Colleagues from Digital & Information Services (D&IS) and Academic Services have been recognised at this year’s Staff Excellence Awards, winning the Celebrating Innovation category for the Academic Appeals Digitisation Project.

The project transformed the way academic appeals are submitted and managed, replacing a manual, email-based process with a secure digital service that supports cases from submission through to outcome. By working closely with colleagues across the University, the project team redesigned the process end-to-end to create a more streamlined and transparent experience for both students and staff.

The new system enables students to submit appeals online and track their progress, while staff benefit from improved case management, clearer workflows, and better oversight of each stage of the process. The result is a service that reduces administrative burden, improves consistency, and supports a more efficient and user-friendly process for everyone involved.

The award recognises not only the technical delivery of the system but also the strong collaboration between D&IS, Academic Services, and colleagues across the University who contributed their expertise to shaping the new process.

The Celebrating Innovation category was highly competitive, and it was particularly encouraging to see another successful University project shortlisted alongside the winning entry. The Official Documents and Letters Project, delivered by colleagues across D&IS and Academic Services, has also made a significant impact by improving how official documents often requested by students are generated and managed.

Together, these projects highlight the continued commitment of D&IS and our colleagues across the University to modernise services, improve the student experience, and deliver innovative digital solutions.