Adobe Creative Campus

Northern Illinois University is proud to be an Adobe Creative Campus.

As the second institution in the State of Illinois to be recognized Adobe Creative Campus, we are part of a select group of colleges and universities that are empowering students in all disciplines with essential skills in digital literacy, creativity, and visual communication to succeed in the classroom and beyond. These are among the top skills valued by employers, regardless of industry.

As of March 18, 2024, all NIU faculty will have access to the full Adobe Creative Cloud suite of applications, including Adobe Express, Photoshop, Illustrator, Premiere, and more! All NIU staff can request access to Adobe Creative Cloud at no cost. And, best of all, all NIU students will be able to request access to Adobe Creative Cloud at no cost starting Fall 2024!

Learn more about accessing Adobe Creative Cloud

Learn more about being an Adobe Creative Campus

Promoting Digital Literacy

Becoming an Adobe Creative Campus allows us to promote digital literacy skills in our students across the curriculum. Digital literacy is arguably one of the most important skills our students will need throughout their lives as they navigate the perpetually changing technical ecosystems in which we live and work.

Become an Adobe Creative Educator

Join the community of educators from around the world who inspire creativity in their students.

Level 1 - Creativity for All

Learn what creativity is, why it’s important, and how to develop creativity in your students.

3 hours, self-paced

Enroll Now

Level 2 - Design Your Creative Course

Use prinicples of instructional design to design innovative and engaging learning materials.

3 hours, self-paced

Enroll Now

Get Inspired and Explore Resources

Adobe provides a wealth of resources for faculty and students who are getting started with digital literacy and Adobe applications.

2024 Adobe Education Institute

Attend a fully online conference for faculty featuring live, hands-on training sessions with Adobe experts, June 10 – 14. You choose the sessions that are relevant to you to build your schedule; sessions are recorded for on-demand viewing, as well. Complete any 3 workshops to receive the Adobe Education Institute Fellow credential!

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Self-Paced Online Courses

Learn what creativity is, why it’s important, and how to develop creativity in your students.

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Digital Literacy Cafes

Online webinars featuring higher education faculty focused on digital literacy and artificial intelligence

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Education Exchange Teaching Resources

Explore Adobe's library of free creative activities submitted by educators.

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Adobe Creative Skills Series

Bite-sized modules (with badges) for students on digital literacy skills and using Adobe applications.

Learn More

Frequently Asked Questions

I already teach courses that use Adobe Creative Cloud. Will my students still have access to Adobe Creative Cloud? New

A number of courses at NIU have already been using Adobe Creative Cloud. Students in those courses were receiving licenses based on their enrollment in those courses. The existing process will continue: DoIT will maintain a list of courses that use Adobe and ensure that all of the students in those courses have a license assigned. Students will not need to request a license while they are enrolled in a designated course.

The great news is that students will be able to request a license to use for any semester in which they are not taking a course that uses Adobe Creative Cloud. This gives them the opportunity to continue practicing the skills they learned by applying them in other courses or in their co-curricular activities.

I have been using Canva or another free graphics tool for student projects. Why should I use Adobe Express or other Creative Cloud applications instead? New

There are several great reasons to consider switching to an Adobe Creative Cloud application instead of using a free tool or a free trial:

Students will use their existing NIU credentials to access Adobe Creative Cloud, so they do not need to create a new account.
NIU's license for Adobe Creative Cloud includes powerful premium features that are often excluded from free trials of other tools, including larger storage quotas, advanced AI-powered features, and premium media resources (e.g., stock photography, video assets, background music).
Expertise with Adobe's industry-standard tools looks great on a resumé.

Adobe Help Center

Get Help

Center for Innovative
Teaching and Learning

Phone: 815-753-0595
Email: citl@niu.edu