MTU Student Engagement

August 2020

• An idea is conceived.
• Institute Executive Board (CIT) approved a proposal to pilot Reach – a proactive academic mentoring/advising initiative promoting belonging and connection amongst Year 1 and Year 2 students from the same academic programme

October 2020

• 15th October - Formation of the Reach Co-ordinating Team

"Our warm up – and all our professional development activity – was designed to be enjoyable and model potential interactions with our mentees"

Reach Mentor

• By 23rd October 2020, 50 Reach Academic Mentors had received initial training and were starting to meet their students. First meeting/workshop to train Academic Mentors on Cork Campuses
• Information workshops, supervision, bespoke training and informal 'coffee-catch-ups' formed a core part of ongoing professional development

November 2020

• External exemplars shape our practice.

  "The Reach Team at MTU have created an advising/academic mentoring programme which has all the hallmarks of excellence in advising practice"

Dr. Emily McIntosh, Middlesex University, Vice-Chair (Research) - UK Advising and Tutoring Association

December 2020 

• Design Thinking Approach to reimagine the programme for Semester Two
• Feedback sought from Academic Mentors and Heads of Department to build Semester Two Programme
• 20 new Mentors seek to join the programme
• Reach celebrates its first Christmas with an online event with CIT’s Registrar Dr. Aine Ni She and CIT’s outgoing President Dr. Barry O’Connor 

January 2021 

• MTU is established and Professor Maggie Cusack is appointed as President. 

• Extended programme of supports and workshops and further mentoring accreditation offered to our growing Academic Mentoring Team
• A new Reach Canvas Module is designed, piloted and implemented with the Department of Technology Enhanced Learning

February 2021 

• MTU Kerry Campus Mentors join the Reach Programme.  
• Further Focus Group with Academic Mentors in a process of ongoing review and development
• Collaboration with Student Assistance Fund, Academic Success Coaching, Academic Learning Centre, GDPR Officer to enrich programme

March 2021 

• Reach is added to the student’s online learning platforms of Canvas and Blackboard 

April 2021 

• A Reach playlist is created by students and is available on Spotify! 

May 2021 

• Reach competes with 9 other colleges to win the COVID Crisis Response Award at the Irish Education Awards 

June 2021 

• Reach is approved by the Executive Board of MTU to run in 2021/2022 academic year.