KUALA LUMPUR: Universiti Teknologi Mara's (UiTM) move to rescind the merger of its communication and media studies faculty with two other science-stream faculties has been well-received by the UiTM Masscomm Alumni.
Although the process will take up to six months, the alumni president Basree Rakijan said he believed the university understood the need to do so following the alumni's protest on the matter.
In a statement, Basree said following a meeting with UiTM vice-chancellor Prof Datuk Dr Roziah Mohd Janor last Thursday, the university said it needed three to six months to cancel the merger.
"I believe UiTM's administration is serious in resolving this issue and (even) if we have to wait three to six months (for the merger to be cancelled), for the good and future of our faculty, we understand.
"During the meeting with the vice-chancellor, I have asked UiTM to cancel the merger immediately based on the decision by the Higher Education Ministry in a letter to the university dated Nov 1.
"In the letter, it said the college should be restructured, and that the mass communication faculty should be retained in its present form. It also suggested that UiTM should change the name of the merged entities as the 'College of Communications, Media Studies, Computer and Informatics', he said.
Basree said the cancellation of the merger should be done as swiftly as possible to prevent any teaching and learning disruption.
Previously, the alumni of the faculty voiced their dismay towards the varsity following the merger and restructuring of the faculties, which was part of the austerity measures put in place.
The alumni association has since put a series of protests against the merger with one alumni citing that it was merely a 'forced marriage'.
"It's a regressive step taken by the university because I do not see any restructuring of curriculum, syllabus, or addition of new courses and programmes to reflect the merger (of the faculties). It's merely a forced marriage," said Prof Datuk Dr Ahmad Murad Merican, an alumnus of the faculty.
The merger involves three faculties: Communications and Media Studies Faculty, Computer Science and Mathematics Faculty, and Information Management Faculty.