Vision Group board chairperson appointed UCU dean

PIC: Dr. Monica Chibita, Dr. Emilly Comfort Maractho, Dr. Angella Napakol and Dr. Samuel Kazibwe during the declaration of the establishment of the Faculty of Journalism, Media and Communication at UCU last week

MEDIA FACULTY AT UCU

Uganda Christian University (UCU) has appointed Dr. Monica Chibita, the New Vison board chairperson as its first ever head of Faculty of Journalism, Media and Communication.

UCU vice-chancellor, Rev. Can. Dr. John Senyonyi announced Dr. Chibita's appointment last week. 

The appointment followed the elevation of the university's Department of Mass Communication to a faculty status on July 6. 

The faculty has got two departments, the Department of Communication and that of Journalism and Media Studies. The Mass Communication Department was under the Faculty of Education. 

Dr. Chibita, who has been the department's head, attributed the elevation to the partnership they had with the Norwegian Government under the NORHED programme. 

"That programme enabled us to train five people at the PHD level and they all graduated at just about the same time. They also gave us some scholarships for [six of] our staff to do their MA," she said, adding that the opportunity was a jackpot for the department. 

Dr. Chibita also said that while the new faculty may not have the luxury of new structures now, they have got enough human resource and equipment to run it.

"The faculty now has six PhD holders, several MA holders and a studio technician to support its programmes; a state-of-the-art multimedia laboratory, three training studios and library resources at the UCU Main Campus in Mukono," she noted. 

Dr. Senyonyi congratulated Chibita and other members of the faculty on achieving the new status. Dr. Chibita has been the head of the department of Mass Communication and her leadership has seen it grow from nearly nothing to the current status.

"I must commend Associate Prof. Monica Chibita, whose indefatigable leadership has placed this Department on this success path well deserving to become a Faculty. The timing is right for a Faculty of Journalism, Media and Communications," he said.

Senyonyi also revealed that the newly created Department of Communication will be headed by Dr. Angella Napakol.

"Dr. Emily Comfort Maractho will take over the Mass Communication Department, now re-named the Journalism and Media Studies Department, from Prof. Monica B. Chibita, who becomes first Dean of the faculty," he said. 

Starting August, the new Faculty plans to avail its modular Masters' programmes at UCU's Kampala Campus on Lubiri Ring Road and to offer short courses to cater for practitioners.