Ellucian Reveals 2025 Winners for Experience Idol and Partner Awards at Major Conference
On April 16, 2025, during the highly anticipated Ellucian Live conference, Ellucian, a front-runner in technology solutions for higher education, unveiled the winners of its latest Experience Idol competition along with the inaugural Partner Experience Award. This announcement showcased remarkable innovations by various educational institutions that utilize the powerful Ellucian Platform, specifically their SaaS technologies. The Experience Idol awards were part of an initiative that encourages organizations to challenge traditional methods and embrace creativity to enhance the experiences of students and staff alike.
The 2025 Experience Idol competition was designed to encourage institutions of higher learning to tailor the Ellucian Platform to cater to the evolving needs of today's students and staff. The evaluations centered around three categories: use case, persona-driven experiences, and collaborative efforts among institutions. The finalists were selected through voting by leaders from peer institutions and were presented during the prestigious Ellucian Live event.
This year's winners didn’t just showcase innovative technology but also presented solutions deeply rooted in the real needs of their users. Lethbridge Polytechnic was recognized for the 'Best Use Case' for their innovative approach in creating a digital ID as an Experience card. This allows students to access essential facilities like gyms and libraries using a real-time barcode feature via their Experience Companion App. Faculty can easily retrieve student information, which can be effectively managed by syncing usage data with the institution’s customer relationship management (CRM) tools.
Delta College won for the 'Best Persona-Driven Experience' with their revamped Experience dashboard, renamed 'MyDelta'. This powerful tool now houses a chatbot and features essential information cards—for instance, a Semester Countdown card to keep track of crucial dates, and a My Grades card that displays GPA and grade statuses. This re-design is a significant step towards a more personalized and engaging student experience.
Furthermore, the award for 'Best Collaboration' went to the University of Bridgeport and Goodwin College. By utilizing Data Connect, the two institutions successfully streamlined their Accounts Payable processes with a bulk invoice upload feature, significantly reducing the time required for this task from hours to mere minutes. This optimization allows their employees to focus on higher-level strategic initiatives.
In addition to recognizing institutional prowess, Ellucian announced its first-ever Partner Experience Award, which highlights outstanding integrations created by their partners with Ellucian Experience technology. The debut winner, TouchNet, was acknowledged for their OneCard VIP Experience card. This remarkable solution integrates both physical and digital campus IDs, streamlining access to meal plans and transactions through a single interface, thus enhancing the user experience across the campus.
With these awards, Ellucian not only celebrates the achievements of its partners and clients but also promotes a culture of collaboration and innovation within higher education. The emphasis on student and staff experience through technology underscores the pivotal role that institutions have in shaping the future of education. Ellucian remains committed to supporting its diverse clientele, empowering over 2,900 institutions globally and impacting the lives of 20 million students. By delivering cutting-edge SaaS capabilities and an AI-driven platform, Ellucian equips educational entities with tools designed to meet their unique challenges, ultimately promoting better outcomes for students and institutions alike.
To dive deeper into the innovations presented this year, and to learn more about Ellucian Experience, visit https://www.ellucian.com/solutions/ellucian-experience.
Ellucian continues to push boundaries and set standards in higher education technology solutions, proving that when institutions collaborate effectively and leverage technological advancements, they can create impactful and transformative educational experiences. This year's accolades are just a glimpse of the potential that lies ahead as these innovations continue to evolve in the ever-changing landscape of higher education.