Dr Derek Barter

Biography

I am the Continuing Education Co-Ordinator in the Dept. of Adult and Community Education (DACE) Maynooth University. The role of Continuing Education Co-ordinator is wide and varied and also encompasses that of the BA Manager of the Part- Time Degree. The aim of this area of the department is to facilitate the entry into higher education of mature students who may or may not be first time entrants to university and foster a culture of lifelong learning for personal, community and professional development. I work with different statutory, voluntary and especially community organisations in order fulfil the university’s strategic goal for Community Engagement (Campus Engage). Involvement with different communities and widening participation to non traditional students are two areas of my work for which I have a passionate interest. Delivery of our Outreach, Part-Time and Out of Hours courses function as de facto alternative access routes for students into Maynooth University. Initiatives, such as the Communiversity which brings higher education out of the campus in a partnership arrangement between MU, Leader Partnership Companies and Local Public Libraries, is a good example of this process in action. However, it is not enough merely to recruit students into the university and I consider the main purpose of education is to accommodate the student’s ability to engage with their own life world and to allow the student to succeed and flourish in an array of domains. I have been in the fortunate position as continuing education coordinator and as a lecturer on the evening degree in Local Studies and Community Studies, and more recently on the University’s Critical Skills to witness such development.

Research Interest

Adult and Community Education