus by building hostel facilities. He voiced out concern over the fact that applicants from other regions could not complete admission processes due to accommodation issues. And, even for those in Accra, they have to travel for long distances amid heavy traffic to and fro lectures every day.
Responding to the remarks made by the Vice-Chancellor, the Executives indicated the great strides made in bringing their respective associations together as a group. They pledged to rally support from their members to support the University 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 Dr. Vitus Nanbigne; for the Institute of Languages – Mr. Gideon Odame Agyiri, Mr. Nitchon Oumborbe Azizben and Mr. Michael Mawuko Vorsah and for the Institute of Journalism – Dr. Martin T. Ntem and Mr. Richard Kwesi Adjei Agyepong.
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, change of name, among others.
The Vice-Chancellor in responding 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 Telievision (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.
The meeting ended on high spirits with the Executives present resolved to form to begin the process of creating a UniMAC global alumni group to work with management.
UniMAC is on a trajectory of change, re-shaping professional media, arts and communication education in Ghana. This engagement between Management and the Alumni Executives marks a significant step toward building a strong relationship to make UniMAC great.
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