CSU Fullerton Extends Creativity and Digital Literacy to Humanities and Business Classes

The workforce of tomorrow is bound to look very different from the one that exists today, in ways we may not be able to predict. To prepare for this unknown future, students need to think creatively, express themselves clearly, and use data effectively. They need to be problem solvers, innovators, leaders.

At California State University, Fullerton (CSUF), students are gaining the confidence and skills to become tomorrow’s leaders by developing their creativity now. The campus offers Adobe Creative Cloud for students and staff, embedding the tools in classes that include everything from art and design to business and the humanities. And it has sparked a trend across 21 other campuses in the California State University system, serving as a proving ground for their success.

According to Amir Dabirian, CIO of CSUF, “The key to adoption is to infuse Adobe Creative Cloud early into students’ academic life. Our goal is to give our students an edge by keeping on the forefront of innovation, and to carve out a path for other Cal State schools to follow.”

Bringing real-world skills into the classroom

To understand the impact of Adobe Creative Cloud on student creativity, picture a professional development course where students draw up resumes in Adobe InDesign CC, create career roadmaps in Adobe Illustrator CC, and build personal websites with Adobe Spark. Or an English class where students remix essays into videos using Adobe Premiere Pro CC.

CSUF assessments showed that nearly 60% of students agreed that Adobe Creative Cloud enriched their education experience. More than half believed the tools made them more competitive in the workforce. The numbers were even higher for students age 25 and older—83% and 75%, respectively.

Professors are also taking the opportunity to learn more about Adobe Creative Cloud so they can successfully integrate it into their classes. As Dabirian says, “Given that we want to help students enhance their learning process at school and then find a job and successfully contribute to society once they graduate, we’re seeing good effects from this particular digital tool in the whole process.”

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