University Activity Updates with SMS Notification is a free PHP/PDO project that automatically texts every student whenever the university posts a new activity or event — including its time and location.
Students can’t attend what they never hear about. This system closes that gap: the moment an admin publishes an activity, every registered student receives an SMS with the details, and can also log in online to browse upcoming events and announcements. The project was originally shared on SourceCodester by janobe and is mirrored here with the source code for study.
What is this system?
It is an online activity-updates management system for a university or college. The admin side creates activities, events and announcements and relays them to students; the student side lets each student view events and announcements and manage their own profile. The SMS notification layer is what makes it stand out from a plain notice-board script — it pushes the information to students instead of waiting for them to check.
Key features
Admin side:
- Manage events
- Manage announcements
- Manage courses
- Manage departments
- Manage students
- Manage users
Student side:
- Home
- View events
- View announcements
- Manage profile
- Login and logout
Screenshots
Technologies used
The system is built with PHP (PDO), a MySQL database, JavaScript/jQuery, CSS and HTML. SMS delivery is handled through the Diafaan SMS gateway, and the recommended local server stack is XAMPP.
How to install and run
- Download and install the latest version of XAMPP, and install Diafaan if you want live SMS sending.
- Download the source code ZIP below and extract it into your XAMPP
htdocsdirectory. - Create a new MySQL database in phpMyAdmin and import the
.sqlfile included with the source code. - Update the database connection settings in the project’s database configuration file to match your MySQL host, username and password.
- Start Apache and MySQL, then open the project folder in your browser at
http://localhost/.
Demo credentials
Admin login — username: admin, password: admin
Who is this for
IT and computer-science students who need a capstone project that combines a web portal with SMS integration; developers who want a working PHP/PDO example of gateway-based text notifications; and schools looking for a starting point they can adapt to their own announcement workflow.
Download the source code
LOGIN/REGISTER TO DOWNLOAD THE FREE SOURCE CODE
Download University Activity Updates with SMS Notification (ZIP from GitHub)
Note: the source code is available for educational use only — please keep the original author’s credit and don’t use it commercially without permission.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need Diafaan for the system to work?
The portal itself runs without it — events and announcements still work online. Diafaan (or another gateway you wire in) is only needed for the actual SMS sending.
Can I use a different SMS gateway?
Yes. The sending logic is isolated enough that you can swap in any HTTP-API gateway (for example a local telecom provider’s API) by replacing the gateway call.
Why aren’t students receiving texts?
Check that Diafaan is running and connected to a working modem or gateway account, and that each student record has a valid phone number in the database.
Related projects and guides
- Student Fees/Exam Card Clearance System with Barcode
- School Portal System
- Advance Loan Management System with SMS Notification
- Automated Attendance System