How being an Adobe Creative Campus gives students, faculty and staff an edge

Like every good teacher, one of the first things that Caroline Jung does when she begins a new term at the Pilon School of Business is to try and get to know her students. But instead of simply having them tell her their names, she turns it into a teachable moment and has them learn a new skill at the same time.

"Everybody has access to Adobe Express," Jung tells her Human Resources Certificate students. “Here’s the link.”

Jung then walks them through the simple process of setting up access to the software with their Sheridan credentials, provides them with a poster template she has created, and then has them make one about themselves. At the end of it all, she gets something she can refer to as she learns about her new cohort, while her students get an opportunity to learn some new skills and gain some familiarity with an industry-standard program.

“There are some who kind of look at me like deer in headlights,” Jung says of some of the reactions she receives at the assignment. “At first, it's that fear. ‘I've never used anything like this!’ But, by the end, everybody feels confident. Everybody feels proud of themselves.”

This is one of the perks of being an Adobe Creative Campus, a designation that Sheridan gained in 2024, becoming just the fourth postsecondary institution in Canada to do so. That status granted all students and employees at the College access to Adobe Creative Cloud tools — at no cost. Users can leverage the full professional suite of products (such as Illustrator, Photoshop, and InDesign, for example) or opt for the simpler all-in-one Adobe Express for quick and easy content creation.

“Sheridan’s designation as an Adobe Creative Campus reinforces our commitment to ensuring students and staff have access to industry-leading resources,” says Joan Sweeney Marsh, Associate Vice Provost, Academic Learning Resources and Digital Innovation. “I’m excited to see what our students, faculty and staff will continue to create with Adobe as we embed creative, interdisciplinary and industry-integrated approaches to learning across our Faculties.” 

Architectural Technology student Jessica Pannella has been using the programs to create her portfolio and digital posters for assignments, as well as her résumé and cover letters.

“I found Photoshop incredibly easy to learn and navigate,” she says. "It didn't take very long for me to learn how to use it. It's made creating my portfolio very easy and efficient.”

Pannella encourages her fellow students to take advantage of the solutions Adobe has to offer.

“Sheridan’s designation as an Adobe Creative Campus reinforces our commitment to ensuring students and staff have access to industry-leading resources.”

– Joan Sweeney Marsh, Associate Vice Provost, Academic Learning Resources and Digital Innovation

“I've been applying for co-op jobs and noticed there are quite a few that ask for knowledge of things like Photoshop and InDesign," she says. “So, if you can learn how to use the programs beforehand, it can be helpful when looking for a job.”

Mark Razo suggests anyone who might be new to Adobe consider looking at Express first. Razo, who is the Manager of Integrated Planning and Projects, Institutional Research, says he uses Adobe “to enhance the work that I already do. It takes significantly less time to do certain tasks, now that I know there are easier ways.”

At first, Razo mainly used Adobe Acrobat to create and edit PDF files, but he’s now expanded his use to creating images, videos, slide decks and web pages. He appreciates Adobe Express’s ability to edit files that were created in other programs, such as Canva, Word, or PowerPoint. 

“I've used Adobe Express as a stepping stone beyond Acrobat to the additional Adobe products. This helped me to do things like image and video creation, creating posters, and making cover pages, slide decks, and even websites cleaner and more entertaining.” 

All of which helps Razo manage his everyday tasks better, because he’s able to get things done faster. Learning these new skills is made simple with the online tutorials that are provided.
“The blend of available training, hands-on workshops on-demand, and AI within Adobe Express has made it significantly easier to pick up something new," he says.

Sheridan students and staff can access the Adobe Creative Cloud through the Service Sheridan Knowledge base. Online training is also offered, with an option for faculty and staff to attend the Adobe Education Institute — an annual virtual conference held in the summer that offers hands-on workshops.