UTSA celebrates five years as an Adobe Creative Campus
To mark five years as an Adobe Creative Campus, UTSA hosted faculty and academic leaders from ten countries to showcase how the university’s innovative implementation of Adobe Creative Cloud tools has prepared students to thrive in an increasingly connected and tech-driven world.
In 2019, UTSA became the first four-year public institution in Texas recognized as an Adobe Creative Campus. As a leader in teaching and learning innovation, the university is committed to providing all students, including fully remote learners, with access to industry-standard tools that are essential in today’s digital economy.
"At UTSA, we recognized the importance of equipping our students with the digital literacy skills necessary for their future careers," said Melissa Vito, vice provost for academic innovation. “Adobe tools helped faculty keep students engaged during the early days of the pandemic and, with the advent of Generative AI, will continue to be an important resource to develop and strengthen students’ digital literacy.”
Empowering students through digital literacy
By providing every student with access to the Adobe Creative Cloud, UTSA empowers its faculty to fully integrate these tools into their curricula without the worry that some students may be left behind. This universal availability has allowed faculty members to develop assignments, projects and learning experiences that help students develop technical and career-ready skills like communication, collaboration and critical thinking.
Adobe is used by students and faculty across all departments and disciplines at UTSA. Over the last several years, UTSA students have repeatedly helped other universities’ leaders learn how to support digital literacy efforts at their home institutions.
Additionally, UTSA’s Adobe Student Ambassadors play a vital role in supporting their peers across campus. These ambassadors lead workshops, lectures, field trips and special programming designed to inspire creativity and innovation.
The measurable impact of creative tools and dynamic curricula
One of the most compelling aspects of UTSA’s Adobe initiative is its measurable impact on student success. A 2021 study conducted by Civitas Learning and Adobe compared courses that integrated Adobe Creative Cloud with equivalent courses that did not use Adobe tools. By carefully matching students across both sets of courses, the study provided a comparison of outcomes.
The results were statistically significant, particularly among traditionally underserved student groups. Overall, grades were higher for all students in Adobe-integrated courses by an average of 0.23 points on a 4.0 scale. This improvement in grades can be pivotal, with even small increases making the difference between qualifying for scholarships, achieving honors such as the UTSA President’s List and staying on track for graduation.
Furthermore, the integration of Adobe tools also led to improved course mastery. Undergraduate students in Adobe-integrated courses earned 4.5% more A and B grades than those in non-Adobe courses. These findings suggest that Adobe tools not only help students grasp course material more effectively but also contribute to deeper learning and engagement.
Notably, the Civitas study said that the deepest evidence of impact was at UTSA, where all students had equal access to Adobe tools and faculty had robust instructional design and academic technology support.
Driving faculty engagement and innovation
Behind these student successes is a strong emphasis on faculty development. Since becoming an Adobe Creative Campus, UTSA has prioritized training and professional development for its instructors, recognizing that faculty engagement is key to student adoption of these tools.
Willie Schaefer, UTSA’s dedicated Adobe specialist, has helped faculty integrate Adobe Creative Cloud into their teaching, guiding them through the process of incorporating digital tools into their assignments and assessments.
Schaefer’s impact extends beyond the classroom. He has created a wealth of content for the UTSA Academic Innovation YouTube channel, offering tutorials and resources that allow both faculty and students to explore new ways to use Adobe tools in their work.
He has also collaborated with faculty members involved in cutting-edge research projects, such as the Galactic Activity, Torus, and Outflow Survey (GATOS), a team of scientists studying black holes using the James Webb Space Telescope.
"Creative tools like Adobe Creative Cloud empower us to push boundaries and explore new ways of thinking, which is essential for making significant discoveries,” said Chris Packham, professor of astrophysics and co-lead of the GATOS team at UTSA. “In our research on black holes, visualizing complex data is not just about presentation, it's about unlocking new insights.”
“By encouraging students to experiment with these tools, we’re fostering a culture of creativity and innovation that drives scientific breakthroughs,” Packham added.
UTSA’s commitment to faculty development is evident in its impressive engagement rates. Sixty percent of faculty have participated in professional development programs offered through UTSA’s Academic Innovation office, well above the national average of 25-30% for faculty participation. By investing in its educators, UTSA ensures that its students benefit from the latest educational tools, techniques, and technologies, all of which are integrated into their coursework to prepare them for the demands of the modern workforce.
Tools to build bold futures
As UTSA celebrates five years as an Adobe Creative Campus, the university continues to push the boundaries of digital literacy and career preparation by transforming teaching and learning in the era of Generative Artificial Intelligence. In addition to hearing from faculty and UTSA instructional support staff, members of the Adobe 2024 Higher Education International Study Tour heard directly from students about the impact that Adobe has had on their academic careers and personal pursuits.
In her first few semesters as an undergraduate student, Cristina Samaniego said the challenges of returning to in-person learning after COVID-19 shaped her journey as a designer. Initially struggling to bridge the gap between virtual and physical studio environments, she found renewed confidence by embracing digital tools like Adobe Illustrator and Premiere Pro. This pivotal moment not only transformed her approach to design but also helped build her self-confidence in her chosen field.
"At first, I felt lost trying to reconnect with studio culture after being online for so long, but discovering Adobe tools completely changed my outlook,” said Samaniego, now pursuing a master’s degree in architecture. “Learning to sketch and design digitally gave me the confidence to forge my own path and stand out as a designer."
In an environmental communication class, Samaniego was initially uncertain about how to approach an assignment, which required her to create a piece of media to communicate her research. Given the freedom to choose any medium, she decided to create a video using Adobe Premiere Pro, despite not having extensive experience with video production. A year after she had turned in the assignment, her former professor contacted her and asked to use the video as an example for future students.
"Adobe has been a part of every class I’ve taken—it’s always open, whether I’m writing or designing,” said Samaniego. “It pushed me to explore new ideas and not stay stuck in one way of thinking. Adobe tools gave me the edge to communicate my ideas and build industry-recognized skills that have helped me stand out."
Sparking creativity and connection with Adobe
EXPLORE FURTHER
- View UTSA faculty development opportunities
- Explore free microcredential programs
- Faculty: Schedule a consultation with Academic Innovation
By Brett Copeland