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Students Landing PageSETU Waterford offers a broad range of academic programmes from levels 6 to 10 on the national framework of qualifications across Business, Education, Engineering, Health Sciences, Humanities, Science and Computing.
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Events Landing PageHead of Department of Education
Education and Lifelong Learning - Adult And Continuing Education
+353 0 051845584
CL13 St Dominic's
College Street
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I have been working in the School of Education and Lifelong Leraning since 2004 when I joined as Head of Department of Adult Education. I am now Head of Department of Education, where I lead a team in the development and delivery of undergraduate and postgraduate programmes for education professionals working across the spectrum of education. My colleagues and I offer innovative continuing professional development (CPD) and postgraduate research opportunities for Irish and international educators to enhance their learning, research and career opportunities.
From 2013-2017, I took a career break from WIT to work with 3U Partnership, a strategic partnership between DCU, Maynooth University and RCSI. I developed an educational start up 3U Pathway Programmes for international students, which were acquired by EduCo International Group, an Irish-Australian consortium, in 2017.
Previously, I worked as External Services Manager at IT, Tralee (now MTU) and as a Community Enterprise Officer within the community development/social enterprise sector in the the South East. This work sparked my passion for entrepreneurship and my research interests in Enterprise Development; Entrepreneurship in Higher Education and Social Enterprise. My PhD research (DCU) examined graduate entrepreneurs’ perspectives of entrepreneurship education in Irish higher education.
Mary Fenton, PhD, MBS, MA, BSc (Hons) Mgmt
Research Interests
Enterprise Development
Entrepreneurship Education
Social Enterprise
Creativity, Innovation and Entrepreneurship in Higher Education
Enterprise and Innovation - MA in Management in Education
Policy and Policy Making in Further Education - Postgraduate Diploma in Teaching in Further Education
Social Innovation - Higher Certificate in Community Education and Development
2017 to Date: Head of Department of Education, WIT
2013 to 2017: Head of 3U Pathways, 3U Partnership
2004 to 2013: Head of Department of Adult and Continuing Education, WIT
1998 - 2004: External Services Manager, Institute of Technology, Tralee
1996 - 1998: Enterprise Development Officer, South East Region Chambers of Commerce, Waterford.
1995 - 1996: Community Enterprise Officer, Dunhil, Fenor, Boatstrand, Annestown (DFBA) Community Enterprise Group
1993 - 1995: Project Manager, Buck Mulligan’s GmbH, Düsseldorf, Germany
1992 – 1993: Intern European Orientation Programme, An Bord Bia, Düsseldorf, Germany.
Publications: Peer Reviewed Journal Articles
2015: Davis, R. and Fenton, M. Partnership and collaboration in the new higher education landscape – the 3U Partnership experience, All Ireland Journal of Teaching and Learning in Higher Education (AISHE) Vol.7 (No 1.), Maynooth University, 2015.
2014: Barry, A.M., and Fenton, M. ‘University-Industry Links in Research and Development (R&D) and Consultancy: The Case of Ireland during the Celtic Tiger’, Irish Geography, March 2014.
2013: Fenton, M., Barry, A.M., and Gash, H., Fit for Purpose? Entrepreneurship Education in Irish Higher Education - Perspectives of Graduate Entrepreneurs and Enterprise Enablers, Proceedings of Education and Learning Issues in Entrepreneurship Workshop, Athens, Greece, 4-5 July 2013, edited by A. Kakouris, H. Fulford.
2013: Williams, P., and Fenton, M. 'Towards a Good Practice Model for an Entrepreneurial Higher Education Institution', Special Issue of the Industry and Higher Education journal late 2013 (Under Peer Review).
2013: Barry, A.M. and Fenton, M., ‘Breathing Space: Graduate Entrepreneurs’ Perspectives of Entrepreneurship Education, Education and Training special issue, 8/9 2013 (Under Peer Review).
2013: Barry, A.M., and Fenton, M. ‘University-Industry Links in Research and Development (R&D) and Consultancy: The Case of Ireland during the Celtic Tiger’, Irish Geography, March 2013.
2013: Barry, A.M. and Fenton, M., ‘Gender differences in university-industry links in science and technology-based subjects in Irish HEIs during Ireland’s Celtic Tiger period’, International Journal of Gender and Entrepreneurship, Special issue on Gender Perspectives on University Education and Entrepreneurship, March 2013.
2013: Barry, A.M. and Fenton, M., ‘From bust to boom and back again: the role of industrial and innovation policy in Ireland’, Irish Geography, May 2013.
2013: Barry, A.M. and Fenton, M., ‘The place of the university in industrial innovation: perspectives from the Irish academic community on R&D and Consultancy links’, International Review of Entrepreneurship, Under Peer Review.
2012: O’Connor, J., Fenton, M. and Barry, A.M., Entrepreneurship education – Ireland’s solution to economic re-generation? Industry and Higher Education, June, 26(3), 241-249.
2011: Fenton, M. and Barry, A.M., ‘The efficacy of entrepreneurship education: perspectives of Irish graduate entrepreneurs’, Industry and Higher Education, Special Issue, December, 25(6), 451-460.
