Starting in fall 2012, current students and incoming freshmen entering the Graphic Design program at Longwood University will be required to purchase an Adobe software program for their computers, estimated to be around $448.95 with a student/ teacher discount. While this may seem to be disadvantageous to anyone in the major, it actually proves beneficial seeing as the program sells for $1,899 at retail price. Christopher Register, professor of art at Longwood, was able to comment more on the change.
The decision to have each student purchase the software has been in the works for a while, one reason being that the new art building will not have a standalone Mac lab for students to use. The current Mac lab for students to use is located in Stevens Hall and is run by the Information and Instructional Technology Services (IITS) of Technology (IT), not by the art department.
Another reason for the upgrade is the Mac labs are rated as CS3 (Computer Suite), which is a much older version than what students are accustomed to now. Register said this makes it difficult for students to present projects when they use the current versions of Adobe, which are rated at CS5 and CS5.5, both not compatible with the CS3 computers in the Mac lab.
Register explained that many times, students come into the Mac lab and only use their computers as opposed to the ones offered. Because of this, he said since students are required to have a laptop, they might as well go ahead and get the software. To compensate for this cost, students are not asked to buy any books.
The Barnes & Noble bookstore currently has a deal with Journey ED, a company offering a large discount for students and teachers. With this deal, it is possible the department could have the cost lowered even further, but nothing has been confirmed yet. Another school that has a deal similar to this is Kent State University in Ohio, which also requires their students to buy the program ahead of time.
With these programs, Register said students will have just about everything they need for the major at their fingertips. Some of the programs included in the Adobe software deal are Photoshop, InDesign and Illustrator.
The only concern that may result from this change is if students decide later on that they no longer want to be in the Graphic Design concentration.
"This is why we were trying to get the program on loan," said Register. Students would be able to sell they program once they had already bought it, but regardless, they would still be required to buy it to enter the concentration. This is especially important as the Graphic Design Department is currently in the process of becoming its own major. It is set to become a four-year program by fall 2013.
