Mr Ken McCarthy

Biography

As Head of the Centre for Academic Practice at SETU, I lead strategic initiatives to enhance teaching, learning, and assessment across the university. I work collaboratively with academic staff, professional teams, and students to promote inclusive, research-informed, and digitally enriched education.

I’m passionate about fostering academic excellence through professional development, curriculum design, and scholarship of teaching and learning. I also support and drive innovation in digital pedagogy and learning spaces.

My mission? To empower educators, support student success, and shape a culture of continuous learning and collaboration.

Previously I was the SETU N-TUTORR Institutional Lead at South East Technological University. The N-TUTORR programme was a national collaborative technological sector project designed to transform learning, teaching and assessment by focusing on enhancing the student experience and developing the capabilities of all staff to address a sustainable pedagogical learning environment with a particular and critical focus on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and equality, diversity and inclusion (EDI).

During the COVID-19 pandemic, I worked in the Centre for Technology-Enhanced Learning (CTEL) as Head of Technology Enhanced Learning a cross-institutional management position which provided support to the Institute leadership in the development and implementation of technology-enhanced learning, integrating technology-enhanced learning strategically in supporting curriculum delivery and supporting academic and support staff in enhancing their capacity to utilise technology.

Previously I worked in CTEL as an eLearning Instructional Designer providing pedagogical and technical guidance for a range of projects across the institute. Working with various professionals tasked with planning, managing, developing delivering and refining blended and online programmes. I was also previously the Springboard Coordinator in the institute where I was responsible for the promotion and recruitment for a range of strategically funded programmes aimed at job seekers.  

A lifelong learner, I have completed a Higher Diploma in Business in Management at WIT, an MSc in the Management of Internet Enterprise Systems with DCU, and a Postgraduate Diploma in Innovation Through Design Thinking with UCC along with a number of other short courses both online and on-campus.