REPORTS FROM ESTABLISHMENTS
FACULTY OF ARTS
The mission of the Faculty of Arts is to provide quality education within the larger bilingual and multicultural context of
The main thrust in this respect is the promotion of African Languages, literatures and cultures, through the revitalization of research and training in these areas. More recently, it has through CALAC, its centre of Excellence for study of African Languages and Cultures been prioritizing entrepreneurship, encouraging opportunities and business creation with skills in the arts, theatre, folklore and handicraft.
The Faculty has four academic Departments (English, French, History and Linguistics). Details on objectives, achievements, challenges and perspectives are presented under the Departments.
Faculty Seminars in 2010
In 2010 the Faculty of Arts organised seminars regularly. They were held every forth night on Wednesdays at Amphi 250 between 3:00pm and 5:00pm. Presentations were programmed in a rotatory manner such that all the four Departments of the Faculty had equal chances. Participation of members of staff and post graduate students was mandatory and undergraduate students were encouraged to attend.
On October 27, 2010 Professor Beban Sammy Chumbow gave an inaugural lecture which brought together the administration, researchers, and students of the University.
The Faculty made allocations for money to motivate presenters and at the end, all the papers presented were compiled and published as Faculty of Arts’ Working Papers. The compilation is now available for further exploitation by students and researchers.
It should be highlighted that some of the papers presented at the seminars have been improved further and are now published in International Journals. They include the papers presented by Victor Taku, Pius Akumbu and Esther Asonganyi.
We are continuing with the seminars and plan to have an inaugural lecture at the end of November. However, if resources are not available we may not be able to publish the next set of presentations nor be able to motivate presenters. If it were possible we would also like to have space (Faculty library) to house the materials published.
Those who presented papers in 2010 include:
|
Department |
Presenter |
Title of paper |
|
English |
Dr. Roselyne M. Jua |
On slave ships, janjaweed and |
|
Dr. George D. Nyamndi |
Literature as Metonymy: Holding the Centre |
|
|
Dr. Frida M. Mbunda |
Folklore and the interpretation of History and contemporary realities: The case of Oku Oral Narratives |
|
|
Victor J. Taku
|
Landscapes, Visual Arts and Ecocriticism: A reflection on the Scenic Apertures of Mount Fako in |
|
|
Eunice Fonyuy |
The image of the educated woman in Cameroonian women’s writings |
|
|
French |
Pr. Pierre Fandio
|
Communication Litteraire au Cameroun: Modernisation et Enjeux de la Modernisation |
|
Emmanuel A. Ebongue |
Processus de majoration et de minoration des langues officielles au Cameroun et implications sociopolitiques |
|
|
History |
Henry K. Kah
|
Contemporary challenges to the Liambwe matrilineal system of |
|
Dr. Richard E. Agbor |
African American and the call for reparations in |
|
|
Dr Walter Nkwi |
Motor vehicle (afue’m a kfaang) in Kom ( |
|
|
Linguistics |
Dr. Gratien G. Atindogbe |
On the typology of directional verbs in Bantu a (Barombi, Isu, Mokpe, and Oroko) |
|
Dr. Evelyn Fogwe
|
Professional opportunities with a Linguistics degree: The African and |
|
|
Dr. Pius W. Akumbu and Esther P. Asonganyi |
Language in contact: The case of the Fulbe dialect of Kejom (Babanki). |
|
|
Ayu’nwi |
Using ICTs in research: Documenting sources, reference material generation in Microsft. |
One of the biggest achievements of the Faculty in the 2010/2011 academic year was in the area of research with the Faculty registering the following international grant awards:
- Evelyn Fogwe Chibaka, Lecturer in the Department of Linguistics won two projects:
- (i) the Alexander von Humboldt award for a research project entitled “A Polylectal grammar sketch and Trilingual Dictionary of Mankon Varieties”.
- (ii) the Volkswagen Foundation, Endangered Language Program (DoBeS) for a research project entitled “The Documentation of Beezen Language (
- Ayu’nwi Neba won a grant from the Hans Rausing Endangered Language Project,
- Gratien Atindogbe and Miss Nancy Nyindem have ongoing research between the University of Cologne, Germany and the University of Buea on a Volkswagen foundation grant on a research project titled “ A Multimedia Documentation of two Endangered Languages of Cameroon: Bubia and Isubu.