2010: D’alton, E., Fenton, M., Maher, H., and O’Grady, M. (2010), Grounding Higher Education in the Community: The Case of Waterford Women’s Centre and Waterford Institute of Technology, Issue 10: Policy and Practice: A Development Education Review, Centre for Global Education, Belfast (2010).
Conference Papers
Williams, P. and Fenton, M. (2012) Towards an Entrepreneurial Higher Education Institution Paper presented at the 3rd International Conference on Networks, Learning and Entrepreneurship, organised by the Institute for Small Business and entrepreneurship (ISBE), Dublin, 8 November 2012.
Barry., A.M. and Fenton, M., (2012) ‘Gender differences in university-industry links in science and technology-based subjects in Irish HEIs during Ireland’s Celtic Tiger Period’. Paper presented at the 3rd International Conference on Networks, Learning and Entrepreneurship, organised by the Institute for Small Business and entrepreneurship (ISBE), Dublin, 8 November 2012.
Fenton, M., Barry, A. and Crehan, E. (2011) Graduate Entrepreneurship Education: Perspectives of Graduate Entrepreneurs, SNLIW Conference, WIT, December 2011.
Greene Beatty, J. and Fenton, M. (2011) Approaches to Entrepreneurship Education in Tourism and Hospitality Programmes. SNLIW Conference, WIT, December 2011.
Fenton, M., Barry, A. and Crehan, E. (2011) Graduate Enterprise Programmes: The Real Deal in Supporting HPSU Entrepreneurs? ISBE Conference, Sheffield, November 2011.
Greene Beatty, J. and Fenton, M. (2011) Approaches to Entrepreneurship Education in Tourism and Hospitality Programmes. THRIC Conference, June 2011.
Fenton, M. and Barry, A. (2010) Efficacy of Entrepreneurship Education: Perspectives of Irish Graduate Entrepreneurs. ISBE Conference, London, November 2011.
O’Connor, J., Fenton, M. and Barry, A (2010,) Entrepreneurship Education – Ireland’s Answer to Economic Regeneration? INTENT Conference, The Netherlands, 4-5 July 2010.
Fenton, M. and Barry, A (2010), Efficacy of Entrepreneurship Education: Perspectives of Irish Graduate Entrepreneurs, ISBE Conference, London, November 2010.
Murphy, H. and Fenton, M. (2010), Entrepreneurship Education in Irish Higher Education - A Panacea for Economic Regeneration? Presentation to Learning by Developing Conference, Laurea University, Helsinki, 14-15 October 2010.
O’Connor, J., Fenton, M. and Barry, A (2010,) Entrepreneurship Education – Ireland’s Answer to Economic Regeneration? INTENT Conference, The Netherlands, 4-5 July 2010.
Fenton, M. and Barry, A (2010,) Entrepreneurship Education – Ireland’s Answer to Economic Re-generation? EUNIP Conference, Spain June 2010
Fenton, M. (2009) "An investigation of how entrepreneurship education and training initiatives promote and/or impede enterprise development in Irish Institutes of Technology", Regional Science Association International Conference, Limerick
Basanth, H., Fenton, M. and O’Grady, M (2009), “Embedding Community Education and Development Courses in the Community: The Learning Partnership of Waterford Women’s Centre and Waterford Institute of Technology”, Campus Engage Conference, Dublin.
Fenton, M., (2008) “Accredited Continuing Professional Development of Teachers: An Economic Imperative”, TUI National Conference Journal
Fenton, M., Healy, P., O’Connor, J., O’Dwyer, B., and O’Gorman, W. (2006) ‘Towards A Best Practice Framework of Campus Incubators’, University Entrepreneurship - Incubating Processes, FINPIN Conference, Lahti, Finland, June 2006
Fenton, M., Healy, P., O’Connor, J., O’Dwyer, B., and O’Gorman, W. (2006) ‘Best Practice of Campus Incubators’, EUNIP Conference, University of Limerick, June 2006.
Fenton, M. and O’Connor, J. (2006) ‘The Role of Micro-Enterprises in Developing Countries: The Case of Uganda’, Development Corporation Ireland Conference, DCU, Dublin, March 2006.
Fenton, M. (2005) “Towards a Best Practice Framework of Campus Incubators: The Case of the Irish Institute of Technology Sector” MBS Thesis.
Fenton, M. (2005) “Best Practice of Irish Campus Incubators” TECNET Entrepreneurship and Creativity Seminar, Waterford, 10-11 April 2005.
Fenton, M., O’Connor, J. & O’Dwyer, B. (2005) “Best Practice for Campus Incubators: The Case of the Irish Institute of Technology Sector” - Internationalising Entrepreneurship Education and Training Conference, Guildford, 2005.
Carile, O., Fenton, M. and Lillis, D. (2005) “If you think adult education is expensive – try ignorance”, Forum for Access and Continuing Education (FACE) Conference, Cork, 2005.
From 2013-2017, I worked as Head of 3U Pathway Programmes with 3U Partnership, a strategic partnership between DCU, Maynooth University and RCSI. Together with colleagues in 3U Partnership, I developed an educational start up 3U Pathway Programmes, which was acquired by EduCo International Group, an Irish-Australian consortium, in 2017.
SETU Waterford, Cork Road, Waterford City, 
