KUALA LUMPUR – The management of Universiti Teknologi Mara (UiTM) has accepted the views of its alumni from the faculty of communication and media studies to revoke the merger of the faculty with two others and retain it in its present form.
UiTM Masscomm Alumni president Basree Rakijan, said the matter was informed by UiTM vice-chancellor Prof Datuk Roziah Mohd Janor at a meeting between alumni representatives and the university yesterday.
However, he said the process to revoke the merger, which involves the communications and media studies; computer science and mathematics; and information management faculties, would take three to six months.
“During the meeting, Masscomm Alumni requested UiTM to immediately cancel the merger based on a decision by the Higher Education Ministry in a letter dated November 1, 2022 to the university,” he said in a statement today.
In the letter, the Higher Education Ministry wanted UiTM to change the name of the merged entities to “college of communications, media studies, computer and informatics” or for it to be restructured by retaining the faculty of communication and media studies in its present form.
Basree said the revocation of the merger should be expedited so that it would not affect the learning and teaching process at the faculty, as well as to avoid further problems and confusion.
He expressed the alumni’s appreciation for the latest stance by UiTM management in agreeing to revoke the merger.
“I believe the UiTM management is very serious about resolving this crisis and, if we have to wait three to six months (for the process to revoke the merger) for the good and the future of the faculty, we understand,” he added.
Last October, Masscomm Alumni held a series of protests against the university’s decision to merge the three faculties, which is now called the college of computing, informatics, and media studies.
The merger was announced by Roziah at the faculty’s 50th-anniversary celebration last year as part of the university’s austerity measures. – Bernama, January 6, 2023
