The American University of Beirut (AUB) serves a diverse community of more than 8,000 students, including those on campus, online, and in executive programs, all united by a commitment to delivering an exceptional educational experience. To achieve this, AUB set out to modernize how students access services by moving away from outdated systems and multiple logins and URLs. The goal: to create a seamless, personalized experience that enhances engagement for students around the world.
The American University of Beirut is transforming the student experience with Ellucian Experience, a dynamic, role-based platform that brings all essential services together in one easy-to-use dashboard. Thanks to features like single sign-on, card-style navigation, and flexible no- and low-code customization, students enjoy seamless access to the resources they need. This approach not only streamlines processes and personalizes content for every student group, but also lightens the administrative workload for staff, making campus life smoother and more engaging for everyone.
- Seamless access to registration, payment, and financial aid details; everything students need in one easy-to-use portal with fewer steps.
- Customizable dashboards designed for each student group, including online and executive learners, delivering a truly personalized experience.
- Greater staff productivity thanks to simplified workflows and less manual processing.
- A unified IT ecosystem that serves as the go-to platform for all student services, making campus life more connected and efficient.
Navigating complexity with a diverse student community
The American University of Beirut boasts a vibrant community of on-campus learners, online students, and executive education participants; each with their own unique requirements. Before introducing Ellucian Experience, students faced the frustrating challenge of juggling multiple logins, URLs and platforms to access critical services like registration, financial aid, and payment details. The reliance on a stack of custom-built apps and outdated self-service tools added layers of complexity and unpleasant experience, making everyday tasks cumbersome for both students and staff alike.
"We wanted to modernize the student experience and make it as seamless as possible," said Rabih Haidar, Online Student Success Manager. "Our goal was to create a one-stop shop where students can find everything they need in one place."
A personalized, one-stop hub for every learner
Ellucian Experience provides that unified hub modern leaners crave. Through a personalized, role-based dashboard, students, faculty, and staff can access the tools and information most relevant to them, without multiple logins. With the platform’s card-based design and single sign-on capabilities, AUB can consolidate services and deliver a strategically tailored experience for every learner.
"AUB's mission and vision align with Ellucian's student-first approach and that's reflected in Ellucian Experience," shared Haidar.
The flexibility of Ellucian Experience also supports AUB's long-term strategy. With no- and low-code extensibility, the university can conveniently build custom cards, integrate third-party applications, and continuously refine the platform based on student feedback and strategic goals. Experience's mobile optimization ensures staff and students can access services anytime, anywhere.
Faster access, fewer clicks, and a student-first experience
While the rollout continues, AUB is already seeing how Ellucian Experience transforms the student journey. By consolidating services into a single, role-based dashboard, students will no longer need to navigate multiple systems or remember multiple logins. Instead, they'll have quick, intuitive access to the tools and information that matter most—whether that's registration deadlines, financial aid details, or time zone–sensitive updates for online learners.
This streamlined approach doesn't just benefit students. By reducing manual processes and simplifying workflows, AUB expects to ease the administrative burden on staff, freeing them to focus on higher-value support and engagement. The result is a modern, connected experience that puts students first while improving operational efficiency across the institution.
Building for scale with a phased, strategic implementation
The rollout of Ellucian Experience at AUB followed a deliberate, phased approach to minimize disruption and support strong adoption. The university began with technical setup, integration review, and requirements assessment. To validate the approach, the team developed proof-of-concept cards, such as program transfer and document upload, and conducted pilot testing to gather feedback and refine the user experience.
"Experience lets us centralize and personalize services, modernize integrations, and retire legacy screens—without losing the custom functions our community relies on," said Maya Hajjar, Senior Principal Engineer.
Behind the scenes, success relied on careful planning, including a structured migration plan, capacity building for the team, strong integration and authentication, and targeted staff training. This foundation enables scalable growth and a seamless experience for students and staff.
Both Haidar and Hajjar emphasized the importance of starting early and prioritizing quick wins. "Don't wait for perfection," Haidar advised. "Launch with what you can, then iterate." That mindset is guiding AUB's phased rollout and ensuring the platform evolves with student needs.
What's next: mobile-first, AI, and student-led enhancements
For AUB, Ellucian Experience is more than a technology upgrade, it's a cornerstone of the university's digital-first strategy and a reflection of their commitment to students. Next steps include expanding mobile capabilities, developing additional cards including AI agent(s) based on student feedback, and continuing to refine the platform to meet evolving needs.
"Our vision is to keep students at the center of everything we do," Haidar said. "Ellucian Experience helps us deliver on that promise."
