University of Southampton

Goals

• Move Identity checks for students online
• Move a significant part of the right-to-study checks for international students online
• Create a new graduation application for online celebrations
• Create a new opt-in page to the Southampton COVID-19 testing programme

Summary

COVID-19 has represented a significant challenge for institutions worldwide—and this was no different for the University of Southampton. Faced with an environment where staff were working from home, and government guidance was rapidly changing, the university recognised it needed to act decisively to maintain essential processes while keeping students safe. Working with Ellucian, its established student software provider, the University of Southampton harnessed the power of Ellucian’s Banner platform to move key processes online, and thereby significantly reduce the need for face-to-face contact. This meant large on-campus events—identity checks, right to study checks, and graduate celebrations—could be hosted virtually. The same technology also enabled secure and widespread take-up amongst students of a COVID-19 testing programme, run by the University of Southampton in partnership with Southampton City Council and the NHS.