- Roselyne Jua, Henry Kam Kah, Walter Gam Nkwi, Nancy Sirih-Nagang Nyindem of the University of Buea and Nantang B. Jua of the South Carolina State University have ongoing research [CODESRIA 2009 National Working Group (NWG)] entitled “Women’s Movements and the Struggle for Socio-Political Space in the Grasslands of Cameroon: A study of Anlu, Kelu, Takenbang and Fuembuen”. They organised the frist Methodological workshop in Bamenda in August 2010 and the Mid-Term Evaluation Workshop at the
- Henry Kam Kah won the South-South Annual Grants from APISA-CLACSO – CODESRIA for a book project titled “Security Challenges and Counter Hegemony in the
- With colleagues from Nnamdi Azikiwe Awka University, Nigeria, Egerton University and Kenyattta University, Kenya, University of Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, Mr. Henry Kam Kah won a Grant from CODESRIA on a book Project and Comparative Research Network titled “Popular Music and Youth Identities in Africa: The Case of Nigeria, Cameroon, Kenya and Ethiopia.
Combined Degree and Double Majors
To improve on teaching and to ensure that our graduates meet the demands of the business world and job market in the Faculty, we set up committees to design Combine Degrees and or Double Major degree Programmes with other disciplines in the University, notably with the Department of Women and Gender Studies, Journalism and Mass Communication and Computer Science. These committees met and drew up programmes that were submitted to the Academic Planning Committee (APC). These programmes will be launched in the near future.
Constraints
On-Line Registration
All the Departments of the Faculty experimented on the newly introduced on-line registration process. The Department of French did so 100 percent; all its students were registered On-line while the rest of the other three Departments still carried on face-to-face registration alongside the on-line registration. As far as On-line registration is concerned, it went on well until at the level where course lists were to be printed. The Faculty did not have the expertise to convert these lists from D-Base to Excel. We would therefore propose that the Secretaries of the Faculty be given some internal training to equip them for such specialized functions in future.
DEPARTMENT OF ENGLISH
An Executive Summary
The academic year started and ended well. After the APC approved the Immersion semester courses, those for the Visual Arts component of the PVA unit and a course for professional internship, the Immersion Semester (an exchange programme which allows students of the bilingual degree programmes of the Universities of Buea and Yaoundé 1 to be exposed to a community that uses their second official language for one semester) ran from 4 April to June 23, 2011. With the Immersion scheduled in the second semester, the Department deemed it necessary to move second semester courses for the ENG/FRE students to the first semester.
It was quite a successful year. One of our colleagues went to
Teaching
All programmed courses for the academic year 2010/2011 were taught with no notable difficulties. Results for the 2nd semester exams were presented at the senate while post- graduate results for the first semester are still awaited.
33 undergraduate courses were taught and examined in the first semester while in the second semester 34 undergraduate courses were examined in the BA English Language, Literatures in English, Performing and Visual Arts and in the Immersion Programme. Seven MA courses were examined but the results are yet to be submitted. PhD examinations are scheduled later.
The PVA unit welcome the following persons as staff of the unit: Mr Nkepseu Emile (Technician in Sculpture and Painting), Mr. Teke Nelson (Technician in Dance and Choreography), Mr. Ndumbe Mosaso (Technician in Music), Mr Tume Keneth (Instructor in Theatre for development)
Immersion Semester
We launched the Immersion programme in the second semester of the 2010/2011 academic year. This was made possible by the (MOU) Memorandum of Understanding signed between the Universities of Buea and
Research/Seminars
Research teams have been created. Several articles were published in home based and international journals. The Department is planning a seminar on the teaching of Literature for October 2011.
BULSA organized Seminars on English language, Literature and professionalism.
Outreach
The Department had a meeting with the staff of (AURALOG) an International Company that provides language learning solutions and we are waiting for a feedback from them.
There is a plan for exchange visits between the students of
8TH – 10 FEBRUARY 2011, the Level 200 students of the PVA unit presented a series of plays as part of their practicals for PVA 215: Theatre Workshop I. These presentations constituted part of the Youth Week activities organised by students of the Faculty of Arts in Amphitheatre 250.
