No merger of UiTM's Faculty of Communication and Media Studies - Higher Education Ministry

KUALA LUMPUR,  Feb 20 (Bernama) -- The Ministry of Higher Education (KPT) has decided not to proceed with the proposed merger of the Faculty of Communication and Media Studies (FKPM) with two other faculties by Universiti Teknologi MARA.

UiTM Masscomm Alumni president  Basree Rakija, in a statement, said the matter was informed by the Director-General of Higher Education Prof Datuk Dr Husaini Omar at a meeting with representatives of UiTM management and the alumni association in Putrajaya today.

Among those present at the meeting were the Special Duties Officer of the Minister of Higher Education Noor Azleen Ambros; UiTM vice-chancellor Prof Datuk Dr Roziah Janor; Assistant vice-chancellor, College of Computing, Informatics and Media Studies, Prof Dr Haryani Haron; and UiTM Head of Communication and Media Studies Dr Wan Hartini Wan Zainoddin.

The proposed merger would involve the Communications and Media Studies Faculty with the Faculty of Computer Science and Mathematics (FSKM) and Information Management Faculty to become a new entity known as the College of Computing, Informatics and Media.

It was announced by Roziah at the FKPM’s 50th-anniversary celebration in October last year as part of the austerity measures put in place by the university.

Basree said FKPM had contributed greatly to the country’s development and needed to be strengthened, especially in this challenging era of digital communication.

"The MassCom Alumni will continue to work with FKPM to implement programmes that have been identified to ensure that the industry-university network is strengthened in an effort to produce more credible FKPM graduates," he said.

He also expressed his appreciation to the Higher Education Ministry for having responded positively to the protest voiced by the association over the merger.

-- BERNAMA