Second, third and fourth-year students recommenced their studies on Wednesday 30^th September.

This academic year, students will receive a blend of on-campus and real-time remote learning. In the interest of health & safety, the majority of all lectures and tutorial classes will be delivered online. Practical classes will be delivered on campus, only in cases where it is not possible to do so remotely.

According to DkIT’s President, Michael Mulvey, PhD, students will continue to benefit from the first-class learner-focussed education this year, albeit with some necessary alterations to ensure it is safe and compliant with public health guidelines.

“A high degree of planning has been developed to ensure that our campus was ready for the safe return of our students. While many of our operating procedures and policies may have changed, our ethos of learner-centred education has not. Our academic staff continue to display the same level of passion and dedication to their disciplines and over recent weeks they have demonstrated a huge degree of innovation to adapt their programmes for blended learning.

“All existing student services and supports remain available to students and we’ve invested in new digital resources to ensure teaching and learning and indeed other aspects of the student experience can be continued this year. We remain committed to delivering a fulfilling and enriching academic and student experience while protecting the academic integrity of our programmes and awards and abiding by all public health guidelines.”

This year’s induction was well received by students who were pleased to see the campus for the first time and see the facilities. 

Speaking during her induction, Anne Marie Ronan, a BSc (Hons) in Midwifery student from Meath added,

“Today I have a mixture of emotions, I’m a bit nervous but also excited. DkIT was my first choice and heard from others who had studied here that it was a great place to study and so I put it down as my  first choice. I’m just delighted to be starting.”

Speaking during his induction, Emmett O’Brien, Civil Engineering student from Dundalk and former pupil of De La Salle, added:

 “It’s great to be here as a registered student. I’m excited and a bit overwhelmed but DkIT is local and had a good reputation, particularly in engineering so I’m looking forward to the year ahead.”

Speaking during his induction, Sean Black, a BA in Sports, Exercise & Enterprise students and former pupil of St Joseph’s CBS, added,

“Excited and thankfully not as nervous as I thought I would be. It’s great to come and see the campus and was good to meet my classmates. I looking forward to getting stuck in.”

As part of its reopening plans, DkIT has published a Student COVID-19 Charter which was developed in conjunction with the Students’ Union in recognition that the safety of our community relies on a responsible partnership between students and the institution. The new charter outlines the commitment expected by the institute and all students throughout the academic year 2020 – 2021.

DkIT has also created a Student Information Portal hub, where students will find a list of FAQs, general guidance and live COVID-19 updates. The hub is designed to answer topical questions, thereby alleviating some stress or concerns that students may have. The institute has also set up a dedicated covidenquiries@dkit.ie email as an additional support to students and staff.