PVA Students Stage Bate Besong’s Requiem for the Last Kaiser
On the Occasion of the Presentation of New Year Wishes to the Vice Chancellor, PVA presented a sketch entitled Budget Cuts.
The Coordinator of the PVA unit took part at the cultural festival that marked the opening and closing ceremonies of the 2011 Dschang University Games in view of organizing a similar event in 2012 in Buea.
On the invitation of the National Association of Theatre Troupes in Cameroon, the Coordinator and students of the PVA unit, took active part in a project entitled “Democracy, Human Rights and the Fight Against Mob Justice” organized in Buea and Kumba.
Challenges/Constraints
Overload
The Department of English is the largest in the Faculty of Arts. It has moved from offering just a B.A in English, a Minor and a general University requirement to offering three full Degree Programmes: B.A in English Language, B.A in Literatures in English, B.A in Performing and Visual Arts. It offers five minors and has an Immersion Programme that meets the needs of students in Bilingual Studies. It meets fifty percentages of the needs of students in CST English and ENG/FRE.
The increase in the programmes offered does not equate that of manpower and facilities. Some members of staff have retired, others have been called to other duties and some have come to the end of their mission on earth. Seven of the twenty-three (23) members of the academic staff have responsibilities in the mainstream system of the University. This means the Department of English is doing so much with little. All members of staff of the Department of English are overloaded in one way or the other.
- The Department needs an administrative assistant to make work more effective.
- The Department wishes to propose that eight graduate teaching assistants be hired. They will be distributed as follows: two (2) for PVA, two (2) for the Immersion programme, two (2) for English Literature and two (2) for the English language programme. More lecturers are needed in the PVA Unit. We need a replacement for the Lectures who did not assume duty. We also need technicians to assist in the PVA unit.
Lack of Coordinators for some Programmes
There is an urgent need for coordinators for the B.A in English and the Immersion Programme. Dr. Metuge, the Chairperson of the BMP Implementation Committee has his hands so full at the Student’s Affairs Service that he sacrifices so much in order to teach. Coordinating the Use of English Programme is an uphill task and, presently, Dr. Fontem is coordinating the Immersion and the Use of English Programme. The Department agreed that Mrs. Beatrice Titanji coordinate the Immersion Programme. She will be assisted by Mrs. Comfort Ojongnkpot and that a coordinator be appointed for the language programme both at the undergraduate and postgraduate levels.
Irregularity of Staff
Some members of staff of the Department are very irregular. They hardly attend meetings and do not perform duties assigned to them. The Department proposes that approval for missions to staff be based on their role in the Department.
Communication
Communication is a problem in the Department. There are no telephones to link us with the rest of the University, no internet connection in our wing.
Space
The Department of English needs more office space. The Department has five lecturers per office. PVA needs space for rehearsal, practical and show rooms for display of painting and sculpture; also, the budget should include allocations for practical and costumes
Financial Constraints
Our present budget allocation does not meet the needs of the Department. Though the Department runs two degree programmes and provide for 50% of the needs of students in the ENG/FRE, we are given the same budget with French.
Perspectives
- Greater Professionalization of programmes thanks to BMP format
- Recruitment of staff in deficient programmes: Performing and Visual Art
- Creation and mentoring of research teams
- Sustenance of staff development drives
- Interdisciplinary activity
- Outreach initiatives: conferences, workshops with the PVA Unit planning to host an exhibition on visual arts (drawings, paintings, ceramics, videos, webdesign, etc.) where students would advertise the programme and inform the public of the myriad possibilities that are opened to a graduate with a degree in PVA.
DEPARTMENT OF FRENCH
The 2010/11 academic year ran from October 2010 to August 2011. It should be said here that the main objectives for the Department were not well known to all its members.
Teaching
Teaching in the Department is done by 15 lecturers among which we have one associate professor, 4 lecturers and 10 assistant lecturers. Three of the assistant lecturers are not terminal degree holders. On the other hand, the staff is made up of 4 female lecturers against 10 male. We also enjoy the services of a French Technical Adviser, Mme Pocher. The Table below summarizes the staff situation of the Department for this academic year.
