Anybody taking a casual stroll around the campus of the State's largest institute of technology (IoT) outside Dublin would find it hard to ignore the hi-tech nature of recent developments there, writes John Downes

The state-of-the-art Luke Wadding library, as well as a new ICT building, create an atmosphere at Waterford Institute of Technology (WIT) which is comparable to many of its university counterparts.

Meanwhile, students at the college use technology developed on-campus to top up their student "swipe cards", which allow them to pay for anything from photocopying to meals.

WIT, which is particularly noted for its sports-related courses, clearly plays a key role in the economic and social development of the region. More than 80 per cent of its 6,000 students are already enrolled in bachelor's degree or postgraduate programmes. The institute has recently acquired a 150-acre campus in nearby Carriganore to house its corporate headquarters, research and innovation facilities and a student village. It will also provide extensive sports and recreation facilities.

All this development has led some - most notably former University of Limerick president Dr Edward Walsh - to argue that WIT would be the perfect location for a much-needed University of Waterford.

WIT's director, Prof Kieran Byrne, is understandably keen to downplay any such talk. While he does not disagree with the conclusion that it is the obvious place for a university, he claims WIT is happy to focus on its role as an institute of technology, catering to the needs of the local community. Prof Byrne is proud of the "revolutionary" progress which both WIT and the IOT sector have made in broadening access to third-level education in recent years.

By adapting and developing their courses to meet the needs of both the business community and society at large, the institutes have successfully managed to branch out to cover a wide spectrum of academic disciplines.

"I think in terms of participation and provision, the institutes have been revolutionary because they were very very radical in the manner in which they developed new curricula," Byrne says. "The institutes have evolved and have developed in very, very considerable ways, in terms of policy, in terms of planning and intellectually . . . We now have a variety of options for our school-leavers. They have choices."

Through its range of academic programmes, covering the humanities, health and nursing, science and informatics, engineering, business and education, WIT hopes to foster a number of traits in its graduates, he adds. These include research literacy, a willingness to engage in ongoing learning, the capacity to work in a team and an "ethical sensitivity".

"To be prepared in a narrowly-conceived way for a job today is not to be prepared developmentally," he explains. "We don't want to give back to the State somebody who, in terms of abilities, is sterile."

WIT has also performed well in securing research funding - €9 million in 2004.

But what is it that marks colleges such as WIT and the other institutes out from universities? Why should a student choose the type of education WIT offers over that of the university sector?

The IoTs adopt a differing approach to measuring the academic ability of their entrants, Byrne believes. For example, WIT caters to a diverse range of learners, from high achievers to those coming in with what might be described as a "modest" Leaving Cert. As a result, and in what some would see as a veiled criticism of the university sector, he says it has demonstrated it can deal with integrating people from all walks of life. "Anybody can walk through the gate of a university. But to participate after that is another matter . . . The car park of this institute is as busy at night as it is by day. And you notice more and more non-nationals coming in for the evening programmes because they don't find that coming in here is in any sense alien," Byrne says.

"We're doing things differently. Our thinking is different. Our approach is different. And it is characterised by a very, very strong commitment to the concept of community . . . We've learned over the last 35 years that students can begin with a very modest Leaving Certificate and go on from there."

According to some observers, however, these are difficult times for IoTs. Faced with a fall-off in student numbers, they point out that it will be the institute of technology sector, with its many specialised courses, which will find it particularly difficult to fill empty places.

Byrne acknowledges this as a concern. However, WIT's CAO applications this year are broadly similar to last year.

"If there are falling numbers we have to take some responsibility for that. And we have to position ourselves to ensure that these numbers are regained in other ways," he says. "You have to flexible."

One of the best ways of addressing this is through the introduction of modular courses, he believes. These allow students to gain credits for each area they study, and will be phased in across WIT, starting in the next academic year.

Affirming the work of the learner at each stage of their progress is also essential in reducing drop-out rates, he believes. Such an approach could also make the difference between someone giving up school after the Junior Certificate, and staying on to complete their State exams.

"[ Leaving Certificate] students are told: 'Hold your breath, stick in, head down, swot away like hell and you'll get your Leaving Cert. When? Eh, three years' time," he says. "Could you really convince anybody that they should wait three years for the outcome of their learning?"

Future projects for WIT include the continuation of its strategic plan, of which the first phase - the establishment of six schools - has just been completed. There are also plans to continue to develop WIT's "pinnacles of excellence", where the institute has enjoyed particular success in areas such as software systems and communications - and out of which the student swipe cards were born.

But WIT's value to the community is most evident in another field. The recent announcement of huge job losses at the Waterford Crystal plant located in the area, while traumatic, will allow WIT to play a key role in the retraining of those concerned, Byrne believes. "We will be there with these people, we will be there for them," he explains matter-of-factly. "And there's a psychological and a social and an educational dimension to all that."