Summer 2020 has come and gone, and a new academic year is upon us. The globe remains wracked by uncertainties due to the COVID pandemic and the Classics Department in Maynooth is no exception. But in keeping with evolving guidance from the government and university authorities, we very much look forward to welcoming you back (or for the first time!) later in September. Our general plan, and hope, is to be able to meet with you as much as possible for on-campus classes and tutorials -while making all essential materials available online, so that you can continue to study at home if preferred. The specific blend of live and online learning will differ somewhat from lecturer to lecturer but will typically include audio and visual materials as well as written documents; on-campus classes will be supplemented or replaced (if necessary) by recorded lectures and/or live online meetings. Fortunately, there is a wealth of materials about the ancient Mediterranean world online, and we will strive to use these (alongside face-to-face classes and the full range of technological media, including Panopto and Microsoft Teams) to make your studies as interesting and profitable as possible. If ever there was a time to take stock, to get a wider picture of our society’s place within the larger curve of human history, and to study the Classics and the ancient world, it is now!
Student Handbooks 2020-2021 (with information about module content, scheduled times, required books, and assessment procedures) will be posted on this page shortly. More detailed information about how specific modules will be delivered will also be finalized and communicated here over the next two weeks. For specific concerns or questions, please email the Head of Department (william.desmond@mu.ie) or the department office (classics@mu.ie).