A two-day retreat by members of the proposed new faculty of Media and Information Studies of Fourah Bay College has opened in Freetown with a call by the Chairman of the Curriculum Committee of the University of Sierra Leone for the new faculty to follow all laid down procedures to introduce new courses in the University.
Professor Alyson Sesay urged the faculty not to rush into implementing all the proposed reforms at the same time and to consider both the human and material resources available to the University before embarking on any sweeping reforms.
Professor Sesay congratulated the staff of the Institute of Library Information and Communication Studies, comprising Mass Communication and Library Studies departments for taking proactive measures in line with the re-engineering agenda and the overall vision and mission of the University of Sierra Leone.
Dr. Francis Sowa, a lecturer in the Mass Communication department and chairman of the Media Reform Coordinating Group, MRCG - the organization which is funding the activity with sponsorship from the National Endowment for Democracy NED said the exercise fulfills a key objective of the MRCG program as identified by the Mass Communication department – a constituent of the MRCG.
He described the curriculum review effort as a worthy initiative that will also bring all other media training institutions throughout Sierra Leone together because “they will all be using the same curriculum”.
Dr. Sowa said his organization stands ready to work with the new faculty because his organization’s twin objective is to support the country’s media reform agenda and build the capacity of practitioners and students.
The Head of the Mass Communication department Dr. Williette James told the gathering that the curriculum review drive which started last year was now in its concluding stages. She said the review will be wide ranging and targeted at improving standards of teaching and research and ultimately producing graduates ready for the world of work. She thanked NED for funding the program through the MRCG.
Media lecturers from Universities and Institutes across Sierra Leone will join today's program at which a final document will be produced for submission to the University of Sierra Leone under the guidance of the Director of Quality Control at the University of Sierra Leone, David Gbao.
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