The Center for Sport Leadership is always searching for new ways to enhance the learning experience of its students and better prepare them for an ever-evolving landscape in the sports industry. When VCU became the first institution in the state of Virginia to be recognized as an Adobe Creative Campus, the CSL saw a fantastic new opportunity.
Led by the VCUarts program, the Rams joined several schools from around the country in incorporating Adobe’s software offerings into its curriculum. The partnership comes with a significant discount as well, increasing affordability and accessibility for students.
To make sure its students can hit the ground running, the CSL has covered all costs for the Adobe Creative Suite for on-campus students in both the class of 2020 and 2021.
While the initiative is still in its early stages, notable schools such as Penn State, Indiana University, The University of South Florida, Clemson University, and more have all joined VCU on the list of creative campuses. In fact, VCU is the 30th school in the United States and 33rd school in the world to have the Adobe Creative Campus designation.
Just about everyone has heard of Photoshop, but there are many more tools available in the Creative Suite. Premiere Pro is used for video editing, InDesign is a great way to make documents, Lightroom makes photo editing a breeze, and more. Each adds a new element to what student have at their fingertips while undergoing creative endeavors.
With the increased importance of multimedia in sports, gaining an understanding of these tools can go a long way.
“We were excited to learn that VCU was becoming an Adobe Creative Campus and could foresee all the ways we could integrate these products into our program,” said Executive Director of the CSL, Carrie LeCrom. “What an added value this has created for our students who now have another skill set as they go into an extremely competitive workplace.”
“We are already seeing the benefits in the classroom less than 2 months into the semester, so I look forward to seeing our students progress in their Adobe capabilities as the year goes on,” added LeCrom. “It's been a great addition to what we do here.”
Professors in the program have also been proactive in scheduling guest instructors to join CSL classes and guide students through the new terrain. Evan Nicely, a 2019 graduate of the distance learning program and a current Assistant Director of Communications for VCU Athletics, made an appearance over Zoom to show students how to make an email signature in Photoshop, for example.
“The sports industry has slowly but continually embraced the importance of both digital media and graphic design,” noted Nicely. “The Center for Sport Leadership has been at the forefront of understanding it’s importance and always adapting to the industry. As a CSL alum, I was grateful for the opportunity to help give back and teach others the way that I have been helped in my own career.”
Evan Nicely creating a new Photoshop file
Other members of the VCU family, outside of athletics, have also been generous with their time in helping CSL students learn. To start off the 2020 fall semester, Oscar Keyes, a Multimedia Teaching and Learning Librarian for VCU Libraries, joined class to present the basics of how to access the Creative Cloud and utilize tools such as Adobe Spark. Adobe Creative Consultant Jonathan Carrera also took the time to help this year’s class learn more about Adobe Rush.
Oscar Keyes demonstrating Adobe Spark
Jonathan Carerra speaking to Media & Communications class
Most recently, Kirsten Nagel “zoomed” in to speak with the class. As part of her role with Adobe, the Customer Success Manager works closely with academic leaders at VCU to drive digital literacy in students all across campus.
“We absolutely love interacting with our creative campuses around the country and we’re really just getting started at VCU,” said Nagel. “It’s our hope that the tools Adobe creates can positively impact students’ live both in school and after graduation.”
Kirsten Nagel talking over Zoom
"We are extremely appreciative of VCU and the CSL for placing such a strong emphasis on the value of learning Adobe's creative platforms,” said Kendrick Goldman, a member of the class of 2021. “This is an amazing opportunity as young professionals to level up and become proficient in a program that will likely be an integral tool in our future careers."
It may just be the beginning, but the Center for Sport Leadership is at the forefront of this movement and is already seeing the benefits. With an array of new resources at their fingertips, the future looks bright for CSL students.