Table 13: Summary of Staff situation in the Department of French
|
N° |
Professor |
Associate Prof. |
Lecturer |
Assistant Lecturer |
Female |
Male |
|
Tots |
- |
1 |
4 |
10 |
4 |
10 |
During the year, teaching went on smoothly in the Department. The first semester examination went on well, just like those of the second semester. 6 out of 7 MA students who were in the program completed their studies and should be graduating in December. For MA freshmen, classes started a bit late because they were admitted late, in March 2011. This set of students wrote their 1st semester examination in early August. Our undergraduate ENG/FRE students went in for immersion in the University of Yaoundé 1 for Anglophones and the
Research
Individual projects were carried out by lecturers. We succeeded in convincing three colleagues to participle in team work, a collective project entitled “Representations and perceptions of the Other in
Programme development
A commission put up by the Acting Dean’s office developed a WGS/FRE program and was submitted to APC for approval. Other commissions aimed at carrying out correction of transcripts, development of new programs in order to build a normal Department of French with degrees in French, etc. were put up. Their “findings” were sent to appropriate quarters. JMC/FRE proposed program was sent to the Department of JMC. We are expecting their reaction. An MA seminar in research was created and adopted by the Department. We as well adopted an across-the-board seminar for PG in the Faculty proposed by the PG Coordinator. All these new courses were sent to APC through the Faculty, for final adoption.
This year, the Department did not find it necessary to re-submit to the Faculty, its new PhD and MA programs that were rejected last year because it has not yet fulfilled the conditions the Faculty asked for. We hope, by the end of this year, we will be able to have additional lecturer of magisterial rank and more lecturers that can help handle these programs, according to UB regulations in this matter.
Administration and related activities
Among urgent administrative activities carried out this year, we sorted out all complaints on correction of transcripts tabled by students to our predecessor and sent our findings to the Faculty. By so doing, we were able to help many of ENG/FRE students who have been waiting for these corrections to graduate: we have candidates who were supposed to graduate in 2001 and who could not do so because their corrections were not properly handled by the Department. We had cases of 2006, 2007 etc. of our students who had to graduate. We also sorted out Form Bs and “Add and Drop” issues, etc. We attended all statutory meetings and also organized six Departmental meetings, in six months.
Constraints and Perspectives
The Department encountered a few constraints: we successfully overcame some and failed to handle some others. We have a Secretary who is said to be bilingual. But, unfortunately, practice shows that the said Bilingual Secretary cannot work in the French language and, at the same time, her professional skills seriously need to be enhanced, for her to be helpful to the Department.
One of our main worry is that of staff profile. We need more language-oriented staff, but we have more literature-oriented ones. This makes the distribution of workload a bit tricky. Some misunderstandings in the Department came from this. We, urgently, need to train the two sets of our teachers to handle French as Foreign Language courses. We will soon present a table of objectives and content related to the training of our personnel to hierarchy.
The Department’s overall budget was drastically reduced; its management was also difficult. There was no research budget. This omission is a serious weakness: no serious lecture can be carried out by a lecturer who does no research. This has to be corrected as soon as possible. It does not look serious at all for those running a University teaching unit’s (program, department, faculty, school, etc.) budget when it doesn’t display, even a symbolic, interest to research! This could be seen as an indication of the weight and the importance attached to research!
In preparation against next academic year, course assignment was done and sent to hierarchy.
We highly appreciate the support we received from some members of hierarchy and are grateful to the majority of the staff of the Department for their support.
DEPARTMENT OF HISTORY
Strategic objectives for the year 2010/2011
The mission of the Department for the 2010/2011 academic year was to foster research and training of both staff and students in various domains of history and historiography. The Department encouraged team work and endeavoured to improve on the lecture delivery system. We also sought to encourage excellence, establish regular dialogue with students, and support postgraduate students.
Achievements in Teaching, Research and Outreach
During the past academic year, the Department of History has been active in the domains of teaching, research and outreach.
Teaching
Undergraduate lectures went on during the two semesters without any major hitch. Our focus was still on co-teaching of courses. As far as the postgraduate studies are concerned, the Department did not admit students for its Masters and PhD programmes during the 2010/2011 academic year. This was because the Department wanted to attend to currently registered students, some of whom have already spent undue time at the Department. A lot has already been put in place to ensure their successful completion of the programme within the shortest time possible.
