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How Student Portal Improves the Swansea University Experience
Success Story

How Student Portal Improves the Swansea University Experience

Swansea University has created a digital campus experience with the myday portal, centralising and simplifying access to key systems and services.

Swansea University
Institution Type:
Public Research University
Customer Since:
2022
Student Numbers:
21,000+
Location:
Swansea, Wales

About Swansea University

Founded in 1920, Swansea University is a leading research institution in Wales, offering a wide range of undergraduate and postgraduate programmes to over 21,000 students. The university is known for its commitment to student experience, digital innovation, and inclusive access to higher education.

Challenges

Before launching the myday portal, Swansea lacked a centralised platform and dedicated student app. Students accessed services through a basic login page with links to disparate systems, including a Virtual Leaning Environment (VLE), library loans, and an intranet. 

Key challenges included:

  • Fragmented student experience due to disjointed systems.

  • No mobile presence or centralised app for essential tools.

  • Communication gaps between students and the institution.

  • Accessibility and usability issues across digital services.

  • Limited analytics on student interactions with digital tools.

These gaps made it difficult to deliver a seamless, engaging experience, especially during key transition points like arrival and enrollment.

Challenges

Solution

Swansea University launched a phased rollout of myday in 2022, introducing a centralised student portal (“MySwansea”) accessible via web and mobile. The portal streamlined access to key systems and services for students.

In 2023, an arrival portal was added to support onboarding and orientation, offering a public-facing mobile experience with maps, chat, and essential resources. A staff portal followed in early 2024, providing a central communications hub to enhance internal engagement.

Key Features and Benefits of the portal include:

  • Mobile-First Student Access: A branded, accessible app experience, no coding required, synchronized across iOS, Android, and desktop.

  • Timely Notifications: Push notifications drive high engagement with key messages competing with and complementing social media reach and emails.

  • Integrated Systems: Virtual Learning Environment (VLE), library loans, email, and intranet systems are brought together into a single platform.

  • Data-Driven Insights: Usage analytics inform improvements and demonstrate student engagement in real time.

The goal was to create a unified and accessible experience, bringing everything together in one place, available across mobile and desktop.

Outcomes

The myday portal has helped Swansea achieve its goals of creating a centralized, accessible student portal that enhances both academic and campus life. This is reflected in the following user stats:

7,500+
Average daily users
with numbers spiking to over 10,000 during peak periods like enrollment—demonstrating consistent and growing platform engagement.
50%
Push notification open rate
for key campaigns, such as ‘Apply for a Master’s’—sent to over 20,000 students—resulting in an uptick in applications for Postgraduate Certificate courses, complementing traditional communication channels.
83%
Portal engagement rate
far exceeding the university’s average email and social media open rates of 17–28%, highlighting the platform’s value in driving meaningful student interaction.
“Now, everything is in one place”
“Students used to bounce between disconnected systems. Now, everything is in one place. The myday portal meets their needs and gives us powerful tools to engage and support them.”
Chris Sherwood
User Experience and Accessibility Lead
“We’ve seen significantly higher engagement...”
“The biggest success has been notifications. We’ve seen significantly higher engagement compared to email and social media, especially for key campaigns. It’s really changed how we communicate.”
Chris Sherwood
User Experience and Accessibility Lead
“That’s huge for accessibility, scale, and student satisfaction.”
“With myday, we were able to launch branded apps across iOS, Android, and desktop—without having to build custom code. That’s huge for accessibility, scale, and student satisfaction.”
Chris Sherwood
User Experience and Accessibility Lead

In Conclusion

Swansea University’s adoption of myday demonstrates the power of thoughtful digital transformation. By prioritizing student needs and accessibility the university has built a flexible portal that simplifies daily life, improves communication, and supports long-term student success. “My Swansea” is a go-to resource for current students and a vital communication channel for staff.

In Conclusion
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