Not every student needs the full enrolment marathon, yet too often everyone is given the same running shoes anyway.
The problem shows up almost immediately for students studying at partner institutions. They open Ellucian Experience, start an enrolment flow, and quickly run into screens that are technically correct but practically irrelevant. Extra steps. Extra questions. Extra friction.
One UK university ran into this exact issue with its partner student cohort. These students do not fit neatly into standard enrolment categories. They are not home students, and they are not typical international students either. They sit somewhere in between, with a much narrower set of enrolment requirements.
The institution still needed the essentials covered. Student data had to be reviewed and confirmed. New students had to formally accept terms and conditions. What did not make sense was forcing this group through a full enrolment process designed for very different scenarios.
That gap became the core challenge. How do you simplify enrolment for partner students without losing data accuracy, process control, or compliance? The answer took shape as a dedicated Ellucian Experience card. Instead of reworking enrolment end to end, ABCloudz helped the institution introduce a focused, student friendly card designed specifically for partner students.
In this post, we take a closer look at how that card came together. We walk through the enrolment challenge the institution faced, explain the logic behind the streamlined workflow, and show how a single Experience card can handle data review, confirmation, and terms acceptance without dragging students through a full enrolment process.
You can see the same approach applied in other Experience card projects we have delivered, including workflows for postgraduate research annual reviews, trusted contact management, student data embedded into request letters, and bringing exam results directly into Ellucian Experience.
Not working on partner enrolment or Experience cards right now?
Take a look at our broader portfolio of Ellucian projects, or explore a wider collection of higher education success stories to see how we support institutions across different platforms and use cases.
A narrow process with clear boundaries
In this scenario, partner students were not starting from zero. They already existed in the system, and the institution did not need to collect everything again. The task was to validate a limited set of data, allow updates only where appropriate, and move the student to a clear final state. Banner remained the system of record, which meant most data had to stay view-only, with only a small number of fields open for change.
The workflow also needed to handle one important distinction. Returning partner students only had to review their information, while new students were required to formally accept terms and conditions. Once completed, the process had to leave no ambiguity for administrators. Each step needed to be traceable, completion needed to be explicit, and the outcome needed to be consistent every time. This is why the solution stayed intentionally narrow and focused, setting the direction for how the Experience card was designed.
The card as the student sees it
For partner students, enrolment is handled through a single Experience card. They open Ellucian Experience, select Partner Student Enrolment, and move through a short, linear set of steps.
Each section focuses on one thing at a time, with clear progress and no unrelated screens. Students review personal and demographic details first, then confirm or update contact information such as email, phone, and address. Only a limited number of fields are editable. Everything else is clearly shown as read-only, so there is no confusion about what can be changed.
Programme and course details are presented for confirmation only. This reinforces the purpose of the flow. It is about validating information, not configuring enrolment.
For new partner students, terms and conditions appear as the final step. Acceptance is explicit and required before completion. Returning students complete the flow without seeing steps that do not apply to them.
From the student’s point of view, the experience is short, predictable, and easy to finish.
The architecture behind the card
The architecture mirrors that simplicity.
Ellucian Experience provides the entry point and configuration. Administrators manage text and settings directly in Experience, which keeps wording flexible without changing the logic.
The Experience card controls the user flow, while the extension’s server-side logic enforces rules and security. This layer determines what data can be updated and handles authenticated requests.
All reads and updates go through the Ethos integration layer, which provides secure API access to Banner SaaS using standard operations. Banner remains the system of record, storing confirmed updates and terms acceptance as soon as the student completes each step.
Responsibilities are clearly separated. Experience handles the interface, the extension logic controls behavior, Ethos manages integration, and Banner holds the authoritative data.
What this delivered
Partner students now complete enrolment through a short, focused flow that shows only what applies to them. There is less friction, less uncertainty, and a clear point of completion.
For the institution, the process remains controlled and reliable. Data is reviewed and updated where appropriate, terms and conditions are captured when required, and Banner reflects a consistent end state for this cohort.
Working with an Ellucian Experience partner
ABCloudz is an official Ellucian Service Partner, and projects like this one reflect how we work with Ellucian SaaS in practice. We design and build Experience cards that fit naturally into the platform, respect Banner as the system of record, and solve specific workflow gaps without overengineering.
Experience card development is a dedicated offering within our Ellucian practice.
If your institution is using Ellucian Experience and there are enrolment or data workflows that feel heavier than they should, we would be glad to talk. Share your use case, and we can explore how a focused Experience card can turn it into a clear, repeatable process on top of the Ellucian platform.
If your institution is exploring ways to extend Ellucian Experience with purpose-built workflows, we would be glad to talk. Share your goals or challenges, and we can look at how an Experience card or a focused integration can support them within your existing Ellucian environment.
