The 2nd Governing Council of the University of Media, Arts and Communication (UniMAC), Chaired by Prof. Wilberforce Dzisah, has paid a working visit to the six (6) UniMAC campuses in Accra. The purpose of the visits was to assess the facilities at the various campuses and interact with staff, as it begins its policy-level support to UniMAC’s management.
Accompanied by one of the government nominees, Prof. Ago Kwashi McGranaky Quaye and the internal UniMAC members on the Council, the team toured the Institute of Journalism campuses at the Osu Ringway Estates and South Legon. They also visited the Institute of Film and Television campuses at Cantonments and the Institute of Languages campuses at Adabraka and East Legon, respectively.
n
The two (2) day tour each culminated into a durbar where Council Members shared their vision and interacted with staff. Members of staff were given the opportunity to also share engaging and insightful contributions with members of Council.
At the durbars, remarks were delivered to officially welcome the Council to the Institutes by the Rectors of each UniMAC’s Constitute Institute – Prof. Christiana Hammond for the Institute of Journalism (IJ); Prof. Samuel Manasseh Yirenkyi for the Institute of Film and Television (IFT) and Prof. Cecelia Addai for the Institute of Languages (IL). Also, the Rectors led the tour of the facilities at the campuses, ably supported by the Director of Physical Development and Estates, Engr. Stanley Opoku-Yeboah.
At each of the durbars at the three Constitute Institutes, the Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Eric Opoku Mensah, expressed gratitude to the Government of Ghana for inaugurating the UniMAC Council. He further expressed gratitude to the 1st Governing Council for their commitment to steer the successful integration of the three Institutes into a composite University and the role they played to ensure the structural implementation of the Act that birthed UniMAC. Prof. Mensah, noted that, “the 1st Governing Council moved UniMAC to its current place where we now have right structures and leadership to steer the affairs of the University”.
On the 2nd Governing Council, Prof. Mensah stated that, “two Council meetings have been held and the future looks promising for UniMAC. I am confident in the abilities of the 2nd Governing Council and I am happy to be working under their leadership”. He went on to introduce the Chair and the members of the Governing Council to staff. Prof. Opoku Mensah expressed enthusiasm that the 2nd Governing Council have started work in earnest to take UniMAC to the next level of academic excellence.
Addressing staff at all the durbars, Prof. Dzisah expressed the unique position UniMAC finds itself with the amalgamation of the three Institutes. He assured staff that the Council is poised to see UniMAC take its place in academia as a Centre of Excellence. He indicated that the tour was to assess the infrastructure of the University and find strategic ways to provide the needed infrastructure in hostels, learning centres, among others, to attract the numbers requisite of a specialised university. He alluded to the fact that most prospective students find themselves in limbo choosing a programme at UniMAC vis-à-vis other universities, because of unavailability of accommodation facilities. The Council’s priority is to solve these challenges by the end of their first term for the good of UniMAC, he intimated.
Members of staff asked clarifying questions and made comments on pertinent issues affecting the University’s operations, during the open forum session. The Council Chair aptly addressed the issues and assured staff of the Council’s support to steer the affairs of the University towards success. Prof. Dzisah, however, advised staff to respect the channels of communication at the University for administrative efficiency. He urged all to work collaboratively to advance the vision of UniMAC.
In Giving closing remarks at each of the durbars, the Council Chair reminded staff that “small is beautiful” by referencing Michael Schumacher, and that, all must take advantage of the opportunity presented to make UniMAC a great institution and make “actions louder than words”.
Noteworthily, UNIMAC is a merger of the erstwhile Ghana Institute of Journalism (GIJ), the National Film and Television Institute (NAFTI) and the Ghana Institute of Languages by an Act of Parliament 2020 (Act 1059). UniMAC is uniquely positioned to deliver excellence in Media, Arts and Communications education at the tertiary level and the 2nd Governing Council is poised to deliver on this mandate.