University College Cork (UCC) has a long history of supporting non-traditional learners to achieve their professional and personal educational goals. More than 10 units across the university deliver responsive, targeted, and specialised programmes aligned with their academic strengths, paired with industry and community partners.

When the global pandemic hit in 2020, we were faced with the scenario of not being able to deliver these programmes, as these were entirely campus based. Furthermore, unlike the majority of our undergraduate and postgraduate offerings, these programmes are often managed in a devolved fashion, so the curriculum and registration process for these learners do not exist within the university’s student information systems. Canvas Catalog was an immediate solution to this problem, allowing our learners to signup, register and pay for these courses, and then undertake them online on Canvas.

However, the platform has become much more than just a solution to a problem. More that 4500 learners over the past two years have signed up to UCC via Canvas Catalog and it is now underpinning these strategically important educational offerings. We’re delighted to be able to share our story so far, and offer a glimpse into our future plans for the platform.