Due to Covid-19 restrictions, extra funding was allocated to the Liverpool School of Art and Design (LSAD) to provide all students with off-site access to the Adobe Creative Cloud software to allow for remote learning. This enabled students to continue their studies during the Pandemic.  
 
It is under discussion as to whether it will be withdrawn as of September 2022 for the students attending LSAD. If it is removed, on-site University computers will be the only access to the Adobe Creative Cloud provided by the University. 
 
The students of Liverpool John Moore’s (LJMU) Graphic Design and Illustration course have created this petition to represent our desire to keep the funding allocated to the LSAD despite the pandemic restrictions lifting. This off-site access has become a dependable aspect to the current students' education. 
 
We believe the funding for the students of LJMU’s Graphic Design and Illustration course providing off-site access to the Adobe Create Cloud should remain for the following reasons: 
 
·       During Non-contact hours, students are still expected to carry out and complete work. If unable to use the Adobe Creative Cloud off-site, students may need to commute just to use the software that could easily be used at home. This sacrifices valuable time. 
·       The cost of commuting will be significantly raised for students to come on-site every time they need to use the Adobe Creative Cloud. These are costs that many students cannot afford and had not planned for. 
·       The John Lennon building has limited opening hours. Access is unavailable over weekends during term time and the building is completely closed out of term time. This limits the amount of time students have access to the Adobe Creative Cloud on the LSAD site. Many students also find that producing extra-curricular work alongside their degree study improves their overall progression. Off-site access allows for this.
·       The programs of the Adobe Creative Cloud have become embedded into the degree course. Students are taught that the Adobe Creative Cloud are the appropriate tools to use and have come to rely on them with every project they undertake. As these programs are used within industry, this access enables students to progress alongside professional standards, preparing them for their futures in industry. 
·       Many students recall off-site Adobe licenses being advertised whilst applying to study on the course with no mention that the licenses were temporary. This has caused many students to feel mislead. Many students have and do invest into personal laptops and other technologies primarily to accommodate the Adobe Create Cloud. 
·       There are not enough University computers in the studios to accommodate every student in need of the Adobe Creative Cloud at one time. With personal off-site licences, students can develop their individual practice along-side one another. This enables flexibility in where and how they work; allowing the creative process to lead the work, not how to access to the software. This collaboration and active participation forms a studio culture that LJMU strives to achieve.
·       As Covid-19 is still prevalent and other illnesses can affect the ability for students come into university, off-site access proves a useful way to work from home, without risking one’s health or the health of others. 
·       We believe all students from diverse backgrounds should have the same learning opportunities. Providing off-campus access allows for flexible working conditions and more diversity within the course. This includes students from low socioeconomic backgrounds, students who require specialist software and equipment to complete their work and students with other commitments such as caregiving which restricts their availability to access the campus. 
·       By the university providing off-site access to the Adobe Creative Cloud, it allows for a centralised organisation of the licenses, meaning that every student will have up to date software on personal machines. For a new degree student, the personal cost for the Adobe Creative Cloud is currently £16.24 per month for the first year and £24.96 per month for the remaining two. This equates to a total cost of £793.92 for the duration of the course per student. This could be a significant cost for many students, especially those from lower socioeconomic backgrounds. Students may therefore need to take on extra work to fund the Adobe Creative Cloud which could impact their University attendance and productivity.
  
 
Please sign our petition and help us show how positive the introduction of off-site access to the Adobe Create Cloud has been and how this potential change may affect the current and future students of the Graphic Design and Illustration course at Liverpool John Moores University.