Unilink - Staff Availability and Assignment System

Abstract

In educational institutions, managing communication between market potential of a students, staff, and administrators often becomes time-consuming and inefficient when done manually. The “UniLink – Staff Availability and Assignment System” is a web-based application developed to simplify and digitalize these processes. The system provides an online platform that allows students to check staff availability, send meeting requests, and submit assignments efficiently. The application is built using HTML, CSS, and JavaScript for the front end, with Firebase Firestore as the backend database for secure and real-time data management. Each user—student, staff, or Head of Department (HOD)—has specific access privileges that ensure proper control and coordination. Staff members can create and manage assignments, respond to student meeting requests, and view timetables, while the HOD can manage users and oversee all system activities through an admin dashboard. By integrating real-time alerts and notifications, UniLink ensures instant updates on meetings, approvals, and assignments, thereby reducing delays and improving academic workflow. The system enhances communication, saves time, and promotes a paperless environment within the institution. Overall, this project aims to create a reliable, scalable, and user-friendly academic management platform that improves productivity and coordination across all departments.

Introduction

UniLink – Staff Availability and Assignment System is a web-based platform designed to streamline communication and coordination in a college environment. It connects students, faculty, and the Head of Department (HOD) through a centralized, role-based digital system for managing staff availability, academic timetables, assignments, and meeting requests.

Key Features:

• Students can view real-time staff schedules, assignments, and request meetings.

• Staff can set availability, manage assignments, and respond to meeting requests.

• HODs have full administrative control for monitoring, user management, and communication oversight.

• Dynamic timetable display with color-coded subjects and merged sessions.

• Alerts and notifications for assignments, meetings, and schedule updates.

• Modern, responsive UI with light/dark mode; cloud-based storage via Firebase Firestore ensures real-time synchronization and secure access.

Objectives:

1. Centralize academic management in a single web portal.

2. Track staff availability in real time.

3. Enable digital assignment management and submission.

4. Facilitate meeting requests between students and staff.

5. Provide HODs with administrative control and oversight.

6. Automate notifications for assignments, meetings, and schedules.

7. Enhance productivity by replacing manual processes.

8. Ensure responsive and accessible design across devices.

9. Secure and synchronize data using Firebase.

System Analysis:

• Existing Systems: Mostly manual or semi-digital, causing delays, communication gaps, errors, and lack of real-time staff info.

• Proposed System (UniLink): Digital platform addressing these limitations with real-time updates, role-based access, cloud storage, automated notifications, and a modern interface.

Solution Highlights:

• Unified platform for students, staff, and HODs.

• Real-time staff availability display.

• Automated assignment workflows and meeting management.

• Centralized, error-free data storage and retrieval.

• Responsive web interface with cloud-based reliability.

Ideation:
The system was conceptualized to simplify communication, automate workflows, and provide real-time academic management, addressing inefficiencies in traditional manual systems.

References

[1] Herbert Schildt, “JavaScript: The Complete Reference,” McGraw-Hill Education, 2020. [2] Steven Holzner, “HTML, CSS, JavaScript & jQuery All in One,” Pearson Education, 2019. [3] Kogent Learning Solutions Inc., “Web Technologies: HTML, CSS, JavaScript,” Dreamtech Press, 2018. [4] Ramesh Bangia, “Web Technology and Design,” Firewall Media, 2017. [5] Gaurav Gupta, “Cloud Computing & Firebase Database Concepts,” TechKnowledge Publications, 2021.

Copyright

Copyright © 2025 Akbar E Azam A, Goutham E, Chandhan S, Mrs. C. Akshaya. This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.