Why we celebrate the ‘Becoming’ of Professor Monica Chibita

I am fairly overwhelmed by the announcement of Monica Chibita’s becoming Full Professor on May 23. I knew for sure it would come, yet nothing prepared me for the total gratitude I felt when the Vice Chancellor, Dr John Ssenoyonyi, announced it. Dr Monica Chibita was a professor to many of us long before the title surfaced. Indeed, “the sight of an achievement is the greatest gift a human being could offer others” (Ayn Rand). On behalf of colleagues at the Faculty of Journalism, Media and Communication (JMC), I congratulate Prof Chibita. We are extremely excited and celebrate this otherwise personal achievement as a collective gain.

It is impossible for most people to appreciate this promotion to Full Professor because it is difficult to imagine the physical and mental blocs one has to build in order to achieve it. But having spent the last decade in academia, and understanding this space as I do, I have every reason to celebrate Prof Chibita.

Moreover, as a researcher deeply immersed in the study of women’s participation in public life, I have committed to personally advocating for the increased role of women in leadership, a not so common thing in the academia. The becoming of Prof Chibita, also Dean of my Faculty JMC, is therefore, a huge inspiration.
But what does this academic achievement mean for the Faculty of Journalism, Media and Communication; Uganda Christian University (UCU); and the community of scholars in Communication? Becoming a professor comes with enormous responsibilities, far beyond one’s immediate environment. There is no doubt that Dr Chibita is well placed to be a distinguished professor. Yet, the road to success is full of hurdles given the expectations.

For the faculty, the first expectation is that Prof Chibita will continue to provide exemplary leadership in establishing a centre of excellence for education in journalism, media and communication, in line with the university vision to be a centre of excellence in the heart of Africa. This requires dedication and determination. While the faculty already has a great team, Prof Chibita’s challenge is to channel their energy, expertise and enthusiasm in the right direction.
We have only recently concluded a faculty retreat in which we aimed at, among other things, articulating the strategic direction of the new faculty and aligning the team’s effort towards a shared vision. This promotion is, therefore timely, elevating the profile of the faculty (and of course the university) and motivating other colleagues to work towards achieving this shared vision. Fortunately, we have already identified our priorities, like promoting research, training and policy engagement.

For the University, it is understandable that the administration is excited, as the Vice Chancellor’s announcement indicated. It might seem shocking to many people that in its 22-year life, Dr Chibita is only the second home-grown professor. This does not mean they are the only two professors, but that those who have grown through the ranks at UCU are only two. This is because the journey to professorship is one laced with many quality assurance checks, to meet the bar at the international level. One does not just become a professor because they have published; the publications have to meet international standards too. The expectation is that a professor is also an academic ambassador for the university. But more importantly, Dr Chibita will also provide leadership to the university at policy and strategic levels. Her contribution will also be needed by the community of scholars in communication in Uganda and beyond.

It may surprise some people that Dr Chibita is only the second Full Professor of Communication in Uganda (home-grown), after Prof Goretti Linda Nassanga of Makerere University. This community remains very small in places like Uganda, and Africa generally, because scholarly leadership remains weak in the absence of adequate funding for research in many universities. Her rise to professorship makes a significant contribution to the global community of scholars. At the national level, her leadership in meeting the challenges of journalism and the media is crucial, through training professionals well equipped for a dynamic society.

Fortunately for us, Dr Chibita’s commitment to fostering excellence in research, teaching, professional activities, policy development and community engagement is unmatched and demonstrable in the many footprints she has in growing talent for training. She has looked beyond the university to achieve her goal of putting together a great team, in partnership with both NLA University College in Norway and University of KwaZulu-Natal in South Africa, with funding from NORHED, the Norwegian Government Support to Higher Education.
More importantly, Dr Chibita is a leader who has led herself in order to lead others. Her influence on those around her is so powerful, we often joke that it is impossible to say no to when she asks. Without assuming and imposing, she will normally gently ask and you get moving to deliver. My colleagues will attest to that I am sure.

Robin Sharma’s book, the leader who has no title promotes a leadership philosophy built on, among other things, that ‘to be a great leader, first become a great person’. And Dr Chibita is a great person in the real sense of the concept: A pure joy to work with and deeply anchored in the Lord. I know for sure, her otherwise personal achievement is a blessing to the faculty, her friends and family. I pray and hope that she will be a model, strong in grace and wisdom, that as a teacher, she will be a reproductive leader and that the Lord will give her understanding in all things.

Dr Maractho is a senior lecturer and head of department
of Journalism and Media Studies at Uganda Christian
University. [email protected]