COVID-19 pandemic has affected many aspects of social and economic life, including the educational sector. While each level of education faces its unique challenges, for the Higher Education the pandemic may act as the catalyst triggering a learning revolution. In the current study, which took place in April-May 2020, in the middle of lockdown in Greece, students from two regional Universities in Greece who participated pointed out that the Covid-19 pandemic disturbed their studies, even though their institutions managed to turn very quickly and successfully to distance learning. Despite the fact they are both old enough to handle the online work and technologically savvy enough to navigate new, digital tools and methods, a lot of anxiety, doubts and concerns arose. The main finding is that Greek students found it difficult to handle the lack of the everyday campus life and interaction with their fellow students and teachers, a lesson learnt for faculty to add pedagogically interactive tools, experiences, and ideas to stimulate students’ learning engagement.

Centers for Teaching and Learning (CTLs) have become increasingly important structures within higher education institutions, primarily supporting teaching enhancement and faculty development. However, comparatively limited attention has been paid to their direct contribution to student support and academic development. This study investigates undergraduate students’ support needs and examines the extent to which a CTL-designed online support programme can address these needs. Drawing on the theoretical framework of self-directed learning, the study employed a sequential mixed-methods design. Initially, students’ support needs were explored through a review of international CTL practices, questionnaires, and focus group discussions. Based on the identified needs, an asynchronous online support programme following a MOOC-inspired model was developed and implemented through the Center for Teaching and Learning of the University of Patras, Greece. The programme addressed topics including university adaptation, time management, motivation, study strategies, examination preparation, wellbeing, and academic integrity. A total of 548 undergraduate students participated in the programme, while 466 completed the post-intervention evaluation questionnaire. Data were collected through questionnaires, discussion forums, and learning analytics generated by the online platform. The findings indicate high levels of student satisfaction with both the content and delivery of the programme. Participants reported that they perceived the intervention as relevant and useful, expressing increased confidence regarding their study practices and positive intentions to incorporate the proposed strategies into their academic routines. The study contributes to the emerging literature by providing empirical evidence on how undergraduate students perceive student-oriented CTL initiatives, demonstrating the potential of teaching and learning support structures to expand their scope toward learner-centered academic support. Implications for the design of future student support programmes in higher education are discussed.