By Bless Zoshe
Buea, Cameroon
Dr Julius Che Tita, formerly lecturer and founder of Bukhums Communications has been named head of the University of Buea’s Department of Journalism and Mass Communication(JMC). Che Tita replaces Mr Henry Muluh who had served as HOD for the past seven years.
The appointment was made recently by the Minister of Higher Education, Jacques Fame Ndongo.
Asked how he felt about his appointment, Che Tita said he was thrilled to be given the opportunity to head the leading Journalism and Mass Communication training institution in Cameroon.
“I believe that giving me the opportunity to head the department means the administration has confidence in my innovative and creative skills. I know am being put to the test, I hope am going to live up to the task”.
Che Tita newly appointed head for JMC Buea
Challenged about the drop in quality in the standards of JMC students from the earlier years, Che Tita argued that this drop in quality was not significant but also pointed out to the presence of various distractions like numerous Pentecostal churches, African movies, multiple television stations, unending bars and new communication gadgets which could easily sidetrack students as a whole but not only JMC students.
“I think the reason for the slight drop is because of the number of students. In the first batch, we had 50 students. Two years ago, we had between 300 and 350 students to take care of. With such numbers, the human and technical resources of the department are being stretched to the limit.
Journalism and communications being professional disciplines involving practical sessions, large numbers were quite unsuitable and were likely to water down the teaching and learning process,” Che Tita said.
However, he was confident that the Vice Chancellor, Prof. Nalova Lyonga was well aware of the plight of the department; she was quite advanced in her plans to resolve them.
JMC Students during TV Production Practicals
Responding to what made him a suitable candidate for the position, Che Tita called on his 18 years of teaching in the department and asserted that he had “completely imbibed the culture, the practice and principles necessary to prepare exemplary professional practitioners and scholars for journalism and communications fields” and hoped to generate and exchange new knowledge about these fields.
In order to succeed, he believed that he needed the unmitigated cooperation of his colleagues in the department as well as the collaboration of the faculty administration.
Che Tita also added that solutions to the department’s problems were not only limited to the university hierarchy but also to JMC Alumni who hold positions of responsibility in their various organizations.
Divine Bisong (lecturer) with students
“Having benefitted from the department, he felt a call for them to give back to the department was in order. He was also going to look for avenues to form local and international partnerships, which could be beneficial to the department.”
Che Tita further acknowledged the selfless dedication of his predecessor, Henry Muluh during his seven and a half years at the helm of the department.
He advised all JMC students “to be of exemplary behavior and moral conduct and also highlighted the importance for them to vigorously respect UB’s rules and regulations,” while reminding them about the need for hard work and to desist from adhering to calls that disrupt the smooth functioning of the university.
Che Tita is a graduate of the University of Florida’s College of Journalism and Communication. He also studied English/History from the University of Wales (Cardiff), and obtained an M.Phil. in publishing Studies from the University of Stirling, Scotland.
Che Tita designed the publishing sequence of the Department of Journalism and Mass Communication where he has been teaching Publishing, Public Relations and Photo journalism since 1995.
Having managed Nooremac Press, Etchi Graphics and Design House, CheTita has enormous experience in the communication industry in Africa. Che Tita’s research interests are Corporate Communication, Corporate Social Responsibility, measurement of Public Relations, and Communication for development and social change.
Che Tita is married, and with his wife, Valerie, a Human Resources Management Practitioner, they have three children.
