The Division of Mass Communication, College of Lagos, prides itself because the Centre of Excellence in media research. From a distance, the declare would seem boastful; nonetheless, a better have a look at the division proves nothing much less. With 4 Professors, 4 Affiliate Professors and eight PhD holders as lecturers; and amenities that allow undergraduate college students to realize sensible expertise earlier than the completion of their research, the division is basically on prime of its recreation in media coaching. Really, it’s rated by UNESCO because the Centre of Excellence in Journalism and Media Coaching in Africa and hosts a World Financial institution Centre of Excellence for Multimedia Know-how and Cinematography.
The manufacturing of 18 First Class graduates and 12 PhD holders over the past convocation ceremony of the college has even boosted the division’s profile amongst its friends within the nation. Being the primary time to report such a feat for the reason that institution of the division in 1967, it speaks to the diligence and open mindedness of its present crop of lecturers in grooming media professionals that may maintain their very own wherever on the earth.
“We now have been making an attempt to enhance on what others had achieved earlier than us,” stated the Head of the Division, Prof. Oloruntola Sunday.
“So, we’ve got been striving to guarantee that the division soars amongst different departments of Mass Communication in Nigerian universities. With the assistance of the devoted educational workers we’ve got, we had been in a position to report the achievement that individuals have been calling us from everywhere in the world.”
Talking on the 18 feminine college students who graduated with First Class honours, Prof. Sunday said that the inhabitants of the scholars performed a task.
“We had 222 of them and I’m certain the proportion of male college students was small. However that doesn’t imply that the male mustn’t try to be the perfect.
“What I inform individuals is that First Class shouldn’t be one thing you may assist any individual with. It’s a cumulative combination of their efficiency from yr one. So, perhaps since they entered the college, they’ve been performing very nicely and what you noticed is the outcome. And within the College of Social Sciences, once you current your outcomes and the advisers for every stage see college students that scored above 4 factors, they are going to at all times advise us to observe such college students in order that they don’t derail. On the departmental stage, after we determine such college students, we encourage them. We additionally encourage college students who don’t measure up as anticipated to work more durable. So, their very own onerous work and the encouragement from their lecturers helped them to get to the place they’re,” he stated. Sunday stated the scholars can defend their outcomes wherever on the earth.
His phrases: “I don’t suppose the scholars could have issues defending the First Class. Go and discover out; a few of them already have affords. The college had a programme to retain the perfect two in every division as its workers. They stopped it after three years as a result of they realised that inside the second yr, they received scholarships and left the nation and didn’t come again to the college once more. So, the college felt that the programme was not price it. That tells you that when a scholar makes First Class right here, she or he is ready to defend it.” He famous that what stands the division out is that the lecturers don’t spoon-feed the scholars. “After we give them the course outlines, we again it up with supplies. So, after we go to class, we throw inquiries to them primarily based on the outlines and we focus on. We push them to learn and with the appearance of AI, there are supplies in every single place for anyone that wishes to study. They’ve assets to study greater than we had after we had been in class. So, those that wish to be critical, I feel the chance is there for them,” he added. He disclosed that the college has radio and tv stations in addition to a print and on-line newspaper – UNILAG Solar and UNILAG Solar On-line – the place college students study the sensible rudiments of journalism earlier than they graduate. “They’ve workers however they’re just like the laboratories for our college students,” he famous. “While you go to the newsrooms, you will notice our college students there. They report for the platforms. They’re those that do web page planning for the newspaper; it’s solely the printing that’s completed exterior the campus. In the meantime, we’ve got a printing machine within the division.