A series of meetings were held at the level of the Department and with members of the Central Administration to ensure that the problems of these students are attended to speedily.
The Graduate Coordinators have already received research proposals for PhD students and M.A. students have also submitted topics for research. These are currently under examination at the Department.
Research and Seminars
With regards to research and seminars, the members of staff of the Department have been very active at the local and international scene. Locally, members of staff were very active in the Faculty seminar series where a good number of them presented papers.
Walters Gam Ngwi successfully defended his PhD at the
Mr. Henry Kah has submitted his PhD thesis while Messrs Joseph Nfi and Roland Ndille are about concluding their PhD theses. It is hoped that they shall defend before December 2011.
Apart from the above, other colleagues attended international conference on their various research interests. These include: Dr. Ngalim (
The Department of History hosted a Conference on “Searching for the African Voice in the History of Enslavement, Slave Trade and Slavery, at the
Historical Picture Gallery by Department of History, Faculty of Arts
Publication
With regards to publication, several colleagues have published independently in peer review journals at home and abroad. These include Drs. Canute A. Ngwa, Emmanuel Kengo, Aloysius Ngalim, Martin Ndeh Sango, Messrs Henry Kah and Walters Nkwi, Nfi Joseph Lon and Anjoh Frii-Manyi Rose. Mr. Roland Ndille has also submitted articles for publication.
Apart from these individual publications, Dr. Martin Ndeh Sango, Walter Gam Nkwi and Henry Kam Kah also co-published an article in the African Journal of Social Sciences.
Outreach
Students of the Department through their Departmental Association (BUSH) successfully organized a field trip to Foumban, where they acquainted themselves with the historic town and had time to listen to talks on the history of the people, the traditional organization and the Foumban conference of July 1961. They also organized a trip to the National Archives in Buea to acquaint themselves with possible research areas.
Constraints
Each year the number of students admitted in the Department doubles. Besides, the Department also hosts huge number of students from other faculties especially Faculty of Education. Consequently, the lecture halls are always over-crowded making teaching and evaluation very difficult.
The situation was worsened by the death of two lecturers and the retirement of another, making the demand for additional staff imperative. This demand is even more urgent in the field of Archaeology where Dr. Richard Talla is saddled with the responsibility of teaching all the courses alone in addition to his history courses.
The lone support staff in the Department of History is unable to handle the administrative duties of the Department. The Department needs an Administrative Assistant and a Clerk to facilitate the running of the Department. More so, there is a dire need for more office space as there are as many as four lecturers at present occupying a single office.
Perspective
The Department of History hopes that before the end of next year, two of its remaining staff would have submitted and defended their PhDs to strengthen the capacity of the Department to handle postgraduate programmes with little external support. We are also envisaging the need to get more of our colleagues who are not presently teaching the postgraduate programme to be initiated into the programme.
In addition to the workshop for secondary and high school teachers on the teaching and writing of history at that level, we also hope to start a short course in public history which will draw participants from the archival heritage, cultural and tourism sectors of the country and beyond.
Above all the Department intends to remain in the spotlight as far as the University mandate of teaching, research and outreach activities are concerned.
DEPARTMENT OF LINGUISTICS
The report covers: Strategic objectives, Achievements and innovation in teaching, research and finance, Challenges and Perspectives.
The distribution and quality of teaching staff stands as Table 14 shows.
Table 14: Distribution and Quality of Teaching Staff at the Department of Linguistics
|
No |
Teaching Staff |
Total |
Grade |
Gender |
|||||
|
|
MA |
PhD |
10 |
Prof |
Associate Professors |
Lecturer |
Assistant Lecturers |
Male |
Female |
|
Tots |
2 |
8 |
1 |
- |
7 |
2 |
7 |
3 |
|
As the Table shows, there are eight (8) PhD holders and two (2) MA holders, both of whom are on the PhD programme.
