NUI Maynooth is introducing a mentoring system for its first-year students in a bid to reduce dropout rates. The college has recently received a lot of adverse publicity in relation to its poor retention rates.

The registrar Professor Peter Carr has been seconded to set up an "Academic Advisory Office" that will link students with members of staff who will act as their mentors (one mentor for every 10 students). Support is also being provided for existing students who performed poorly in summer exams.

This scheme will build on the success NUI Maynooth has had with retaining students who were admitted to the college through access schemes. Access officer Ann O'Brien has provided support for 10 students admitted each year for the past three years under a pilot scheme.

Of the 30 students, 29 have stayed with the college, while one student has taken a year out but plans to return.

This year, the college will admit 30 access students from linked schools. Criteria for admission to the access scheme include financial criteria and no previous history of third-level education in the family.

For these students, and many others, the cost of accommodation is prohibitive and, this year, NUI Maynooth will add another bus route to the two existing buses which operate from Templeogue, via Tallaght and Clondalkin, and from Kells, via Navan, Trim, Dunshaughlin and Dunboyne.

The new route will service south Kildare and should be operational in time for September 24th, when the college re-opens its doors to students.