Building community after a merger: What UniMAC’s concord initiative can teach higher education

UniMAC's Concord initiative highlights the importance of building community following a merger. UniMAC merges three distinct institutes: Journalism, Film and Television, and Languages. Each institute has its own history, disciplines, and identity. The merger must reflect in how students interact, collaborate, and perceive one another.

Concord's conception came from the Office of the Vice President of the UniMAC Students’ Representative Council with the objective of transforming diversity into collective strength. The inspiration for Concord stemmed from personal experiences of moving across UniMAC's institutes and learning how little students knew about others' disciplines and experiences.

UniMAC's four existing halls - Osaagyefo, Efua Sutherland, Mandela, and Yaa Asantewaa - were transformed into integration vehicles. Students from all three institutes competed together, solving problems and learning from one another. This inter-hall academic competition reinforced the principle of interdependence, turning competition into collaboration.

However, Concord faced challenges, particularly in funding. The initiative had to be resourceful in securing necessary resources. Responsibilities were decentralized among publicity, logistics, public relations, social media, and partnerships, with external organizers contributing to its execution.

The success of Concord was due to the involvement of all stakeholders - students, teams, judges, offices, and external organizers. Concord provided a space where students from different institutes could recognize themselves as part of a larger UniMAC, encouraging integration beyond mere announcements. The initiative successfully turned an abstract idea into a tangible community experience, demonstrating that integration can be experienced by the very people it affects.