The imminent increase in tuition fees has led many to speculate about the shift in students’ expectations from universities, particularly when it comes to the resources available to them. Students now see university as a major investment, so will seek reassurance that their chosen institution can offer the very best facilities and help put them in a strong position to enter and succeed in the jobs market.
With technology literacy vital to improving student success, institutions with industry-standard ICT resources will naturally attract some of the brightest and most forward-thinking students. Universities will therefore be under more pressure than ever to invest in the right technology to meet this demand.
To help higher education institutions deliver smarter, more cost‐effective digital communication tools to students and staff, Adobe has recently launched a new Education Enterprise License Agreement (EELA). Liz Wilkins, Senior Marketing Manager, Education at Adobe, explains the benefits of the EELA: “The agreement enables everyone at a higher education institution to access Adobe’s technology from any device, at any time and any place - a huge attraction for students who are looking for the very best in campus facilities.”
The first to trial the EELA will be Ravensbourne – a specialist higher education institution, innovating in digital media and design. Situated at Greenwich Peninsula next to The O2, it is a centre of excellence, industry accredited and Skillset Media Academy specialising in vocationally focused courses spanning fashion, television and broadcasting, interactive product design, architecture and environment design, graphic design, animation, moving image, music production for media and sound design.
Ravensbourne recently changed location from a 1960s building to a purpose-built open plan campus, simulating the environment and working practices of creative professionals. The interior space was designed to encourage interaction between disciplines with open spaces, quiet corners, technology hubs and professional design studios and production suites. Once settled into this new, flexible working space, Ravensbourne wanted a pioneering technology strategy to match and therefore agreed to be the first to trial the agreement in September 2011.
The EELA will allow all students and staff at Ravensbourne to access Adobe’s CS 5.5 software via an access key, enabling them to express their ideas through a variety of digital channels which may have previously been restricted to certain departments. For example, students who study fashion will be able to use tools like Adobe Flash and Photoshop to bring their designs and drawings to life, whereas traditionally these tools may have only been used for subjects such as games design or animation. The fact that students from different disciplines can work alongside each other, using the same tools is intended to create an inspirational environment whereby students can learn from each other and experiment with different ways of delivering work through digital storytelling.
Ravensbourne champions the role of the ‘knowledge economy’ in creative businesses and has strong industry links and a dedicated research and enterprise centre. Access to industry standard software is key to drawing in such businesses and Ravensbourne plans to use the EELA to attract businesses from the City and beyond to Adobe training courses, workshops and networking events, thus bridging the gap between students and industry. In this respect Ravensbourne is a real exemplar to other higher education institutions, showing how technology can be utilised to prepare for the future and meet increased student demands.
Chris Thompson, Director of Enterprise and Innovation at Ravensbourne comments: “We are thrilled to be the first institution to trial the Adobe Education Enterprise License Agreement, as the concept of providing students and staff with universal access to the same tools and learning without walls fits the Ravensbourne philosophy perfectly. Having recently moved buildings to encourage more collaborative learning, we believe the EELA will build on this by helping students to converge in disciplines and take more creative approaches to how they deliver their work. We expect to see some outstanding work being produced as a result.”
The Adobe Education Enterprise License Agreement is available now - for more information about the EELA please visit www.adobe.com/education or follow us on twitter at www.twitter.com/adobeukedu.
Benefits in full: Adobe Education Enterprise License Agreement
Enhanced student learning (both in the home and on campus)
Universal access to Adobe software for staff and students, including an option for use on students’ personal computers
Streamlined purchasing and order management by consolidating deployment under an annual purchase order
Improved budget planning with a predictable annual licensing cost
Simplified compliance and version control with campus‐wide access to the latest Adobe software
Flexible deployment supporting multiple distribution options.
