Derek Barter

Dr Derek Barter is the Continuing Education Co-Ordinator in the Dept. of Adult and Community Education (DACE) Maynooth University and Director of the Communiversity. Completing a PhD in modern history in 2009, his dissertation focussed on identity politics in Ireland, nationalism, de-Anglicisation, unsettled social and constitutional relationships through the competing discourses of culture in the popular song tradition. While undertaking his doctoral research, Dr. Barter began working for the City of Dublin Vocational Education Committee as an Education Development Worker in the Soilse Drug Free project in Dublin’s north inner city. He initiated the NUI Maynooth Return to Learning Programme in Soilse which helped the programme to with two Aontas Star awards. At the same time he began working in the Canals Community Partnership managing, designing and developing community based educational programmes in the south inner city in Bluebell, Dolphin’s Barn, Fatima Mansions, Rialto and Inchicore. It was in these posts that main areas of interest  ‘Community Engagement and Widening Participation within HE’ began.

In his post as Academic Co-ordinator of Continuing Education in the Department of Adult and Community Education in Maynooth University his main aim 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. This includes the night-time/part-time degree for adults the BA Local Studies/BA Community Studies. Dr Barter works with different statutory, voluntary and especially community organisations in order fulfil the university’s strategic goal for Community Engagement and Widening Participation. 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 work in action. He is also collaborating with the Education Dept. in MU in piloting a version of this programme for Transition Year students in a Secondary School in North Dublin called the CommuniversiTY. 

He concieved of a series of Life Skills modules for First Year students which where later developed in the Maynooth University new curriculum for undergraduate students as Critical Skills. He delivers the modules A Social Analysis of Everyday Life: Reflective Practice and A Social Analysis of Everyday Life: Experiential Learning as part of this programme. He was a member of the steering committee for the HEA PATH 1 Turn to Teaching. Through dialogue with community partners he proposed the Think About Teaching module of the programme 2017 designed to attract adults from marginalised communities into Initial Teacher Education. These links to the community partners proved invaluable in securing the highest tranche of funding for MU from any of the submitting HEIs.

In 2021 he secured funding through the Europe for Citizens programme under the Democratic engagement and civic participation strand where he has led a consortium of six partners, three universities and three civil society organisations, from across the European continent to engage both students and members of the general public in the conversation on social Europe. The Foundations for Futures Europe project provided space for people to consider issues concerning poverty, disability, migration, identity, employment, education and climate etc. This project is now being considered by the EU Commission as a 'model of best practice' for social inclusion and citizen engagement.