Strategic Objectives:
The Department set out in the year 2010/2011 to:
- Ensure effective teaching in the BMP mode all Undergraduate and Postgraduate courses
- Work with communities to develop their languages and cultures
- Continue with manpower development to build up the staff of both the department and
- Put into place conditions required for the take-off of the teaching of the professional course, Mother Tongue Education (MTE)
- Establish cooperation links with other Institutions abroad
- Get the BMP committees operational
- Take stock of equipment of the Departments of Linguistics
Achievements:
Registration: More than 80% of the students of the Department registered online
Teaching/Training
●All courses at the Undergraduate Levels were taught within the BMP mode. At the Undergraduate level, 12 courses were examined in the 1st semester. A total of 1,254 scripts were examined, 948 of them passed giving a 75.6% success rate. In the 2nd semester 13 courses were offered.
● At the Postgraduate level, 2 students defended their MA Theses from the 2009/2010 batch. The MA students who were admitted in March wrote their 2nd semester exams in August while and PhD students will write their examinations in October.
Research, Publications and Cooperation
● The research on the Bafaw language and culture was concluded and has been published in 2011.
● Drs Atindobge, Fogwe and Ayu’nwi Neba won external grants to enable them carry out research in various aspects of Cameroonian languages.
● An MOU was signed between the Universities of Buea and
● The stock of equipment purchase/acquired by the Department over the years is being done.
Constraints
● A number of problems concerning On-line Registration were encountered. Some students registered On-line and it was difficult reconciling the data on registration in the Faculty and that of Central Services in charge of On-line Registration.
● There is still inadequate office space for lecturers of the Department.
● There is need for the recruitment of more staff in the area of Mother Tongue Education to enable this specialized course take off.
Perspectives
● For the 2011/2012 academic year, it will be necessary to introduce the professional BA in Mother Tongue Education.
● It is also anticipated that collaborative links with other National and
CALAC (Centre for African Languages and Cultures)
This academic year activities in the centre were slowed down with the retirement of the director of the centre Professor Kashim Ibrahim Tala. The appointment of Dr Pius W. Akumbu as the Acting Head of the Centre in June 2011 by the Vice-Chancellor resulted in the resumption of planned activities of the Centre.
In 2011/2012 the Centre hopes to organize seminars on the second Friday of every month and to reengage the 2010/2011 proposals for the different workshops that did not take place. If these are approved and financed then we will run both the
Postgraduates Studies
With the appointment of a new postgraduate coordinator in November 2010 following the retirement of Professor Ibrahim Kashim Tala, there was need for acquaintance meetings with stakeholders of Postgraduate studies in the different departments of the Faculty. The coordinator met with the Acting Dean, the Vice Dean SSA, and Heads of Department (HODs). He also met with all teachers involved in PG teaching in the faculty. He exchanged views with students currently enrolled on the MA and PhD as well as some graduates. He consulted reports left by his predecessor on this issue. The suggestions and perspectives presented below are inspired by the results of these consultations.
Since the consultations revealed that the postgraduate programme required improvement in the area of organisation, teaching and follow-up of students we set up a plan of action which received the approval of the Academic office. The rest of the year was therefore dedicated to the implementation of the plan which aimed at making postgraduate “products” not only more competitive but also to graduate in time.
Generally the academic went well with students attending lectures and a good number of students who had been on the Masters programme for up to eight semesters in the Department of History finally defending their theses. Currently enrolled PhD students who had completed course work were urged to complete their theses.
The majority of teaching staff effectively taught, and on time. But, many were reluctant to provide hand-outs and other research documents to students as planned. They were highly encouraged to do so and we hope that the situation would get better in the 2011/2012 academic year. The co-teaching mode planned was not properly implemented in some departments, for various reasons. We are working towards meeting such challenges and others encountered to have a better 2011/2012 academic year.
Perspectives
We made visits to the Universities of Dschang and Yaoundé to meet the stakeholders of Ecole Doctorale and see how our PG programmes could learn from their various experiences. Reports and proposals were sent to hierarchy. Some proposals which were approved by hierarchy are now being implemented. Some others were presented to APC through departmental board faculty board meetings etc. and we look forward to putting them in place to improve Postgraduate teaching.
Challenges
The elaborate implementation of our plan of action has been seriously hampered by budgetary constraints. There is acute shortage of material and human resources. In order to cope, we have to work round the clock: even on Saturdays and Sundays on campus. Remedial measures have been proposed to the Administration and we look forward to a better working environment in 2011/2012.
