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You’ve probably heard that there are a lot of projects going on at Sussex to transform our digital systems and services. None of them can take place in isolation – they all have to progress together.

The New Web Estate project is one such project. It is set to deliver a modern and future-proof external-facing website for the University, with the first phase launching in early 2026, swiftly followed by a staff intranet later in 2026.

The new website will provide significant advantages for users, from prospective and current students through to academic and professional services members of staff. It will look different, with a modern, user-friendly design, and it will also work differently behind the scenes, with new processes for getting information published and updated.

Because so much of what we do at the University has an impact on the website – and vice versa – the New Web Estate project needs to align closely with other key pieces of work taking place. Here are some examples of how we’re making sure that happens:

Student Information System (SIS)

While we’re working on the New Web Estate project, we’re also moving to a new Student Information System. This is what will feed lots of existing information to our website, such as the titles of courses. The Digital and Creative Media (DCM) team are working with IT Services to ensure timings and processes align. We’re exploring different approaches to minimise risks so we can guarantee delivery of a fully functional and compliant online course offer to help attract more students to Sussex.

The first online prospectus to start using some data from the new system is scheduled to be the 2027 Undergraduate Prospectus, launching in February 2026 in time for the 2027 UCAS cycle.

Curriculum Reimagined

In the New Web Estate project, we’re ensuring that our innovative curriculum is reflected accurately and accessibly on the new website.

Updates to the curriculum as well as user insight and recruitment requirements shape the newly designed course pages. The project is ensuring that all our courses – current and future – remain fully accessible throughout the process of introducing the new website.

The project will help us display our courses in the best possible way, giving prospective students a taste of what Sussex has to offer and encouraging them to join us over the coming years.

Ongoing engagement and feedback

We’ve been talking to many colleagues across campus to make sure your thoughts and needs, and those of your audiences, are considered as we develop the new website. And there will be more opportunities to find out more about what changes we can expect over the coming months.

This kind of work takes a huge amount of planning, which is why you haven’t seen any visible changes yet. But please be assured they are coming! The design phase of the new website, which will tie in nicely to the new Sussex brand, is now underway and we’re working through changes to governance and the content process for the new site with relevant colleagues. We look forward to sharing our progress with you.

If you have any ideas or questions about how the project may affect your area, please email dcm@sussex.ac.uk

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