Reach – A Mentoring Initiative in an Irish University

Abstract

Munster Technological University (MTU) is a higher education (HE) institution in Ireland and one of five technological universities in the country. The university was established in January 2021, the result of a merger between two institutes of technology, Cork Institute of Technology (CIT) and the Institute of Technology, Tralee (ITT).
Once COVID-19 hit in March of 2020, every HEI in Ireland, including MTU, closed its doors and pivoted to online Emergency Remote Teaching (ETR). As a direct response to the unique challenges presented by the pandemic, MTU developed an academic mentoring initiative aimed at first and second year students. This initiative became known as the Reach Initiative.
This paper will outline the key elements of the Reach initiative and its contribution as a multi-disciplinary, academic-led mentoring and coaching programme developed and implemented during the COVID-19 pandemic.
This paper will also present initial findings of a survey that focused on students’ challenges during the pandemic and the role of the Reach initiative as a student support in their lives.