“We now have competent palms to equip college students right here; we’ve got each educational workers and Fellows within the division. The Fellows are professionals in numerous fields of mass communication. So, we successfully marry each city and robe. The media attachment programme additionally offers these college students the chance to study extra. So, by way of the sensible facet, the place we are actually, if you wish to excel you’ll excel. “As an illustration, information writing is among the programs they research and we’ve got over 200 college students within the division. Will probably be virtually not possible for lecturers to offer them assignments and grade them. However those that wish to study will nonetheless study. There are some that may write information and convey it to me to evaluate it. Additionally they leverage the college newspaper, radio and tv stations to study. A number of the college students write tales from occasions of their church buildings. “For the radio and tv, when you see a number of the programmes these college students produce, you’ll marvel. A feminine scholar got here to me and stated she wished to be producing a present on pictures on UNILAG TV. I simply took her to the supervisor of the TV station and he or she has been doing very nicely. “One other scholar went for an occasion organised by Punch newspaper. When she wrote the story and I forwarded it to the organiser of the occasion, he stated she wrote it the Punch method. I solely advised the coed to stick with it. I’m certain that if the coed graduates and needs to work with Punch newspaper; and reveals them what she had completed earlier than, she’s going to get a job there. So, for individuals who wish to study, the chance is there for them to study.”Trying into the longer term, Sunday stated the unbundling technique of the division is ongoing, including that when accomplished, it can give lecturers the chance to focus on their areas of specialisation and likewise allow college students to realize extra from the lecturers. “We’re going school and I consider that the longer term is brilliant. After we go school, there shall be extra alternatives for our college students to specialise. There can even be the chance for lecturers to face their areas of specialisation. College students who wish to specialise can even specialise and positively they are going to get higher outcomes from the efforts of the lecturers,” he famous. The rapid previous head of the division, throughout whose tenure the 18 First Class college students and 12 PhD graduates had been consummated, Prof. Adepoju Tejumaiye, corroborated Sunday’s views on how the First Class graduates emerged and the choices of the division. He stated: “Producing excellence shouldn’t be an exercise particularly in academia; it’s a course of. As an illustration, the 18 First Class college students had been admitted into the College of Lagos after I was the HoD. Even the 12 PhDs are merchandise of what I used to be actively concerned in. I ceased being the HoD on July 31, final yr. So, the brand new HoD that resumed on August 1, 2024, inherited the method. So, I’ll simply say glory be to God. “However to be honest with you, producing 18 First Class and 12 PhD graduates in a single convocation shouldn’t be a straightforward activity. It requires painstaking efforts on the a part of the scholars and likewise on the a part of the teachers on this division. It isn’t a one-man present; it’s the cooperation by my colleagues that made the excellence to be achieved. However I need to additionally state the truth that for the scholars, having First Class shouldn’t be a one-session factor. I’ve heard individuals desirous to query the outcomes, particularly as it’s in Mass Communication that’s not Arithmetic associated. My response to them is straightforward – producing First Class shouldn’t be a one semester outcome; it’s not a session factor. It’s a cumulative common. So, that merely tells you that these First Class graduates have been making wonderful grades proper from their yr one. It isn’t as in the event that they made the First Class after they received to 12 months 4. No! As a matter of reality, to make a First Class, when you’ve got not made it or are very shut to creating it by the second semester in your 12 months Three, there isn’t any method you can also make it. So, that merely tells you that these 18 girls had been in First Class or on the precipice of First Class of their Third 12 months; and so they now had good grades of their remaining yr, which led to them making First Class. It isn’t a straightforward activity; however the reality should be stated that the scholars merited it.” On how the division produced 12 PhDs graduates over the past convocation, Tejumaiye stated: “It isn’t a straightforward activity both. I graduated from this division and I do not forget that I spent about 9 years doing a PhD. However to the glory of God, the college has made a coverage that college students mustn’t spend greater than 5 years and that’s precisely what occurred this time round. Most of the college students didn’t spend as much as 5 years; inside three years, three and a half years, 4 years they had been completed. So, what modified? “What modified is that the standard delay related to the division prior to now is now not there until a scholar desires to delay him or herself. We now have spoken to at least one one other on this division that there isn’t any level losing the time of scholars; we’ve got advised ourselves not to take a look at what we skilled throughout our time and be certain that we do the correct factor at all times. So, no person is concerned about delaying anyone besides the place a scholar fails to do what she or he is meant to do; and college students or lecturers won’t assist the coed to do it. “In fact, the Postgraduate College is at all times on our path, asking what is going on to this scholar or that scholar. So, I need to concede to the truth that the college and the PG College are at all times on our path to do it proper and we’ve got been doing it proper. It’s not our making; it’s the making of the Almighty coupled with the excellence of those college students.” Speaking on what stands the division out from the pack, Tejumaiye stated it’s staffed with women and men of excellence. He added: “Don’t neglect that this division produced the primary Pulitzer Prize winner in Africa within the individual of Dele Olojede. It’s not a brand new factor that the division is related to or identified for excellence. Go to the industries and you’ll meet our graduates excelling in print journalism, broadcasting, promoting and public relations. So, the factor is that we be certain that we do it proper. We observe the curriculum and replace it when the necessity arises. We additionally expose college students to alternatives exterior Nigeria. These exposures little question brighten the horizons of the scholars and allow them to do nicely.”
