COVID-19 continues to change classroom dynamics around the country. The University of Alabama is no exception. As multiple classes move online and students will be expected to do more work from home rather than on campus, there are resources students and faculty can utilize to make the transition easier.

Adobe Creative Cloud is available for all University of Alabama students to use on their personal devices at no cost. 

Creative Cloud includes apps like Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign and Premiere Pro, as well as all the productivity apps of Adobe Document Cloud to read, create, edit and share PDFs. Creative Cloud allows students to create posters, flyers and websites, to edit and share photos, to design page layouts or documents, and to create videos, documentaries and more. 

“Adobe’s brand stands for creativity for all: providing the best creative apps and services so students can make anything they can imagine, wherever they are inspired,” a statement from Adobe read.

Typically, this service could cost up to $400 per year, but students have full, free access for the duration of their time at the University. The University first contracted with Adobe Creative Cloud last year to make the service available to all students for free. 

In March 2019, the University’s Student Government Association (SGA) partnered with the Office of Information Technology (OIT) and sent out a Qualtrics survey via email to gauge student satisfaction with the services and products provided to them by the University. A separate survey was sent to all faculty and staff members, asking them to rate their experiences with these services. Students were also encouraged to identify services or products the University did not offer that they would like to see made available to them. 

The survey remained available on the OIT website for the month after and was promoted by the SGA and UA News to maximize student and faculty feedback. After analyzing the results, the SGA discovered that access to Adobe was the No. 1 request among students who completed the survey.

This agreement designated the University as an Adobe Creative Campus, making it the only school in the SEC with this title except for Auburn University. The OIT anticipates an increased use of this software among students currently using it, along with a wide adoption rate from students who weren’t previously encouraged to utilize Adobe through their coursework.

Adobe’s tools empower students to communicate and think creatively, so they can bring their ideas to life inside and outside the classroom, and so they can graduate with the digital skills needed for future opportunities.

Jackson Fuentes, press secretary for the Student Government Association, said that with many classes becoming “entirely or overwhelmingly virtual, it is now more important than ever that students be provided virtual assets so that they may continue to excel academically.”

“SGA continues to be grateful to have worked with both Adobe and University administrators to provide students and faculty with free Adobe products downloadable on their own devices, saving students a collective $1 million. As students continue to work in an overwhelmingly virtual environment, we know that this will serve as a crucial asset to their success.”

Students can activate their Adobe Creative Cloud accounts now by visiting adobe.ua.edu.